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There are two basic approaches to transitioning dogs to new foods: a rapid transition or a slow transition. There is no right or wrong, there is what will be best for you and your dog. Puppies and young, healthy dogs typically transition with ease, and a rapid transition can be appropriate. Older pets, dogs with gastrointestinal sensitivities or disease (for instance inflammatory bowel disease, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), pancreatitis, etc.) should be transitioned slowly.
The Rapid Transition
Appropriate for puppies and young, healthy dogs.
Offer your dog the raw food meal instead of the kibble or canned you were feeding. Simple as that! Most healthy dogs will take right to it. You may want to fast your dog for a day prior to the food switch. Hunger helps with motivation to try the new food. But dogs are typically experimental eaters, and for healthy dogs this is the easiest approach. If your furry family member takes right to it, you can donate your kibble and cans to a local rescue organization.
The Slow Transition
Appropriate for older dogs and dogs with digestive issues or gastrointestinal disorders.
The idea of the slow transition is simple: offer a small portion of the new food as a part of their regular meal. Slowly increase the amount of new food made with EZComplete while reducing the amount of the current food your dog eats. We recommend the following schedule:
Days 1 & 2: Make the meal 25% food made with EZComplete and 75% current food.
Days 3 & 4: Increase the amount of food made with EZComplete to 50% of the meal, using the current food for the other half of the meal.
Days 5 & 6: Increase the amount of food made with EZComplete to 75% of the meal, reducing the the current food to 25% of the meal.
Day 7: Feed 100% food made with EZComplete.
Adjust the speed of the transition according to your dog’s acceptance. If your dog has any GI discomfort (nausea, vomiting, soft stool, etc), back up to the ratio of new food made with EZComplete-to-current food where your dog was comfortable. If the problem is the first meal that is 25% EZComplete food, then feed your dog only the current food for two or three days, and start over with a smaller amount of food made with EZComplete, about 10%.
Please be aware that on the diet of food made with EZComplete, your dog's stools will be much smaller. The stool will also be much firmer and have little-to-no smell.
On Transitioning....
Imagine you've never eaten anything but dry cereal or canned stew. How would you react if someone put down a salad in front of you? Would you dive in? It looks funny! It has almost no smell, and yet even that smell is funny! The texture is wrong. The temperature is wrong. Yuck.
If being introduced to fresh real food for the first time, after years of processed food saturated with fake flavoring (think the cheese sprayed onto Cheetos, the taco flavor sprayed on to Doritos, “sour cream and onion” flavored chips, or the “flavor blasted” gold fish), it’s only natural to expect it will take some time to accept a salad without a pile of dressing, cheese and bacon bits or whatever “toppings” to enhance the flavor. With time, you’ll likely come to LOVE salad that isn't heaped with toppings. And you most likely know from your own experience that you’ll feel FAR better eating salad. You sleep better, you have more energy, your moods are more stable, you’re … happier! Some of our dogs, especially if they're unwell, feel just like this about that weird stuff you’re offering them as “food.” Yet with time, they come to love it.
The goal is long term health. So whether it takes two weeks or two months (or longer), take it at your dog’s pace. But you may need to get creative. That said, we hope this guide helps transition your pup in a timely fashion.
Transition Tips for the Fussy Dog
Appropriate for picky eaters, not dogs diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disease.
(Though if your dog is a picky eater, please consider this may be a sign of nausea. Dogs, as a species, are not naturally picky eaters).
Our pets can be masters of manipulation. They know how to get what they want! And we often do our best to oblige. This, of course, reinforces the behavior. Before we know it, voilà! We have a picky pet. If your dog is "just" a picky eater, and looks at the first meal of food with the mix of her new and current food with "that" look - that look that says "You expect me to eat this?!" - rather than fussing and encouraging your dog to eat, leave the room. Leave your pup alone with the dish for 15 or 20 minutes. When you return, if the food remains uneaten, pick it up, and put it in the fridge so you can serve it up at the next meal. Do not feed any treats or other foods, just wait for the next meal to offer this food. You may want to put the food in a baggie to warm the food before serving it (put the baggie in a dish of lukewarm water for a few minutes). Whether warmed for straight out of the fridge, put the dish down and leave your dog alone with the food. If it happens again, repeat the process the next day with fresh food. We know how hard it is to see your dog hungry! But don't give in. Not only is hunger a motivator, a little fast can be very healthy. Dogs are built to manage "feast or famine" circumstances. Your baby will be OK! Once your pup fully transitions, make sure to introduce at least three proteins as soon as possible (and use the different cuts of meat within the same protein), and rotate frequently, even at every meal. With no "natural flavorings" or appetite enhancers, your dog may become bored eating the same meat over and over. It is important to keep them engaged with their food by using a variety of meats. There is also nutritional benefit to including a variety of cuts and proteins.
If your dog does not transition easily,
Experiment with texture (ground, minced, shredded, chunks);
Experiment with temperature: warming a food by putting a baggie of the new food in lukewarm water to heat it up can enhance the smell.
Experiment with smell: add your own “palatability enhancers.” To do this, simply use enticement toppers on the new food. We recommend freeze dried meat or liver treats, but include a more comprehensive list of ideas, below. But consider switching up your toppers to help create new taste experiences for your dog while introducing each protein.
Eating Enticements
Dogs with GI disorders can be picky because they don't feel well. We do not recommend fasting dogs with GI problems. And while the raw / home-cooked food often helps immeasurably - how to get them to eat it? In addition to experimenting with texture and temperature, consider enticement toppers.
An enticement topper is a smell *your* dog loves, that helps them accept that the new food IS food. Use sparingly something you know or think your dog might really enjoy:
Dogs, like people, can be sensitive to temperature and texture:
If your dog persists in refusing to try the new food, continue offering it alongside the food she is eating. Sometimes it can take a few days or weeks before they decide to give it a try.
Imagine you've never eaten anything but dry cereal or canned stew. How would you react if someone put down a salad in front of you? Would you dive in? It looks funny! It has almost no smell, and yet even that smell is funny! The texture is wrong. The temperature is wrong. Yuck.
If being introduced to fresh real food for the first time, after years of processed food saturated with fake flavoring (think the cheese sprayed onto Cheetos, the taco flavor sprayed on to Doritos, “sour cream and onion” flavored chips, or the “flavor blasted” gold fish), it’s only natural to expect it will take some time to accept a salad without a pile of dressing, cheese and bacon bits or whatever “toppings” to enhance the flavor. With time, you’ll likely come to LOVE salad that isn't heaped with toppings. And you most likely know from your own experience that you’ll feel FAR better eating salad. You sleep better, you have more energy, your moods are more stable, you’re … happier! Some of our dogs, especially if they're unwell, feel just like this about that weird stuff you’re offering them as “food.” Yet with time, they come to love it.
The goal is long term health. So whether it takes two weeks or two months (or longer), take it at your dog’s pace. But you may need to get creative. That said, we hope this guide helps transition your pup in a timely fashion.
Transition Tips for the Fussy Dog
Appropriate for picky eaters, not dogs diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disease.
(Though if your dog is a picky eater, please consider this may be a sign of nausea. Dogs, as a species, are not naturally picky eaters).
Our pets can be masters of manipulation. They know how to get what they want! And we often do our best to oblige. This, of course, reinforces the behavior. Before we know it, voilà! We have a picky pet. If your dog is "just" a picky eater, and looks at the first meal of food with the mix of her new and current food with "that" look - that look that says "You expect me to eat this?!" - rather than fussing and encouraging your dog to eat, leave the room. Leave your pup alone with the dish for 15 or 20 minutes. When you return, if the food remains uneaten, pick it up, and put it in the fridge so you can serve it up at the next meal. Do not feed any treats or other foods, just wait for the next meal to offer this food. You may want to put the food in a baggie to warm the food before serving it (put the baggie in a dish of lukewarm water for a few minutes). Whether warmed for straight out of the fridge, put the dish down and leave your dog alone with the food. If it happens again, repeat the process the next day with fresh food. We know how hard it is to see your dog hungry! But don't give in. Not only is hunger a motivator, a little fast can be very healthy. Dogs are built to manage "feast or famine" circumstances. Your baby will be OK! Once your pup fully transitions, make sure to introduce at least three proteins as soon as possible (and use the different cuts of meat within the same protein), and rotate frequently, even at every meal. With no "natural flavorings" or appetite enhancers, your dog may become bored eating the same meat over and over. It is important to keep them engaged with their food by using a variety of meats. There is also nutritional benefit to including a variety of cuts and proteins.
If your dog does not transition easily,
Experiment with texture (ground, minced, shredded, chunks);
Experiment with temperature: warming a food by putting a baggie of the new food in lukewarm water to heat it up can enhance the smell.
Experiment with smell: add your own “palatability enhancers.” To do this, simply use enticement toppers on the new food. We recommend freeze dried meat or liver treats, but include a more comprehensive list of ideas, below. But consider switching up your toppers to help create new taste experiences for your dog while introducing each protein.
Eating Enticements
Dogs with GI disorders can be picky because they don't feel well. We do not recommend fasting dogs with GI problems. And while the raw / home-cooked food often helps immeasurably - how to get them to eat it? In addition to experimenting with texture and temperature, consider enticement toppers.
An enticement topper is a smell *your* dog loves, that helps them accept that the new food IS food. Use sparingly something you know or think your dog might really enjoy:
- Crushed freeze dried meat treats (liver is often a favorite, but use it sparingly)
- Bonito flakes
- A bit of salmon oil
- Sardine (packed in water, no salt)
- Brewer's yeast
- Yogurt
- Meat or bone broth. Beef is often a favorite (no spices, onions or garlic)
- Egg yolk: raw, boiled, or powdered.
Dogs, like people, can be sensitive to temperature and texture:
- Warming the food prior to serving (place food in a baggie, and immerse that in warm water) will bring out the smell.
- Some dogs prefer "meat popsicles" and like the food frozen.
- Some prefer soft food, others prefer it chunky;
- Try using less water, so there isn't as much gravy.
If your dog persists in refusing to try the new food, continue offering it alongside the food she is eating. Sometimes it can take a few days or weeks before they decide to give it a try.