Transitioning puppy from Limited Ingredient food to new food

1221 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by MHDDOG2016, Apr 5, 2016

MHDDOG2016

Discussion Starter · Apr 4, 2016

We are picking up our puppy in 2 weeks and he is currently on Natural Balance Limited Ingredients sweet potato and venison kibble. I had already decided to start the puppy on Earthborn Holistic Puppy Vantage. After looking up the Nature's Balance on Dog Food Advisor, I definitely want to get him off it ASAP. I am concerned he will have major adjustment though due to the fact that it is grain free and limited ingredients and the primary calorie source has been potato. Will the switch to Earthborn cause issues? I plan on starting to transition after his first week home and only do a little per day over the course of a week. Is this sufficient?

Thanks

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bugz

· #2 · Apr 4, 2016

Is he on limited diet for a reason? Like, having a sensitivity?

I have 8 dogs, I've switched their diet when they first came to me. I wait 2-6 weeks to switch the diet, depending on how long the dog takes to settle in. When I switch, I do it over 2 weeks. I do not switch them immediately unless it's a truly bad food, such as Alpo or Pedigree.

When they are still settling into the home, they can have digestive upsets. You don't want to mask a food intolerance or assume the food is no good.

Switching foods, slowly, should not cause issues unless they dog has a sensitivity. You may notice a chance in activity level or coat which is a cue they need a different food. I have one dog that gets a very dry coat when fed anything with rice, even the highest quality food.

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MHDDOG2016

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 4, 2016

bugz said:
Is he on limited diet for a reason? Like, having a sensitivity?

I have 8 dogs, I've switched their diet when they first came to me. I wait 2-6 weeks to switch the diet, depending on how long the dog takes to settle in. When I switch, I do it over 2 weeks. I do not switch them immediately unless it's a truly bad food, such as Alpo or Pedigree.

When they are still settling into the home, they can have digestive upsets. You don't want to mask a food intolerance or assume the food is no good.

Switching foods, slowly, should not cause issues unless they dog has a sensitivity. You may notice a chance in activity level or coat which is a cue they need a different food. I have one dog that gets a very dry coat when fed anything with rice, even the highest quality food.

The breeder just has all her dogs on it for some reason. It's also an "all life stages" and I would rather he be fed puppy food for the first year. Thanks for the advice, I will wait a few weeks before starting a transition and see how he does.

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KerriAnn

· #4 · Apr 4, 2016

Bugz makes a great point-puppies can have upset stomachs just from the anxiety of settling in a new home. I would definitely wait to switch your puppy until they are settled in so that you aren't changing too much too fast for the little one.

Once you do switch, you definitely have to transition slowly. This means the first couple days give your puppy 3/4 of Natural Balance and 1/4 new, then next days after 1/2 and 1/2, a few days after that 3/4 new and 1/2 Natural Balance and then a few days after that only new food. The transition should be over about a week and a half to 2 weeks. If you go too fast, they will be sick due to the change.

But as Bugz said, I would wait for sure until the puppy is comfortable.

May I ask why you want to switch from Natural Balance LID to another? I have heard from lots of people on this forum that NB LID is a pretty good quality food, especially for dogs with sensitivities. Just wondering what you heard/know!

Thanks,
Kerri

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MHDDOG2016

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 5, 2016

KerriAnn said:
Bugz makes a great point-puppies can have upset stomachs just from the anxiety of settling in a new home. I would definitely wait to switch your puppy until they are settled in so that you aren't changing too much too fast for the little one.

Once you do switch, you definitely have to transition slowly. This means the first couple days give your puppy 3/4 of Natural Balance and 1/4 new, then next days after 1/2 and 1/2, a few days after that 3/4 new and 1/2 Natural Balance and then a few days after that only new food. The transition should be over about a week and a half to 2 weeks. If you go too fast, they will be sick due to the change.

But as Bugz said, I would wait for sure until the puppy is comfortable.

May I ask why you want to switch from Natural Balance LID to another? I have heard from lots of people on this forum that NB LID is a pretty good quality food, especially for dogs with sensitivities. Just wondering what you heard/know!

Thanks,
Kerri

I looked it up on dogfoodadvisor.com to compare it to the food I had chosen and it only gets 2 stars, saying that potato makes up most of the calories and isn't a good source of nutrition.

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