Diet Transition

Making the transition from heat processed foods to a fresh food diet can be accomplished in several ways. How you decide to transfer your dog will depend on age, health status and your pet's appetite.

Gradual Transition Integrating a new diet can be done slowly over a period of several days to several weeks depending on how well your dog accepts changes in his diet. Begin by adding a small amount of Carnivora to the current diet. Each day decrease the previous diet and increase  Whole Animal patties. Progress as fast as your dog demonstrates acceptance. Watch for digestive or stool irregularities. If your dog rejects the previous diet and is accepting the Carnivora without any problems, then discontinue the old diet. However, if your dog refuses his new diet, then you will want to be certain the diet is fed at room temperature. You can also lightly cook Carnivora to encourage appetite. Gradually add small raw portions of the Carnivora Whole Animal patties while decreasing the cooked portion with each consecutive meal until your dog is accepting his new diet totally raw.

Quick Transition This transition is simple and appropriate for most young and/or healthy dogs that have a history of easily accepting diet changes. You can approach this diet change by eliminating the previous diet completely and begin feeding Carnivora for the first meal of the day. This allows for a 12 hour fast prior to making the switch.

Special Considerations
If you have a pet that has digestive sensitivities, is on medication such as steroids, has a compromised immune system or is a senior, it may need to undergo a gradual transition to a raw diet. The transition may take several weeks to several months depending on the health status of the individual. If necessary, you can begin by cooking the Carnivora Whole Animal patties. Gradually add small, raw portions of the Carnivora patties while decreasing the cooked portion with each consecutive meal until your pet is accepting its new diet totally raw.

Additional Tips

When introducing new foods or supplements to your pet's diet, do not overfeed and divide the daily amount into several smaller meals. Excessive amounts of either may result in rejection of the food or cause gastrointestinal upset. Begin by simply introducing one of the Carnivora Whole Animal patties. Allow your pet to eat these patties for several days to ensure no digestive upsets and nice firm stools. Once these patties are accepted, you can begin to introduce other Whole Animal Patties, Carnivora plant foods, and supplements as desired.