Some Advice For Pet Owners
By CatsandDogs
@CatsandDogs (13963)
United States
July 27, 2008 9:35pm CST
It's about feeding your pets. I'm not sure how many people know this but I hear of it happening all the time and I thought I should start a discussion on it to help out. Do you feed your pet’s one brand of dog or cat food? Do you think its okay to change brands every time you buy a new bag? I hope and pray not and let me explain why. Dogs and cats get an upset tummy when their diets are changed and often throw up their food. When you find a product that your pet likes and their tummy’s tolerate, it's best to stay with that product or else your pet will have an upset tummy. However, if you want to change their diet, the best way to do it is to mix the two together and gradually add more and more of the new brand each week. That way it helps the pet's tummy to get used to the new diet without so much of a tummy ache.
As for can food, it's okay to buy different flavors as long as it's the same brand such as Pedigree or Alpo or what ever the brand is that you buy. Same goes for can cat food, it could be 9-lives or Friskies or what ever the brand is that you buy. I even did that with dry dog and cat food but stayed with the same brand but changed the flavors to give them a variety.
Hope this helps some of you!! Good luck with your fur babies!!
7 people like this
27 responses
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
28 Jul 08
I totally agree with this in principle Cats, but my lovely dog disagrees. lol She gets bored with the same brand of food all the time and stops eating. So I have to get a different brand to get her to begin eating again. We don't feed her scraps of any kind, just dog biscuits and steak bones for treats. The change in dog food never upsets her stomach either, so I guess we are lucky that way. But then she's such a lady, she may just be witholding any tummy upset because it would be bad manners not to! LOL
4 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Hi spark... been thinking about you and wondering how you are fairing these days. 
Have you thought about changing the flavor instead of the brand? I do that with both of my cats and dogs and they seem to do fine with that. I agree, fur babies can get a little tired of the same ole same ole just as we humans do so that's why I change flavors but not the brand so it won't upset their tummies. Your dog must be resilant to ever changing diets!! lol
Have you thought about changing the flavor instead of the brand? I do that with both of my cats and dogs and they seem to do fine with that. I agree, fur babies can get a little tired of the same ole same ole just as we humans do so that's why I change flavors but not the brand so it won't upset their tummies. Your dog must be resilant to ever changing diets!! lol3 people like this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
28 Jul 08
Hi sweets. I'm doing pretty good. Actually, I'm doing really good! lol I hope you're doing better too? Email me if you have time. I miss talking to you, but I know you have your hands full these days.
As for changing the flavour - how would I do that? I have limited places to shop for dog food and the brands only come in 'one flavor' in terms of what's in stock.
I've thought of adding gravy to her food, but she doesn't like wet food at all - that really does upset her stomach. So I"m at a loss. The vet is so amazed at how healthy she is, so she must have a strong constitution. Personally I think it has a lot to do with trusting me completely and not getting stressed over food, so when she gets bored and I change it, she's happy instead of stressed.
3 people like this
@deem1977 (242)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I agree that many cats get an upset stomach when their food is switched suddenly, especially dry food. However, I also confess that my cats are subjected to this from time to time especially as finances fluctuate. In addition, with respect to cats, I recommend that you try to get your cats used to more than one brand and flavor of cat food. This is not only because I think they enjoy the variety, but also because cats are creatures of habit. If you feed them only one food and one flavor, then if the company ever discontinues it or even alters the ingredients, then sometimes cats will totally refuse to eat it. If they are not accustomed to eating any other food, then you can have quite a difficult transition on your hands. This can even be dangerous for cats for whom a refusal to eat quickly turns into an inability to eat. I have more experience with cats than with dogs, so I am not saying that this applies to dogs.
4 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
You've got a good point there deem however, it's always best to mix the food together so the cat can get used to the new brand. I always buy the BIG bag of cat food so if anything like the company discontinues or shuts down, I'll have plenty to mix with another brand if I ever need to.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Yeah, my former roommate had a dog and she wanted to change foods because that was the only interesting thing in her life. Fact is, she has food issues herself, I think she was projecting them on the dog. Now, this dog didn't like and would no eat "dog chow" but she did fine with the other foods, she lived to 16 and was primarially an outside dog.
I feed my cats Purina One, hairball formula. I used to feed Science Diet, but the cost, with the number of cats, became too much. My cats really like whatever we put out, and while an occasional sample of something else might end up in their bowl, they seldom get a change of food.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I myself wouldn't use a hairball formula cat food because it's high in the ash content which can crystalize over time and it's very very painful for the cat to have to deal with when it has to urinate, especially the males since their urinary tract is much longer than females. I wanted to get it myself when it first came out but I was told by my vet not to because of the ash content. (DARN IT!) I was thinking, gosh how great it would be for my cat and control over hairballs but I couldn't so I stayed with the one brand that an old timer vet had told me to get which is 9-lives. However I was told that I could mix the two together which would lighten the ash content in the one but since I had a cat who had this problem and it was so costly to get him well again, I was afraid to mix the two. My sister in law's female cat got it too and she was told the same thing. So we both buy the hairball remedy and use it when it's needed.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I would worry more, except that I've been feeding it to them for quite a while now with no problems. I did have a cat with urinary tract problems, but he had it briefly, then, after I got it under control, switched to Science Diet and never had another problem with him. Wish I had a picture to post of The Doctor.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Hi Cats...
I have two dogs and I feed them only dry food...Pedigree always..I have found that if you change the food then they have diarrhea as well...Mine are happy eating Pedigree and I won't buy anything else...
3 people like this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
28 Jul 08
No, I prefer to just feed the dry..My Akita is going to be 5 years old and he has no tartar on his teeth...and my Boxer is going to be 4 years old and she doesn't have tartar either....so I must be doing something right....
Thanks for the suggestion...
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Dry dog food is very good for their teeth for it cleaning them. Can dog food doesn't for it's moist and sticks to their teeth however when mixed together it's not so bad and the dogs love it. Have you considered doing that?
2 people like this
@Linda4ualways (2282)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Yes you did help me out and I would like to thank you. I have two kittens who's names are Louie and Johnnie and a dog named Oreo.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Awwww they sound so cute!! Can you believe that I have 9 cats and 3 dogs? lol Yup I sure do! Their names are Chopper, Daisy, Rascal, Gracie, Bobo, Music, BB (big boy), Sassy and Sammy.... the dogs names are Peanut, Missy and Lady.
Anyway, I'm so glad to be of help to you!! Good luck with your bunches of love!!
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Yup! You're doing the right thing alright!! And you're very welcome for the advice and I'm so glad to be of help!! Just remember if you need to change their diets, mix the new with the old so they can get used to the new brand easier. Don't use anything that has hairball control because it's too high in ash which crystalizes and affects their urinary tract in an awful way. It's best to use the product that's made for that on an as needed basis. Good luck!
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 08
Hi Cat I am glad that you have started this as I have known some People that used to always change their Pets food, I used to tell them it is not good but well they would not listen, then wonder why their Pet was sick
I would never be able to change Gissi Food as there is only one brand he likes and he prefers it in Chicken lol, he will eat a different taste but not as keen as he does the Chicken
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
28 Jul 08
Hi Bob M is ok she is sick but she is ok, she can't see properly so she is not on the Computer much, the last Mail I got from her was a few weeks back which I think her Daughter wrote for her
I am still recovering from the Op keep having set backs but doing ok
Hugs
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160642)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I have heard this before, and generally that is what I do, if I have to buy a different brand than we are used to, I mix it in. Once in awhile I find a brand that they just do not tolerate. One thing that I do here is go to an Indoor formula in the winter of their regular food, because in the winter they do become indoor critters.
3 people like this
@applefreak (3130)
• Singapore
28 Jul 08
yes that is very important information. i try to use the same brand as i prefer pet food with human-grade ingredients. however, sometimes stock runs out and i have to take another brand. so i make it a point to go pet food shopping way before the food is finishing. if i can't get back the same brand, at least i can mix the new food with the old food and slowly introduce them. cheers ;p
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
You have it down packed! lol That's good that you mix the two together so your fur baby won't get sick. You're a good kitty momma!!
@luvstochat (6907)
• United States
28 Jul 08
That does make sense. I have been feeding my kitties Purina Kitten Chow hard food no problem and was feeding them Friskies soft food no problem but the the soft food went up in price so I switched brands and one of my kitties started throwing up after eating each each night. I will go back to the Friskies since I know she can tolerate it.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I wish there was a law that made these companies stick to the same ingrediants so our fur babies won't get sick or even something close to being the same. It's sad that they can't tell us how they're feeling except when they lie down and not want to play. Heck, even older pets don't want to do much so how do they explain how they feel? I applaud you for going back to the orginal eating habits for your little furries!!
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180530)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I will generally buy the same brands if they are available. My dog has digestive problems but I think that is becasue he is always getting into the cat food or people food. He wont just stick with his own. Cat seems to tolerate different brands but I try to stick with the same ones as much as possible.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Sometimes you have to show your dog who's boss and put them in another room so they won't see you eating. We had to do that with our cocker spaniels when they were with us because one had a severe skin problem in which she was alergic to almost anything and had to be on a special diet. So if she couldn't have it then none of them could because it wasn't fair to her if the others had what she couldn't have. She became more and more healthy because of those restrictions. Good luck with your fur baby!
2 people like this
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
28 Jul 08
i havent changed my cat's food since i adopted him...he seems to be used to what he already eats...his routine can and dry food.
i used to change the food of my late cat because she would get tired of it for some reason and would not be interested in eating what she was presently eating. so, as my late cat got older, i switched from can food and tender vittles to IAMs, eukanuba, and science diets, as well as purina...i only gave her dry food in her old age. she seemed to like it better. so, in the past, i changed my late cat's food in response to my cat's needs as long as she was happy with what she was eating...
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
That's good that you haven't changed his food for it's much better for him that he stays with one brand. It's okay to change flavors as long as it's the same brand. It's ok to change brands as long as the old brand and the new brand are mixed together so his tummy gets used to the new one. Good luck!
@Remembering1996 (2219)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I'm glad I came across this discussion for I was haveing this problem at the beginning of las week. I useally give my cat the Whiskas dry cat food and he seemed to do really well with it. He had run out of that kind I was giveing hima nd just ended up buying the store brand this time and after about a day after he ate it he got sick all over my oriental wolf rug in my living room. I cleaned it up and didn't give him anything until the following day and he was ok when I gave it to him. I didn't realize that changeing the cat food could make such a big difference and make them sick like this. The vauled information was very much appreciated and I will remember this for next time.
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Oh you're so very welcome!! I'm so glad I could be of help!! Yes that is the reason he got sick. Unfortunetly our fur babies can't communicate to us to let us know what they're feeling. It's a cruel side of mother nature but we as humans have to figure out what they're trying to tell us. Good luck in the future!
1 person likes this
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I have heard this before that you shouldn't change brands. I do try to stay with the same brand for the most part, but I have changed brands now and then. There was one brand that my cat would not eat, so I never bought it again. I do like to give her a variety of flavors of the canned food. I think that I would not like to eat the same thing all the time, so she gets different flavors. I do have several brands of canned food that I buy, but since she is used to eating them it seems to be fine. She is not crazy about tuna which I think is strange for a cat, but oh well. AS long as she stays healthy I will stay with what I am doing since it seems to be working. Thanks for info!
3 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Changing flavors isn't a bad thing, it's the changing brands that's bad. You're doing just fine doing what you're doing so no I wouldn't change it either. As long as your cat enjoys what they're eating and not getting sick then I see no problem in doing that. Good luck!
2 people like this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
29 Jul 08
Our Morgana does eat dry food and she gets different brands off and on. Some months she'll get Friskies, Purina, Special Kitty, you name it. I haven't had any problems with her getting sick off any of it and she seems to like it all so maybe I'm just lucky.
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
30 Jul 08
Wow. You're one of the few lucky ones! lol Either that or your kitty is one tough cat!! Well, like the saying goes, if it isn't broke then don't fix it. lol
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Mmmm..I sometimes don't have a choice and do switch dry cat food brands, depending on my finances but I usually only get dry food they are already familiar with..like Purina One, or Purina Naturals, maybe even Science Diet..these they've had before so it's not like I'm pouncing a completely new brand on my two kitties...one thing I won't get are the real cheap brands...first, they just plain don't like them. I've never had bad experiences about changing brands though with dry food..no tummy aches, vomiting or loose stools...but maybe as I said, I get the better (and more expensive) brands.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Yup--I do know about the ash content and the lower the better...One of the worse moist cat foods to get is any tuna flavored one..that is usually the highest in ash content..thank goodness my kitties don't care for it...
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Mine don't like the tuna either which is just fine by me!! LOL Now I'm confused but regardless, I'm not changing because what works doesn't need fixing, right? lol Check this site out, it contradicts what we believe and have been told! I've read it and am at a "Say WHAT?" (shaking my head)
http://cat-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/ash_content_in_cat_food
1 person likes this
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
28 Jul 08
Hi CatsandDogs, Thank you for this and I'm sure a lot of other pet owners will be pleased as well. I have been buying the Friskies brand of can cat food, and don't usually change, although I buy different flavors. I buy three different kinds of the dry food, and they can eat it at any time. The can food, I only give them in the morning. Do you think this is a good idea? Blessings.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
30 Jul 08
Hi Pose... sorry it took me so long to respond back to you. Been busy with my parents and cleaning their house for them. Mom comes home from rehabilitation center on Thursday and she'll be coming home to a very clean house. lol
Now about the hairball control cat food, I wouldn't buy it UNLESS I mixed it in with the other cat food because you never know how much any of your cats are eating from it. It's very high in ash which is not good for your cats. It's not if but when they get the urinary tract problem, they'll use the bathroom outside the litter box because they associate the box as their source of pain and go elsewhere and it's very costly at the vets. The most important thing to know is it's very painful for the kitties urinary tract so no I wouldn't use it OR I'd mix it in with another brand to be sure that they don't get too much of it.
Hope this helps!
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
You're very welcome!! It comes from experience, trial and error as well as veterinarian advice that I come to know these things and try to help others however, not everyone will learn from me but mistakes that they make themselves. Unfortunetly it's the cat(s) who are the ones who suffer.
Now to answer your question about the can cat food, you're doing just fine with that. I wouldn't change that at all. Now about the dry, are you giving three types of dry at one time in three different bowls? Or do you mix them all together? Either way is fine and good for them but if you give one bag at a time, that's not good because it does upset their tummies. Now if you mix it together then it should be fine however, please don't use the indoor or hairball control because it's high in ash which is really bad for their urinary tract. The ash crystalizes and causes a great deal of pain for the cat and is costly at the veterinarian office but it's the only way to cure it. Blessings to you too!
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
29 Jul 08
We feed our dogs the same brand everytime, now we will change the protein amount from summer to winter, but its still the same brand, just the ingredients are a little different, it doesn't seem to bother them any.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
29 Jul 08
That's good that you stay with the same brand but I've got to ask, what do you mean change the protein from season to season? That's a new one for me. I love to learn new things especially when it comes to our fur babies.
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
30 Jul 08
Thanks for elaborating on that!! I found that very interesting. Like my mom says, "my day wasn't a total loss for I learned something new" Very interesting indeed! Thanks!!
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
29 Jul 08
Our dogs are hunting dogs, they get less hunted in the summer, so we reduce the protein content in their food, because in the summer if they don't get alot of exercise they get fat, so they don't need alot of protein. In the winter, we give them more protein, thats when they hunt alot, they are more active, so if we give them more protein, they will stay at a healthy weight and won't get too skinny, because our dogs will hunt and hunt, they don't hardly stop, and they will run their weight off fast, so we need to feed them food that has more protein in it. If that makes sense..like I said we use the same brand of food, but one has more protein and one doesn't.
1 person likes this
@steeltownfan5828 (252)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Actually, we've changed brands multiples times and had nothing happen...so...yeah, it's a myth.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
No, it is NOT a myth. Just because your pet hasn't thrown up doesn't mean it doesn't get an upset tummy. It does. It just can't tell you.
2 people like this
@shewolf52002 (1214)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Actually I think it has a lot to do with breed. I have never had a problem changing my dogs diet. Then we purchased a pair of mini-pins. We had them two days and they were so sick I was thinking we had been had. Then our vet said to find out what kind of food they had been fed at the pet store. We went back to it and problem was solved! I have had pets all my life and this was never an issue, but the small pure breds are an eye opener.
4 people like this
@steeltownfan5828 (252)
• United States
28 Jul 08
OK. You guys go be PETA people, I'll keep being normal and reacting to what my dogs actually do rather than this garbage off the internet.
@tucks_000105 (105)
• Philippines
28 Jul 08
i have a puppy named "baby" because she's cute and very loving puppy...
i love her so much....
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Awwww that's sweet tucks! However, this isn't what this discussion is about. It's about not changing your dogs diet or you will cause it to have an upset tummy. Pick a brand of dog food and if your dog likes it, stay with it for the rest of it's life so it doesn't get an upset tummy. If you do change it's diet, do it slowly by mixing the two together and gradually put more and more of the new diet in week to week so your puppy won't get an upset tummy. Good luck!
