Wednesday, June 19, 2013

How To Change Your Dog Food And Introduce Your Pet To It

By Shari Evans


Unlike humans, a dog can get sick just by a sudden change of the kind of food that he eats. Their digestive system is not designed to handle abrupt transitions. Doing so can cause an upset stomach, loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting. To make sure that your beloved canine friend is protected while changing food brands or types, it is important that you know the correct steps on doing it. Aside from many things that you have to consider, you will still have to hear the expert's advice as it remains to be a necessity especially for those who only want the best for their babies.

Searching for a New Food for your Dog

Just like food for humans, the ones that you see in TV commercials are not the best for your dog. Before you give in to those catchy lines and humorous dog videos, you have to consider a lot of things first to ensure a safe and smooth dog food transition. First you must ask yourself whether you will be giving a dry or canned food to your buddy. Older dogs should be given the usual kind of food while for growing puppies that would need more nutrition you will have to think on what is good for their breed.

The safety and nutrition is what most pet parents are searching for on different brands. Most brands that guarantees complete nutrition and safe ingredients have recommendation and approval coming from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. The amount of carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients intake will depend on a dog's shape, size, age and activity level and you have to make sure that a serving contains the right amount of these. Before you buy and introduce the brand make sure that you can easily find it on the market to save you from another transition.

Phasing Out the Old Food with the New One

A good brand of dog food has printed instructions in its pack which will help you on how you can change your dog's food gradually. Follow these steps and make sure that you are giving the right amount of food. While on the transitioning process, carefully watch your dog for some changes in their body and behavior. Look into signs of diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite and other problems in digestion. If you bought a dog food that has no instructions, make sure that you will gradually add the new food. One part should be mixed with three parts of their old food. The next day could be a bit higher. Do this until the new brand had completely replaced the old one.

In cases that your dog does develop problems while under transition, give them the right does of Pepto-Bismol or Imodium. You can temporarily mix the food with rice and boneless chicken breast until the new food completely phased it out. Monitor your dog for days and check for signs of improvement. If there is no progress with the condition, contact your veterinarian to have your canine friend checked. On the first time that you saw blood in vomit and stool of your dog, even though the transition is only happening for a day, call your vet immediately.




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