Can changing my dog’s diet suddenly cause harm?

Yes, we always recommend that you take at least a week to transition your dog's food from one food to another food. It gives the bacteria a chance to change which bacteria it needs to break it down. Sometimes the fiber content of one food is different from another. We don't want any shock to their little gastrointestinal system. So make your changes slowly and I think you'll be more successful.

You’d mostly see a lot of diarrhea, so we recommend making that food transition over at least seven days. Because if you think about it, your dog's GI microflora, those happy bacteria that live in their GI tract, generally sees the same thing day in and day out. And when we make a sudden change, those guys are like, whoa, what is going on here? And it can cause some changes in the consistency of their stool and possibly some vomiting. Dogs’ systems don't like that change, so we want to make that transition slow.

It can. Usually, you'll see intestinal upset because the microbes in their intestines don't like quick change. They need time to adapt to new food substrates and levels of carbohydrates. Gradual mixing of foods over 7 to 14 days is recommended. There are a few instances where we'll recommend going straight to other food because of health reasons.

Not cause harm so much as maybe cause some intestinal distress. Nothing that would be permanent or lasting. Some dogs have no problems when we change a diet, and with a lot of dogs, you can just feed them different foods every day, and they're going to be absolutely fine. But some dogs are going to be much more sensitive. If that's the case, and if you happen to know that's going to be the case, then we need to make an appropriate change by slowly introducing a new diet while giving a little bit less of the current food. As far as causing any lasting harm goes, changing a diet will not. But as far as the potential for intestinal distress or upset, vomiting, or diarrhea goes, yes, that's entirely possible, but we can help manage that.

It could. I have plenty of dogs that handle transition just fine. However, I have an equal amount of dogs where, if you make the slightest change to their diet, you are going to upset their GI system terribly. You're basically looking to maintain their gut biome as happily and peacefully as possible. For some pets, that means finding a diet and balance that works and sticking with it. I know as humans, we want to add that variety and share what we're eating with them, but if it's not good for your dog and/or it's not healthy or a good option for any dog, it is best just to take the higher ground and not do it.

For sure. The most common cause of a loose stool in your dog is an abrupt change in diet, so that's the first question I usually ask people when I'm presented with a patient with loose stools, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Changing a dog's diet too quickly can certainly cause some gastrointestinal upset, resulting in vomiting, diarrhea, or a decreased appetite. Therefore, whenever you change your dog's food, you should transition it slowly over a period of about five to seven days.