# can I mix grain free with regular kibble



## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

We have done it with our cats for years and never had a problem. I also just switched from grain free to regular dog food without any problems.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

I did read somewhere, not to do this, don't remember where, mixing two different brand names.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

No dog food company will recommend mixing because they haven't done trial feeding since you're essentially creating your own blend.

You really won't have a very solid idea on how well your dog does on the mix until after several months when you can judge its coat, skin, eyes, energy level, weight, etc.

Some people say to stick with formulas in the same brand since the vitamin pre-mixes in both formulas would be the same.

If you like the Canidae All Life Stages but are concerned about the low protein you can try just adding 1/4 cup fresh cooked meat or canned 95% meat dog food or even a scrambled egg. That will boost the overall protein a little.

I don't think most dogs have a problem with mixed foods, but it can make it a little problematic for you the dog owner. Sometimes a bag of food can be a little spoiled, but if you're combining foods from 2 bags you won't know which may be a problem.

I don't think it would be a huge problem to rotate from a grain-free kibble to a grain inclusive kibble on that basis alone. I've found the bigger factors to be sticking with similar protein and fat percentages and quality of food.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

At one point I was considering mixing one dog food manufacturer's grain free with their regular kibble so I called to ask if I would be creating a nutritional imbalance and the company representative told me not to do it. The vitamin mixes in each formulation were different and I could be creating an imbalance if I fed my dog this way. I posted here about it and someone responded it may be because they don't want to be responsible for any negative side issues by doing this. I'll never know because I decided not to do it. I also asked the representative for the company about combining two different regular kibbles of the food, from the same line, and this was also discouraged. I didn't pursue it further--I didn't want to cause something that could potentially harm my dog in the long term. I've read here that some people do this for their dogs without issues, instead of doing a rotation of one type of food, then another, etc.


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## Kerplunk105 (Jul 3, 2011)

I've mixed Canidae and a grain free with no issues. I've also done 100% grain free then back to 100% Canidae. My dogs didnt have any issues..


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## kcapone (Jan 23, 2011)

thanks all


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