When we wrap up our Solid Gold dog food giveaway in a few days, one lucky reader will win holistic dog food for free spirits from Solid Gold® Holistic Pet Nutrition.
But what does that mean for the dog, if he or she has previously been eating a different brand of food? Or if you decide to purchase Solid Gold or any food other than what you have been regularly feeding your dog–what’s the best way to introduce your dog to the new food?
The process of moving your dog from one food to another is called transitioning. Some dogs transition from one food to another with very little tummy trouble. Our Irie and Tiki are on a rotation diet — meaning they change brands in rotation — so their digestive systems are very accustomed to changing from food to food. They rarely have digestive issues.
Other dogs, especially those who have eaten a single brand or formula for a long period, have a more difficult time transitioning to a new food.
To avoid tummy troubles, it’s best to transition your dog over a five-day period. Here’s a rundown of what your week will look like:
- Day One: 80 percent of your dog’s old diet, 20 percent Solid Gold
- Day Two: 60 percent of your dog’s old diet, 40 percent Solid Gold
- Day Three: 40 percent of your dog’s old diet, 60 percent Solid Gold
- Day Four: 20 percent of your dog’s old diet, 80 percent Solid Gold
- Day Five: 100 percent Solid Gold
This ratio holds true whether you’re feeding your dog once or, like us, twice a day.
The exception to this rule is if you are transitioning to or from a raw diet. Raw food is digested at a different rate than kibble so you don’t want this gradual mix but just a clean switch of foods.
Gently transitioning your dog to a new food helps your dog’s digestive system ease into the new formula.
Once you’ve transitioned to Solid Gold, the process of switching between formulas is super simple because each contains the same core nutrition ingredients such as egg, ocean fish meal, carrots, pumpkin, cranberries, blueberries, broccoli, almond oil, kelp and lentils and more!
This post is sponsored by Solid Gold. Although we have been compensated for this post, we only share products that we use with our own pets. All statements and opinions are our own.
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