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As more and more new findings about your diet come to the surface, many a dog owner will begin to consider changing the diet to the best available so the dog will have good health and live to a ripe old age.

However, it’s very important for any dog owner to take precautions when trying to change a diet. The following 5 steps are suggested in a manner that can be done effectively without throwing the dog off balance:

Step 1: During such times as changing owner or moving to a new location, it’s best not to change the diet so as to avoid too much unnecessary emotional strain on the dog. Once the dog becomes accustomed to the new owner or living environment, then it would be the right time to change the dog’s diet as planned.

Step 2: When it comes to changing the dogs diet, it should be done by replacing only 25% of the old food with the new. Most dogs will not be able to notice any difference if the old and the new are mixed well enough. They should eat the new mixture as well as the old diet.

Although some might not get used to the new diet initially, patience should be taken to allow for the break-in period to complete. It has taken the dog many months to get used to its old diet; therefore, for the dog to accept a new one it might sometimes take as long. As soon as the dog is eating 25% of the new mixture of diet, then it’d be safe to proceed to Step 3 as shown below.

Step 3: Mix and replace 50% of the old diet with the new this time and make a little less effort to hide the new diet from the dog as it should be more receptive to the new food presented in the new mixture now. When this is evident, proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: This time, it should be easily understood that 75% of the new food be substituted with the old one. And make an even lesser effort to hide the new food from the dog. At this stage, the dog should accept this newly mixed diet in an “as-a-matter-of-fact” manner. It should eat the dog food without any sign of hesitation when first fed.

Step 5: At this point, the dog should be accepting the newly mixed and replaced diet without any problem at all. If the dog accepted the first feeding at Step 4 easily, this final step should just be “a piece of cake.” Just like humans, dogs are uniquely different and some are bound to require more patience and attention.

Therefore, don’t become discouraged too easily when the dog is not fitting into the new diet in the beginning.

After all, changing a dog’s diet is often a time consuming process that should be done with care and understanding.

How To Switch Your Dog’s Diet courtesy Dog Articles.

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Dogs are known as man’s best friend. If you want to keep your best friend around and healthy for a long time to come you need to put him on the right diet. If your dog is on the wrong diet he may suffer from certain medical problems.

Some of these medical problems include allergies, diabetes, heart failure, kidney disease, and urinary tract infections. You can’t just feed your dog scraps from the table and expect him to be healthy. Medical research has shown us what is best for their food.

The first thing to realize is that dogs can eat certain meat and vegetable table scraps. Never give them things like chocolate, broccoli, and alcohol. These are unhealthy and dangerous for dogs.

Beyond that, dry food is better for your dog than the watery types of dog food. The main reason for this is because the wet dog foods are generally loaded with preservatives. Any food you do choose should have plenty of minerals, vitamins, carbs, and protein. In fact, carbohydrates are so important that you should be sure they make up 50% of your dog’s daily diet.

There are some dogs that have special considerations above and beyond other dogs. Diabetic dogs need more protein and less carbs, for instance. Dogs with allergies need modified protein such as Omega 3 and Omega 6. Additionally, if your dog has stones in his bladder you need to feed him a diet low in protein and make sure he is getting enough antibiotics.

If your dog is obese you should consider giving them two-thirds the amount of food you have been serving. Also, cut down meals to just three times per day. Increasing their fiber intake is a great way to aid in digestion and increase weight loss. Of course, this should be dependent on what their veterinarian recommends.

No matter what condition your dog has, it’s best to visit a trained specialist. They will be able to refer you to proper treatment guidelines. This can make the difference between making great diet decisions and poor ones.

Since you’re a concerned pet owner you want to do what is best for your pet. The trouble is that what you think is best might not be. There is no reason for your dog to suffer because all you need to do is a little research. Taking the time to investigate can save your furriest friend from feeling discomfort, pain, or dying.

A Safe Diet For Your Dog courtesy Dog Articles.

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