How to Switch Your Pet’s Food?
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Are you wondering how to switch your pet’s food?
If you are, you’ve come to the right place to learn all you need to safely switch your pet’s food the right way! In this Chewtorial, we will go through all the steps pet parents should take when they want to change their pet’s diet. Whether you want to change dog food, or change cat’s food, follow the easy steps in this Chewtorial and your pets will be chowing down on their new diet in no time. When pet parents want to switch dog’s food, or switch cat’s food, it's important to do it gradually, just like you will see in this helpful Chewtorial. Pet parents of finicky kitties might have to go through these steps multiple times to successfully switch cat’s food, but never fear, we will be with you every step of the way!
Reasons to Change Foods
Has your dog or cat developed an allergy to a certain food ingredient? Maybe your pet’s health or stage of life requires a change to a diet that provides (or doesn’t provide) certain ingredients or beneficial properties. You may even have done some product evaluation and decided that another brand or formulation of food would be a better fit for your pet. Perhaps your veterinarian has made a suggestion for a special diet. There are many reasons for changing your pet's diet, and with so many variations of foods today - from dry to wet, frozen to freeze-dried - it can be hard to choose the one you think is best.
However, once you decide on a new food and are ready to make the change, it’s not recommended to stop feeding the old food altogether and give your dog or cat 100 percent new food. (The only reason you might do this is if your pet’s food is recalled and there is no other option available.) Rapid food changes can cause indigestion, diarrhea, flatulence (gas buildup), and even vomiting.
Not every animal is going to be super-sensitive to food changes, and some may not experience any intestinal problems at all, but it is best not to take the chance with your pet’s comfort.
Steps to Making the Change
Because dogs and cats become accustomed to certain foods, it can be tricky to get them to eat a new food. The taste may not be similar to the old food and they may not like the taste of a new product. For this, and the other reasons above, the switch to a new food should be done gradually. Depending on how your pet reacts to the new food, you can make the switch in one to two weeks.
Step 1: On the first day, start out by mixing together a batch of mostly old food (about 75 percent) with the new food (about 25 percent) in your pet’s food bowl. You should be feeding your pet the same amount of food you normally do, only with one-fourth of the new food replacing that amount of the old food. Feed this ratio for several days and watch your dog closely for signs of intestinal upset (diarrhea, flatulence, etc.). After a few days with no signs of upset, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Once your pet has accepted and become used to having some new food in the mix, you can mix the old and new food together in a 50:50 ratio. At any time, if your pet develops loose stools or begins vomiting, go back to the previous step or ratio of food for a few days. If all is going well, feed the 50 percent ratio for about three days and then move on to the next step.
During the transition, your pet may pick out the old food and leave the new food behind (or stop eating altogether). Don’t worry, just stick with the program until your pet accepts that this is going to be his/her new food and eventually your pet will eat.
A word of caution when feeding cats -- do not allow a cat to go more than a couple of days without eating, as this can lead to health problems (particularly in obese cats). Consult your veterinarian if your cat is refusing to eat the new food after a couple of days.
Step 3: If things are going well after a few days on the 50:50 diet, you can go one step further and feed a combination of 75 percent new food and 25 percent old food. Feed this combination for another several days and continue to watch for any signs of stomach upset or diarrhea. Once your pet is happily eating the 75:25 combination without any problems, you can move on to the final step. (You can feed this amount until you finish off the bag of old food.)
Step 4: Now, we are ready to feed 100 percent of the new food with no old food in the mix. Take as long as you need to get to the final step, letting your pet get used to the taste of the new food and how it affects his/her body.
Transition Tips
If you find that you have a desire or need to switch your pet’s food from wet to dry or vice versa, things could be a bit more difficult with a picky pet. In most cases, a wet food is accepted more easily than a dry food, and mixing them together makes everything a bit tastier at first.
Once you get to steps 3 and 4, it may help to add warm water to dry food to moisten the kibbles. You can also warm the wet or moistened food in a microwave for about five seconds to bring out the aroma. Do be careful not to allow the food to become too hot when microwaving. Over time, you can reduce the moisture and stop warming the food until it is accepted by your pet.
For an even better chance of success, begin the food switching process during the weekend. This will allow you to more closely observe your pet's behavior and watch for problems that may arise. It is also important that you not alter the feeding times, frequency, or the amount of food given. If your pet has trouble accepting the new food, or has major intestinal upset, consult your veterinarian.
Has your dog or cat developed an allergy to a certain food ingredient? Maybe your pet’s health or stage of life requires a change to a diet that provides (or doesn’t provide) certain ingredients or beneficial properties. You may even have done some product evaluation and decided that another brand or formulation of food would be a better fit for your pet. Perhaps your veterinarian has made a suggestion for a special diet. There are many reasons for changing your pet's diet, and with so many variations of foods today - from dry to wet, frozen to freeze-dried - it can be hard to choose the one you think is best.
However, once you decide on a new food and are ready to make the change, it’s not recommended to stop feeding the old food altogether and give your dog or cat 100 percent new food. (The only reason you might do this is if your pet’s food is recalled and there is no other option available.) Rapid food changes can cause indigestion, diarrhea, flatulence (gas buildup), and even vomiting.
Not every animal is going to be super-sensitive to food changes, and some may not experience any intestinal problems at all, but it is best not to take the chance with your pet’s comfort.
Steps to Making the Change
Because dogs and cats become accustomed to certain foods, it can be tricky to get them to eat a new food. The taste may not be similar to the old food and they may not like the taste of a new product. For this, and the other reasons above, the switch to a new food should be done gradually. Depending on how your pet reacts to the new food, you can make the switch in one to two weeks.
Step 1: On the first day, start out by mixing together a batch of mostly old food (about 75 percent) with the new food (about 25 percent) in your pet’s food bowl. You should be feeding your pet the same amount of food you normally do, only with one-fourth of the new food replacing that amount of the old food. Feed this ratio for several days and watch your dog closely for signs of intestinal upset (diarrhea, flatulence, etc.). After a few days with no signs of upset, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Once your pet has accepted and become used to having some new food in the mix, you can mix the old and new food together in a 50:50 ratio. At any time, if your pet develops loose stools or begins vomiting, go back to the previous step or ratio of food for a few days. If all is going well, feed the 50 percent ratio for about three days and then move on to the next step.
During the transition, your pet may pick out the old food and leave the new food behind (or stop eating altogether). Don’t worry, just stick with the program until your pet accepts that this is going to be his/her new food and eventually your pet will eat.
A word of caution when feeding cats -- do not allow a cat to go more than a couple of days without eating, as this can lead to health problems (particularly in obese cats). Consult your veterinarian if your cat is refusing to eat the new food after a couple of days.
Step 3: If things are going well after a few days on the 50:50 diet, you can go one step further and feed a combination of 75 percent new food and 25 percent old food. Feed this combination for another several days and continue to watch for any signs of stomach upset or diarrhea. Once your pet is happily eating the 75:25 combination without any problems, you can move on to the final step. (You can feed this amount until you finish off the bag of old food.)
Step 4: Now, we are ready to feed 100 percent of the new food with no old food in the mix. Take as long as you need to get to the final step, letting your pet get used to the taste of the new food and how it affects his/her body.
Transition Tips
If you find that you have a desire or need to switch your pet’s food from wet to dry or vice versa, things could be a bit more difficult with a picky pet. In most cases, a wet food is accepted more easily than a dry food, and mixing them together makes everything a bit tastier at first.
Once you get to steps 3 and 4, it may help to add warm water to dry food to moisten the kibbles. You can also warm the wet or moistened food in a microwave for about five seconds to bring out the aroma. Do be careful not to allow the food to become too hot when microwaving. Over time, you can reduce the moisture and stop warming the food until it is accepted by your pet.
For an even better chance of success, begin the food switching process during the weekend. This will allow you to more closely observe your pet's behavior and watch for problems that may arise. It is also important that you not alter the feeding times, frequency, or the amount of food given. If your pet has trouble accepting the new food, or has major intestinal upset, consult your veterinarian.
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