Hi 👋, I am Carlos
Hi 👋, I am Carlos
Should I Change My Dog's Food?
So when should you change your dog's food? There's a lot of debate on the subject, but we're going to explain an easy and safe way to do it, and also cover how often it has to be done, if at all.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY DOG'S FOOD?
Now to understand this, we gotta learn a bit about the dog's G.I (Gastro Intestinal) tract. The first thing you should know is, that it's delicate and too much change can cause an upset stomach that can lead to many episodes of diarrhea and vomiting. Most dogs are happy eating the same food, but if you happen to see him develop an allergy to a food or he simply doesn't seem to like it anymore then you can go ahead and change it, but remember your dog needs time to adjust to new food. So do it gradually.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR DOG'S FOOD?
So what does gradually change your dog's food mean? Well it means never just outright swap the food. Always do it slowly. A good rule to follow is the 80-20 rule. This simply means combining 80% of your current food and 20% of the new food to start, and then just work your way up... After a couple of days do 70-30, then 60-40 and so on and so forth.
WHEN AND WHY SHOULD WE CHANGE A DOG's FOOD?
Well there are many reasons to do it, but none have to do with "I feel bad for giving him the same thing over and over". It's more about certain conditions and health issues. For example if your dog is overweight, you might need to buy a different type of food that is a bit less fattening. Some pooches look cute chubby, but it's better not to let the weight get ahead of itself. Also when your dog reaches a certain age usually 7 years old. You need to go ahead and change the food to senior dog food, as the dietary needs change in each stage of their life. They can also develop allergies even if they've ate the same food all their lives. Dog's are funny like that.
WHAT IF I COOK FOR MY DOG?
First you should do some research as this is a tricky topic, but if your knowledgable on the subject then this is the only time it's actually recommend to change your dog's meal on a consistent basis, maybe every week or so. Why? Well it has to do with the dog's in the wild theory. You see in the wild a dog's diet does not consist of the same repetitive meal every day. They eat various meats to gain the nutrients they need. Dog food (especially AAFCO approved) on the other hand is designed to provide all the nutrients a dog needs so there is no need to change it often. High end dog food that is grain free like Orijen and Acana can vary nutrients and it's encouraged to rotate food of the same brand every once in a while.
CONCLUSION
Dog's are not like us. They almost never get bored of eating the same food, and their digestive system doesn't crave change. It only needs to feed and provide nutrients. Of course they'll prefer the food to be tasty, but if you've found a specific food that your pooch loves then your good to go. Like a wise man once said, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".