How to transit my pet on to a new food

• Posted on 7 June 2021
• By Pet Station
• Posted in cat food, dog food, kibbles, pet nutrition, transition of food
• 0

Changing your pet's food can get really challenging. But following some simple rules will sure help smooth it down!

It’s important to slowly transition your pet to a new food so their system has a chance to adapt to the change. The transition period should be at a minimum, ten days and could take upwards of two weeks, depending on your pet’s sensitivity to change.

Here is an approximate guideline to follow:

• Day 1 & 2: Feed 80% of your pet’s old food with 20% of the new food
• Day 3 & 4: Feed 60% of your pet’s old food with 40% of the new food
• Day 5 & 6: Feed 40% of your pet’s old food with 60% of the new food
• Day 7, 8 & 9: Feed 20% of your pet’s old food with 80% of the new food
• Day 10 & Forever: Feed 100% new food

If your pet experiences any kind of digestive upset during this time, try slowing down the process to let his/her digestive tract adjust to the new food. Some vomiting and/or diarrhea can be normal when introducing new foods as the digestive process and the naturally occurring bacteria your pet’s body requires is a complex and delicate system. If you experience any vomiting and/or diarrhea, be sure to reduce the amount of new food the next time you feed and overall, slow the whole transition period down even more. 

By: Michele Dixon published on https://www.petcurean.com/blog

A tip on avoiding any diarrhea** Boil a handful of white rice in 3 cups of water. store the rice and water separately. Let the water cool down and replace it with your pet's water. This will help with the transition and avoid stomach issues. You can mix the rice with the kibbles/ wet food at the time of feeding.