I once adopted two Basset Hounds – Ziggy and Gushie. Gushie was very laid back, and Ziggy was nervous. Ziggy would devour his dinner as fast as he could, then throw it all up. I tried to slow him down by putting my hand on his back while he was eating. While this did slow him down, it did not stop the regurgitation. My vet said another patient had this problem and switched to Science Diet.
I thought I had been using a top brand, but I gave Science Diet a try and it worked! No more vomiting after dinner.
Time moves on as it does. Ziggy and Gushie passed, and we eventually adopted more dogs.
I started them out on Science Diet, having learned my lesson and was quite happy with it. My Brittany, Castle, is a very high energy dog. I called her my ADD dog. Someone mentioned that ADD children should avoid grain. So I thought I would try that with my dog. I researched dog foods looking for something grain free and high in nutrition. Wow! There is a lot of information available.
Now, I am not going to tell you which food to purchase. You have to make that decision. All dogs have different needs. I look for a food that has a good recall history. I once went to restock only to find my brand had been recalled. I don’t use that brand anymore. Switching brands cold can be hard on a dog’s stomach.
If you do switch food, do it gradually. My opinion is, start with 25% new food mixed with 75% old food. Gradually increase this each day until you are at 100% new food at the end of the week. Some say make the change faster and some will say make the change over a longer period of time. You will know by your dog’s reaction to the new mix if you are moving too fast.
To choose a food, we recommend Dog Food Advisor. Once there, you will find links for wet food also, and other important information. Let me know how it works out for you. I’d love to hear how things are going with your dog!
Dave Jones, our Video Editor, is president of Your Pet Space by day and a professional magician by night. He lives with his wife Joy in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but grew up on a farm with pigs, chickens and cows as well as dogs and cats in Ohio. You can e-mail Dave at dave@yourpetspace.info as well as send him a friend request on Facebook.