How To Help Your Dog Adjust To His New Food

While introducing new flavors to your pet dog, it’s always best to do so gradually, whether it be switching to a different brand of food or a completely new meal.

It’s been found that dogs are pickier with new flavors than humans, and unfortunately, they have not evolved, as humans did, in terms of embracing new and varied flavors. So, to help your canine accept this new food that you’re introducing, vets advise that you start by combining small amounts of the new flavor with his usual meal, and then slowly adding a bit more every time until he has finally adjusted to 100% of its taste.

Normally, this adjustment takes 10 days to four weeks. Here is how you can help your dog adjust to the new flavor, as recommended by veterinarians, and broken down into a four-week schedule:

• First Week: Add three-fourths of the usual meal to one-fourth of the new meal or flavor.
• Second Week: Add one-half of the usual meal to one-half of the new one.
• Third Week: Add one-fourth of the old flavor to three-fourths of the new flavor.
• Fourth Week: Feed your dog 100% of the new meal.

Last of all, do not adopt the waiting approach when it comes to feeding new meals to your dog. If he or she isn’t eating it at all, consult your veterinarian for suitable advice on how to get him or her to accept the new food.