Feeding your dog - introducing a new food

Agria supports the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and we're proud to partner with veterinary behaviourist Sophie White who has created these useful tips on how to introduce a new food to your dog, so that they get the most out of mealtimes.

If you want to change your dogs food, diet changes should always be made slowly to reduce the risk of digestive upsets. If possible, try to get a small bag or just a few tins of your new food to check if your pet likes it as well as it suits their stomach. And remember that the approach may need to be different, depending on the dog.

A gradual change

If your dog will eat anything in their bowl, then try swapping approximately 10 % of the old food for the new on day 1, 20% on day 2 and so on.

A side order of something new

If your dog is likely to go off their meal if they find something new in it, you can try the following. Your dog may prefer having a 'side order' of new food in a bowl next to their main meal, or being given the new food as treats. Once they're eating it you can start to incorporate it into their meal as above.

New foods can cause an upset stomach

If your dog gets an upset stomach at any stage, go back to their normal diet, or a very bland diet until it resolves. If it wasn't too serious, you can try to introduce the new food again more slowly.

We would like to thank veterinary behaviourist Sophie White for providing this advice.

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About the Author

Sophie White, BVetMed MSc MRCVS, is a veterinary surgeon with over a decade of experience. She is also a Dog Behaviourist, specialising in human directed aggression, handling issues & cases with complex medical histories.