The 7-day switch, done right
by Ben, co-founder
Switching a dog's food isn't complicated, but rushing it is the fastest way to a rough first week. The gut's bacteria are tuned to the old menu and need a few days to catch up with the new one.
Day by day
- Days 1 and 2: a quarter new food, three quarters old.
- Days 3 and 4: half and half.
- Days 5 and 6: three quarters new.
- Day 7: fully switched.
That's the standard week-long switch vets recommend. If your dog has a properly sensitive stomach, stretch the same steps over ten days to a fortnight. Slower is never wrong.
If you're switching to a cold-pressed food
- Keep fresh water down at all times. Cold-pressed food is dense and dogs tend to drink more with it.
- Fussy starter? A splash of warm water over the bowl softens the food and wakes up the smell.
- Poos often come out smaller and firmer once fully switched. Don't be alarmed - most owners take it as a win.
What's normal in week one
A couple of soft poos or a gassy day early on is normal while the gut adjusts, and it should clear within about three days. If it happens, hold the mix where it is for a day or two before stepping up again. There's no prize for finishing the switch on schedule.
And if you're doing this as a proper food trial: from day one it's the new food and water, nothing else. No treats, no scraps, no flavoured chews. The flavoured flea chew is the big one - the full list of trial-breakers is below.
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