Switching your dog or cat to a new diet

Reasons for switching diets

• Your pet reaches adulthood
• Your pet is aging
• Your pet has health problems
• Food allergies or intolerances
• Switching from kibble to raw meat or vice versa
• Financial reasons or personal preferences

Switching to a new diet should be done as gradually as possible, because your dog or cat needs some time to get used to the new food. Check out the possible schedule below:

It’s especially important to keep a close eye on your pet during this period. Is your dog or cat suddenly eating less? Take a little more time to introduce the new food by mixing in the new food in with the current food for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Does your pet have a sensitive digestive tract? It might be better to wait 3 days before taking the next step. Especially cats may need a little more time to get used to the shape and hardness of the new food.

Switching to a special diet food

Maybe your dog or cat has health problems, like a gut disease, food allergy or problems with digestion. In those cases it may be necessary to switch to a special diet food, but only do this after discussing it with your veterinarian. In case of illness it may seem prudent to quickly switch to a new food, but switching too quicky may cause other problems. Be patient.

Possible consequences of making the switch too quickly

• Flatulation
• Frequent bowel movements
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Itching
• Refusing to eat

Tips for switching to a raw diet

• Starting with premade raw food is the easiest way to go. It resembles the canned food most animals are already familiar with.
• Try it out first to see how your pet reacts to raw food. Animals with a sensitive stomach should be introduced slowly.
• Try pouring boiled water over raw food. It eliminates the rawness and enhances the scent. This may help your pet accept raw food, on top of helping with digestion.
• Mix the raw food with your pet’s current food. Gradually increase the amount of raw food and decrease the amount of your pet’s current food, until all that remains is raw food.
• Make sure the raw food is at room temperature before feeding it. It makes it easier to eat and your pet will accept it more easily than when it’s cold.
• Before making the switch, research how much you should feed your pet. Feeding advice is often mentioned on the packaging.

The most important tip is to be patient. Don’t expect your dog or cat to go from a kibble-eater to a raw meat-eater overnight. Your pet needs time to get used to the idea as well.