Unlike humans, dogs do not want or need variety in their diet and will happily eat the same food at the same times every day. Switching your dog’s food frequently can cause them to become fussy eaters, so you should be careful to ensure that you are switching for a good reason. The most common reasons for changing your dog’s food are:
- He is maturing from a puppy to an adult and needs to switch to an adult diet
- He is allergic or sensitive to ingredients in his current food
- To improve the quality of your dog’s diet
- To improve the form of your dog’s stool
- To increase or decrease your dog’s energy level
If you want to switch because your dog seems to have gone off his current food, be very careful that you are not being played! You should teach your dog that there are no options, and he must eat what he is given, otherwise, he will hold out for something tastier each time and you will be switching left, right and centre.
When switching your dog’s food, it should be done gradually over a period of 7 days or more to avoid a tummy upset and digestive issues. Start by combining 75% of the old food with 25% of the new food, and gradually increase the proportion of new food and decrease the proportion of old food over the course of a week or more.
If you are switching between recipes within a brand, it may be possible to switch more quickly without a tummy upset, depending on the similarity of the recipes and your individual dog’s sensitivities. Our experience is that typically, in the absence of any specific food allergies, most dogs can transition quickly between our Paw superfood recipes without issue.
