[Amanda D]

I’ve read a few posts here and there about rotating foods being a good idea. How many foods do you rotate and how often? If you have fedone one food and have come back to it through the rotation do you still have to ween them on to it even though theyes have already had it a couple foods before. What size kibble bags do you get? I was planning on 24-35 lb bags, but if I’m going to be rotating kibble then I’might thinking of smaller 5-15 lb bags.

[Susan]

Hi Amanda,
I buy the smaller bags of kibble cause my boy is 40lbs & kibble only last about 2 weeks after opening it, the oxygen/air starts oxidizing the oils making the oils in the kibble go rancid, I also don’t buy any kibbles with fish & salmon oils in them as these oils oxidize quicker…
My boy has IBD & he’s real sensitive to certain ingredients & changing foods quickly made him have diarrhea & sloppy poos but as the years went by he got better & his stomach/bowel became stronger…… Once I’ve introduced him to a new kibble & he does real well on it, no itchy skin, red paws etc & no sloppy poos I start using that kibble in my rotation, then when I change back to that kibble I just feed it & don’t need to slowly introduce all over again, like the first time, I just add 1/2 cup old kibble & 1/2 cup new kibble the first day then he’s OK to just be feed the kibble, I change the kibble brands everyday or every week, I feed one brand for breakfast & another kibble brand for dinner, I let Patch pick his kibble some days, I let him sniff either the kibble in it’s container or put a kibble in between my fingers & ask him “Which One” & he licks the kibble he wants to eat then I just give him the other kibble in between my other fingers he didn’t pick….I rotate between 3 brands that I know work for Patch but some people buy different brands when they’re on special or clearance sale….
If you have a large breed dog some people feed 1 large bag of kibble then when the kibble bag is nilly finished they start mixing & adding the next new brand of kibble, then do the same as the bag is finishing they start adding the next new brand of kibble….
If your dog is eating brands like Purina, Hills Science Diet, Royal Canin & Iams, at the moment some of these brands use Beet Pulp, corn & maize, these ingredients make poos firm, I wouldn’t try a grain free kibble yet unless you already have tried a grain free kibble & your dog was OK & didn’t get diarrhea then try a grain free kibble but stick with around the same amount fat% protein % & Fiber % first buy a kibble with more natural ingredients with grains so your dog gets use to the new formula minus the beet pulp corn maize…. You’ll do your own routine, you’ll see a big difference in their coats & energy…

[Z B]

My little dog eats canned food. I have 4 or 5 brands I rotate, opening a different brand as each can is finished, so every other day or so. This has made her very tolerant to quick changes in food without the resulting gas and diarrhea. I can even add sardines, egg, or other toppers here and there with no problems.
My big dog eats dry food with daily toppers that I try to switch up frequently (eggs, sardines, chicken hearts,sweet potatoes, puréed spinach or kale). I buy her kibble in 30 -40 lb bags because it’s cheaper that way, and change to a new brand of food as each bag is finished. When I’m down to the last 1/5 or so of the old bag I mix it 50-50 with the some of the new food. Seems to be working ok, no diarrhea or anything, however I still haven’t found a food that gives her real firm poops. She seems to do better with fish-based kibble, but the brand she did the best on , Holistic Blend Marine, jumped in price from $60 to $80 something, so I’m experimenting with other fish based kibbles but so far I haven’t had has as much success as I did with Holistic Blend.

[Amanda D]

I don’t have a dog get, but I am getting a Mini Assie puppy in the summer who I plan on feeding higher quality foods. I had settled on either Fromms Gold Puppy or Castor & Pollux Organix Puppy. I also plan on doing raw eggs, chicken and fish. Can I rotate puppy foods or is it not advisable on young dummies?

[HoundMusic]

For what it’s worth, I would advise against rotating foods with a puppy. The reason being they need a very precisely balanced calcium:phosphorous ratio, and rotation might throw that out of whack. For instance, if food B has higher levels than food A, and causes a rapid growth spurt. The only reason to switch a pup is if there is some problem caused by the food, otherwise, consistency is key.

BTW, be very careful about feeding raw fish.

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