If I Want To Switch Dry Food Brands, What Size Bag Do I Buy?

[Guest HazedMojo]

Hello all,

 

New retired racing greyhound owner here that needs a little help. I have my male grey on dry Newman's Own kibble, but would like to try Orijen Adult Formula. To make matters more complicated, I am in the process of switching him over to Iams Premium Protection dry food, which he absolutely hates. Do I purchase the 30, 15, or 5.5 Lbs. bag of Orijen? My guy says the 15 Lbs., but I don't want to have a lot of food left over. Unfortunately, I don't think any retailers carry the brand nearby, so I am thinking about purchasing it from PetFoodDirect.com, since they seem to have the lowest prices. I would like some veteran/experienced advice before I place my order though. Thank you in advance!

[Sambuca]

It can take a month or 2 for the dog to adjust to a new food (even once totally switched over), so I suggest the 30# bag and switch gradually. I like to take at least 2 weeks to switch foods and longer if you want to use up whatever you have left of the old food.

[Guest sweetpea]

You'll probably get 752 different suggestions.

 

My question is, why are you switching?

 

If your dog likes the Newman food, and the Newman food agrees with your dog, why mess with a good thing?

 

For my girl, it was evident immediately when a food did not agree with her, so I'd stop feeding that food,

go back to a bland diet, and move on to a different kibble.

 

So my advice, go with as small a bag as is convenient until you're sure it's a good fit.

 

2 down, 750 suggestions to go......

 

 

Good luck!

 

Buzzy

[DocsDoctor]

As a first step I'd ask the manufacturer/ retailer for a free sample bag (normally this just contains a few ounces), so you can see if he he actually LIKES the proposed new food. Won't be enough to tell if it's going to suit him on a long-term basis, though.

 

If you then decide to go ahead and try it, the bigger bag will work out cheaper. If it turns out not to suit your greyhound, you could always donate the rest of the bag to your greyhound group/ another local dog rescue!

[Guest Swifthounds]

You'll probably get 752 different suggestions.

 

My question is, why are you switching?

 

If your dog likes the Newman food, and the Newman food agrees with your dog, why mess with a good thing?

 

Buzzy

 

 

I'm not clear about the Iams switch. Were you switching from the Newman's to Iams and then changed your mind? If so, I would stop the switch and stay with what you were feeding, or stop that switch and just switch now to the food you want to feed.

 

The more times you change the diet of a dog, especially one new to a home, the more upset you'll have and the more difficult it will be to tell if it's the food or the stress or the changes.

[Guest sirsmom]

I would go with the 5.5 bag and over a week or two time I would feed 1/4 origen with the old food for at least 3 days, then 1/2 old food and 1/2 origen for at least 3 days or more then if he is tolerating this half and half mix well go 3/4 origen and 1/4 old food for another couple days and after that 100% origen. Go slow.

[Guest HazedMojo]

It may be my over worrying about his health/happiness, but his stool has very, very rarely (maybe once or twice) been a solid consistency since I adopted him mid February. I understand that stress and anxiety may be the cause of this, but when I took him to the vet today, she hinted at performing a stool sample analysis to rule out parasites and such. I would absolutely LOVE to find one brand of dry dog food that he enjoys, makes his digestion function like clockwork, and improves his already good health. I'm starting to get a little frustrated because I tried giving him just brown rice, to no avail, Immodium A-D, and Pepto Bismol tablets, which had no affect on his watery or loose stools. To top things off, he has dandruff and is balder than my father on his underside and now starting on his rear. I ruled out rough surfaces, because I have wall to wall carpeting, provide him tons of fleece blankets, and both his beds are super soft. The vet said the reason is most likely diet. I just want to take it slow so I don't cause him any G-I unpleasantness or stress.

 

Thank you everybody for all of your replies and help. I really do appreciate it. One of my biggest fears before owning a retired racing greyhound was being alone with any difficulties or problems. This forum has been more than helpful and "big brothers" from the greyhound rescue are awesome with their knowledge and dedication to the cause. Thanks again!

[Guest sweetpea]

Hokay, more info helps a lot!

 

It is definitely a good idea to check for bugs in his poo, just to be sure.

 

How do you know your boy "hates" the Iams? Is his appetite good for other things and he just won't eat the Iams?

Or, could his tummy be upset, and he's not hungry for anything?

I ask because Iams has worked great on firming up Sweetpea's poop. (I mean, her poops roll downhill, it's awesome!)

 

You might want to try a bland diet for a while, and see if that firms him up, and then transition to your kibble of choice.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I knew riteawayqwik when a kibble did not agree with her highness, so I'd back

off to bland and start over with a different kibble. That's why I voted for a small bag.

 

By the way, the food you pick may or may not impact hair growth. My girl was as fuzzy as a teddy bear when she came home,

about three months in she blew her kennel coat and now has no hair on her tummy and not much on her bum, and that's just the

way it is. Don't think it's bad parenting, or sub-par food choices; it's most likely genetic, (just like your dad!)

 

Good luck, I know how frustrating it is to get a handle on their gut!

 

Buzzy

[Jackandgrey]

Just to add to your confusion, I feed Orijen but many hounds find it too rich for dogs especially early on. I would also agree that the hair pattern is unlikely food related. I have the Three Bears of hair patterns, bald, partly bald and just right . they all get the same food.