The post Switching Dog Food: What You Should Know<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Breaking up can be hard to do, whether you\u2019re doing it with a job, friend, or significant other. Switching dog food can also be difficult for your dog. But sometimes, it must be done.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s usually a medical reason,\u201d says Dr. Ashley Rossman, DVM of Glen Oak Dog and Cat Hospital<\/a>. She recommends speaking with your vet before changing a dog\u2019s diet for any reason, including personal ones. For example, you may have heard about a new dog food trend, such as grain-free, but it may not be necessary for your dog or worth the hassle for you.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you just suddenly change their dog food, they have [have digestive issues],\u201d Dr. Rossman says, adding some dogs may dislike the taste of a new food at first.<\/p>\n If you do need to change your dog\u2019s food or get the OK from your vet to do so, following a few simple steps can help mitigate these digestive problems. Dr. Rossman dished on how to change your dog\u2019s food.<\/p>\n Dr. Rossman says the biggest key to changing a dog\u2019s food without the fuss is by taking it slow.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you know your dog has a sensitive stomach, start with 10 percent new dog food, 90 percent old dog food,\u201d she recommends.<\/p>\n If the dog\u2019s stool is firm after a couple of days, move to 20 percent new food, 80 percent old food and so forth. Dr. Rossman recommends expecting the process to take two to three weeks.<\/p>\n If your dog doesn\u2019t have a sensitive stomach, you can plan to complete the process in one week and start with a ratio of 30 percent new food and 70 percent old food. Again, you\u2019ll want to ensure the dog\u2019s stool remains firm before moving to the next increment. There\u2019s a chance your pup does have a sensitive stomach, and you just don\u2019t know about it.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to consider timing. For instance, you are moving or adding a new dog (or human child) to the family, it\u2019s probably best to put off switching your dog\u2019s food if you can.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want to add too many stressors at the same time,\u201d Dr. Rossman says, adding that you may not have a choice if it\u2019s for a medical reason.<\/p>\n Though dogs are known for being more flexible than cats about food preferences, sometimes, their bodies can\u2019t help it. Dr. Rossman suggests easing stomach issues with a soft, low-sodium broth like chicken or beef.<\/p>\n But if the problems persist or your dog repeatedly rejects the food, you may need to try something else.<\/p>\n \u201cThey may not like that food, and you may have to change the flavor,\u201d Dr. Rossman says.<\/p>\n The post Switching Dog Food: What You Should Know<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Switching Dog Food: What You Should Know<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Breaking up can be hard to do, whether you\u2019re doing it with a job, friend, or significant other. Switching dog food can also be difficult for your dog. But sometimes, it must be done.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s usually a medical reason,\u201d says Dr. Ashley Rossman, DVM of Glen Oak Dog and Cat Hospital<\/a>. She recommends speaking with your vet before changing a dog\u2019s diet for any reason, including personal ones. For example, you may have heard about a new dog food trend, such as grain-free, but it may not be necessary for your dog or worth the hassle for you.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you just suddenly change their dog food, they have [have digestive issues],\u201d Dr. Rossman says, adding some dogs may dislike the taste of a new food at first.<\/p>\n If you do need to change your dog\u2019s food or get the OK from your vet to do so, following a few simple steps can help mitigate these digestive problems. Dr. Rossman dished on how to change your dog\u2019s food.<\/p>\n Dr. Rossman says the biggest key to changing a dog\u2019s food without the fuss is by taking it slow.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you know your dog has a sensitive stomach, start with 10 percent new dog food, 90 percent old dog food,\u201d she recommends.<\/p>\n If the dog\u2019s stool is firm after a couple of days, move to 20 percent new food, 80 percent old food and so forth. Dr. Rossman recommends expecting the process to take two to three weeks.<\/p>\n If your dog doesn\u2019t have a sensitive stomach, you can plan to complete the process in one week and start with a ratio of 30 percent new food and 70 percent old food. Again, you\u2019ll want to ensure the dog\u2019s stool remains firm before moving to the next increment. There\u2019s a chance your pup does have a sensitive stomach, and you just don\u2019t know about it.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to consider timing. For instance, you are moving or adding a new dog (or human child) to the family, it\u2019s probably best to put off switching your dog\u2019s food if you can.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want to add too many stressors at the same time,\u201d Dr. Rossman says, adding that you may not have a choice if it\u2019s for a medical reason.<\/p>\n Though dogs are known for being more flexible than cats about food preferences, sometimes, their bodies can\u2019t help it. Dr. Rossman suggests easing stomach issues with a soft, low-sodium broth like chicken or beef.<\/p>\n But if the problems persist or your dog repeatedly rejects the food, you may need to try something else.<\/p>\n \u201cThey may not like that food, and you may have to change the flavor,\u201d Dr. Rossman says.<\/p>\n The post Switching Dog Food: What You Should Know<\/a> by Beth Ann Mayer<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nTop Tips for Switching Dog Food<\/h3>\n
Why Timing is Everything<\/h3>\n
Troubleshooting Issues When Changing Dog Food<\/h3>\n
Top Tips for Switching Dog Food<\/h3>\n
Why Timing is Everything<\/h3>\n
Troubleshooting Issues When Changing Dog Food<\/h3>\n