FORGET PICKY EATERS, TRY ROTATIONAL FEEDING FOR YOUR DOG
How many times have you attempted to meal prep for the week? Starting on Sunday afternoon you begin by cooking up some chicken breast, brown rice, and vegetables for the long week ahead. You pack your lunch up for each day and on Monday it tastes great, you feel healthy and pumped. Then Tuesday rolls around and lunch is not as exciting but you power through and eat it… now its Wednesday, hump day, and you have the same meal prepped lunch again but this time you dread eating it. You think I will just save this for tomorrow and just go out for lunch today…
Now think about your Dog. They are fed the same meal every morning and night, over and over again, with no variety. This is where Rotational feeding comes in. Think about how excited your pup gets whenever you sneak him or her a piece of chicken or a little bite of carrot, you are giving them some excitement and variety in their food. Why can’t they have that excitement with every meal!
Grandma Lucy's is here to provide that excitement and variety at mealtime with our core 6 recipes! As a family-owned and operated company and for 20 years we have made all of our freeze-dried food and treats in our very own kitchen in Southern California. All of our ingredients are hand-picked and we use them throughout each recipe. Since many of our healthy and wholesome ingredients are shared among our different lines of food, transitioning between them all is simple for most dogs!
What is Rotational Feeding?
Rotational feeding is the practice of switching and rotating your dog's food to offer them protein, nutritional, and textural variety. Many animal nutritionists have jumped on this growing trend. This method of feeding takes a more holistic approach to your pet's diet. Knowing how to correctly implement this practice is especially important to ensure a smooth transition between foods.
Benefits of Rotational Feeding
One of the most noticeable benefits of rotational feeding is the increased excitement many dogs begin to show for mealtime. They are excited for the new smells, tastes, and textures. Some pets can become finicky and uninterested in their food once they grow tired of their normal routine.
Introducing new flavors and proteins to your dog's diet can help them build a stronger digestive system that can easily break down many different forms of proteins. Renowned pet healthcare expert and advocate of rotational feeding, Dr. Jean Dodds, states that single formula diets can cause an inferior digestive system. If you aren't offering your pet variety, when they come in contact with "foreign" foods, they can react with upset stomachs, bloating, and/or gas. New foods can be hard for your pet's natural gut flora to break down and a healthy digestive system is key to a healthy pet.
Another strong argument in support of Rotational feeding is the decreased likelihood of your pet developing a food intolerance. Feeding the same protein for extended periods of time can promote food sensitivities, which can lead to a plethora of problems including itchy, dry skin, or upset stomachs. Many pet experts argue that the reason why there are so many sensitivities to poultry are because early adaptations of dog food used this protein heavily. Feeding your dog a variety of proteins helps them steer away from food sensitivities that can be caused from eating the same protein for years. Grandma Lucy's recipes provide your dog with a variety of protein options including chicken, pork, beef, salmon, and pollock.
How to Begin Rotational Feeding
How to incorporate Rotational feeding in your dog's routine. If your pup is new to variety in their meal routine, it is important to introduce a new food with a transitional period. This period allows your dog to grow accustomed to new ingredients at a slow pace to help minimize upset tummies. To minimize this the transition period, you can feed your pup a food that has similar base ingredients. Grandma Lucy's recommend our Core 6 recipes to begin rotational feeding. These recipes contain similar base ingredients making them easier to transition between.
Grandma Lucy’s core 6 foods recipes is the perfect place to start rotational feeding. Our core 6 recipes include Artisan Chicken, Artisan Pork, Pureformance Fish, Pureformance Chicken, Macanna Beef, and Macanna Salmon.
Each of our recommend foods has similar ingredients with just a few small changes. The primary change among them is the protein. It is beneficial to change the protein your dog is eating to prevent food sensitivities. With these options your dog will receive a variety of proteins such as chicken, beef, pork, and fish.
How Often You Should Rotate
How often you rotate your dog's diet is up to you! One way of rotating your dog's food is to introduce a new food towards the end of your current bag of food. This will allow you to mix in some of the new food with their previous food to help them transition seamlessly. If your dog has an iron stomach, there have been some pet parents who switch up their dog's food every meal or bi-monthly. If your dog has some health concerns or is taking medication that might impede with rotational feeding, it is best to consult with your vet if you want to introduce this style of diet.
Transition Period
When first introducing Rotational feeding to your dog, it is recommended that you begin with a longer transition period. We recommend about 9 days for the full transition process. For the first 3 days mix 1/4 of the new food with 3/4 of the previous food. For the next 3 days increase the amount of new food to ½ with ½ of the old food. For the last three days increase the amount of new food you are feeding to ¾ with only ¼ of the previous food. Let your dog eat that for the last 3 days and then you may begin feeding full servings of the new food. Once your pet becomes used to the routine of rotational feeding you may be able to speed this process up.
If your pup does experience any upset tummies or diarrhea during this process Grandma Lucy's Simple Replacements are the perfect solution. Simple replacements were created as a meal replacement when your pet is not feeling their best. Whether that be from an upset stomach, diarrhea, or when the vet recommends a bland diet. They are made with very few ingredients meant to sooth an upset tummy with different protein options of chicken, salmon or pork. To prepare you "simply" add boiling water and in minutes you have an easy, bland meal ready for your pet!
Simple Replacements are a great option to keep around just in case your dog does have an upset stomach during the process of rotational feeding. Just add in a few simple replacements to help settle your dog's tummy before returning to their regular diet. Simple replacements can also be used as a reset between one food and another. One method to use Simple Replacements during the transition period is to stop feeding your dog's previous food and feed simple replacements for a few meals with some new food mixed in before fully transitioning to the new food.
Rotational feeding can provide your pup with excitement at mealtime, increased vitamins and nutrients, and help to promote a healthier digestive tract. It also helps prevent food sensitivities and is great for picky eaters. It is not easier than ever to begin Rotational feeding for your pup with Grandma Lucy’s core 6!
