Making it through the long winter
How to Switch to a New Dog Food
Meghan West
There are many reasons why you might want to change the brand of food that your dog eats. Perhaps the old brand is too expensive or hard to get hold of, or perhaps your veterinarian has recommended trying a different brand. Whatever the reason, you need to approach the change carefully and gradually. Here are some tips to help you out.
1. Make the Switch Slowly
If you switch the food that your dog is eating overnight, they might refuse to eat it. Alternatively, they may wolf it down but then end up with a stomach ache as their gut bacteria are not used to the new brand.
A better approach is to mix the old and new dog foods together, gradually increasing the fraction of new food and decreasing the amount of old food. Most dogs can handle a gradual transition carried out like this over the course of about a week. However, if your dog has a sensitive stomach, you might need to make the changeover even more gradual.
2. Monitor Your Dog's Health
While you are in the process of switching to a new brand of dog food, keep an eye on your dog's mood, activity levels and bowel movements. If the dog develops diarrhoea, stops eating, vomits, appears fatigued or has loose stools, you might need to make the change more gradual.
If your dog is still having symptoms after a few weeks of gradual transition, then the new brand of food might not be right for them. You should either switch back to the old brand or try something else.
3. Feed Your Dog the Correct Amount
Different dog food brands contain different amounts of calories and protein. During the transition to a new dog food brand, it is important to ensure that you are giving your dog the right amount of calories every day. If your dog is a healthy weight, then you should aim to give them the same number of calories as they were previously eating on the old dog food brand.
If your dog is overweight, then they would benefit from a reduced-calorie diet. However, it is important not to cut calories too drastically overnight. The best way to help your dog lose weight while switching to new dog food is to ask your veterinarian for guidance. They can recommend an appropriate daily calorie limit for your dog, based on the dog's size and activity levels.
Reach out to a local vet to learn more about dog food.
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It's been a long and hard winter for many farmers in my area. We rely on agricultural suppliers and stores to get us feed and supplies through the winter. It can be hard to balance the books and sometimes you need to make some hard decisions to have enough money to make it through the winter. If you are a farmer making some hard decision on how to afford to keep your livestock and crops healthy through a long winter, then this blog has tips on how to make it through a long winter as a farmer with a limited operational budget.