Changing flavors of food every bag

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

We are feeding Yeti wellness simple. We started out with the salmon and potato however I think he was getting pretty burnt out on it. We switched it up to the lamb and oatmeal and he is gobbling it down in minutes. I know he just likes it right now because it's new. He will probably go back to his old ways in a week or two and that's okay (we're used to having to sit with him for 10 minutes encouraging him to eat). My question is, is it okay to switch flavors with every bag we buy? We usually order the big bag (26 pounds?) off chewy and it takes him around a month and a half - two months to finish it (depending on if he eats his whole cup at each meal or not). I was hoping that switching flavors might help keep him interested in his food longer.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's okay I found it, see comment below. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Also, it's usually not a good idea to take advice from sales reps. It is simply not true that "the premium stuff is only if you have special dietary needs or "finicky" eaters." :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think what you're calling a "mix in" is just the Core line's air dried food. http://brands.wellnesspetfood.com/core/dogs#air-dried

That's a complete dog food.  And it won;t work for Haley's Yeti, even as a topper, he has digestive issues and needs an LID formula with a certain nutritional profile and a much lower fat content. 

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

Gotcha...I'll take your word for it since that level of nutrition for dogs is above my pay grade ! LOL

Yes, "mix in" to me was just the softer treat-like Core product.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I WISH my 26 pound bags would last even close to 5 weeks, Karen.  :-}  As an aside, we switched from Orijen to Acana in an attempt to save a bit of money, but found that unless I order it on-line, I am paying the same price!  Yikes!  I guess I either need to break down and order on-line or go back to Orijen which Ned loves.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL, your 26 lb bags are feeding 3 dogs, mine was only feeding one. 

I vote for going back to Orijen; Ned deserves his favorite!

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I was going to switch from Orijen to Acana to save some money on my 2. But, the calorie difference would mean feeding more of the Acana... so the 10$/ bag difference on Chewy would probably even out in the long run. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Oddly, the portion amounts are exactly the same for Clancy and Ned and slightly more for Charlie.  When Orijen moved  some of their production to Kentucky, there was a price rise and a one pound decrease in bag size.  I thought I'd still save some money, but apparently my local pet stores decided that any Champion pet foods from Canada should go for the same prices.  I can save if I order from Chewy but I really prefer to purchase locally. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Karen i took your advice and ordered a 10 pound bag! I didn't even think about its freshness not lasting long enough even if we did keep it in a very good sealed container. I'm excited to see if changing up his flavors month to month will keep him interested long term! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Please keep us posted. :) 

[Frank & TeddyToyDoodle]

To moisten foods or a change-of-pace, you can always add Pumpkin Supplements (sold in cans and good for 1 week or so)....and also the Nummy Tum-Tum's flavorings...both are sold in pet stores, or at least Petco.  I've been told freezing stuff after it's useful refrigerator life also prolongs usage.

There are probably tons more stuff that you can add to dry dog food that the vets here know about.  I've only been on this for 6 months ! LOL

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's no reason to pay those kinds of prices for canned pumpkin and sweet potatoes, lol. You can buy canned pumpkin at any grocery store for less money, and sweet potatoes for a fraction of what the Nummy Tum Tum costs. It takes 7 minutes to bake a large sweet potato in the microwave, and you can peel it with your fingers once it cools, and mash it with a fork. No pots to wash. I do it every week, and store it in a plastic container in the fridge.

However, pumpkin and sweet potato are typically added to a dog's diet for the fiber content; I wouldn't use them just for moistening food or for a change of pace. Plain unflavored nonfat yogurt is a better choice if you just want something wet, and the options for adding people food to the dog's bowl are endless. However, I don;t recommend doing that if you don't want to do it forever, because the dog is going to come to expect it, and that's just going to ensure that he never eats his food, lol.