Switching foods

[amdeemer]

We recently decided to switch Archie's food to a different brand after we noticed signs of food allergies (pimples, pink skin, start of tear stains, & a small hot spot on his back). My question is about how long should you give a new dog food before you should start seeing firmer poop. Archie's are still pretty soft, but seem a little less runny today. We tried switching him gradually, but I didn't have a ton of his old food left when we made the switch so he moved over a little more quickly than I would've liked. He's been eating the new food since Saturday & has only been exclusively eating it since yesterday. I'm sure it takes some time for their systems to get used to it - just curious if there's an average amount of time. I have noticed that the pimples on his cheeks & chin seem to be clearing up already so it's looking good!

 

[ddnene]

Usually on a food change, it's best to take your time… at least a week to 10 days is best. But since you ran out of the food, I would add a tablespoon of PURE pumpkin to his kibble. That should firm things up a bit, but if you notice more allergy signs you may need to switch up his food again. You can give him a bland diet in between… boiled rice w/either chicken or sirloin as protein. Here is a great place to look for a dog food ratings… www.dogfoodadvisor.com

 

[2BullyMama]

Usually on a food change, it's best to take your time… at least a week to 10 days is best. But since you ran out of the food, I would add a tablespoon of PURE pumpkin to his kibble. That should firm things up a bit, but if you notice more allergy signs you may need to switch up his food again. You can give him a bland diet in between… boiled rice w/either chicken or sirloin as protein. Here is a great place to look for a dog food ratings… www.dogfoodadvisor.com

[MENTION=11875]amdeemer[/MENTION] ^^^ great info by Tracey!

 

[Vikinggirl]

I agree Tracey gave you great advice already regarding transitioning foods. It can take up to a month to see any benefits or improvements from a food change as it can take this long for the old food to leave the system. As Tracey suggested you can add pure a pumpkin to help firm up his poops. I also have a bully with allergies to chicken, salmon, corn and grains. I had to change Blossoms' food 4 times before I found a food that she tolerated. We feed our guys Fromm's Lamb and Lentil. I also give my guys some natural add ons and supplements that help with allergy symptoms and have preventative health benefits as well. I add 2 Tbsp of plain yogurt to their morning kibble, this a great source of Probiotics, which is good for digestion, and boosts the immune system which helps fight infections, parasites, and also allergy symptoms, because allergies are caused by an immune response in the body. I also add 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar to their drinking water everyday, or you can add it to the kibble. If you add it to the kibble, put it in the evening meal, not with the yogurt, as the vinegar will curdle or sour the yogurt. There are many health benefits of ACV, such as it is a natural anti inflammatory, it kills the bad bacteria in the body, so again boosts the immune system, and it balances the Ph levels of the blood. You can go to the Home page and read the article Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, as there are many more benefits than the ones I've listed. I also add 1Tbsp of coconut oil to the evening kibble, for the Omega Oils, which are good for the skin, coat, and brain.

 

[AmandaPeterson]

we just switched ours from the Fromms grain free to Merrick regular because our vet told us that she is to young to have allergies and they don't have allergies to grain its usually proteins. I did this to prove a point to the vet and see if she truly has an allergy or not. I did not know about the ACV and will start to add that and cocunut oil. Is there a specific coconut oil? Refined or unrefined?

 

[amdeemer]

We were feeding Archie Diamond Grain Free & have switched to Merrick grain free pork & sweet potato. His face is already completely cleared up & the hot spot on his back is all but gone. His poops are less frequent, but still not quite firm & he's still walking around while he goes.

Thanks for all of the additional tips & info.! I think I'll pick up some pumpkin today & give that a try to see if that helps firm things up.