# Kibble Rotations?



## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I raw feed, but I have heard a lot on this forum about rotating with various kibbles. Why? When I fed kibble, I fed one kind and one kind only. I have never met anyone who rotates kibbles. What is the purpose? 

I hope no one thinks I am being condescending. I am genuinely curious as to the reasons and benefits behind rotations as this is a new concept to me.


----------



## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I believe it is for the same reason we feed variety. It is good to expose them to multiple proteins and also alleviate allergies from consuming the same protein over a long period of time. I don't think it has quite the same value as variety with raw feeding.


----------



## baggie (Jun 2, 2010)

Dude and Bucks Mamma said:


> I raw feed, but I have heard a lot on this forum about rotating with various kibbles. Why? When I fed kibble, I fed one kind and one kind only. I have never met anyone who rotates kibbles. What is the purpose?
> 
> I hope no one thinks I am being condescending. I am genuinely curious as to the reasons and benefits behind rotations as this is a new concept to me.


I kibble feed, but I have heard a lot on this forum about rotating with various raw meats. Why?


----------



## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

I rotate for a couple of different reasons...I like to expose my girls to different varieties of food, different proteins, different levels, etc. I know I wouldn't be happy eating the same thing every day.
The other reason I rotate is so that I will always have a couple of different backup foods in case a problem develops with one of the food companies (recall, formula change, etc), or my girls develop an intolerance to a food...or just in case we run out of something. I don't like to put all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. If there is a recall on a food then I always have another food available that they do well on and we are ready to go, so I don't have to worry about transitions to a new food. 

I currently rotate 5-6 foods from 4 different companies.


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I rotated between about 4 different types of kibble with my dog. Each meal was different and I still do this with my cat. I wanted different proteins, different nutrient make up and variety - if one essential nutrient was missing or in a low dose in one type of kibble, the others would make up for it. Another big reason for me was those recalls back in 2007. I figured that if one of the kibbles I fed was recalled for something as serious as killing dogs and cats throughout the country, then my dog would presumably not suffer as she wasn't fed that particular kibble exclusively. 
Another reason is that I wanted my pup to have a strong stomach, for her stomach to be use to all types and variety's of foods.


----------



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Same reason why you dont feed same protein sources. Variety.


----------



## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

My reasons for rotating kibble (3 different formulas from 3 different companies) pretty much falls in line with posts #4 & 5.

From the practical side: if there is a recall, change of formula or lack of availability, you have several other foods you know work well for your dog.

From the nutrition side: it's good to rotate protein sources; plus the vitamin mixes can vary so much from one brand to another that the deficiencies will balance out over time if you switch companies.


----------



## Celt (Dec 27, 2010)

I've always switched what I've fed my dogs. I didn't really do a rotation because I didn't always get the same foods. I usually kept 3+ different bags of food (different brands, companies, protein sources) and served a different one every day. If I saw a "new" food that I thought would be good I bought it. Never did any transitioning. I did this so that I could feed whatever and the dogs wouldn't have any "tummy problems". I've always been a "worst case scenario" person and the thought of some (God forbid) disaster or emergency preventing me from getting a "specific" food and having to deal with a tummy sick dog on top of other problems <shudder>. Of course, it could also be something as simple as moving somewhere where I can't get the food.


----------



## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

baggie- we don't really "rotate" with raw. My boys are currently being introduced to pork so now they are getting chicken with a chunk of pork. Eventually, they will be able to eat a whole meal of pork no problem. The reason that I personally see for rotating with raw is because then we can open our freezer, see what we have, and make up that night's menu. That way we can feed what we have and not have to worry about just one type of meat. It gives the dogs more variety as well as gives us more options and opportunities when we are buying meat. Say we feed mostly chicken, but the store by us is out, but they have some good beef available. No big deal, grab some beef and feed the dogs. There are more reasons, but these (to me) are the most significant ones.

To all- I have had dogs for YEARS and, to be honest, these are never things that occurred to me. They make perfect sense. I can't believe I didn't think of those reasons myself! See, I may not be a kibble feeder anymore, but it just goes to show that I can still learn new things about kibble feeding. I feel like I was a terrible owner while I was kibble feeding now (not that my boy didn't hoover his food regardless of lack of variety lol). Thanks all! I feel very educated now


----------



## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i always switch brands of kibble from bag to bag.
i also keep different brands of can food on hand. 
i also feed my dog raw ground beef, cooked boneless
and skinless chicken breast, can fish (in water no salt added),
fresh fish, salmon oil, organic yogurt, quinoa, millet, rice, ground flax seed,
Asian pears (he won't eat other varieties), apples. i sure there's more i feed
him but i can't think of it a the moment. i like giving my dog a variety
of good food. i read somewhere when you switch kibble and can your dog
receives nutrients from one brand that might not be in another brand.
feeding a dog the samething a couple of times a day seems boring besides
when feeding a variety your dog gets a variety of nutrients.


----------



## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> i always switch brands of kibble from bag to bag.
> i also keep different brands of can food on hand.
> i also feed my dog raw ground beef, cooked boneless
> and skinless chicken breast, can fish (in water no salt added),
> ...


Just curious -- why are you adding more carbs to your dog's food?


----------



## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

how much is to much??



doggiedad said:


> i always switch brands of kibble from bag to bag.
> i also keep different brands of can food on hand.
> i also feed my dog raw ground beef, cooked boneless
> and skinless chicken breast, can fish (in water no salt added),
> ...





Serendipity said:


> Just curious -- why are you adding more carbs to your dog's food?


----------



## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> how much is to much??


Umm.let me think about that one...OH YA!! _*Any/all!!*_


----------



## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

are dogs not allowed to have carbs? why are carbs bad for them?



Serendipity said:


> Just curious -- why are you adding more carbs to your dog's food?





doggiedad said:


> how much is to much?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Dogs get everything they need frommeat, organ and bone. They do not digest most carbs.


----------

