Changing your dog's diet

Changing your dog's diet

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  How to change dog food

  There are a host of reasons why you may need to move your dog onto a new food. Nutritional requirements alter as dogs get older. A medical condition might require a special diet or you may acquire a new pet and want to move from their previous diet to a new one.

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  Food allergies

  True food allergies can occur at any age but are usually diagnosed in younger dogs. Diagnosis is very difficult, involves diet trials (see below) and there is no specific test available, with results of tests such as blood tests unreliable. The signs of an allergy are not specific and may indicate another problem. Always consult your vet without delay if you observe these signs.

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  Special diets

  Over the past 20 years huge progress has been made in the development of highly specialised pet food formulas. These range from weight loss and sensitive digestion recipes, to diets designed specifically to help manage conditions such as diabetes, urinary or skin problems. Some formulations work to support treatment over a limited period of time, but others can help your pet for life.

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  Loss of appetite

  Dogs have a reputation for eating anything and everything, but some can actually be quite fussy. The first thing is to consult your vet, as going off his or her food can be the first signs of illness. However, if illness has been excluded, don't start to teach bad habits. Even if you find it hard to resist those big, begging eyes, fussy eating is a problem that needs to be addressed - for the good of you both.

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