Transferring Buddy to his new diet

When changing from dry kibbled foods to a higher-grade kibble and supple-mented diet as those suggested earlier in the chapter, you must give your dog’s system time to get used to the new ingredients. Your dog’s intestinal tract needs about 6 to 11 days to be fully able to break down and digest a new diet.

When switching Buddy to a diet that is supplemented with raw foods, use the following transition diet. The transition diet allows time for the internal bacteria to adjust to a change in diet. (Transitioning your dog to a completely raw diet requires a different process. If you plan to feed your dog a raw diet, go to www.volhard.comfor more info about the Natural Diet and a copy of the recipe as well as tips on making a smooth transition.)

What about table scraps?

There’s nothing wrong with adding table scraps to Buddy’s food, providedthey don’t exceed 10 percent of his total diet. Many dogs love left-over salad, meat scraps, and veggies. However, you do need to avoid certain foods, particu-larly those with a high sugar count, such as chocolate (which can be poisonous) and highly salted foods. Also avoid giving raw spinach, an ingredient that is found in so many of the newer raw food diets. It contains oxyalic acid that binds calcium and some minerals from being absorbed by the body. Avoid peppers, which are part of the deadly nightshade family, and can be allergenic. Processed human foods also aren’t recommended for dogs.

Feeding a dog twice a day is the most efficient way to feed him. And always be sure to have fresh water available to him.

Here’s how to transition your dog to a supplemented dog food diet:

Day 1: Add a small amount of your new food to each of Buddy’s meals.

Day 2: Double the amount you fed on Day 1 of the new food and decrease Buddy’s old diet by the same amount.

Days 3: through 6:Gradually increase the new diet and decrease the old diet until you have changed him over completely.

If at any time Buddy has loose stools, his digestive system needs more time to adjust to his new food.

After your dog has been introduced to the new additions in his diet for a couple of weeks, it’s time to introduce bones. Once or twice a week, give your dog a bone as a special treat. They love beef (soup) bones, raw chicken necks, and the tips off chicken wings. If you’re not sure about how long these items have been in the supermarket case, douse them with boiling water to kill any bacteria before feeding. One of the benefits of feeding bones is that your dog will have beautiful, pearly white teeth.

When you give your dog a bone, leave him alone (but not unattended) dogs can get possessive about their bones. It’s a special treat, and he wants to be in a place to relax and enjoy it. His crate is the perfect place. It also contains any soggy mess associated with gnawing on his bone. Give Buddy an hour or so to enjoy his bone and then pick it up and refrigerate it and give it to him the next day. Too much marrow in the bone’s center may be a little rich for some dogs to digest all at once.

Feeding Buddy too many bones can give him constipation and hard, chalky stools. Only give your dog bones that can’t splinter.

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