Dog foods should and can be varied without impacting a dog’s digestion. Diet rotation can be beneficial to your dog, especially because there isn’t one perfect food manufacturer out there and your dog might not be getting enough or too much of one nutrient. Your dog may also have preferences just like you do! By periodically switching dog foods, the unhealthy consequences of serving the same imperfect products can be minimized.
The idea that changing dog foods can be dangerous for dogs seems to be more of a myth circulated by dog food companies who don’t want to lose their customers.
Diet rotation doesn’t mean mixing two or more different foods together and serving them at the same meal. Cycling different products on a periodic basis whether it’s weekly or daily is up to your discretion. If you know your pet has a sensitive stomach, it may be best to test out small amounts of new product before giving them a full meal. Most experts recommend transitioning to a new food gradually — starting with about 20-25% “new” and slowly increasing that amount to a full 100% over a 7 to 10 day period.
