Variety In Dry Food

[Jemmy]

Just wondering if anyone who is feeding dry alternates between flavours in the brand they are using?

I'm trialling Luna on Black Hawk and as it comes in different flavours was thinking if she goes well on it, rotating between the flavours to keep it from being too boring. Last time we were feeding dry was Royal Canin - GSD formula and it only came in the one flavour so not something I've thought about before.

[nyssel]

I actually do this with our girls with their Black Hawk :)

I bought a 20 kg bag though many months ago of Chicken and Rice that is soon to being finished, so we'll probably buy Lamb & Rice or Fish & Potato. When there's a bit left we just mix in the new flavoured kibble in. Stops them from being too picky without changing the brand of food (therefore a different formula altogether).

[sheena]

My daughter & son-in-law sell it, so we do a deal...I keep them well supplied with fresh eggs & they keep me supplied with Black Hawk, so I just take whatever they have an excess of. Usually the Lamb or the Chicken, but I top their meal with with different things like fish, eggs, yogurt..to give them a bit of variety.

ETA...they get a RMB or a bully stick, or chewy roo in the mornings, plus training treats..So they get plenty of different taste experiences :)

Edited October 18, 2015 by sheena

[Dogsfevr]

Nope i don't change when it works well i stick to it but i don't just feed dry

[Jemmy]

Good to know some others do it as well. The plan is to supplement the dry with rmb's, yoghurt, sardines, eggs, just like we have before (previously with royal canin, and then with barf).

I have the small fish and potato bag at the moment, and a sample of the lamb and rice on its way. She's definitely showing more enthusiasm for the black hawk than any dry we've tried before.

[Dame Aussie]

We do, our guys get a mix of RMB's and dry with yoghurt, eggs, fish etc mixed in. I'll often change the protein type in the dry food :)

[JulesP]

I've never really stuck to feeding the same dry food. Never had any tummy problems either from changing. Poppy gets different bones/meats etc too.

[Guest donatella]

I like to rotate flavours imagine eating the same thing day in day out for months if not years? I know mine go ape for a different flavour so they recognise and get excited by something new

[luvsdogs]

Mine get a mix of flavours & brands as well as mostly raw meaty bones.

[Ivory & Beau]

I don't change the dry food "flavour" as it works for all of my dogs.

But I do change everything else around.

[denali]

Mine don't get much dry food at all, but i do rotate it around :)

Both brands and flavours within brands

[Two Best Dogs!]

I change the dry around a bit - same as you, switching between the black hawk different black hawks. Fish and potato is her favourite but she'll gobble them all. Planning the lamb next time. This week + next few weeks mixing in some special diet food to see if it affects her urine issues.

Night time she gets raw, which I vary up a lot. Last night was kangaroo bits n bobs, chicken and kidneys with a bit of rice.

I try to keep things varied so her stomach doesn't get stuck on "one food".

[Guest Clover]

I am forever changing dry foods and flavours, no tummy upsets here thankfully and no fussy eaters.

[Dame Aussie]

I am forever changing dry foods and flavours, no tummy upsets here thankfully and no fussy eaters.

Yeah it's funny, despite all the warnings to change foods over slowly, we've never had an issue with changing dry foods over frequently

[Salukifan]

I don't change the dry food "flavour" as it works for all of my dogs.

But I do change everything else around.

Same here.

One dog won't eat any kibble but his favourite.

[nyssel]

I've heard that changing the brand itself of kibble is not good for the dog, but I haven't extensively researched that.

We just feed the dogs mainly on Black Hawk (rotation of flavours) with fish oil supplements, some days with raw eggs or yoghurt mixed in, and on occasion boiled mashed pumpkin/sweet potato and veggies when we cook it. They get raw chicken frames or necks three times a week as its own meal and just a bit of kibble for dinner. Kibbles are just more convenient as I don't have to keep an eye on them when they eat like with their raw (and its more convenient on busy school week days). The dogs have sensitive stomachs and if given to much raw consistently will get the runs. And they love blueberries as treats sometimes - they go silly for it!

I like how they are looking at the moment on the chicken and rice (I think less fat content than Fish and potato?) and Bella's starting to look pretty pudgy at the moment. :)

[Dave-o]

Why stick to one brand of kibble?

Why is changing kibble bad for a dog? It's not.

[nyssel]

I don't know, that's what I've read?

[OSoSwift]

Mine get fed what they do well on. If I find something new I try it, if it works they get that one until I find something to try. They don't seem to have any issues. They do get other things but not heaps of other things.

[Dave-o]

I don't know, that's what I've read?

It's a common myth. Historically pet food manufacturers stated their products were designed to be fed exclusively. The reason being they want your repeat business.

We know porridge is good for us but eating it exclusively isn't good for us, it's not a balanced diet. Personally I believe variety (of decent quality foods) is the best way to ensure a balanced diet.

Feeding a single kibble over a long period can make your dog intolerant of specific ingredients, and would eventuate to making them ill (vomiting or diarrhea) if they're switched to a different food. Some ingredients can become toxic over time, which is far more likely to happen if a poor quality kibble is fed exclusively.

I rotate foods all the time and have never had issues doing so.