Poll of the night! Do you rotate?

[Prin]

Do you rotate foods? Do you switch dog foods often?

I can't because there just aren't enough foods that my dogs can eat and it takes them sooo long to adjust to each new food, but I was wondering how many out there do it...

(poll comin')

[TeriM]

Yes, I rotate each bag. This is the main reason I settled on TO because I can rotate between protein sources. I firmly believe that providing a variety is good for prevention of severe allergies and also helps to give better nutrition as our dogs needs change on an ongoing basis.

[Goldens4Ever]

Good poll!

Our two will be rotated to different protein sources every 6 months or so. Because they are both fairly limited with proteins, we will bounce back & forth between formulas that we know they do well with. Aspen is slightly more versatile than Goldie.

[Scott_B]

Raw and changes daily

[Hunter's_owner]

I don't rotate. Hunter is very intolerant to a few things, which we found out when we tried to rotate, and because of the bad results, we will just stick with what we know he can handle. Cassie also does well with the same food, so we leave hers as well.

[jessi76]

I keep the base kibble the same, and change what I add to it. sometimes I add Merrick or Wellness canned, sometimes eggs, sometimes yogurt, sometimes chicken, sometimes tuna, or salmon, etc...

[SuperWanda]

No - I don't. When I find something that works for both dogs (one with allergies, one with a sensitive tummy) I am usually scared to change things.

[hazelrunpack]

No, we don't. In fact, we try to limit exposure to new proteins. The incidence of IBD is on the rise...and we've already lost one dog to IBD, eosinophilic in nature. We've also known older dogs (bichons, in particular) who have developed IBD late in life. And we've been told by a number of gastrointestinal specialists and internists that in some breeds, exposure to multiple proteins seems to be a factor in developing IBD in later life.

The only non-drug maintenance for the type of IBD we've had experience with is feeding novel proteins--proteins the dog hasn't been exposed to, and therefore doesn't react to. Once you've exhausted the available proteins, the only choice that won't kill the dog is a hydrolyzed protein food...and they are remarkably unappetizing, even to a starving dog on prednisone.

So, to preserve options for feeding if IBD develops, we limit the types of proteins our dogs are exposed to now. As long as they're doing well on the food they get, we won't change it.

So far the only meat proteins they've had are beef...and now chicken. (Oh, and mouse, shrew, and purple finch ...but those the dogs managed to acquire on their own and they aren't things typically canned for dog food, anyway.) If we ever need to use venison or duck or rabbit or fish, they're all available options at this point...

So we don't rotate, and won't unless it becomes necessary...and then it would be a rotation each time the dog became sensitized to the old protein and we had to move to another...

funny how experience totally changes your feelings about stuff like this... ...we used to rotate proteins all the time...

[Prin]

hmmm.... Interesting, Hazel..

Honestly I doubt I would ever rotate just because I've never had a dog who was without either allergies or food sensitivities, so I would just be so wary all the time.

[Stacer]

I don't have a dog, so I answered based on cat food. I only switch if I find something better, if a food that I'm feeding creates problems, I switch. If it ain't broken, don't fix it!

[Scott_B]

I know people who feed raw that will only feed 2-3 different animals, that way if they develop an allergy, they can add something new. Makes sense, but at the same time, i don't want to go through life scared they "may" develop an allergy. Feed a variety, and if you run into a prople, elinination diet to figure out what it is. Then feed accordingly.

[RaYne]

I voted too sensitive or allergic. I don't switch unless I absolutely have to and even then I don't want to. LOL

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Scott_B

I know people who feed raw that will only feed 2-3 different animals, that way if they develop an allergy, they can add something new. Makes sense, but at the same time, i don't want to go through life scared they "may" develop an allergy. Feed a variety, and if you run into a prople, elinination diet to figure out what it is. Then feed accordingly.

It's not allergies, per se, that worry us--but the IBD. Once that starts, you can't eliminate and feed accordingly--because every protein that you expose them to, they become allergic to--and we're talking about the lining of the intestine sloughing off, tarry black stools, and eventually death.... :sad:

Feed a variety to a dog with IBD or one at risk of developing it, and you end up with nothing they can eat in very short order. So we're very cautious in what they're exposed to.

When we had our first case of hip dysplasia we were devastated and thought that was the worst scourge on dogdom... But frankly, since losing Evan at age 3 to IBD, HD hardly seems like a blip on the radar. At least you can treat HD effectively--IBD is a bugger to manage!

[TeriM]

Hazel, isn't IBD usually discovered at quite a young age?

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by TeriM

Hazel, isn't IBD usually discovered at quite a young age?

No, actually Evan's case was uncommon, though not unheard of. IBD usually develops with age. In a very young dog, the prognosis isn't very good.

[100%doglover]

Raw food over here!

[Lissa]

Dodger's on raw so there's plenty of variety... But when he was on kibble, I always rotated or mixed brands.

Minnow is picky so its not as easy but I do mix a better quality food with her RC (cery little !).

I think variety is necessary, whether its kibble, raw or homecooked so that's what I've always done!

[technodoll]

wow where are all these raw feeders coming from? LOL all good, all good... interesting poll, too!

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by technodoll

wow where are all these raw feeders coming from? LOL all good, all good... interesting poll, too!

They all must've seen your pictorials, TD.

[technodoll]

ha ha hazel, that would turn many a brave folk away

[angeldogs]

Raw here.

[mummummum]

I would if could but, I can't ~ rotate that is We'll stick to TO- Ocean (I hope). Unfortunatelly, even on the days when I have run out of TO and have fed them canned salmon or tuna ~ after 3 days we're into "the plops".:sad:

[clm]

I don't have a dog right now, but plan to have 2 soon .
Both of my previous dogs were keeshonds, and they're known to have sensitive stomachs. Unfortunately, my experience with the breed has proven they don't get much excercise during the warmer months either, not because we don't try to take them for walks and what not, but once the temp hits plus 10 Celcius, they don't like to go for walks anymore and lie down before you even get to the end of the driveway To add insult to injury, they were both very picky eaters, so I'm prepared for the new arrivals to be picky too. Once we found a food that they liked, we stayed with it. We had to change to lower calorie forms and geriatric forms of the foods depending on the seasons and the age of the dogs and had to introduce the new form of the food slowly or the tummy upsets would begin.

Cindy

[chocolatecoffee]

Ahhh! Too many choices...can't...choose...one!

We don't rotate kibble, but rotate between homecooked and dog food, and rotate the canned flavours we add to the kibble , but I don't think that counts.

I'm kind of entertaining the idea of rotating though, the girls are currently on Merrick, and Orijen's caught my eye and I kind of want to try it. None of them have allergies (well, Mocha's allergic to grass but as long as she doesn't walk through a field of grass-based food growing out of the ground she should be fine), so it is pretty tempting. I just want to reserve a few protein sources in case any of them develop allergies, but they've all had turkey and chicken before...

Maybe I'll see how Orijen goes .

[rainbow]

I was rotating among the TO chicken, bison and elk formulas but not any more since I switched to Innova. I did buy a bag of TO Wild and Natural to mix in with the Innova though as I'm still deciding on switching to a higher protein grain free formula.

[Mocha's mum]

I rotate...trying to find what his majesty isn't allergic to...