Switching Pet Foods: Best Cheat Sheet Guide Exchanging Nutrition

Switching Pet Foods: Best Cheat Sheet Guide: When introducing a new diet to your pet, it is recommended to introduce the new food slowly. If you feed your pet the new food too quickly, your pet could experience food denial and some sort of upset stomach. More specifically, excess gas, constipation, vomiting, and diarrhea. The perfect way from transitioning from an old diet to a new, is to gradually mix an increasing amount of the new product over a length of time until your pet is only receiving the new diet. This is a very important step as to not disturb your pets digestive equity.

We recommend to have a week to ten days transition trial period before feeding the new diet. This allows the pets digestive system to evenly change to the new pet food. After the 7th or 10th day, switching pet foods should then; be fine.

Switching pet foods transition schedule:

  1. Day 1. old diet 75% New Diet 25%
  2. Day 2 repeat day 1.
  3. Day 3 old diet 50% New Diet 50%
  4. Day 4 repeat day 3.
  5. Day 5 old diet 25% New Diet 75%
  6. Day 6 repeat day 5.
  7. Day 7 Old diet 0% New Diet 100%

Q: What is approximately 25% you ask.. A: We estimate 1/4 to 3/4 of a cup.

If at any time during the change of diet and your pet develops any digestive upsets, slow the transition schedule of the new food. Should your pet develops a more serious signs of a reaction, stop immediately and call your veterinarian. Often times this problem will be solved by stopping all food intake for 12 hours, then making a slower switch starting with the pet’s old food again. Because upset stomach and vomiting could be caused by another factor, you should contact your veterinarian.

Note: If your pet refuses to eat do not go more than 24 hours without consulting a veterinarian.

Hints you need:

  • Some pets with conditions such as kidney disease may take longer than normal to change to the new diet. Food seems easier to give when offered with affection.
  • Offer a few bites of canned food by hand.
  • Lightly moisten the kibble or add a little warm water to canned food to enhance aroma and texture.