Are you looking to change your pet ‘s food or unsure where to begin? Whether you are trying a new brand or moving from home-cooked meals to packaged food, your pet may need time to adjust. Introducing the change gradually can help make the transition smoother and keep digestive discomfort at bay.
Dr Ashok Pattanaik, head of R&D at Godrej Pet Care, walked us through the essentials of changing a pet’s diet, for moving from home-cooked meals to packaged food and adjusting portion sizes. Why do you need to take care when switching your pet’s food? He explained, “Pet owners often assume switching food is as simple as swapping one bowl for another. It isn’t. So, even if your pet readily accepts the new food, it is better if you introduce it gradually. They may be willing to eat, but it does not mean that their digestive system has been fully adjusted. But why does switching from home-cooked meals to packaged food require particular care? Why can’t you switch altogether? The expert attributed this to differences in texture and moisture content. A pet accustomed to soft food may continue gulping down dry kibble rather than chewing it properly. He also added, “When the habit of gulping carries over to dry kibble, which needs to be chewed, it can lead to reflux and vomiting. A pet’s digestive system also needs time to adjust to a different overall nutrient profile between home-cooked and packaged food, which is another reason this particular switch benefits from a slower pace than an abrupt change between two packaged foods.”
Home-cooked food is usually soft and moist, but dry pet food has 10 percent less moisture.
A pet’s gut hosts a stable population of bacteria calibrated to their current diet, and abrupt changes can disrupt this balance, leading to vomiting, diarrhoea, or a sudden refusal to eat, according to feline health experts at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
