Switching Kibble

Imagine eating the same thing every single day. I really love potatoes, but if I ate them every single day, I think I would most definitely get sick of them. A lot of people are under the impression that once they get a puppy, the food that it is eating should be the food it eats for the rest of its life. Pet food companies would love to have you keep your dog on their formula, your dog lives for at least 10 years – that is a lot of money spent on food! Dog owners get worried about switching their dog’s food all the time – they feel their dog will get sick and the food will not agree with their dog’s stomach. In some cases, this is true, some dogs are extremely sensitive and when you find a food that works for them, often the best idea is to stick with it. Most of the time, a dog can handle switching foods – so long as you do it properly.
Tips for switching dog foods:
Switch Gradually – Make sure you have at least half a bag of your dog’s current food, and when you  start a new formula, mix it with the old one. Start with 75% old food, and mix it with 25% of the new food, do this for the day or even several days (you be the judge by monitoring your dogs stool). Progress to 50% old and 50% new, and then 25% old and 75% new . This can be done over a period of several days, or even several weeks. Its up to the owner to judge how sensitive their dog may be to the switch. Some dogs who are used to switching foods hardly need any mixing. My lab growing up could have a different food every month and his stomach was never upset or phased by switching. My dog now, Diego, is different – if he eats a different food his stomach gets upset right away and his stool is loose for days.
Probiotics – like humans, dog’s benefit from taking probiotics for the same reasons. Diego gets probiotics all the time in his food, and if you are switching dog foods or have a dog who has loose stool, probiotics can help the dogs stomach, digestion, and are great to repopulate good bacteria after a round of antibiotics. If you are switching foods and your dog gets diarrhea, give him probiotics – you will be surprised how effective it is.
Pumpkin- pure, unsweetened, organic pumpkin (in a can) is great for dogs (and cats!) tummies. It aids with digestion, and can help with diarrhea and constipation. I always have a can on hand, and find that it helps a lot when I am introducing a new food.

You don’t have to keep your dog on the same food his whole life, but switching carefully and slowly is the best approach. If your dog has been eating chicken based food his whole life and you try switching him to a chicken, turkey, duck, and salmon formula – his stomach might get upset. There’s four protein sources and your dog is used to eating one. So make a smart switch – try simple changes, like going from chicken to lamb (which is the easiest on your dogs stomach, as far as proteins go).
It’s easier to figure out what your dog may be sensitive to if you have less ingredients in the bag. If there are 4 protein sources, you’ll never know which one your dog is sensitive to.

Here's a great article that expands on what I said on switching gradually and slowly:http://www.petsadviser.com/food/switching-dog-food-gradually/

Here is a link to the probiotics I give to Diego, I love this brand!:http://www.omegaalpha.ca/en/product/114/Probiotic_8_Plus_trade/