Tips For Changing Your Dog’s Diet
There are different stages in a dog’s life and therefore his diet must vary to adapt to different changes. But sometimes making these changes can be difficult for them and for us. So, in the following article, we’ll give you some tips to change your dog’s diet.
the dog and the food
Mealtime is certainly one of the most desired moments for a dog. From an evolutionary point of view, dogs have adapted not to vary their diet much. The main reason is in the intestinal flora, a series of beneficial microorganisms that reside in the digestive system and that help in the processes related to nutrition.
This intestinal flora in dogs is less adapted to changes if we compare it, for example, with ours. Does this mean that a dog must always eat the same thing? Yes and no. Changing the dog’s diet is something that must be done, but following a few steps and respecting a certain period of time.
A dog’s nutritional needs vary throughout its life, so it’s important to know when and what kind of food we have to give our pet.
Changing diet according to age
As with us, a dog’s diet varies as it grows. Puppies start by feeding on breast milk or special veterinary formulas, but when they reach the first few weeks of life, it is interesting for the puppy to start eating solid foods.
After the first few months, our young dog will need a different nutritional contribution: a decreasing energy requirement, but one that includes protein and carbohydrates.
As it grows, the maintenance diet is gradually transformed into a diet especially suitable for older dogs, considering a more significant contribution of fiber and antioxidants.
To ensure these changes are done correctly, it’s best to enlist the help of a veterinarian or animal nutrition specialist.
Of course, one of the first recommendations we’re going to hear is to make all dietary changes gradually, bit by bit. This way, the impact on both the dog and its intestinal flora will be less, as the new food can be added gradually.
Tricks to change food
As we said, one of the tricks to keep in mind is when the changes should be made. A demanding dog will notice the change in his diet less if we do it little by little.
The most common is that, over the course of a week, our pet’s food container gains more new food.
A very common trick, and one that usually works, is to mix the two types of feed – or the foods we are including – in the container. That way, if our pet is too “delicate”, it will be harder for him to differentiate between the two.
Avoiding leaving the food bowl all day can also help your dog get used to the new type of diet. If the dog is used to eating at a certain time of day, the change will be less difficult. In any case, always take into account your veterinarian’s advice to make the change in the best possible way.
