Bark Avenue Pet Supply

How to Change Your Pet's Diet

There are many reasons why you may want to change your dog’s food. Some of the most common are:

• A change in the dog’s attitude, coat, or energy level.
• New or reoccurring allergies.
• Digestive or stool problems.
• Your dog has been on the same food for over a year.
• Your dog is bored with his food.

Changing your dog’s diet from one food to another, be it dry, canned, raw, homemade, or a combination of the above, can be easily accomplished if you observe a few simple guidelines.

• Unless your pet is having a severe problem with his current food, switch over gradually. First, for the transition period, feed a total amount of food which is no more than three quarters of his previous total meal. Start by feeding ¾ the old food, ¼ new food. If the dog has no problem with this, the next day switch to half and half. Give that 2 days then go to ¾ new food/ ¼ old. If the dog is still doing well, after another 2 days go to 100% new diet. That’s it, in 5 days you are switched over.
  
• If your dog is having a severe problem with his current diet, fast him for one day then switch him to the new diet cold turkey. There may be a transition period but there is no reason to continue to feed a food which is giving you problems. Again, feed no more than ¾ the old ration until your dog is fully adjusted to his new food.
  
• Access your dog’s weight on a weekly basis to be sure that you are feeding an appropriate amount of the new food. You should be able to see a waist on the dog when viewed from above. Additionally you should be able to feel the ribs and hip bones without any fat layer covering them. The backbone should feel flat to the body, if it is prominent, your dog may be too this.
  
• Use the feeding chart on the bag as a guideline only, realizing that like us, all dogs metabolize differently and you need to find the proper amount to feed each individual to maintain a healthy weight.

All that being said, we believe that it is healthy to change your dog’s food on a regular basis. Dogs, like their people, are healthiest with a varied diet. Every meat, fruit, vegetable, and whole grain supplies unique nutrients that, in combination, can give each of us (canine and human alike) the total nutrition needed for our bodies to function optimally. Regularly use different foods and supplement them with wholesome fresh foods. Raw meats, lightly steamed vegetables, fresh fruits, eggs, plain yogurt are just some examples of great dietary additions. A dog fed in this manner should be able to easily switch from one food, or one diet, to another without any problem.

Your pets safety is important to our us at Bark Ave Pet Supply but our articles are not substitutes for professional medical care. Please consult your veterinarian when treating medical conditions.