Dogs are creatures of habit and so are their gut bacteria. Switch a food overnight and you will often get two or three days of loose stools, which people then blame on the new food. Give the gut a week and the same food is fine. Here is the routine we suggest to everyone who tries the Taster Box.
The seven-day plan
| Days | Old food | Fern & Fetch |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | 75 % | 25 % |
| 3 and 4 | 50 % | 50 % |
| 5 and 6 | 25 % | 75 % |
| 7 | none | 100 % |
Weigh both foods rather than measuring by the cup: ours is denser, so a cup of it is more food than a cup of extruded kibble. Use the feeding guide for the target amount and split the difference during the transition.
Three things that help
- A tablespoon of plain cooked pumpkin on days three and four, if stools are soft.
- No treats or table scraps during the week, so you can read what the food is doing.
- Water, always, and a little more than usual: dried food rehydrates in the stomach.
If loose stools last beyond day ten, or your dog vomits, stop and talk to your vet. It is rare, but it can point to a sensitivity to the protein in that recipe, in which case the next one in the Taster Box is the thing to try.
