Enhance Your Pet’s Diet with Rotational Feeding

Varying your pet’s diet – also known as “rotational feeding” – not only keeps your pet from becoming bored with his food but also may have significant health benefits. Believe it or not, many processed foods like kibble or canned foods may not actually be 100% complete and balanced – even if the packaging says it is.

The truth is that many companies don’t complete 3rd party analysis on their finished products to ensure proper nutrient levels. Therefore, feeding the same food all the time can cause nutritional deficiencies. By implementing “rotational feeding” it may reduce the risk of these deficiencies and prevent your pet from becoming bored with their food.

Enhancing Digestive Health with Varied Proteins

Some evidence suggests that changing up your pet’s food can also help prevent food allergies that can develop over time from feeding the same diet.  Varying proteins and even brands can also help with digestive issues because this helps to diversify and enhance the function and colonization of healthy gut bacteria, which are known as the microbiome.

Practical Tips for Implementing Rotational Feeding

If feeding kibble, rotational Feeding is best done monthly. You can still add in about 10% of their calories from fresh meat (cooked or raw), goat’s milk, fresh and cooked vegetables, and fruit! Antioxidants from fresh fruit and vegetables can also provide additional nutrients and antioxidants.

If feeding canned, freeze-dried, or raw, rotation of proteins and varieties within the same brand can be done daily, weekly, or monthly. When switching brands – the frequency really depends on how well your pet handles the variety – once acclimated to any one of these types of foods most pets can handle frequent variety well.

When switching foods, or trying a new food for the first time spend a few days transitioning between foods by replacing the old food with the new in gradually larger proportions. This gives your pet’s digestive system time to adjust.

In essence, embracing the practice of rotational feeding can have a profound impact on your pet’s health and happiness. By varying your pet’s diet, you may not only help to prevent nutritional deficiencies but also alleviate the risk of food allergies and promote a healthy digestive system. With careful consideration and gradual transitions, you can introduce new foods and flavors to keep your pet engaged and satisfied.

*This article is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to provide medical advice or replace the advice of a qualified veterinarian.