Switching Your Dog to New Diet: Straight vs Gradual Swaps

There are many reasons why you might be considering switching your dog over to a different diet. Perhaps you are struggling to afford their current diet and want to feed them something that’s less expensive to buy, or maybe you’ve heard all about the health benefits of a certain diet and feel that your dog would be happier and healthier on it. Maybe your dog has a health problem that requires you to feed him a certain type of food. Whatever your reason, you will want the switch to a different type of food to be as easy and as stress-free as possible for the two of you.

Understanding Your Dog

Every dog is different, and knowing your dog’s personality will help you decide whether you can manage a straight switch or whether it would be necessary to introduce the new food gradually. If your dog is still a puppy, it’s always best to gradually switch their diet over to a different one since a sudden change in the type of food that they eat can cause stomach upset. But it’s really down to you if you have an adult dog. If your dog is happy to eat anything, a straight switch will usually work. On the other hand, if you have more of a picky eater, a gradual introduction may be a better option for you.

Straight Switch – How to Do It

If you’ve decided that your dog is usually quite happy to eat anything that you put in his bowl and should be fine with a straight switch, the best way to do it is at the beginning of a new day. Give your dog his usual food the evening before, and start with the new diet in the morning. Carefully monitor your dog for any signs of stomach upset food allergies or an aversion to the food, as this may mean that you will have to go back to the old food and try a gradual change instead. If your dog seems happy and healthy, you can simply continue feeding the new diet.

Gradual Switch – How to Do It

Picky eaters or dogs that are prone to stomach upset will usually benefit from a more gradual introduction to a new food so that they can adjust to it. Once you have ordered your new dog food from a site like www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com, consider how you are going to gradually introduce it to your dog’s diet. One of the best ways to do this is to start out by giving your dog portions of the new food as a treat while continuing to feed her the regular diet. You can then gradually introduce the new food in larger portions while cutting down the portions of the old food, until you have replaced it completely. Again, you should carefully monitor your dog for any signs of stomach upset or allergy issues.

There are many reasons why you might want to start feeding your dog something new. You know your dog best and whether or not a straight swap or gradual change is best for them.

Thanks to Ellie