How To Switch Your Pet’s Food | Chewtorials

Показать описание

Is your furry friend a picky eater? Follow these 4 simple vet-recommended steps when it’s time to switch their food.

To ensure your pet is getting all the right nutrients they need to live their very best life, your veterinarian might recommend a different food than what you’ve been serving up. Maybe they’ve entered a new life stage like adult or senior, and now need food to match. Or maybe they’ve developed food allergies that require a different diet. Either way, changing your dog's or cat’s food doesn’t have to be a huge to-do.

Here's the main thing to remember when changing your dog or cat’s food: It should be a slow, gradual process. While some pets can tolerate such an abrupt switch in their diet without much issue, other pets—especially those with a sensitive stomach—may develop issues including:

Stomach upset
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Increased gas
Nausea
Refusing to eat

Cats in particular are notoriously picky and can be slow to accept dietary changes.

That's why, in order to guarantee the best chance of a successful diet switch, it’s best to transition to the new food slowly. Generally speaking, it should take about a week to completely switch from one food to another using the transition schedule below. But remember: Each pet is unique, and some dogs and cats may need a longer transition period to adapt to the new food.

Follow these steps to make the transition as smooth as possible.

1. Serve a ratio of 25% new food to 75% current food.

To start, mix a little bit of your pet's new food to into their current food—without increasing the overall amount of food given. Aim for a ratio of about 25% new food to 75% current food. So, for example, if you feed your dog one cup of food daily, mix 1/4 cup of their new food into 3/4 cup of their current food.

Serve this ratio for two to three days, and monitor your pet for signs of GI distress like soft or loose stool, vomiting, and refusing to eat. If your pet does have a negative reaction, return to their old diet for one week, to allow their stomach to balance itself out. Then, try the process again with a smaller ratio of new food to old—maybe 15% or 10% this time.

If your pet seems normal—or, dare we hope, even happy about the change—continue to the next step.

2. Serve a ratio of 50% new food to 50% current food.

Now, try a ratio of about half new food and half current food. Serve this to your pet for another two to three days, and remember to monitor them for negative reactions. Return to their former diet for one week if issues do arise, and go slower when you try again. If your pet still seems normal, continue to the next step.

3. Serve a ratio of 75% new food to 25% current food.

It's time to up the ratio again—this time, with more new food than old. Aim for about 75% new food to 25% old—so, using our previous example where your pet eats one cup of food a day, you'll mix 1/4 cup old food into 3/4 cup new food at this stage. Monitor your pet on this diet for another two to three days, then move on if they're adjusting well.

4. Serve a whole bowl of new food.

It's finally time for their first all-new meal! Serve your pet's regular portion of new food. Assuming there are no negative reactions, your transition is complete. Congrats, you two!

#howtoswitchdogfood #howtoswitchcatfood #dogdiets #catdiets #chewtorials #chewy