How to shift your dog to a new food brand? Try the 7 day switch

Dogs are creatures of habit and the thought of changing something as integral to them such as their usual diet can send you in a frantic mode. You certainly don’t want to risk the pooch’s health while you are only trying to benefit the dog with a new diet. Consuming the same diet or dog food formula over a long period can result in the pooch developing a food allergy from it.

In case of food recall and with age too, switching from adult to senior dog food becomes necessary.
The only solution before you is to shift the pet to a new diet as seamlessly as possible without causing it further health issues.(image- hellomagazine.com)
When switching dog food, aim for smoother transition without having your dog face any digestive illnesses such as vomiting, anorexia or diarrhea.
In case of a food recall look for a similar dog food recipe: Pick-up a similar formulation and go through the list of ingredients. A grain free or a gluten less diet is best for dogs.

Be sure of known allergies in your dog and try small packs or samples of dog food with different protein sources but try to stick with similar ratios and percentages of protein, fiber and fat in the composition. Image:www.petmd.com

Introduce the pet dog gradually to its new food: Gradually acquainting the dog’s system to the new food will result in greater acceptability of it.

Day 1 – offer a very small portion of the new food and continue giving the old food that should form 75 percent of the total diet.
Day 2 –  increase the portion of new food by 5 percent and reduce the old food’s percentage by 5.
Day 3 – Dogs’ daily diet must consist 60% of original food and 40% of new food.
Day 4 – Feed equal quantities of old and new dog food for the day.
Day 5 – Keep the old food brand’s percentage at 40% where as the new one should be 60%.
Day 6 – The pooch is to be given only 25% of the old foodstuff & 75% of new one.
Day 7 – If the canine is accepting its new diet well and sans tummy issues, then day 7 should be all about the new food. You can discontinue the old food completely at this stage.

At any point the dog develops a digestive disorder/gastrointestinal issue or rejects the new food consult your veterinarian.Image-prouddogmom.com

Sometimes dogs act very choosy about accepting the new food especially the first couple of times you offer it. In case it does not eat it, pick it up and do not offer anything in between including treats till you offer the new food again after about 6 hours. This gap will allow the pet to feel a bit hungry. Image-www.pets4homes.co.uk

Frequent diet changes are not recommended: Don’t get tempted to switch your dog to a new food brand just because of some seasonal discounts being offered on it. A superior quality food that is suitable for the dog’s breed type and age must be given to the pet as long as no valid reason prompts you or the vet to consider a switch. There are healthy gut microorganisms that live in the animal’s digestive tract and aid in the digestive process. If you frequently alter your dog’s diet you will end up affecting the gut flora negatively and also increase the chances of the pooch suffering from a food allergy.

                                  READ MORE  – Is pedigree a good dog food for puppies?

It goes without saying that any change you wish to introduce in your dog’s diet must be done after consulting the vet. The vet will be in a better position to direct you to the right dog food brand/diet. The doctor will able pick out food and ingredients that will agree or disagree with the dog’s medical history.

Article Resource – PetMD.com