question about alternating foods

[Bronwen Watts]

I had recently switched Tyson over to Acana Pacifica, and after buying a few bags of it and having him love it, it has been almost impossible to find lately.  So I had to start mixing in a different flavor of the Acana (Wild Prairie) since he was close to running out of it, and so far he has liked it, which has been a huge relief since he can be picky sometimes.

 

My question is: if it turns out that this new flavor works for him, is it ok to alternate between the two flavors for each meal?  Or is it best to switch less often, and finish one bag, then alternate to another kind and stick with that flavor until that bag is finished?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Some people buy one bag and stick with that until it's gone, then switch flavors for the next bag; but that's mostly for convenience and economics. Once your dog is accustomed to eating a variety of foods, there's no problem with switching from day to day or even meal to meal. If you don't mind buying two different bags at once, and you have room to store 2 opened bags so that they stay fresh, you can switch flavors as often as you like.
I always have two different Orijen formulas, and feed one in the a.m. and the other in the p.m.

[Bronwen Watts]

Thanks Karen, I can always count on your informtative (and quick!) replies!! i figured it would be ok to switch between meals or days, but figured it would be better to check and be safe. Thank you!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thought I would begin switching between flavors in EVO, but the chicken is not without its gasssss. I think I would rather wait until there is a problem getting what I want. Why suffer through the gas if I don't have to.

[Jacque Reynolds]

I have a wonderful book, The Holistic Dog Book, Home Health Care for our Canine Companions, by Jan Allegretti and Katie Sommers (a vet we used until we moved) and they say that it is good to find 3 different brands of kibble and to switch every 3 months so that the dog gets variety, not only in flavor, but in nutrients. They also advocate home cooking...it is an excellent book. The section on feeding, alone, is worth the price of the book in my opinion. She also lists holistic treatment for a variety of things.