Does Rotating Dog Food Prevent Allergies
Although you will find several sources on the Internet that tell you otherwise, the answer is no. As long as your dog is eating one food and not showing any signs of allergies or a food intolerance, there is no need to rotate food to prevent allergies. In fact, exposing your dog to the proteins in other foods can cause an allergic reaction to the new proteins. The more proteins your dog is exposed to, the more you increase the chance that your dog could become allergic to something. This is true even when you feed your dog novel proteins in expensive dog foods. Of course, its possible that your 10-year-old dog can suddenly develop an allergy to chicken after eating a chicken-based dog food for years but if he does, you will have lots of other good dog foods to choose for him that use other protein sources.
How To Transition Puppy To An Adult Dog Food
When you stop feeding puppy food, you must change more than just the food he eats. The number of meals and portion sizes will shift, too.
Most puppies eat three meals a day, but adult dogs can eat just two meals per day. The feeding guide on your dogs food label will tell you how much to feed your dog each day and to split the amount into two meals.
When its time to transition your puppy to an adult dog food, do so gradually. A gradual transition helps prevent stomach upset.
Heres a sample transitional feeding plan:
- Days 1 to 2: Feed 3/4 of the normal amount of puppy food and add 1/4 adult dog food.
- Days 3 to 4: Serve half puppy food and half adult dog food.
- Days 5 to 7: Feed 1/4 puppy food and 3/4 adult dog food.
- Days 8 to 10: Serve only adult dog food.
If your dog resists eating the adult food or experiences an upset stomach, extend the transition time as needed. Consult with your veterinarian for more help if needed.
For more information and tips on puppy and dog nutrition from our experts, visit our Pet Expertise page.
How Is Puppy Food Different
All dogs require a balance of protein, fat, and essential nutrients for optimal health and wellness, regardless of breed.
The Association of American Feed Control Officials has established the minimums required for healthy growth and maintenance in dogs. At a minimum, puppies require 22% protein and 8% fat to fuel their growth and development while adult dogs require a minimum of 18% protein and 5% fat in their diets.
However, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the protein requirements of dogs and cats vary with age, activity level, temperament, life stage, health status, and protein quality of the diet. This means that as your dog grows and ages, his protein and calorie requirements vary significantly, so its important that when you switch your puppy to adult dog food, you understand how to make a successfuland safeswitch.
Puppy food has higher levels of protein and fat to fuel growth and development in addition to nutrients typically found in a mother dogs milk such as DHA. Foods formulated for puppies may also have higher levels of calcium and phosphorus to support healthy bones.
As your puppy approaches maturity, his growth will slow, and you should adjust his diet to prevent overgrowth. Generally speaking, higher levels of protein are better for both puppies and adult dogs. Some brands like American Journey go above and beyond the recommended minimums to provide dogs with an abundance of animal-based protein to support lean muscle mass and healthy weight.
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When Switching Dog Food Is Not Recommended
There are situations where changing a dogs diet is not recommended. One such situation is switching a dogs food to prevent food allergies. Currently, there is no evidence to support this concept.
Since food allergies develop because of a dogs genes, and not because of the number of foods they have been exposed to, it is best to keep your dog on the one food they do well on and manage any allergies if/when they become prevalent in your dogs life.
What About Organic Puppy Food
There is no official definition for organic pet food yet, although you may see some pet foods labeled this way. The U.S. Department of Agricultures National Organic Program, which regulates the use of an organic label, is weighing a November 2008 recommendation from its standards board and is expected to issue rules soon.
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When Should A Puppy Start Eating Solid Food
Puppies should get solid food starting at about four weeks, when theyre not able to get all the calories they need from their mothers milk. Most puppies are weaned by six weeks.
Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, is assistant professor of clinical nutrition at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He tells WebMD that for puppies younger than eight weeks, you may need to moisten dry food until it feels spongy.
Tips For Making Your Dogs Food At Home:
- If youre not ready to make the leap to cooking all of your dogs food, try just adding some real, whole foods to their kibble. You can start with simply stirring in a scrambled egg, mixing in some chopped apples or carrots, or adding a small amount of the homemade dog food in with their normal kibble.
- You should be able to serve this homemade dog food to your dog either hot or cold. Ive found that dogs love this dog food so much, that they are not picky about how its served.
- Its not usually a good idea to abruptly change your dogs food. Start transitioning them to homemade food by mixing some of this in with their regular food or kibble for a few days until they are used to the new food. Your dogs belly will thank you. And again, remember to always discuss with your vet before feeding your pet something new.
- To give your dog a variety of different nutrients, use different meats, fruits, and vegetables to make your dogs food. However, if your dog has a sensitive stomach, it might be best to stick to one combination that you know works.
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What Is The Best Way To Change My Dogs Diet
Every change, be it small or big, requires a certain period. Irrespective of the age of your dog, a food switch should always be made gradually, rather than suddenly.
The best way is to mix your new dog food with the current dog food for at least a week. Doing so will make sure that your dogs stomach is not upset about the change, and it gives their system enough time to adapt to the change thats coming.
- Day 1: 75% of your current dog food + 25% of the new dog food in each serving.
- Day 2: 60% of your current dog food + 40% of the new dog food in each serving.
- Day 3: 50% of your current dog food + 50% of the new dog food in each serving.
- Day 4: 40% of your current dog food + 60% of the new dog food in each serving.
- Day 5: 25% of your current dog food + 75% of the new dog food in each serving.
- Day 6: 10-15% of your current dog food + 85-90% of the new dog food in each serving.
- Day 7: 100% of the new dog food, which has now successfully become your current dog food. At this point, your dog must have adapted to the food switch without any digestive issues.
One must break down the meals as per their dogs needs.
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How To Choose A Senior Dog Food
If you and your veterinarian decide that switching to a senior dog food is correct for your dog, choose a senior dog food with the guidelines below and follow the diet transition guidelines above according to their intestinal sensitivity.
Guidelines for choosing a senior dog food:
- Look for an AAFCO label stating that the food is complete and balanced
- Consider staying with the brand of food that has worked well in the past
- Consider a formula that includes joint support for arthritis
- Look for ingredients you feel comfortable feeding
- Find a senior dog food that fits within your budget
How To Switch A Puppy To Adult Food
If you need ideas on which food is right for your dog, check out these dog food delivery options. The fresh foods make it easy to customize your dogs diet based on age, weight, etc. and it ensures you will have food on hand at all times.
When it is time to switch to an adult food, make sure you do it slowly. Youll want to transition your dogs food over multiple days and watch for any upset stomach issues. To learn how to adjust a dogs diet correctly, read our full article on how to safely change your dogs food.
What dog food do you plan on transitioning your puppy to?
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How Long Will My Dog Have Diarrhea After Changing Food
Switching your dogs food is sometimes necessary, or sometimes it might just be time to change things up. That said, changing your dogs food will probably cause some degree of diarrhea, just so you are prepared. This is normal, and it should not last for too long. Lets take a closer look at this issue.
Foods Not Safe For Dogs:
The most important thing to know when making homemade dog food for your dog are the foods they should NOT eat.
You can do a quick google search for an all inclusive list or buy a doggie cookbook for reference. Heres a list from the Humane Society of foods that can be poisonous to pets. Be sure to take the necessary precautions if you plan to start cooking for your dog, but also know, theres really not that much to worry about!
Here are some common human foods that should not be fed to your dog:
- Garlic
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How To Know If Your Puppy Is Fat
Pet obesity is a huge problem in the UK, with studies suggesting that 56 per cent of the nations dogs are overweight or obese. Fat dogs will struggle more to enjoy life and the likelihood of them suffering from serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, breathing problems and cancer, is increased. These health problems wont just put a strain on your wallet as they are costly to treat, but they could cause heartache too as each tends to lead to premature death. They are also at greater risk of arthritis, which is painful for dogs. Managing your pups food intake alongside suitable exercise for their age is the best way to prevent them getting fat.
Many dog owners dont recognise that their pet is overweight, but there are simple and easy ways to check. Look straight down at your pups body from above. Your pets waist should taper in to give an hourglass shape. If they look oval from above you will need to think about cutting down on their food intake, and if the hourglass shape is too extreme they are underweight.
Gently run your hands along both sides of your dogs chest and you should be able to feel their ribs through a thin layer of fat. The ribs should not be highly visible as they would be in an emaciated dog, but neither should it be difficult to feel them through a layer of fat.
These body scoring images will give you a good guide on what a healthy pup looks like:
Page last updated 12/07/2021
Do Puppies Still Need Milk After 8 Weeks
Puppies usually do not need milk after 8 weeks of age and in fact, stop taking milk a few days before then. However, depending on the breed and the specific health of your puppy, he might need some amount of milk until about 6 to 10 weeks of age. During the weaning period, the best form of milk for the puppy is his mothers milk, if available. The change from this nursing milk to commercial puppy milk to ultimately no milk should be gradual and well calculated.
Avoid feeding your puppy with cows milk because it doesnt suit most breeds of puppies, especially those that are lactose intolerant. Also, your puppy needs certain levels of phosphorus and calcium to fulfill his nutritional needs at this crucial stage of his life and growth. Cows milk does not contain the required levels and is also diluted, implying that your puppy can suffer from diarrhea and get quickly dehydrated.
The commercially-available puppy milk replacer formulas, if chosen well, are good options for your puppy. They can be available in liquid form or as a powder that needs to be reconstituted. Consult your vet for the precise brand of formula to be given, depending on the age, breed and overall health of your puppy.
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Side Effects Of Switching Dog Food
If you didnt take the time to follow a diet transition schedule, or if you otherwise tried to switch too quickly, you might get to see what intestinal upset looks like.
Consider a time when you have eaten a brand new cuisine or a food you were otherwise not used to eating. The stomach pain and/or bathroom consequences you experienced are similar to what a dog goes through after eating something their body is not used to. Intestinal upset can manifest as throwing up, little or no appetite, or diarrhea.
From Milk To Puppy Food
During the first four weeks of life, mother’s milk provides all the nutrition your puppy needs. At 4 weeks of age, your puppy begins the transition from mother’s milk to puppy food. The process is slow, starting with a mixture of milk and just enough puppy food to produce gruel. It takes another four weeks before your pup has transitioned to eating solid puppy food. He is approximately 8 weeks old when he is ready to eat dry kibble.
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How To Transition From One Food To Another
- Not all dogs have problems changing foods, but for those picky eaters or those with sensitive tummies, you may have to transition slowly.
- When its time to transition to a new food, take a small amount of the new food and mix with a portion of the old food. Allow your dog to eat as usual.
- Add a little more of the new food to the portion and continue feeding your dog as usual.Continue to switch portions, reducing the old food, and increasing the new food until its all the new food.
- From now on, feed only the new food.
- Throughout the process, watch for signs of distress or tummy issues and ease the amount of new food to give your puppy time to adjust.
- If you continue to have issues with your puppys eating, address these issues with your veterinarian to find a solution.
How Do You Change A Puppys Food
The first thing youll need to decide is which food to feed your puppy as an adult.
A good place to start would be an adult food from the same brand of puppy food youre currently feeding, assuming your pup likes the food and is doing well on it. If you are transitioning from one Fromm product to another, like Puppy Gold to Adult Gold, a transition period is not absolutely necessary, but is encouraged.
That way, the transition wont feel like such a big change, and it will be less likely to upset your pups tummy.
However, ANY food change can potentially result in an upset stomach or diarrhea. Thats because it takes time for the digestive tract to get used to something new, especially if your puppy has a sensitive stomach.
Making the change slowly and gradually will help prevent these symptoms. A slow change will also make your dog more likely to accept the new food if theyre a picky eater.
Here are two ways to make the switch slowly
- The Mixing Method.
- Mix the puppy food and new adult food together, starting with a smaller portion of the adult food. This works out to about 1 part new adult food per 3 parts puppy food.
- After a few days, switch to a 50:50 mixhalf puppy, half adult.
- After a few more days, switch to 75% adult food, 25% puppy food .
- In another few days, switch to 100% adult food.
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Fromm Family Pet Food
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