Confused as to how you switch foods.

[MissCriss]

I just bought a 33 pound bag of Senior Plus Innova for $54 . Oh well, anyways!

I am having trouble figuring out how to slowly get Rocky and Peach off of the Nutro and onto the Innova. I know you have to slowly add the Innova into the Nutro, and do the adjustment over the course of a week, BUT, I am not sure as to the amounts I should use and on what days.

So, my plan, unless advised otherwise, is to get Rocky and Peach off the Nutro Senior onto the Innova within one week.

The sales clerk there suggested I use the Senior because Peach is 11, and Rocky is overweight.

She also suggested that the Wellness is a very good food, and might be better than the Innova, but is more expensive, and $54 is PUSHIN it. I hope I get my money's worth lol. The Nutro was like, around forty dollars for a forty pound bag. My guess is that since the Innova is more nutritious, it will last longer by being able to feed less.

Here are kind of the "stats":

Rocky: 55 pounds and 5-10 pounds overweight.

Nutro - 25-35 pound dogs in light/moderate activity recieve 1 and 2/3 cups to 2 cups per day.

Innova - 40 pound dogs that are overweight recieve 1.03 cups per day
50 pound dogs that aer overweight recieve 1.53 cups per day.



Peach: 20 pounds and maybe just a tiny bit overweight.

Nutro - 15-25 pound dogs in light/moderate activity receive 1 to 1 and 2/3 cups per day

Innova - 20 pound dogs in light activity recieve 1.03 cups per day.
20 pound dogs that are overweight recieve .83 cups per day.

The portions I just put up are simply Nutro's recommendations and Innova's recommendations. I have been feeding Nutro according to the proportions that I listed, and now want to work my way over the span of a week to feed Innova's recommended portions. Both dogs are in light exercise.

Which portions should I use for Rocky, and which for Peach? How much of the Nutro should I feed each dog on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, until Sunday, and how much of the Innova?

Any help would be EXTREMELY appreciated. I really have no idea how I am going to do this.

[Gingersmom]

I'd start out on the small portion size and adjust in a couple of days or so..depending on how they were doing with the Innova. I also did mine cold turkey... from what they were eating to what mine are eating.

[Dauxside]

First maybe I'm not the best person to give advice as we don't feed kibble - but I always just switch everyone cold turkey - never had a problem.

Second, on the guidelines - start at the low end and move up for portion sizing. Food consumption should be based on size and activitiy. so if you notice undue weight loss add a bit more. The reason I suggest this is it's easy to add to a dog's diet but OH BOY do they notice a reduction.

[Moo]

I don't even look at the back of the bag anymore.

My dogs both eat Innova regular adult.

Kirby is 15 lbs
Holly is 8 lbs

Both dogs are what I would describe as very active.

I feed Kirby and Holly BOTH about 1/3 cup of food per day. I add some raw veggies here and there.

[alimel]

Every dog is different, but it has taken longer to switch Buddy over to Innova from Canidae. I mixed half and half for the first few days and it upset his stomach something awful. It has been a few weeks now and he is just about completely switched over. I still mix a little Canidae until the bag is gone.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

I know some do it cold turkey, but I've just wound up with the trots doing that.

I do about 10-20% chg per day. Also, giving probiotics and digestive enzymes during the switch will help a lot. They are usually in powder form and just mixed in with the food - sometimes you need to add a bit of water.

I give them to our dogs on a full time basis.

[saluki-sue]

Here is the math I use to swap dogs over to a new food. This is assuming you feed 1 or 2x a day. If you free feed you will want to do it a bit more slowly.
As for amounts, you'll want to feed just under the amount of food listed on the bag for the pounds you want your dog to weigh in at. Not for what they weigh right now. Also remember all dog food co's over feed by their guidelines. So I would say cut them back by about a 1/4 cup per meal and watch their back and ribs, when you can start to see the shape of the rib cage, but not see each rib. Then your dogs are just right.

25% new food mixed with 75% old food for 3 days

50% 50% mix for 2 days

75% new food to 25% old food until the old food is used up.

[EmmaGirl]

Originally Posted by saluki-sue

Here is the math I use to swap dogs over to a new food. This is assuming you feed 1 or 2x a day. If you free feed you will want to do it a bit more slowly.
As for amounts, you'll want to feed just under the amount of food listed on the bag for the pounds you want your dog to weigh in at. Not for what they weigh right now. Also remember all dog food co's over feed by their guidelines. So I would say cut them back by about a 1/4 cup per meal and watch their back and ribs, when you can start to see the shape of the rib cage, but not see each rib. Then your dogs are just right.

25% new food mixed with 75% old food for 3 days

50% 50% mix for 2 days

75% new food to 25% old food until the old food is used up.

That's the same switch that I recommend for anyone changing food.

[rubyred]

I used the same formula Saluke Sue did..........

25% new food mixed with 75% old food for 3 days

50% 50% mix for 2 days

75% new food to 25% old food until the old food is used up.

I did not have any problems at all.

[MissCriss]

Thank you very much everyone! I think I will go with trying out what saluki-sue, EmmaGirl, and rubyred suggested. And yes, saluki-sue, you assumed correctly. I feed twice a day.