How to successfully change your pet's food

Veterinarian Mag.med.vet Birgit Steindl gives tips on changing your pet’s diet:

Changing a pet's diet can require a sensitive approach. While many pets tolerate a sudden change in diet, the number of animals sensitive to such a change is increasing.

These animals can suffer from severe digestive problems if their pets are abruptly switched to a different diet. This makes our work as veterinarians extremely difficult, as the sudden change in diet and the resulting digestive irritation make it difficult to determine whether a more gradual change in diet might resolve a potential allergy problem.

For this reason, experts like me always advise against abruptly changing your pet's diet. Instead, we recommend the following approach:

The old food is gradually replaced with the new food. Start with small amounts of the new food, about a quarter of the usual food. After 1-3 feedings with this mixture, replace another quarter. For particularly sensitive animals, this process of changing the food can even take up to 3 weeks.