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Tips on Changing Your Dog’s Diet

When it comes to dogs, the type of food they need depends on a variety of factors, including the dog’s breed, where the owner lives, the amount of exercise the dog gets, and any health issues that the dog may have. If your dog’s needs have changed, their current diet may no longer be sufficient enough to meet those needs. Consider the following tips on changing your dog’s diet.

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Introduce the Change Gradually

Dogs are especially sensitive to change, so if you completely change their food one day, they may not know how to respond to that, either mentally or physically. For instance, if you have been recommended to start your dog on a raw food diet after your dog has spent all of its life eating dry food, it could be a shock to your dog’s system. Try replacing a small amount of the old food with new food during at least one feeding every day and gradually increase the amount of new food until your dog is eating nothing but the new food. If you are just reducing your dog’s food intake, make sure to gradually reduce the amount your dog is eating in the same fashion until your dog is used to the new amount.

Train to Discourage Deviation

If the diet is more of a behavioral issue, there are ways to train your dog to just eat their food. For instance, if you are trying to get your dog to stop eating food from off the floor, and your dog has been doing that for a long time, it will take a lot of re-education. Obedience school or a private dog trainer are two great options if you want to just hand the reins over and let a professional do the work or be guided by a professional. If you would rather go it alone, there are plenty of videos and articles that you could look at on the subject, as well as special training tools for dogs.

Be Consistent

When you are starting a new routine, the last thing you want to do is deviate, especially early on. Whatever routine you have decided to do for changing your dog’s diet, you will need to be consistent for at least two weeks so you and your dog both have a chance to get used to the changes. If you feel like changes need to be made after that, you will need to see what works for both yourself and your dog. It may take a while before you find a diet and routine that is the best fit for your dog, but it is well worth the trouble that you will go through to get there.

It can be difficult to change anything about your dog’s lifestyle, and dietary changes can be one of the worst. However, it is worth it to extend and improve the life of your dog. Keep this article in mind so that you are ready if and when you need to change your dog’s diet.

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