Food Switching

[Guest lasharp1209]

I'm sure this has been addressed before ... I have yet to find a food for Blade that doesn't give him soft or, at best, inconsistent poops. In switching to a new food, how gradually should I make the switch? I started at 1/4 cup new food mixed with 3/4 cup current food but I wasn't sure when to "up" the new food amount. Anyone have a basic guideline?

[Sambuca]

I usually go about 5 days before the next level.

[IndyandHollyluv]

I know it's human nature to be somewhat impatient when it comes to transitioning food but I now drag it out for close to one month: 1/4 new food for first week, then 1/2 for the second week, 3/4 for the third week, etc.

 

I've cleaned up my fair share of blowouts in the past so I now take my time introducing a new food. I know the manufacturers say you can do it in one week - but it's a gamble. Maybe your dog will have the Big D? Maybe not. Perhaps a little throw-up to go with the diarrhea?? Maybe not. Maybe nothing at all happens. It will be a surprise!

[Batmom]

I give them @ half and half for a day or two, until I see poop that I know has the new food in it (48 hours to be on the safe side). If it's better poop, I switch. Worse poop, I pick something else.

 

Switching slowly has never done anything for my guys -- if the food doesn't go thru them well, it never gets better with time and occasionally gets worse. Also, adding just a teeny bit of new food sometimes doesn't provide a good picture of results. A third to a half seems to be the most telling measure for us.

[Guest Bamn]

I agree w/Grey Pup. I've tried it faster and always end up w/diarrhea. Slower is more of a pain but not as painful as the big D

[Guest GryffinSong]

Just a dissenting view ... if your dog already has diarhea, the faster you can get them on something more agreeable, the better off your dog will be. Gryffin had runny poo on almost every food I ever tried on him. If he was on another food for awhile (I traveled fulltime for years, so sometimes couldn't find my normal food) and got runny, I'd immediately switch him when I could get his usual food. He would literally firm up within a day.

[Guest sirsmom]

While trying some of the super premium rich foods, it sometimes took a month of a slow transition; on mid-grade food about a week or less.

[sobesmom]

I give them @ half and half for a day or two, until I see poop that I know has the new food in it (48 hours to be on the safe side). If it's better poop, I switch. Worse poop, I pick something else.

 

Switching slowly has never done anything for my guys -- if the food doesn't go thru them well, it never gets better with time and occasionally gets worse. Also, adding just a teeny bit of new food sometimes doesn't provide a good picture of results. A third to a half seems to be the most telling measure for us.

That's how I do it.