Switch cold turkey? Kirkland to ???

[Deanna M.]

When we got Sulley we began feeding him Kirkland brand dog food after researching it online and having a co-worker, whose opinion I respect, recommend it.  Sulley, and now Molly, have been doing very well on it and I have been quite happy.  In the last few days I have seen several posts come up, in various Facebook groups I am in, about dogs getting sick on it and now, having searched it on this site, I am switching.

Should I do this cold turkey?  I know it is suggested to switch gradually but if feeding it could make them ill then I want them off it as quickly as possible.  They both have cast iron stomachs considering what they have eaten counter surfing and have not gotten sick from.

I think I am going to go with Fromm Adult Classic, it seems to be the most bang for my buck for the prices around here.  I will have to cut back on their daycare time to make it work budget wise.

Thanks for your help.

[Deanna M.]

Update, switched Sulley to the Fromm today and all seems a-ok!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sounds good. Be sure not to introduce any other new treats or foods until he's been on the Fromm for at least a week or so.

[SoSa]

Oh my gosh, this discussion has been so interesting!!!! I'm already OCD, but with twins and a husband, over the last 13 years, I've reluctantly relaxed a little. In preparation for bringing our puppy home, I've been becoming more stern with cleaning and picking up around the house. I am soooo nervous!!!! This post thread is exactly why. I am so happy he threw that sock up! My breeder is feeding Nature's Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato from Kirkland. I too, after seeing groups trying to get the food recalled after some serious complications, want to switch. I am now researching this group to find a reputable food to switch to. He'll be 8 weeks when he comes home. :-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You have some time, you'll need to keep him on the breeder food for at least 2 weeks.

Here's why:

 

It's critical that you not change anything about his diet for at least two weeks after he comes home. That means you keep him on the food and treats the breeder is feeding, even if they aren't so great.

Do not introduce any new treats or chews either. Keep his diet exactly the same as it was at the breeder's. 

Many, many doodle puppies come home with giardia and other parasites. Giardia has a 10-14 day incubation period, so it won;t show up in a fecal test right away. The excitement and stress of leaving the mother, the litter, and the only home the puppy has ever known can contribute to tummy troubles, too. And an 8 week old puppy has only been eating solid food of any kind for about 4 weeks, so the digestive system is very immature.

We have even had members whose brand new puppies had serious health issues resulting in digestive symptoms.

If you change the food before the dog has had a chance to settle in, and before any parasite issues have time to show up in a fecal test, and the dog has diarrhea, you will not know if it's caused by the food change, stress, parasites, or a digestive illness, and the breeder will blame it on the food change. Thus begins a journey of frustration trying to figure it out and an endless round of food changes. You also don't want to do anything to upset that delicate digestive system, as diarrhea can cause a young puppy to dehydrate very quickly, and is going to make housebreaking a whole lot tougher.

So you wait. If you leave the dog's diet exactly as is, and diarrhea develops, you have just eliminated any connection to food as the cause, and saved yourself a lot of aggravation. And of course, if the puppy comes home with diarrhea that doesn't resolve in a day, you know your breeder sent you a puppy with an intestinal parasite and you can probably recoup the cost of the fecal testing and the treatment, lol. (I personally would have fecal done on any new puppy I got, along with a general once-over at the vet's office, but parasites may not show up right away.)

So wait at least two weeks. If, after two weeks, the stool is firm and regular and everything seems fine with the pup's digestion, you can start changing him over. Make only one change at a time.