Canine Caviar - cold turkey switch?!?!
 

Hello all!
I was just reading some information on the Canine Caviar site, and they say they do not recommend mixing their food with your dog's current food, to transition them...they say do it all at once, but feed them 1/2 the required amount on the first day.

What are your thoughts on this? I would be inclined to transition. Why would they recommend not to?

Ok... just thought I would share. Here is the direct link:http://mycaninecaviar.com/product/wilderness-als/

I was feeding Fromm Grain Free Duck and switched to CC Open Sky (duck).
Mickey picked out the Fromm and ate the CC. But I did try to change them over slowly. Ended up being a week of mixing because I ran out of Fromm.
I feel if you compare the labels and they are very similar in ingredients and protein levels that I can change quicker than 2 weeks.
I would not change cold turkey though.

Fromm CC "Transition Do not mix with your current food. We recommend a straight changeover to Canine Caviar, feeding ½ the recommended amount for the first day."

Um... not for me unless there was a recall on the current food I was feeding.

I changed mine over to it without transitioning and they did fine.

I switched Riley over without transitioning... Did it Cold Turkey with no problems. I switched from Acana. Started with Wild Ocean for 3-months and then Open Sky for 3-months and just started the Wilderness last week.

Most quality foods you can switch over without intestinal distress, but if there is some type of allergic reaction, seeing it at 25% or 50% is a lot better than seeing it at 100%. No matter how well some other dog has done on a food, you can't be sure, yours won't have a problem. I just don't understand why they would care if you mixed it, unless they are afraid that some dogs will pick out the old food and not eat their food, but everyone seems to report that their dogs love it. A safe way of switching is 25% at each meal, next day, 50% third day 75% and by the fourth day, you’re 100 percent switched, if there has been no runny bowels, excessive tearing, or other allergic reactions.

So I am in the process of switching my 6 month old (Tonka) from Royal Canin (breeder) to Acana small breed puppy. While I totally understand that different puppies will do well or not on different foods, Tonka was itching (vet said nothing is wrong, might be the food) and I know RC leads with corn and gluten. He was also soooo bored of it! So I have been researching and came up with Acana. Not as high in protein as Orijin, but seems to have no filler, only the oats, but his GI seemed to be doing ok with the grains anyway.

What I am noticing (I am at 50/50) is that he is pooping within 20 min of eating again!! It had gotten to be like 3 hours. And it's less poop. So I am happy with that...even though it's still early.

But I am looking down the road and I really like the idea of the rotational diet. This way he won't get bored and he will get a good range of nutrients. So I am researching which other companies I can switch between. My plan is to do a bag of each...maybe 3 kinds. I think I will also wait until I switch him to an adult or all stages formula. But he is 4.2lbs, and 6 months...I am still trying to figure out when to switch him over....


I think I like the 4 day switch Nancy1999! It seems to be a good compromise. And like you said, if he is going to have issues, it would be good to see it on day 25/75 than at 100%!!!

It's so variable...depends on the dog and the dog's reaction to any one ingred. I've always done hard switches with all 3 of my dogs, and have never had a problem. But who knows, maybe there is one food that'd bother one of them. I don't think you can really go wrong either way; you're not going to hurt them by doing a slow switch.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I have always tried to make the switch how you are suppose to, but my little butt muncher will ALWAYS pick the new food out and leave the old- so I will just switch it out cold turkey status. :D He has never had any tummy upsets because of it :thumbup:

I agree!
Mickey would be fine with a cold turkey switch but Max is really sensitive. The slightest change in food (even too much bully stick) changes his stools to runny. Their stools are even different on CC. Mickey's are compact and small and Max's are bigger and not as compact. Weird. But all dogs are different.
Mickey could probably eat any good quality dog food. Not Max. He is my food problem fur-child :)

Yup, they always seem to pick out the new stuff anyways, the little turds! So, there goes any attempt at a slow switch.

I'm knocking on wood that I don't have a food problem fur-child...you guys reallllly have it tough sometimes!