When To Transition Your Dogs Food
Remember these tips when switching your dogs food:
- Puppies become adults at 12 months of age and should transition to an adult dog food to ensure they are receiving proper nutrient levels for adult dogs. If you have a large breed dog, talk to your vet first, as they may recommend keeping them on their puppy food a few months longer to ensure they get the proper calories to grow to their full adult form.
- Remember large and small breed puppies should be transitioned to the appropriate breed-size adult dog food to ensure that their special needs are met.
- For small and medium size dogs who are older about the age of 7 they should transition to a mature adult or senior dog food to ensure they are receiving the appropriate level of nutrients for that older lifestage.
- Larger breed dogs should transition to a senior dog food around the age of 6 as their bones and muscles age a little quicker than their smaller counterparts.
- Follow the feeding guidelines: when mixing the old and new food together, it is important to continue to feed the proper amounts, so be sure to use measuring cups and do your best to get the instructed calorie count correct.
Read Also: Is Iams Dog Food Any Good
Tips To Make The Transition Go Smoothly
Whether your vet recommended a new food for your pup or youre getting ready to switch your dog to an adult or senior dog food, youll have to make the transition the right way so he doesnt get sick.
The Dodo spoke to Dr. Andrea Tu, a medical director at Behavior Vets NYC, and Dr. Sara Ochoa, a veterinarian consultant at Senior Tail Waggers, to find out how to transition your dog to new food.
How To Change Your Dog’s Food
You might want to change your dogs food to a new brand or type, either for preference or because you have been advised to do so for a medical reason.
Its always best to change the food gradually, over a couple of weeks. This may seem like a long time, but its best to be patient to avoid any problems.
Never change their food suddenly unless you are advised to do so by your vet. This is because sudden changes to diet can cause a tummy upset or even diarrhoea, and for some pets it may make them less likely to eat the food offered to them.
Day 1-3: Introduce a small amount of the new food separately
- Give your dog their regular meal as normal. On a separate plate or bowl, put down a small teaspoonful of their new food.
- Keep them on separate plates or bowls and dont mix the foods together yet. This is to introduce them to the new food slowly.
- Theyll probably sniff it, and may even eat it .
Day 4-10: Increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old food
Day 10-14: Gradually phase out the old food completely
- Once your pet is consistently eating the mix of new food alongside the old for at least a week, start phasing out the old food
- Again, if they dont want to eat it at any point, then you may need to decrease the amount of new food for another few days.
Also Check: Where To Buy Halshan Dog Food
How Important Is Using High
Your dog could be experiencing health issues because poor quality food might contain harmful additives hes coming in contact with, according to Dr. Schechter. Switching to a premium or high-quality dog food could be the answer.
But what does a high-quality dog food include? According to VCA Animal Hospitals, dogs should eat a combination of meat and vegetables with all the vital nutrients that make up a dogs well-balanced diet. This includes the right amount of certain essential amino acids found in proteins, minerals, some essential fatty acids from fat and vitamins. The right amounts are going to change based on a dogs stage of life, like puppy, adult, pregnancy or senior.
Purchase the highest quality dog food youre able to afford as opposed to a budget dog food, which may hurt your dogs digestive system. The ingredients in the food should be real and recognizable, and if theyre not, look for another food, according to VCA Animal Hospitals.
Most older, sedentary and neutered or spayed dogs dont have as high of energy requirements, so use a lower-calorie dog food . /According to VCA Animal Hospitals, there should be less than 350 calories per cup of dog food. If the food is too high-calorie, your pup could gain weight and suffer from health problems.
How To Switch Dog Food Gradually
The best way to transition your dogs food is to mix your current dog food with the new dog food for at least 5 days. This allows for your dogs digestive tract to adjust without suffering from stomach issues.
- Day 1: Feed 75% of your current food and mix in 25% of the new food in each serving to start the adjustment period for clean digestion.
- Day 2: Adjust to feeding 60% of your old food and mix in 40% of the new food in each serving.
- Day 3: Feed 50% of your old food, mixed with 50% of the new food per serving.
- Day 4: Feed 40% of your old food, mixed with 60% of the new food per serving.
- Day 5: Feed 25% of your old food, mixed with 75% of the new food per serving.
- Day 6: Feed 90-100% of the new food at this point you should be very close to a clean digestive transition period.
Break the daily serving size into two meals per day: one in the morning and one in the evening.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Dog Food For Food Allergies
Transitioning From Dry To Wet Dog Food
Although kittens often start on wet food, puppies typically start with a high-quality dry food kibble. However, sometimes our pups dont love the dry options we are providing them. As our dogs age, they may also need the transition to a softer food option. No matter the reason, if youre looking to switch up meal time offerings, trying wet dog food can be a great choice.
There are some considerations with wet dog food. Wet food is a great way to keep your dog hydrated due to the moisture content. This can help aid your dogs digestion and overall health. Most dogs also prefer wet food to dry because of the texture and the flavorful taste. You do want to ensure you choose a high-quality, natural wet dog food option to avoid unnecessary fillers or excess calories in your dog’s meals. To help keep your pup’s teeth clean while feeding wet food, work in a natural daily dog dental chewy like WHIMZEES.
When transitioning your dog to wet food, introduce the food slowly. Just like humans, sometimes new foods can upset our stomachs. Add a little wet food each day to your dogs bowl while slowly reducing the amount of kibble. Within a week, you should have fully transitioned to their new diet.
How To Transition Your Sporting Dog To A New Food
At some point in their dogs life, owners and handlers need to transition their dog to a new food. In-season performance sometimes requires different formulas from off-season maintenance diets.
One cause for a change in foods comes from a life stage change. Puppies become adults just as adults become seniors. A second reason for a shift is from a seasonal change. In-season performance sometimes requires different formulas from off-season maintenance diets. A third is the changing of brands. Brett Volmert, the PRO Development Manager for Eukanuba Sporting Dog, regularly fields these questions from pro trainers, boarding kennels, pro guides, and key opinion leaders. Here are his 6 tips to successfully introduce a new food to your dog.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Dog Food For Overweight Senior Dogs
Can Switching Dog Food Too Fast Make My Dog Sick
Switching dog food too fast, or switching dog food without mixing, can lead to an upset stomach, among other health problems. In order to avoid any issues, the safest thing you can do is gradually change foods so that your dog gets used to the new food, says Dr. Barrett.
She explains its crucial to mix the two foods over several days using a very specific ratio. Here is a dog food transition chart you can follow:
- Days 1 to 3: Mix in 25% of the new dog food with 75% of the old dog food
- Days 3 to 6: Mix 50% of the new dog food and 50% of the old dog food
- Days 6 to 9: Mix 75% of the new dog food and 25% of the old dog food
- Day 9 and moving forward: Feed your dog 100% of the new diet
Monitor for vomiting, diarrhea and soft stools. Dr. Barrett says this should be done during the first three days. If your dog gets sick at the start of the transition, talk to your veterinarian to figure out a new plan. You may have to switch foods again or go back to the previous ratio for three to four more days to see if that helps, says Dr. Barrett. The transitioning process should take 9 to 12 days total, but let your dog and his stomach guide you.
You shouldnt introduce any new treats during this time. Dr. Barrett explains that if you notice your dog is turning away from his food bowl or isnt interested in the food, it doesnt mean that he doesnt like the flavor. Instead, he might be feeling queasy.
How To Transition Your Dog To A New Food
Changing your dogs diet is not something you can do overnight. The shift to a new food should be made slowly to avoid stomach upsets.
Here’s our guide on how to transition your dog to a new food in a comfortable way for them.
If youve decided to make a change to your dogs diet, whether its a different brand, a new balance between wet and dry food, or even shifting from puppy food to adult, or adult to senior pet food, its really important that you do so slowly. While we can happily eat a variety of foods in one day, our pets have very different digestive systems – where an abrupt change in diet can lead to digestive upsets. Therefore, gradually introducing the new food is the best way to avoid some of the issues that can occur with a change in diet.
Also Check: Do Vets Recommend Freshpet Dog Food
Variation On Dogs Diarrhea Recipe
There are several variations for a dogs diarrhea recipe. Pumpkin is great for helping a dog with diarrhea.
Pumpkin is a great natural remedy for diarrhea in dogs. Pumpkin is a natural laxative and helps dogs with frequent diarrhea.
It soothes the digestive tract and promotes bile flow, which helps break down fats and proteins.
Pumpkin fiber helps with regular bowel movements by absorbing water in the colon.
A Guide To Changing Your Dogs Food
- Summary: Gradually increase the percentage of new food so that it is 50:50 after four days, then 75% new food to 25% old after six days . Finally, if your dog is tolerating the food well, start feeding them on 100% new food after seven or eight days
- Matching search results: If youve decided to make a change to your dogs diet, whether its a different brand, a new balance between wet and dry food, or even shifting from puppy food to adult, or adult to senior pet food, its really important that you do so slowly. While
Recommended Reading: Where To Buy 4health Dog Food
What Not To Do
Lets say your dog normally eats Chicken Chow, but the store has a special on Sausage Snacks.
You decide to give your pup something different, so you fill the basket with a change of menu. After all, your dog must get pretty bored eating the same thing every day dont they?
Dont change out the food all out once. Your dog may be super-excited about the new taste, but as sure as dogs have wet noses, such a sudden change will lead to a stomach upset.
Instead, switch the dog food gradually during the course of a full week, which gives your pets digestive system enough time to adjust.
Keep reading for specific guidance on how best to do this.
The Best Rule Of Thumb For Making The Switch
Every dog is different, but in general, its a good idea to switch over to adult food once your puppy reaches about 85 percent of his anticipated maturity weight. So if your Chihuahua is expected to reach a weight of six pounds at maturity, switch her over when she weighs about five pounds.
If you have a very large or giant breed, ask your vet for advice or consider having an x-ray performed to determine whether your dogs skeleton is mature enough to make the switch.
Don’t Miss: Hills I D Dog Food
How To Transition Your Dogs Food
When you switch your dog to a drastically different diet, theres a chance they could get sick. So, if you switch your dog from kibble to fresh food, their tummy may not react well. Even though fresh dog food uses healthy human-grade ingredients, its drastically different than your dogs dry food. Thus, youll need to carefully transition them to the new food to avoid digestive problems.
Many of the brands have information on how to transition the food on their website, and their customer service teams may be willing to give you advice too. But heres a general schedule you can follow when transitioning your dog to a new diet:
- Days 1 and 2: 80% old food, 20% new food
- Days 3 and 4: 60% old food, 40% new food
- Days 5 and 6: 40% old food, 60% new food
- Days 7 and 8: 20% old food, 80% new food
- Day 9: 100% new food
This is a more cautious schedule, but the more gradual the transition is, the less likely your dog will react negatively. You can adjust this schedule based on your dogs needs. If your dog is more sensitive to new foods, you may want to make the transition even more gradual. On the other hand, if your dog rarely has digestion problems, the process doesnt have to be as slow. It all depends on your furry friends specific needs.
What Age Can I Transition My Puppy To Dog Food
Once your puppy reaches adulthood he/she no longer needs those extra nutrients for growth and can safely move over to the adult version. This age will depend on the breed of dog you own. This information can be easily found on pet food packaging or by talking with your vet. In very relaxed terms, the larger the dog, the longer they are a puppy for.
At Grub Club, our food is fully balanced food for all adult breeds. If your large breed dog is over 15 months then they should be absolutely fine, for smaller breeds anytime after 9 months should be good too. Good news is that our puppy range will be ready soon so please keep an eye out.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a great puppy training treat, our soft-baked Sit Roll Treat Repeat is a great option – it’s only 7 calories per treat and soft enough to break into small pieces so great for obedience training. It’s got fresh blueberries, banana, spirulina, and kale along with our hypoallergenic insect protein.
Read Also: Has Wellness Dog Food Ever Been Recalled
When Do I Need To Take My Dog To The Vet
If your pet is vomiting or has diarrhea for more than three days, or has symptoms accompanied by lethargy, you should talk to your vet about the transition.
If your dog suffers from a serious medical condition, such as advanced kidney disease or pancreatitis, they may require a more stringent diet, and Nom Nom may not be the right fit. Remember to consult your veterinarian before changing his diet.
The Nom Nom R& D team is on the lookout for dogs that experience regular diarrhea to participate in their new GI targeted probiotics trial. Sound like someone in your house? See if your dog qualifies for this paid research study here.
The Trouble With Switching
Some dogs will switch to a new food with no hassles at all. But for many dogs, introducing them to a new diet can result in an upset stomach. Were talking diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive symptoms, all of which can be quite unpleasant for your dog and quite worrying for you.
So instead of abruptly cutting off their old diet and feeding their new one, its important to make the change gradually so your dog has a chance to adapt.
Also Check: What Is The Best Grain Free Dog Food
How Long Does It Take A Puppy To Adjust To A New Food
Itâs really impossible to put a timeline on how long a puppy will take to get acclimated to new food. This is because all puppiesâ stomachs are different.
Some will be able to successfully complete a food transition in a few weeks. For others, it can take as long as a few months. Itâs important that if at any point you feel your dog is in distress, you reach out to a vet and express your concerns.