Switching kibble back and forth

[alliegirl]

I have now started feeding Chicken Soup (after finding the error of my ways, thanks to this site) I am introducing it gradually. I also heard that it is a good idea to to change kibble for taste reasons. I plan on feeding Wellness or some other premium brand after the Chicken Soup. I know that I have to introduce these slowly into thier diet. My question is once they have had a particular dog food (I am talking down the road in years) and there system is adjusted, do I have to introduce it again or can I just feed away? Just wondered.. Thanks

 

[Vela]

Any time you need to transition their food to a differnt vareity, even one they have had before, it is best to gradually introduce each time you do this. By the way you don't HAVE to rotate foods to give your dogs new tastes, a lot of people do it but for some dogs, one food works best and you can add different mixins to help spice things up for them. Some dogs do just fine rotating different foods and some end up having digestive problems and sticking with one food that works can be beneficial in cases like that. Just some things to keep in mind. You can add some cut up chicken or beef, a tablespoon of yogurt or cottage cheese, grated cheese, etc to help give them variety and still stick with one base food. It all depends on the dog and the situation. Good luck whichever way it works for you.

 

[Jan]

It is often recommended that you switch foods every six months or so, which personally I think would be a good idea. If one food was slightly deficient in any nutrient, chances are that the other food would have it and it would balance out over time. I would gradually switch the food over a week of so.

Good luck!

 

[alliegirl]

Thanks for both views. I would like to stay with one kind. I like the idea of adding stuff to their dry. I already have given some yogurt but this seemed to make her poo loose. She loves chicken and hamburger and really loves cheese. Thanks

 

[Vela]

I have only changed my foods once in two years (well except for getting them off of Dog Chow when I first got them). The only reason I switched from Canidae was that my two really didn't like it. I now feed them chicken soup (for 1 1/2 years). I also give them Seameal from Solid gold, omega 3 and 6 capsules, and glucosamine chondroitin added to their food.

A lot of people do rotate and have great luck with that. Some people don't rotate because of allergies, etc, and they do just fine on that as well. As long as the food is high quality you are pretty safe in choosing either option I think. For me not rotating has worked out very well but each person has their own ides about what works best for them and their dogs.

 

[mojoboxer]

Doesn't Wellness have many different flavors in their kibble?

 

[gmacleod]

I'd just add to that that dogs, being natural scavengers, are really designed to eat a very wide range of foods. And, as is the case for people, it is thought that feeding a wide range of different foods (especially from an early age) can help to prevent the development of allergies in the first place. Allergies form, after all, from repeated exposures to an allergen.

Obviously, if a dog already has allergies, then you're restricted in what you can feed. But if it does not, then it is probably a wise idea to feed it as wide a range of different foods as possible. That includes different protein sources, of course, so if you were feeding a chicken based food, it is good if the next one is lamb or fish etc.

Rotating between different formulas within the same brand isn't ideal, but it is better than nothing.