Rotating Foods

[mrenee]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm getting a puppy in August and I'm trying to decide what to feed him.

 

I know he won't be on a raw food diet because I plan to train him to be a therapy dog and the organizations in my area don't allow dogs who are raw fed to be therapy dogs because of the risk of salmonella.

 

I think I've narrowed it down to Nutrisource and Fromms both easily available to me and inside my budget (which is pretty minimal, my dog will probably be eating better than me, haha).

 

After scouring tons of old topics on here I noticed that a couple of people (couldn't manage to find who exactly, sorry) have mentioned they rotate their dogs foods. I was wondering how you accomplish this? Do you stay with the same brand of kibble and switch flavors? Or do you switch brands?

 

I also wondered if you feed solely one type of food and after that bad is gone switch to the next one or slowly switch over (i.e 1/4 of Kibble 2 and 3/4 of Kibble 1) etc.

 

Thanks in advanced. Can't wait until my little guy gets here.

[gcv-border]

I switch brands of kibble routinely. I usually buy a 28-32 lb bag of kibble for 2 dogs, and it can last for 5-8 weeks depending on whether I have a foster at the time (3rd dog). I actually do both - switch proteins within a brand and also will switch brands. When I first started the switching between brands, I would carefully try to switch over a period of a week. Since my dogs tolerated the switch well, I have been lazy and will switch over in 2-3 days now.

 

I have used Fromm's, but have never tried Nutrisource.

 

Jovi

[prairiegirl]

I've used Nutrisource with good results for over 5 years now for both my BC and my heeler/Aussie X. It's the best kibble available in my area (without mail ordering). For the most part, I just feed the chicken/rice flavor, but have on occasion fed a bag of lamb/rice.

[Gideon's girl]

I rotate between the different flavors and the different brands. Since I believe that there is no such thing as a perfect kibble, some will be too high in one thing and too low in something else, and brands usually use the same vit/min premix in all their flavors, I feel it is important to switch up brands. I go through a 25 lbs bag in about three weeks so I don't worry about having multiple bags open at once so I switch meal to meal, and as soon as one bag is empty I rotate in something else. When I first started rotating, one of my dogs had a very delicate stomach and took almost a month to acclimate to a new food. I switched bag to bag then instead of meal to meal. Now that I've been doing this for a while, she has a much healthier gut and never gets upset stomachs anymore. I believe that rotating foods supports a wider variety of the good bacteria in the gut and therefore supports a healthier immune system.

[mrenee]

Thanks for the input, guys. The more I hear about it the more I like the idea of rotating food.

 

prairegirl, that's good to know. I've heard good things about it and I work at a boarding/day care place that sells it so I can get it pretty cheap with my employee discount so I really hope my dog likes it, haha.

 

Gideon's girl, are you by chance "Gideon's mom" on the All Border Collie Forum? If so it was actually one of your posts on there that got me thinking about the rotating food idea.

 

Like you said, no kibble is perfect. Also if I rotated I would be able to add in some more expensive brands that I wouldn't be able to afford if I solely fed that. For instance, I love the idea of Brother's Complete, but there's no way I would be able feed it all the time. And if there was a recall or something like that I could remove that food and switch my dog to something else with no problem.

 

Do you all switch back and forth between grain free food as well or do you stick with one or the other?

[Gideon's girl]

Yep, that's me. Somebody already had that name here, though I haven't seen it pop up anywhere. Who are you over there?

 

I don't switch to grain inclusive foods only because I have two dogs that have problems with grains. And I also highly recomend NutriSource. It is an easy to switch to food, that so far I've never read a complaint about.

 

Recalls were the reason I started rotating foods, I got caught by recalls multiple time with dogs that were difficult to switch.

[TrulyReady]

I also rotate brands and flavors every bag, not only does it help fill in the gaps any brand of kibble may have, but it has also allowed me to find brands I like verses the ones I probably won't buy again without much disapointment. I love Nutrisource and like their seafood selects grain free so much I always go back to it every third or so bag I buy. Switching brands makes buying dogfood more fun, I love researching new brands to buy, I like you said alternating allows you to splerge on a more expensive brand then you would not usually buy every now and then and not feel bad. I usually order dogfood online from somewhere with free shipping (wag.com), this also lets me try brands that my local stores don't carry.

[TEC]

Have you considered mixing together two or more brands and/or varieties? In that manner I get my desired ingredients and percentages. Additionally, should a dog food manufacturer purchase a component that causes a recall (or is about to be recalled) my dog will not have consumed as much as one who is fed solely that product. I have stayed with the same kibbles for years, although to keep her interested, a spoonful of various good dog foods from airtights is rotated and stirred-in. She's spoiled. -- TEC

[alligande]

Now I only have 1 dog I have been experimenting with food. I usually by my food from doggiefood.com as locally my only option is petco and I find doggiefood much cheaper as I always use a discount coupon.

I have found that I can switch bag to bag with no issues, what I do is see what they have on sale, check out the food on one or both of the food anyalis sites and try it if it looks good. What I have found is my picky dog loves something's and hates others. He really liked the duck from Fromms but the current bag of food he really dislikes, so I won't be ordering it again.

[mrenee]

Gideon's girl, I'm the same as I am on here, mrenee

 

Seeing what's on sale is an awesome idea. I have quite a few stores that are reasonably priced here in Lexington, so I'll be able to shop around.

 

I'm excited now to start shopping around and seeing what brands and flavors I want to try instead of narrowing it down to one.

 

I keep trying to find stuff to do in preparation for my puppy so I don't just dwell on the fact that I want him right now! haha.

 

TEC, when you say airtights what do you mean?

 

So besides wag.com are there any other good (as in cheap) dog food sites?

 

And if you all have any other brand recommendations, please let me know.

[mrenee]

Also, do you all start your puppies on puppy food or use a food that is for all life stages?

[TEC]

...TEC, when you say airtights what do you mean?

 

My attempt to make reference to moist dog foods sold in well sealed containers, but not necessarily in metal cans. Lots of them are now packaged in plastic, with peel-off foil lids, similar to one-serving yogurt containers. I use a tablespoon or so of rotating flavors to maintain my dog's interest in the kibble. That way I'm able to feed the same mixture of two kibbles which both of us seem happy with.

 

Old cowboy sitting around the campfire after dinner, "Hey Lester, will you grab me an airtight of apple sauce while you're up?", or, "The expedition survived on airtights for the last week before they were rescued".

 

"Airtights" is a great term that should be resurrected. I could have been more clear. -- TEC

[Tommy Coyote]

My dogs get Fromm and I don't change that. But they also get 1/2 can of Dave's and I change that daily. They get turkey, beef, chicken, pork and then some different veggies. Boy do they love that canned food.

[WildFlower]

I, like TEC, mix foods together. I feed Fromms Classic recipe as my main food but mix in another brand and usually protien. Since the classic Fromms is chicken based I usually mix in a fish, beef, or pork based food. (I tend to stay away from lamb and venison.) Usually my "mix-in" food is whatever is on sale.

 

My dogs (3 of them) all seem to do well on this method.

[Gideon's girl]

There is a train of thought that believes that allergies and intolerances occur because of over exposure to the same protein sources, so that rotating protein sources would reduce the incidences of developing allergies. There are very good arguments for and against this way of thinking, but I haven't heard an argument for not switching up protein sources, so that's what I do.

 

According to the AAFCO, a food that meets the requirements for growth may be labeled All Life Stages, so ALS food is puppy food. As long as your dog is not having issues, there is nothing wrong with feeding puppy food for life. It is usually higher protein and sometimes higher fat, which means less carbs. If a dog does well on it you should not worry about feeding it, as long as you are watching body condition, which you need to do on adult food too.

 

And I love the term "airtights" It is way better than having to say "sealed individual serving size container"

[Gil]

I feed the Fromms 4 star, usually the grain free but picked up a bag of pork that has grain for a change. Will be back to Game Bird when it is gone. Rotate pretty much between Game Bird and Beef Fritata with an occasional bag of Salmon Tortalini thrown in. Gil is not as fond of the fish based foods. It is ALS so Logan has been eating it for the last 9 weeks and is doing fine. He just gets more. He is now 19 weeks He gets about twice what is shown for his weight. Some of the canned is added from time to time.

[juliepoudrier]

There is a train of thought that believes that allergies and intolerances occur because of over exposure to the same protein sources, so that rotating protein sources would reduce the incidences of developing allergies. There are very good arguments for and against this way of thinking, but I haven't heard an argument for not switching up protein sources, so that's what I do.

 

I think a problem could arise should one's dog develop allergies later in life. If you (general you) have fed your dog every available protein source out there, then you have no novel protein options available should the need arise. Immune systems can and do change as part of the aging process.

 

I have switched around foods, but I try to leave one or two novel protein sources (e.g., duck, buffalo, etc.) aside, just in case I have a dog who should ever need one.

 

J.

[geonni banner]

I don't really have a problem with the idea of rotating foods, but I wonder - if an animal is doing well on the rations fed to it, is there any reason to change them?

[Gideon's girl]

I also make sure that I don't feed certain protein sources in case there is a need for a novel protein in the future.

 

As far as reasons to rotate even if a do is doing well, there is one that I feel is major. I believe that no do food is perfect. Most companies use the same vitamin/ mineral premix in all their formulas. Some mixes will be high in a particular ingredient, others will be low in that same ingredient. They have different micronutrients and trace elements. Some/most foods have their minerals within a certain range, but they are not necessarily balanced to each other. Everyone knows that calcium and phosphorus should be balanced, but they aren't always, but hardly anybody is looking at whether the magnesium is also balanced to the calcium. Also many foods have ingredients that are questionable. By rotating you minimize exposure to the negatives of feeding the exact same thing, meal after meal, year after year.

 

Think about how your own gut would be if you picked a single meal and always ate the exact same thing. It wouldn't take long for you body to get used to only having that exact protein level, that exact fat level, etc. Then what happens in the event of a recall? You get massive gas, upset stomach, and diarrhea. But because we eat a variety of foods, we are less likely to have that sort of thing happen when something gets recalled. Not so with our dogs, unless we feed a rotational diet.

 

Yes, I'm passionate. And a little bit of a dog food nut. But at least I'm not as bad as my friends that are dog food hoarders.

[alligande]

I don't really have a problem with the idea of rotating foods, but I wonder - if an animal is doing well on the rations fed to it, is there any reason to change them?

The only reason I started doing it was because by buying premium food when it is on sale, I can either upgrade my food or maybe save a little money. I fed TOW for years, but then there was the recalls so I began looking for alternatives and began buying what doggiefood.com had on sale if it was a good quality food. ( Some foods on sale are still well outside the budget )

 

I have found food he loves and some he hates....

[mum24dog]

I don't really have a problem with the idea of rotating foods, but I wonder - if an animal is doing well on the rations fed to it, is there any reason to change them?

 

That's the view I take. I don't like making life unnecessarily complicated for myself.

 

If my dogs are fit, healthy, with a glossy coat and clear skin on whatever I feed them I see no reason to change unless something else takes my fancy - usually based on value for money and/or convenience. My vet is never going to get rich on the money she gets from me.

 

If I get a new dog that is too skinny I will buy a bag of high fat, high protein food. If I have an overweight dog that doesn't eat much I may buy a bag of lower fat Senior food. I rarely need more than one bag of either.

 

I do have the luxury of never having a dog with any food sensitivities though. When I have changed I've always been able to do it in one go without any upsets.

 

Dog food recalls are almost unheard of in the UK so even if my dogs didn't have cast iron digestions planning for the possibility wouldn't figure in my thoughts on what to feed them.

[mrenee]

I didn't know that about Puppy food and All Life Stages food, thank you.

 

And I like the idea (and word) of switching around airtights.

 

My family's dog lived on Ol'Roy, all of our leftover table scraps, and whatever they hunted out of the woods (mostly rabbits). They lived happy, healthy lives. So I know dogs don't have to have super premium diets. I do wonder if the variety they had helped them with their health.

 

I want to give my dog the best I can on my budget. And switching around foods doesn't seem unnecessarily complicated for me. I like to research different brands and then test them and then I'll see what my dogs likes and does best with. I also think it will be better for my budget which is going to be a concern for me.

[Gary_and_Karen]

I had heard that switching foods could cause problems while their system is getting used to it (loose stools, ect), but maybe it is not as much of a problem based to this topic.

 

I'll be researching what food to switching my dog to when we get her off the puppy chow she is on now.

 

I have been reading where some people feel that grain free is much better than non grain free.

 

Does anyone mix a little canned food in with dry ?

 

I have been mixing in a little cooked chicken meat with her dry puppy chow to enhance the flavor.

 

What are the top choices of commercial dry dog food available at most local stores ?

 

(unfortunately we don't have any PetSmarts close by, just Walmart and a BI-LO grocery store)

[Gideon's girl]

Think of it this way. If you ate a dinner roll, an apple, a small piece of ham, a green salad, and a glass of milk for dinner, you would have eaten a nice square meal. But if you ate that same thing for every meal for a year, that's not so good. If at the end of that year, you all of a sudden decided that ham, apple, green salad, and milk were not your thing, cheeseburger and watermelon were, you would probably have explosive diarrhea, gas, and some gastric distress. But since you eat different foods every meal, it causes you no problem to switch from ham the cheeseburger, though you may still have issues if you go from low fat to high fat.

 

We train dogs guts to digest one and only one food by feeding one and only one food. My dogs get different foods with different protein and fat levels every day, so their bodies are used to it and they have no problems with it.

 

I truly believe that the person that started telling people that they should pick one food and stick to it was a marketing genius. He was creating instant brand loyalty.

 

BTW, I use kibble, canned, raw, fresh, dehydrated, and freeze dried.

 

It wasn't that many years ago that there was no such thing as kibble or canned dog food, much less any of the rest of it. All dogs ate something different every day.

 

I also don't have a lot available around here, but I order online and get free shipping. I didn't think I would like ordering dog food online, but I'm finding that I love having it delivered to my door.

[Gary_and_Karen]

That was a really good way of explaining it, thanks !

 

I have been feeding her Purina Smartblend puppy chow because it listed chicken as the first ingredient, but usually I try to have some chicken meat from one of our meals to last a few days to mix a little in to add real meat flavor and texture.

 

She does like occasional raw veggies like carrots and green beans (as well as peanut butter) and she likes the homemade dehydrated sweet potato chips I make for her from fresh sweet potatoes.

 

I'll have to research to decide what brands of adult foods to rotate her on once we take her off the puppy chow.

 

I would like to use both can and dry so I have canned to mix a little into the dry on days when I don't have chicken meat available.

 

I would need to find what dry and canned foods are both healthy and available at either Walmart or a BI-LO grocery store if I couldn't find an affordable deal online.

Think of it this way. If you ate a dinner roll, an apple, a small piece of ham, a green salad, and a glass of milk for dinner, you would have eaten a nice square meal. But if you ate that same thing for every meal for a year, that's not so good. If at the end of that year, you all of a sudden decided that ham, apple, green salad, and milk were not your thing, cheeseburger and watermelon were, you would probably have explosive diarrhea, gas, and some gastric distress. But since you eat different foods every meal, it causes you no problem to switch from ham the cheeseburger, though you may still have issues if you go from low fat to high fat.

 

We train dogs guts to digest one and only one food by feeding one and only one food. My dogs get different foods with different protein and fat levels every day, so their bodies are used to it and they have no problems with it.

 

I truly believe that the person that started telling people that they should pick one food and stick to it was a marketing genius. He was creating instant brand loyalty.

 

BTW, I use kibble, canned, raw, fresh, dehydrated, and freeze dried.

 

It wasn't that many years ago that there was no such thing as kibble or canned dog food, much less any of the rest of it. All dogs ate something different every day.

 

I also don't have a lot available around here, but I order online and get free shipping. I didn't think I would like ordering dog food online, but I'm finding that I love having it delivered to my door.