How to Gradually Switch Dog Kibble

We usually try to make sure our fur babies are always well fed, so every time we see a better-quality kibble, we try to get it for them. Even if they're already eating a good one, it never hurts to vary flavors and ingredients so they don't get bored of always eating the same thing.

Either way, it's very important to make a gradual switch in kibble, so its digestive system adapts and it sits well.

How to Properly Switch Kibble

Our dogs' digestive system is generally a bit sensitive, so when we want to switch their kibble, it's recommended to do it gradually. This way we'll avoid diarrhea or digestive problems.

The most common way to do it is gradually over six days, laid out like this:

• Day 1 and 2: Our dog's total daily food will be 75% of its old kibble and 25% of the new kibble.
• Day 3 and 4: Our dog's total daily food will be 50% of its old kibble and 50% of the new kibble.
• Day 5 and 6: Our dog's total daily food will be 25% of its old kibble and 75% of the new kibble.
• Day 7 onward: Everything our dog eats will be the new kibble.

If we make the switch with kibble from the same company, for example switching from an NFNatcane fish kibble to an NFNatcane beef kibble, the switch may be tolerated more quickly, though it should still be gradual.

How to Switch From Kibble to Dehydrated/Raw Food?

Such a drastic change in diet requires gradual adaptation, to prevent our dog from suffering digestive problems such as diarrhea.

Dog kibble is a dry product that makes our dogs drink a lot of water after eating. However, dehydrated food needs to be rehydrated before serving, so our dogs eat a moist food and won't drink as much water afterward, just as happens with raw food (BARF diet).

Some prefer kibble and some prefer dehydrated or BARF food — they're all good options for feeding our dogs, and only by trying them will we know which sits best.

The way to make the switch is a bit different from the previous one and may need more transition days:

• Option 1: Have our dog fast and then introduce the new food, making sure it's very mild during the first few weeks.
• Option 2: Have our dog eat different meals — one meal of its kibble and the next meal of the day of dehydrated or BARF food. Keep this technique up for a week.

It's not advisable to mix dry food (kibble) and wet food, whether dehydrated or BARF.

Why Switch Food Every So Many Months?

Switching food every so many months isn't mandatory, but it's highly recommended so our dog eats varied ingredients and tries different flavors. We can choose between other ranges from the same brand or vary between different brands, as long as they're quality foods for our dog.

It's best to maintain quality, meaning we shouldn't switch our dog's kibble just to give it a cheaper or lower-quality one. We should maintain a high quality level in every kibble we give it.

The main reasons we recommend varying it are:

• To prevent our dog from getting tired of always eating the same thing
• To offer it a varied diet, changing the protein source in each kibble
• To keep it healthier and happier

When we switch kibble, it's also recommended to change the animal protein source so our dog has a varied diet. If, for example, it's currently eating a chicken-based kibble, we can switch to a fish, lamb, or beef one.

What to Do If the New Kibble Doesn't Sit Well?

Some dogs are a bit more sensitive digestively and may need more than six days to fully complete the transition. In these cases, we can spread the new kibble introduction over ten or twelve days instead of six.

We can also cook a bit of white rice (not brown) and add it to meals, so rice makes up roughly 30% of the total meal. Rice helps prevent an upset stomach and also helps firm up stool.

However, if we see the new kibble still doesn't sit well even after trying all the above, it may simply contain some ingredient that doesn't agree with our dog. Sometimes something as simple as a single herb or legume can be the difference between it sitting well or not.