Is Gradually Switching Food Necessary??

[Raki]

In preparation for my new puppy I am ordering food. She is currently on Orijen. But I have pretty much decided it's too expensive for my taste and I am going to switch her to Taste of the Wild. (possibly blue buffalo, idk)

Talking to a few dog owners I know I've gotten mixed reviews of whether or not it is an absolute must to gradually switch foods.
Some say going cold turkey will upset her while others say she'll be just fine. I'm not sure which to believe so I thought I'd ask y'all - people who have experience with this breed.

I also know it can be a lot of stress to switch foods and homes at the same time, so I am aware of that as well.
Any advice you have would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[eeeefarm]

Is it absolutely necessary? No. Is it a good idea? I would say yes. If I were doing it I would get a small bag of whatever she is used to and make the switch over a few days/week. I have done that in the past with no difficulty. I do the same with my horses. Gives the gut bacteria a chance to adjust to the new food.

[renaultf1]

Usually when I switch foods I do it gradually over a week to 2 weeks. That said, when I brought Ozzy home as a pup he had not been eating well at the breeder so I switched him cold turkey (their suggestion) to Instinct which was what I fed all my adults. His appetite improved immediately. He did have loose poop for a couple of day, but not diarrhea. Also, even as a puppy, Ozzy was never on puppy food, and he ate 3 cups of Instinct a day (huge eater, but never got fat).

[tanza]

Good idea, yes unless you have always switched around foods. I rotate my foods every 4 to 6 weeks, so I very rarely ever have a problem. But if I had them on one food for a long time (3 to 6 months or more) I would take my time in changing. I would use the old feed mostly and just keep adding the new kibble a little at a time until you are about 1/2 and 1/2. Usually over at least a week or two

[agilebasenji]

@eeeefarm:

Is it absolutely necessary? No. Is it a good idea? I would say yes. If I were doing it I would get a small bag of whatever she is used to and make the switch over a few days/week. I have done that in the past with no difficulty. I do the same with my horses. Gives the gut bacteria a chance to adjust to the new food.

What eeee said.

I think part of the reason you're getting different replies, is that I think it depends on the individual. Some are okay with a quick change, others not so much.

[DebraDownSouth]

I always take it slow with puppies. Diarrhea can get bad quickly in youngsters. I always have people who just feed (or almost all the dog gets) one food to go slow.

Do I? Nope. My dogs have always gotten such great variety of food that I never had an issue changing. Cara, different story. She is a pukey thing and new treats sometimes set her off (though she gets a few bites of nearly every food I eat, so why dog treats, I don't know). So I do take about a week to 10 days to change over kibble types. Like Pat, I do use a variety though not as often.

[Patty]

I would always make food changes gradually especially in a puppy - having said that it is obviously that others don't with ho real problems. I would say that gradual is the safest way because a direct change in some instances can create stomach problems.

[Voodoo]

@agilebasenji:

I think part of the reason you're getting different replies, is that I think it depends on the individual. Some are okay with a quick change, others not so much.

That's right. Most dogs won't have any problems with it, but some do. I allways switch from one day to another when I get some new food, and only once had a dog who had problems with that. So after the second time he got problems, I started to mix the 2 foods for a couple of days and he was just fine then.

[eeeefarm]

Not quite on topic, but if you ever experience problems with your dog's digestion just after opening a new bag of dry food, be suspicious. It is definitely possible to get a "bad" bag of food. If you have multiple dogs, this problem is easier to be aware of. A friend got blindsided when a new shipment of feed for her goats pretty much wiped out the whole herd because of a mistake in formulation. This can happen with dog food too!! It is one of the first questions an astute vet will ask with an unexplained digestive upset.