18 April 2018

Change of diet

At times, we have certainly found ourselves in the situation of making a change in our pets’ diet.

There are three main causes: age, specific needs or trying a new product, different from your usual diet.

When age is the reason, the most common is the transition from puppy to adult or from adult to senior.

When there are specific needs, it may be due to pathological changes, food allergies or changes in their energy requirements (in order to control their weight, due to gestation or to high physical exercise, for example).

Other times it is a simple voluntary change of the diet of our pet, because we want to try something new or for other reasons.

 

 

 

How to make a diet change properly

 

Whatever the reason, we must put the welfare of our pet above all, offering a recipe that suits our intention but following the advice of a professional on what is the best option.

The diet transition has to be gradual and take approximately from 5 to 7 days. A good guideline would be:

 

  • Days 1-2: 75% old recipe + 25% new recipe.
  • Days 3-4: 50% old recipe + 50% new recipe.
  • Days 5-6: 25% old recipe + 75% new recipe.
  • Day 7: 100% new recipe.

We must pay close attention to the welfare of our pet during these days. Normally, in most cases, food transition is carried out without any inconvenience. However, sometimes we can find:

 

  • Refusal to change: If they reject the new diet, it does not have to be indicative of a bad choice. They are animals of habit and, therefore, may be susceptible to changes. In that case, it is better to change their diet more slowly.

 

  • Alterations at the digestive level (soft stools, flatulence): We must have a little patience and wait about 10 days to see if it is normalized. If the alterations are evident and go beyond the aforementioned, we must stop the food transition and consult with our veterinarian.

 

If we are convinced and well advised that the change will be for their own good, it is beneficial that we remain firm and persevere. An initial rejection of the change is not enough to give up.

 

REMEMBER

 

The food that we offer to our pet should always be a source of health. They cannot choose the food they eat; therefore, it is very important that we are fully aware of our responsibility.

If we do not choose a high quality recipe, we can cause an early deterioration of their health.