November 6, 2008
When to switch my bichon to adult food?
My bichon frise just a few days ago turned 1.
I've been doing a lot of research and I want to switch him to innova, since the food i have had him on is an awful brand.
i am a first time dog owner and i listened to the breeder who told me to feed him Iams. Well, he is still on Iams, but now i want to do the switch.
is one year old the correct age?
has anyone heard that innova is too much for small breeds?
any answers would be great =)
Good questions and it sounds like you have done some research. 1 yr of age is a good time to switch your dog to an adult food from a puppy food. Since your dog has been doing well on Iams, it is not wrong to keep him on Iams. Iams is not a bad food, no matter what pet food store retailers will tell you.
However, if you would like to try Innova - I would slowly transition him onto the new food over 10-14 days. Meaning - add a few kibbles of the new food into his old food on day 1. Day 2 - add a couple more. By Day 7 - he should be on 50-50 old to new food. I use the same transition even if you continue with the Iams. This way it allows the stomach and intestines to get used to the food without a sudden switch.
My only comment and concern is that you own a Bichon. Bichons are predisposed to bladder stones and urinary problems. If you are unaware please speak to your veterinarian about this. I generally recommend a urine sample for analysis every year to look for evidence of bladder problems. Bichons who have crystals in their urine are placed on veterinary diets to decrease the chance of stone formation.
It is not wrong to have your Bichon on a preventative diet.
There is a good resource here:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=662
Filed under Bichon Frise Breeders by admin
Comments on When to switch my bichon to adult food? »
instead of putting puppy food in his bowl, put adult food in it.
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Iams isn't completely awful, but it's really not the best either. And for your breed, your dog can be on an adult formula food now.
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i feed mine nutro ultra and blue small breed.
never tried innova/
switch slowly. use about a half and half mixture until you work up to all new food.
References :
Gradually introduce the adult food into his puppy food, over the course of 3-5 days.
I wouldn't worry about him being too young either, my dog was eating adult food at 6 months.
Every day you just put a bit more in than you had the day before, and eventually he will have all adult food.
Innova is an AWESOME brand. It's the only thing I'll feed my dogs. There's absolutley nothing wrong with it.
IAMS?! What was the breeder on? >.<
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You can switch your dog now. Innova also makes a good puppy food if your vet thinks he still needs it.
Here s a great site where you can compare the nutritional analysis of different dog foods:
http://www.naturapet.com/tools/comparison.asp
No, Innova is not too much for small breeds.
Good for you! Go ahead and switch.
References :
Innova does contain better ingredients than Iams. And yes, generally people switch their dogs to adult food around 1 year of age. Over the course of a week, just gradually mix more and more of the new food in with the Iams until you're feeding him only the Innova. I haven't heard of Innova having adverse effects on small dogs, but of course if he doesn't seem to do well, just switch him back. If you want to try other brands (in case that one doesn't work out), you could try Canidae or Blue Buffalo. I feed my dog Nutro and he does great on it. Of course, there are thousands of dogs that eat brands like Iams, Purina, and Eukanuba, and they all live happy healthy lives as well. Basically, if you like what's in it and your dog likes eating it, then you're doing just fine.
References :
Good questions and it sounds like you have done some research. 1 yr of age is a good time to switch your dog to an adult food from a puppy food. Since your dog has been doing well on Iams, it is not wrong to keep him on Iams. Iams is not a bad food, no matter what pet food store retailers will tell you.
However, if you would like to try Innova - I would slowly transition him onto the new food over 10-14 days. Meaning - add a few kibbles of the new food into his old food on day 1. Day 2 - add a couple more. By Day 7 - he should be on 50-50 old to new food. I use the same transition even if you continue with the Iams. This way it allows the stomach and intestines to get used to the food without a sudden switch.
My only comment and concern is that you own a Bichon. Bichons are predisposed to bladder stones and urinary problems. If you are unaware please speak to your veterinarian about this. I generally recommend a urine sample for analysis every year to look for evidence of bladder problems. Bichons who have crystals in their urine are placed on veterinary diets to decrease the chance of stone formation.
It is not wrong to have your Bichon on a preventative diet.
There is a good resource here:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=662
References :