How often should I change my dog's food?

 

While dogs can and should have some form of rotational diet, their diet should not be changed very often. Some consistency is needed when feeding your dog. If you really see the need to try out different diets, every 3–6 months may be a good rule of thumb. This is because dogs’ stomachs are sensitive to sudden changes, so each major change in diet needs to have a diet adoption period. 

Why does this matter?

  • Sudden changes in your dog’s diet may cause an upset stomach, most often accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite.

  • Every diet needs time to show its effects. Rapidly changing from one diet to another will not show any significant improvement; it may actually be detrimental to their gut.

What do vets generally agree on?

Feeding different kinds of diets may ensure that your dog is not missing out on any nutrients. It is especially useful to switch up the protein source once in a while for a better variety of nutrients, to prevent boredom, and to ensure that your dog doesn’t develop sensitivities to the protein due to long-term exposure. However, every diet should be high in quality and balanced well to meet your dog’s needs. For example, BLEP dog food uses 100% natural, human-grade ingredients and no preservative, sugar, or fillers, making it a balanced, complete meal for dogs. There should be a slow introduction to new food mixed with the current diet. Then, you should gradually increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of existing diet in the mixture. Finally, in 9–10 days, your dog should be fully adapted to the new diet.

When to be careful?

When changing your dog’s diet, you’ll need to be patient. Some dogs have difficulty in changing their food and it may cause reactions like vomiting, diarrhea, etc.During this time, feed a bland diet till they have recovered. Then, start again slowly. Do not change their food too much too soon in hopes of giving them better nutrients. If they have a sensitive stomach, this can stress out their entire system. You can check out BLEP’s Feeding Guidelines page for information on the exact course of feeding when changing a dog’s diet.


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