# Dog food rotation whats your thoughts



## mewlittle (Mar 18, 2013)

Hi do you guys rotate brands of dog food with your dogs? And how do you do it? I started it with Zierriah and she seems to do good on it I got 3 different brands of dry I want to do 4 next month she gets around 6 cups of dry in her bowl she don't eat it all at once and not even in a day example if she eats 3 cups out of the 6 i had 3 cups of one brand and if she eats example 4 the next day I had 4 cups of a diff brand for that day and if she eats 2 cups that day she gets 2 cups of a diff brand etc it makes it were she has something different everyday do you think thats a good idea or no? I'm rotating 4 brands with my cats the same way yes I leave the uneaten dry mix in the bowl and add new I don't like dumbing the the left overs in the bowl back in the bag since i'm mixing it with both cats and dog no i'm not mixing cat and dog dry together lol

Please no rude comments thank you


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

I rotate kibbles to get different proteins and nutrient panels covered, but I do it after each bag, not daily. 6 c. is a lot of food, which is why your dog is probably leaving some every day. If your dog is routinely leaving a couple of cups, then reduce the amount fed every day. To save leftovers, I agree - don't dump it back in the bag - instead, put it in a ziplock bag or storage container of some sort, then refeed the next day. 

I feed twice daily. For my boxer, who weighs ~61 lb., I feed him 1.5 c. of Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream twice daily. This amount keeps him nice and lean, but not skinny. The amount you feed depends on the calorie count of the kibble, of course. If I were feeding something like Acana or Orijen, which are higher in calories, I'd feed a little less. My dogs eat when they're fed, or it's taken away after 15 minutes. I don't often have to take it up - lol!


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

I switch foods almost constantly, so I don't see anything wrong with feeding different foods. Personally, I don't mix foods from one day to the next, simply because I don't want the food to go stale or rancid and if fed outside getting "infested" with creepy crawlies. I would suggest serving less food at a time, so your dog can finish a "serving" in one day or not give more food until the "leftovers" are gone. I'd rather fill a bowl twice a day than leave food sitting out for more than a couple days.


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

I rotate as much as I can depending on how the individual dog's belly does. Echo and Jack only get a couple of different foods that their bellies/skin can handle. My other 2 can eat anything, switch daily, etc. however, I do one bag at a time.

That said, I have 4 dogs on 3 different foods at the moment. 

Dry food is a 'base' for my guys and they either get a chicken stew mixture, or canned, or yogurt, or sardines or egg mixed in with each meal. Everyone is doing well, coats really brightened up adding the chicken stew.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I rotate different types of foods: dry, canned, dehydrated, pre made raw & ground raw.

To the OP, I don't know you, really, but saying "no rude comments" can tend to to give you exactly that.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

eli the frenchie is fed raw, and i rotate proteins.
vangie is fed kibble, novel proteins and i switch every 4 weeks and have managed to keep her high eosinophil count normal the last two blood test. 
jake gets either farmina, different flavors, or fromm different flavors.

i am extremely recall phobic, nearly losing rex from the diamond bs two years ago.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

We don't rotate the dogs' food. They get EVO Turkey Chicken because it has the protein & fat levels they need to keep on weight & muscle. However, we do vary the amount they get depending on how much energy they put out. Sometimes they get some extra protein like salmon, pork, or chicken when they have been working in the field or hunting.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

When I fed kibble, I varied the brands a lot too, by the meal. In fact, every meal was a mixture of kibble, raw, premade raw, home cooked or canned. Mollie as a wee pup was eating a food that was up front and centre in the Chinese melamine recalls of 2007. I'm terrified of recalls now. Well, maybe not terrified as much the actual recalls, but of the reluctance of certain kibble companies to issue a recall even when presented with undisputed evidence that dogs and cats are getting sick or dying. 
This went by the way when I got my cat as she will only eat one brand of kibble. Thankfully she's on a great one now and I'm confident that there will never be a recall on their food.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

I generally try to stay within the same brand for my dog, but I do go in between a chicken. And lamb formula to give him some variety. Any time I change anything, I always mix it together for at least a couple of days so there isn't any issue. I would definitely recommend you to do the same, especially changing brands or lines all together.


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## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

I've never been one to "transition" between foods. Just put down whatever I felt like feeding and haven't had a problem yet. I switch brands, flavors, "diet styles" as well as adding "toppers" with no "specific" time period between. They might have something different everyday or the same for a few days. If your dog doesn't have a "problem", I feel this is the best way to go because it keeps your dog's digestive system "primed" to deal with a variety of foods.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

And, also, further to what Celt says, if there does happen to be a recall, your dog will be use to suddenly switching foods.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Celt said:


> I've never been one to "transition" between foods. Just put down whatever I felt like feeding and haven't had a problem yet. I switch brands, flavors, "diet styles" as well as adding "toppers" with no "specific" time period between. They might have something different everyday or the same for a few days. If your dog doesn't have a "problem", I feel this is the best way to go because it keeps your dog's digestive system "primed" to deal with a variety of foods.


I'll agree some dogs to get along just fine with that hut there are some dogs that absolutely cannot handle that. Some dogs are just too sensitive. Baxter has some issues with sudden changed but is still relatively easy on that sort of thing.


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