How to Switch to a Different Dog Food

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Changing your dog's food is not as simple as it seems. It needs to be done gradually over about a one week period. If you switch dog food abruptly, it will cause vomiting and diarrhea and may even cause finicky food habits in the future if your dog has a good memory. Make the switch gradually to keep your dog happy and away from the vet.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Buy a small bag of the new food while you still have about a week's supply of the old food left.
Step 2

Use a measuring cup for the food. On the first day with the new food, just add a small amount to comprise a total of about 10% of your dog's daily intake amount.
Step 3

Watch for any vomiting or bowel changes. Some dogs have food intolerances and this will show up quickly if they get sick on a small amount of food. Even if your dog seemed happy with the food, and ate it quickly, an upset stomach could occur later.
Step 4

Add new food to comprise about 30 percent of your dog's meal to the dog bowl for the next two days.
Step 5

Use a half and half mixture for the following two days. Again, watch for any diarrhea, vomiting, or unusual lethargy. If this happens, switch him back to the old food and try again in a month. If the symptoms continue even after going back to the old food, bring your dog to the vet.