Switching over kibbles...thoughts on approaches?

1418 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Connie Sutherland, Apr 19, 2006

Woody Taylor

Discussion Starter · Apr 18, 2006

I'm switching Annie over to straight Evo and off of the Innova puppy. She's got a twitchy stomach and I know Evo is rich, but I'm trying to strike a fine line between clever and stupid on switching out foods. What ratios work best for you all? Something I should blend in over a week? Two weeks? Etc.? I know a few days is too restrictive but I'd think her body would adjust relatively soon with these types of food, right? (i.e., Evo is high-protein but isn't a food like Innova puppy relatively rich itself?)

I started with a 1 scoop Evo : 2 scoops Innova last night and feed twice daily. No yard pudding yet.

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Bob Scott

· #2 · Apr 18, 2006

Most dogs will change over easily within a weeks time. Any signs of trouble, just back up for a couple of days.

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Kristen Cabe

· #3 · Apr 18, 2006

It really depends on the dog. Usually, it's recommended to transition to a new food over a period of about a week - using 1/4 of the new food for a few days, then half and half for a few days, then 3/4 of the new food for a few days, and finally only new food. For me, personally, I've had better results with a more 'cold turkey' approach.

When I first got Jak, he was on Purina Pro Plan. I fed Canidae already, and planned on feeding it to Jak as well, but I had a bunch of Nutro coupons, so I put him on Nutro Natural Choice first, and then when I ran out of coupons, I switched him on over to Canidae.

When I put him on the Nutro, we didn't have very much of his old food, so the transition period was only about 3 days. He did fine with that; just had a few cow pattie poos for about 2 or 3 days. When I switched him to Canidae last month, I did it a little more slowly, which resulted in cow pattie poos for about a week before they firmed back up again. So for me, just doing it works best. You may find that your dog will need a slower approach.

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· #4 · Apr 18, 2006

Being the horrible mother that I am, I switch them cold turkey...all the time. As a result of NEVER getting too used to one food (I feed more raw than anything), they don't have issues w/it. I don't follow them around outside and analyze everything that comes out, but I figure if it's not so bad that they can't make it outside, then, well, it just ain't that bad :wink: .The only thing that ever gave Caleb horrible diarrhea was Wellness Puppy, but even then, it was only for 2 days, and he was fine. Just make sure they don't get dehydrated if they're vomiting and/or have diarrhea. If you've been feeding Innova already, the transition is not going to be as harsh as if he was on some crap like Science Diet, comprised mostly of sawdust. I think what you've been doing is just fine.

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Anne Jones

· #5 · Apr 18, 2006

I would do it over a weeks time at least.....gradually increasing the new & decreasing the old on a daily basis not a meal basis. Why cause you dog to have a stomache/intestinal problem if it is not necessary to do so. It is especially harder for a younger dog to tollerate the change than an older one unless the older one has a sensitive stomache. JMHO

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Woody Taylor

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 18, 2006

Biggest mistake I made with my dog was getting her and having her for a few weeks before I found the Leerburg site and forum...she developed coccidia, I did the full range of antibiotic treatments repeatedly (she kept getting parasitic stuff and none of us figured out at first some of her fecal tests were showing parasites that didn't attack dogs) and stacked immunizations on top of them (all the while feeding her all the greenies she could stand). I'm convinced I screwed up her gut for good with that bit of owner ignorance.

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Connie Sutherland

· #7 · Apr 19, 2006

Woody Taylor said:
Biggest mistake I made with my dog was getting her and having her for a few weeks before I found the Leerburg site and forum...she developed coccidia, I did the full range of antibiotic treatments repeatedly (she kept getting parasitic stuff and none of us figured out at first some of her fecal tests were showing parasites that didn't attack dogs) and stacked immunizations on top of them (all the while feeding her all the greenies she could stand). I'm convinced I screwed up her gut for good with that bit of owner ignorance.

IMO, you did not screw up her digestion for good. You might want to advise any future vet if she has had a number of antibiotics (and keep a list) in order to let him/her know that they might have to start with a start with a different one in the event of a future infection of any kind. (And, of course, you'll never quit an antibiotic regimen partway through.)

IMO, with a sensitive stomach, I too would take a week to do a food switch.

But in general, with a not-sensitive digestion, I have done what Jenni does -- just do it. After all, if a dog is on fresh food, variety is part of the picture.

That means that a dog's system has evolved to handle switching pretty abruptly!

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· #8 · Apr 19, 2006

Well, I had this long reply about how you probably didn't screw her up for good,and even if you did, you know better now, and won't make that mistake, and she'll probably be just fine, some just have sensitive stomachs, yada yada yada...and the damn site was down and I lost everything! ARGH!

Then Connie said it just about verbatim, and all was well.

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Connie Sutherland

· #9 · Apr 19, 2006

I forgot about digestive enzymes. I've never had to use them, but I have heard and read authoritative sources claim that it was a good idea for a dog just off antibiotics, or "learning" to process a new food.

I have, however, used plain yogurt with live cultures.

Even dogs who don't do well with milk often do great with cultured products, and they can replace some of the flora/fauna destroyed by antibiotics.

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