Guide to switching pet food

We speak to veterinary surgeon Dr Sophie Bell to learn about the safest way to transition dog food, including how owners should think about moving to a raw diet.

For most kinds of food, it’s worth building in a transition period so your dog gets used to it over time. Many dog food brands provide information and even transition packs to help with this period.

Oh, and don't be afraid to talk to your vet about pet nutrition. They can always help.

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How to switch your dog’s food brand

Gradually switching over seven-10 days is often best. Many brands included in our pet food brands you may not have heard of article offer a transition pack or advice on switching to their food.

Start by adding a little bit of the new dog food to your dog’s existing meal. Then, over seven-10 days, start changing the proportions until you’ve fully transitioned to the new dog food. Make sure you keep the meals the same size so you don’t end up overfeeding your dog.

A switching period may not be essential but can help your dog transition to a new food.

Some subscription brands can start you on a two-week transition pack. That means a four-week order won’t go to waste if they didn’t enjoy it.

It's important to make sure your dog's new food brand hits their nutrition goals too. Our pet nutrition guide can help.

When to switch puppy to dog food, and adult to senior dog food

Once again, it's about giving your dog the best chance to adapt to the food.

When you switch your puppy to dog food, it often comes with a change in ingredients. Most puppy food will have a higher meat protein content than adult food, although this isn’t always the case.

A gradual change is not essential but it can help your puppy transition to adult dog food or your adult dog adjust to senior dog food more smoothly.

Our veterinary experts recommend that you transition dog food over seven-10 days, but it is worth seeking advice specific to your dog from your vet.

All dogs are individuals, so your vet's guidance on things like their body condition score and overall health is important.

How to transition dog food from dry to wet, or wet to dry

Creating a transition period gives your dog a chance to get used to the change, and will allow you as the dog parent to spot any changes in their behaviour or health.

When transitioning from dry to wet food, it's recommended that you give your dog seven-10 days to phase into their new dog food, seeing as wet and dry food can have varying meat and water contents. Making the switch could upset your dog if introduced without transition.

The food quality during transition is essential, too. You don't want to transition from high-quality to poor-quality food, as this will make everything more difficult.

For example, when switching from wet to dry, we'd recommend something like Pooch & Mutt's premium dry dog food, due to its natural, grain-free ingredients and high quality.

Switching to a raw food diet

This guide is designed to help you make the best decisions for your dog. But raw food is not right for every cat or dog. Make sure you do your research and discuss dietary changes with a vet first. If you'd like to learn more about raw food, click here to read about what owners need to know about raw.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to switching to a raw food diet. Slight variances in health and age can mean the process you follow will differ.

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Switching to raw food for a healthy dog

Switching to a raw food diet for a healthy dog is relatively simple, according to Dr Sophie Bell, you can switch dog food to raw with no transition period for most healthy dogs. But you want to ensure that the food is kept and prepared correctly.

Others suggest a fast day to stop the mix of processed foods and raw foods, but this is not recommended for small breeds and puppies.

Another method is to mix in the raw with the current diet over a few days. But if you are planning to do this, feed the raw and the kibble meals separately to help aid digestion, as the two together can cause an upset tummy.

Switching to raw food for a dog with underlying health conditions

If your dog has any underlying health conditions, it may be best to introduce raw food gradually. But before you consider switching, please check with your vet and follow their advice.

Switching to raw for a dog with epilepsy

The change should be gradual over a couple of weeks, slowly increasing the amount of raw food. This is because processed foods contain more salt (sodium), which causes a higher loss of bromide. This means epileptic dogs who are on potassium bromide medication are likely to need more of it on a processed diet.

If you are planning to switch your dog with epilepsy over to raw food, this must be discussed with a vet so they can monitor any changes.

The switch has to be gradual so it doesn’t dramatically change the effects of the medication.

Epileptic dogs should have regular blood tests when they have completed their transition and changed their diet.

Adopting raw food at an early age

Dogs can transition to raw at any stage in life.

If it's introduced at an earlier stage in life, it is more likely to be an easier process as they will not have been used to any other options.

So if you are considering getting a dog, thinking about the diet you would like them to be on, and starting them on it from day one, could help in the long run.

In general, it’s best to give your pet time to transition to new food. And if you are still uncertain about how and if you should transition because of their own health condition or if your pet is a fussy eater, speak to your vet for further advice.

How dog insurance can help

Generally, switching dog food is safe as long as you follow the above steps.

But accidents can happen. That's where dog insurance helps.

Whether it's an upset tummy or an allergic reaction, we can help with up to £15,000 vet fee cover, unlimited 24/7 vet calls with FirstVet and a host of ManyPets Perks.

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