# Switching Foods



## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

I didn't want to hijack Michelle's puppy food thread.... So I'll ask here. ;-) 

A few people mentioned switching around various kibbles. This seems totally different from "standard practise" of gradually changing from one food to another. I would love the option of switching around between three or four different foods for the ones that get kibble but old habits are hard to break. 

So, it's really okay to switch between with no mixing to get the dogs used to the change? Right now I'm switching around between Orijen, Before Grain Salmon, Natures Variety chicken, Inova Evo. If I can change around every couple weeks I would like that.

Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the knowledge base here?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Tina Rempel said:


> This seems totally different from "standard practise" of gradually changing from one food to another.


I think that it's probably the fact that most dogs are fed one dog food, meal after meal, day after day, that makes a sudden switch problematic. A canid on his own would eat extreme variety.

Or you might prefer to mix, say, an ocean and a lamb or a chicken and a buffalo formula, than to switch around. There are many ways to get variety into the diet.


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## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

Thanks Connie, Mixing a couple kinds together is what I've been doing, mostly so if I run out of one kind they are used to another already.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Tina Rempel said:


> So, it's really okay to switch between with no mixing to get the dogs used to the change?


I've done a lot of food switches without having the previous diet to mix in for a gradual change. Usually these are dogs that are going through significant change and are very stressed at the time. I see loose stools over the first five days. 

When feeding kibble, I usually switch every 2 - 3 weeks. After the first diet change (accompanied with stress), I haven't seen any problems with switching food abruptly.

When feeding raw, I get the dog ready to switch to raw over about a week and then switch. I'll start with just one basic "recipe" for a week, until the stool is raw-fed-firm. After that, it works out to a significant change in diet every week for the way I pack, freeze and thaw meat.

Try an abrupt change to a familiar food and see how it goes!


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

It's all about the individual dog. My one GSD cna switch easily. The other has to be "weaned" over a weeks time. My JRT could eat out of the trash can and eat the can when he's finished.


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