borasaurus Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 I know that typically when you switch dog foods, it's recommended to be done gradually. However, the food I recently bought for Kieran has been causing him digestive upset that won't stabilize. I want to return it and switch him to something else. Should I keep a little so that I can do it slowly, or would it be better to switch him cold turkey? Since he's already having issues with it, I don't see how weaning him off of it would ease his digestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Of course, just switch at once. I always considered this gradually changing foods a bit of an old wives tale anyway. At least when just changing from one kind of kibble to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Not sure if keeping a little to transition back (or to another food) will make much of a difference, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead. Personally, I do not transition. I purposely buy another brand of kibble every time I need to replace a bag. I finish the old kibble, clean out the storage container, and dump the new kibble in. Never had a problem, but then again, I am always buying good quality, grain-free food. The Whole Dog Journal recommends switching up foods mainly because we still do not know if the 'complete' kibble formulas are truly complete - it could be missing one, or more, micronutrients or other component(s). By switching to other brands, the theory is that the ingredients will average out over time to provide any missing components. It is true that if you change foods drastically [e.g. feed corn-based kibble and then switch, without transition, to a high-quality grain-free food --- or if you were to eat hamburger every meal for a year or two, then have a meal of lobster in butter, I bet you would have problems], you could see some digestive issues, but if you do switch up his food, his system will be better able to handle the switches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 I am like Jovi, I switch foods every bag both brand and flavor and never worry about transitioning as I have a picky eater. We have never had a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 If a dog eats the same kibble every day for many months or years and you change suddenly, your dog absolutely can get bad diarrhea. We see this on a daily basis in veterinary medicine. If you are constantly rotating foods, your average, healthy dog will adjust and do very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riika Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 I've always just switched foods cold turkey too. I think the only legitimate reason to not do so, is if the dog doesn't like it. Gradually switching would (maybe) get the dog used to the taste. Herbivore (in my case goats, and lesser, horses and cows) have to be switched gradually but the switch is usually drastic like grass hay, to lush green pasture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 I find that the more variety in a dog's diet, the easier it is to switch cold turkey. I recently switched Kenzi to raw from kibble. Cold turkey with no issues. But she's been used to getting a variety of add ins already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher7151 Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 I switch cold turkey. Mostly because Keeper suffered from SEVERE digestive distress from switching foods when he was younger. I switched food regularly, and even a quarter cup of new food turned him into a fire hose from either end. I found that switching cold turkey gave us one or two days of issue, and then it was over with. He quit being so sensitive when I switched him to full raw for several months. Now he gets raw and kibble, and he's much more tolerant of change. Still a touch sensitive to strong things, but absolutely nothing like he used to be. He gets new proteins all the time, a variety of puréed veggies, dehydrated food stuff, and new kibble. I have one kibble I like as a base, but we have a local pet store full of super high quality foods. Quite regularly they have small bags of WAY out of my price range food for major discounts for whatever reason. I like buying those for variety. I do think his gut was out of whack for a while before, which made him so sensitive. I'm about to start giving him kefir (probiotic filled fermented milk) to try to get his gut even a little better. Can't hurt to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks for confirming my suspicions. He's on grain free kibble, and I'd be switching to another one of a different brand. This one is just too rich for him, I think, as he's also putting on weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smalahundur Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Thanks for confirming my suspicions. He's on grain free kibble, and I'd be switching to another one of a different brand. This one is just too rich for him, I think, as he's also putting on weight. Well captain obvious speaking here, but then you are just feeding him too much of it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Not all kibbles (or meats if someone's feeding raw) will have the same calorie content, so yeah, you've got to adjust based on the food. Putting on weight = need to reduce intake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted February 7, 2016 Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 When I switched Buddy from "bad" food to a good grain-free, he put on weight right away. I realized quickly that I only needed to feed him about 2/3 as much of the more expensive food. In the end, it cost about the same as the cheaper stuff, because of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Well captain obvious speaking here, but then you are just feeding him too much of it.... Well, of course I adjust based on the calories (goes without saying, no? ), but there's only so much I can adjust to the point that he was getting very little (just over half a cup a day). I found something with less calories per cup. He was pooping a ton - and not healthy poops - so I don't think it agreed with him. Not to mention, I also was giving him an amount based on a conservative estimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 When I switched Buddy from "bad" food to a good grain-free, he put on weight right away. I realized quickly that I only needed to feed him about 2/3 as much of the more expensive food. In the end, it cost about the same as the cheaper stuff, because of that. Most of the better stuff is more nutrient and calorie dense, and not loaded with useless fillers. So you usually don't have to feed as much . . . and I'm sure stool volume is reduced as well. Of course as a raw feeder I think any kibble poop is totally disgusting. Raw fed poop is much less distasteful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Of course as a raw feeder I think any kibble poop is totally disgusting. Raw fed poop is much less distasteful. Lol, Kieran's poops were way more disgusting on raw food than on kibble, even after a couple months. I really should go back to a home cooked diet, but it makes it difficult to train him for agility and flyball since he isn't toy-motivated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher7151 Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Raw poops are the greatest. Only on this forum can I make that remark. Except for the time where Keeper had a bit too much bone in his diet, and to my horror, me pooped out what could have extremely easily been mistaken for sawdust. I can tell a lot by his poop. With the kibble now supplemented with raw he doesn't quite have the super chalky, dry raw poops, but they're nothing like nasty kibble pudding poop. Ok, I'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Kingfisher, chalky raw poops are the result of too much bone, which you seem to be aware of. Adding more meat to Keeper's diet to correct his stool would be preferable to adding kibble IMO. But even if you're feeding both kibble and raw, the raw portion should have the correct ration of meat to bone, which is about 75-80% meat and 10-15% bone. You should also be adding some organ to that as well. My big concern when people feed both kibble and raw is that they often don't balance the raw portion. It should be the proper ratio of meat:bones:organs to make a complete, nutritionally balanced diet, one that you could feed alone. Otherwise you're skewing and negating the balance of the nutritional profile of the kibble. But, yeah, raw poop is the best! Kibble poop makes me gag when I'm pet sitting and have to pick it up. The sheer volume never ceases to amaze me. And the smell is horrendous. Yeah, gotta love poop talk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Lol, Kieran's poops were way more disgusting on raw food than on kibble, even after a couple months. I really should go back to a home cooked diet, but it makes it difficult to train him for agility and flyball since he isn't toy-motivated. Kenzi couldn't tolerate raw when she was younger. It was a nightmare finding something that worked for her. But now she can eat just about ANYTHING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 I just switched Kieran's food and his poop has shown an immediate improvement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted February 8, 2016 Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Sometimes you just gotta try something new. I hope he stabilizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borasaurus Posted February 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2016 Sometimes you just gotta try something new. I hope he stabilizes. Yea, I'm terrible with brand loyalty. I don't think I've bought the same brand twice. This one has fewer calories per cup while still being grain free, so Kieran gets more. I know that's all that matters to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher7151 Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 GentleLake, I do feed him fully balanced raw in addition to kibble. I was pure raw for almost 6 months! We had a wide variety of protein, some bone, offal, and anything else I could get my hands on. I feed him the same exact thing now, just a smaller portion. I mostly switched him back to part kibble because he was really struggling to keep weight on. Granted he was a 9 month old intact male, they all struggle to hold their weight! But he looks really good with what I'm feeding him now. Seriously, the best he's ever looked. I don't want to mess with what's making him feel so good! His gut has really stabilized now as well. If I had endless funds, I'd probably go full raw. But he's thriving, so why change? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 GentleLake, I do feed him fully balanced raw in addition to kibble. Excellent. My comment wasn't meant specifically for you, but as a general precaution for others now or later who may not be as savvy about feeding raw as you are. Sadly I know of too many people who'll give their dogs just some meat on top of their kibble or just a raw bone and believe they're feeding a combination of raw and kibble. Technically they are, of course, but not in a healthy way if the supplemental raw isn't complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.