Switching Your Dog's Diet the Right Way

There might be a few occasions during your dog's life that may call for you to switch the diet of your dog. It's important to understand the right method to switch your dog's diet to make your dog's transition easier.

There are a lot of reasons that might urge you to switch your dog's diet. For example, a puppy needs to switch from nursing for milk to dog food. An adult dog might need to switch to a dog food especially designed for older or senior dogs. Health issues could be another reason for a switch in your dog's diet.

After a consultation with your veterinarian about switching your dog's diet, you'll need to think about all of your possible options. When you finally decide on the change you're going to make, you'll want to make that change over time. Don't stop feeding your dog one kind of diet on Monday night and start feeding your dog something different Tuesday morning. A drastic switch like that might have some serious consequences.

Switching your dog's diet too soon can cause your dog to have an upset stomach and possibly diarrhea.

Switching your dog's diet the right way takes a few days. Over a period of 2 weeks, gradually cut down the amount of your dog's original diet and slightly increase your dog's new diet. If you usually feed your dog 3 cups of kibble a day, for example, you'll want to switch your dog's diet about 1/4 cup a day. Remember if your dog eats twice daily, divide that amount in half per feeding.

On the first day of this switch you'd feed your dog their 3 cups of the current kibble and 1/4 cup of the new food. The total amount needs to be alotted between however many meals throughout the day. On the second day, 2 and 3/4 cups of the current diet and 1/2 cup of the new food. By the fourteenth day, your dog's diet should have been entirely switched over.

This process might seem a bit slow and tedious at first, but it's for the best. Your dog's diet is different than a human's diet. Humans change their diet daily. Your dog's diet, on the other hand, is best when it's consistent. Don't switch feeding methods or brands of dog food frequently.

When you discover a diet that promotes the health of your dog, stick with it. Actually, you should allow at least a few weeks, preferably months, pass by on the new diet before ascertaining the results, unless your vet has directed you to do otherwise. Some situations might come up where this will not be a possible plan.

Your dog's vet can best teach you why and when to go about switching your dog's diet. The right method for switching your dog's diet will take time, unless directed otherwise. The slow switch will lessen the change and stress to your dog's digestive tract and system overall. Whenever you find that a particular diet is working for your dog, it's usually best to leave things well enough alone. Consistency in your dog's diet is helpful in maintaining the ultimate health potential of your dog.