# Anyone rotate their food?



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I've never heard of rotating a dogs food before. I have found what works for my guys and don't plan on changing until it stops working. Having followed lots of food threads here I think most of us do the same. Many of us have tried multiple dog foods before we found the right fit for our dogs.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I rotate the canned food that I add to his dry, because Max seems to get bored with a flavor after a bit. We go from Eukanuba to Blue Buffalo to Nature's Recipe and back around.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

I stick within the same brand but rotate between protein sources. For example I feed Healthwise. They have a lamb and a chicken version. I alternate between those 2. 

I used to feed Nature's Variety and they have several formulas. I would rotate between all of them. 

As far as rotating between brands, I probably wouldn't do it just because your pup has a sensitive stomach. If you do decide to rotate, make sure you go SLOW, slower than you might normally do since you're dealing with the sensitive stomach.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

I had never heard of the concept of rotating foods until two years ago. There seems to be some good reasons for doing it; so I rotate between three different formulas about every three months. It works well for my two dogs. It's helpful to rotate either between all grain-free formulas or formulas with grain - not to go back and forth. 

I rotate because:
Although all kibbles are labeled "complete", they vary quite a bit in their percentages of vitamins and minerals. What one formula is low in - another formula is high in. So, by rotating it evens out over time. If you only rotate flavors of the same brand, the vitamin mix may be very similar.

I believe we artificially create unadaptable digestive systems by feeding a dog only one set of ingredients, vitamins and minerals over a lifetime. No animal on its own would seek out only one food.

If your dog food is part of a recall, or the formula changes, or the company goes out of business; you have other foods you know your dog does well on if you practice rotation.

It may help reduce the chance of allergies - especially if you're feeding a single meat source kibble.


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

Yes...we feed Taste of the Wild and rotate the flavors. We don't rotate brands....however in the past we did.

About five years ago we would rotate Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul with Canidae All Life Stages.

You need to be careful when rotating. You want to rotate to an "equivalent" quality of food. If the dogs aren't eating wheat, corn or soy because of skin/ears/coat problems....make sure the other/new food doesn't have it either. However, I wouldn't have a problem rotating between grain free and a high quality food with oats or brown rice. IF the dog isn't having problems...go ahead and use foods/treats with wheat/corn/soy. Just don't use the ones that have those items as the primary ingredients.

Our dogs get all kinds of additional foods anyway (but some cannot ever have wheat). I add human food ALL the time. We make soup/stew, etc especially for the dogs and add to the kibble. We also add canned salmon/jack mackerel/sardines (no tuna). I don't believe in the "complete and balanced" diet claims made by any company for commercially prepared kibble. 

We are careful to adjust the kibble amount when we add other things. Also, with growing pups, we're very careful about WHAT we add. Don't want to throw off the calcium/phosphorus ratio because that's where growth issues come in. Puppies don't get dairy...no yogurt, no ice cream, no milk, no cottage cheese, and very little cheese period during their growing years.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

No..............


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

gracie's dad said:


> I have seen in it recommended in a few different places that you should rotate the food (and main ingredient in the food) you feed every so often so that your dog will not develop an allergy to a certain protein. Does anyone do this? My puppy is doing well on what I am feeding her now but I do see how feeding the same thing day in and day out forever could cause issues (and be boring for the dog). I am only leery because Gracie has always had a sensitive stomach and I don't want to upset her apparently delicate balance.


I do rotate - every 3-4 months. I do rotate the protein source but I rotate mostly to balance the nutrient pack across manufacturers....I switch gradually over 5-7 days and have never had a problem. My dogs also train a lot so they're exposed to a lot of different foods - neither has a particularly sensitive stomach - to some extent I think because I've toughened them up 

Erica


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## Riccur (May 8, 2009)

Yeah, I have found that my dog likes pretty much one or two things, so I give him what he wants. I rather see him happy than anything else.


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## TonyRay (Feb 5, 2008)

Feeding the same food 7 days a week bothers us..
yes, they are dogs and can live quite well with the same old same old, but like all the Golden owners here,
Many of us treat them like humans.....

If not spoiling them food wise, then it's letting them flop anywhere they want, or talking to them like children, or making sure they have new toys regularly, etc etc...

that said, we rotate the Taste of the Wild formulas which probably is not a bad thing since we are sticking with same brand.

In the end, it more than likely makes us feel better than them which is why we do most of the things we do for our goldens.
it's like a "backatcha" for all the warm/fuzzy feelings they give us..
GOLDENS ARE TOPS.........


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## fameb (Feb 10, 2009)

When you guys rotate flavours from the same brand, do you switch slowly as well? Or do you just switch right away?

My dog is on Acana Pacifica and I wouldn't mind trying the other flavours.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

fameb said:


> When you guys rotate flavours from the same brand, do you switch slowly as well? Or do you just switch right away?
> 
> My dog is on Acana Pacifica and I wouldn't mind trying the other flavours.


I still switch slowly. Maybe not as slow, but I don't just go from flavor A to flavor B.


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## TonyRay (Feb 5, 2008)

usually after the girls have gone thru 3- 30 pound bags of Taste of the Wild pacific salmon, about 5-6 meals before the 3rd bag is used up, we start mixing it with the TOTW wetlands Cannine formula 50/50.
we repeat again after 3 bags of wetlands into the next formula..

I don't really think it would matter to our girls if we did an immediate next day switch as they would eat drywall if we fed it to them with no problems but it seems that gradual change can't hurt..
ps:
Occasionally we will switch back to Canidae Platinum and stringbeans for a while if they start to put on weight as it is only 330 calories..
TOTW formula's are only 375 calories per cup and grain free..
this is the main reason we feed it to them..


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## GR_Princess (May 12, 2009)

Most people rotate proteins, the theory is if you keep the dog on the same protien for a long period of time 2+ years they might develop allegeries to it. 

A lot of people switch proteins with the same manufacturers, because the rest of the ingredients are pretty much the same just the protein is switch (Merrick, Fromm, etc) If you look at the ingredients you will see they are excately the same, except the proteins are switched. This makes it easier to switch without causing poop issues.

But you need to be careful and read the ingredients some brands might have an oddball in there with a different ingredients.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

GR_Princess said:


> A lot of people switch proteins with the same manufacturers, because the rest of the ingredients are pretty much the same just the protein is switch (Merrick, Fromm, etc) If you look at the ingredients you will see they are excately the same, except the proteins are switched. This makes it easier to switch without causing poop issues.
> 
> But you need to be careful and read the ingredients some brands might have an oddball in there with a different ingredients.


Just wanted to throw out an example of a food company that has different formulas and each formula is quite different. Nature's Variety carries several different formulas (5) and each formula not only contains a different protein, but also a different grain.


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

Bock said:


> Just wanted to throw out an example of a food company that has different formulas and each formula is quite different. Nature's Variety carries several different formulas (5) and each formula not only contains a different protein, but also a different grain.


But all of their formulas contain the same nutrient pack - it's the nutrient packs that should balance out over time - if you want to rotate proteins that's even better but rotating within Innova or Nature's Variety (as examples) won't balance the net effect of the nutrient pack.
Erica


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

I switch between both brands and protein sources. I never do a gradual switch, but I do use the same rotation of foods. If I add a different food, (one they have never had), then I do make the switch over a period of a few meals.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

MurphyTeller said:


> But all of their formulas contain the same nutrient pack - it's the nutrient packs that should balance out over time - if you want to rotate proteins that's even better but rotating within Innova or Nature's Variety (as examples) won't balance the net effect of the nutrient pack.
> Erica


I'll take your word for it. I was only speaking of only ingredients and not about nutrients. Sorry for the confusion.


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## Ruby'smom (Feb 4, 2008)

we feed Ruby Skinners duck and rice and have tried the ruff and ready which is like a muslie type food (she isnt keen ) and now we are trying the salmon and rice 
same food but as you all say diferent protein 
we add 1/2 a tin of food sometimes or food scraps just to make a change as I am sure I wouldnt like to eat the same food every day


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