How Long Does Changing Dog Food Take and How To Go About It?
That will depend on the dog’s preferences and tendencies for stubbornness. Many dogs will happily switch to a new food whenever given the chance. However, in some cases, a dog can be obstinate for a few days or even a couple of weeks.
The most sure-fire way to deal with such a stubborn dog is to change its food gradually. This usually means mixing 75% of the old food with 25% at first. If the dog refuses that ratio, try 80/20 or even 90/10 if you have to. Whatever ratio is finally deemed “Acceptable” by your dog, stay on it for a few days.
Then, slowly start reducing the amount of old food and adding more of the new food. After about a week or so you can transition into a 50/50. After another few days to a week – 25/75. From there, the jump to 100% new food should be a matter of no more than a couple more days.
In total, even the most stubborn dogs should be ok with a full transition after 14 days if you’ve made the transition smooth enough.
Learn more about: Can Dogs Eat Maraschino Cherries Or Are The Drawbacks Too High?
Why Consider Changing Dog Food Within The Same Brand?
Generally speaking, it wouldn’t matter much whether you switch to a different brand or just to a different flavor/type within the same brand. Either way, the ingredients will likely be quite different.
The first and foremost rule, in either case, should be the actual quality of the food. If you believe your current brand offers high enough quality across all its different types of food – stick with it. However, if the very reason for the switch is the low quality of the food then obviously, changing dog food within the same brand is a bad idea.
How many times per day should I feed my dog?
Many people still think that all dogs should be fed only once per day, but professionals know better than this now. To keep your adult dog healthy, you should feed him twice per day, and to keep a puppy of 6 months or younger healthy, you should feed him 3-4 meals per day.
Puppies don’t need as much to eat at each meal, but they use up their food more quickly, and that’s why they need to be fed more often. They require more nutrients and calories than their adult counterparts, but their stomachs cannot take in a lot at once. Puppies over 6 months old need to be fed 2-3 times per day.
Changing Dog Food Within The Same Brand – The Why, When, And How
You get worn out just trying to decide what you and your family are going to eat every day, so worrying about what your dog is eating is just more headache. On the other hand, you adore your dog, so you want him to enjoy his food and be healthy.
Does he enjoy his food or is he just eating it because it’s all he has? Is he as healthy as he can be? Are you starting to question your dog food choices and habits? Here is the low down on what to do and not to do with dog foods.