Changing pup's food?

Question

when is it safe to change for Eukanuba puppy food to Iamms puppy food? Just because ithey are made by the same company and i can buy the iaams at the grocery store rather than travel to the pet store out of town for the other food? Also does anyone know if there is a difference between those 2 brands?

Answer 1

Neither of them are good food if you read their ingredients they both have Corn. Corn is bad for dogs. You want to put your puppy on something like Natures Recipe which is an all natural dog food. Its not only healthy but it cuts down on shedding, stool and bad breath.

To switch your puppy over you want 75% of the old food and 25% of the new food for one week. Then 50% of the old and 50% of the new for another week. Then 25% old and 75% new for another week. Then you can do the new food.

Also you should really be worried about your puppies health not how far you have to go to get the food.

Answer 2

You could switch anytime between 9 months and a year. Neither Iams nor Eukanuba are good brands...mostly filler. Natural Balance, Castor and Pollux, and Royal Canin are all very good. Nothing you can get at the grocery store will be that good, except the Castor and Pollux, which I have seen at a few grocery stores.

When you do switch, gradually wean the pup off of one. Start with 1/4 of the new with 3/4 of the old for a few days then bump it up to 1/2 and 1/2 and so on. This will prevent an upset tummy or diarrhea.

Answer 3

Iams manufactures Both "Eubanuba was a late comer to Ims .There is a different in the ingredient list. Iams puppy Has a protein content Of 26% while Eub. Has 32% Any protein content over 26% is considered to be going on the HOT side . Some dogs can take it and some do better with 26% or below Particular the large breed dogs. The fat content for a growing puppy should be between 16 and18% In this case Iams puppy should work well for your puppy.Both brands have a large breed formula .Since i live one mile away, i am very familuar with the Co.They are very helpful in answering any question that you may have concerning feeding your pets you can even speak to their Vet upon request..When changing , do it over a period of 7 to 10 days.

Answer 4

Neither of those are very good brands. A general rule of thumb with dog or cat food, is if you can buy it at the grocery store, you probably shouldnt feed it to your animal. The lower quality foods are like eating mcdonalds or burger king everyday. They are full of fillers and assorted nondigestable ingredients. It would be worth it for your pups heath and digestive tract to make the drive to the petstore. Nutro is a great brand of food. They have an all natural formula for their foods. All natural means higher digestability, which in turn means more absorbtion of the nutrients that are in the food, which means smaller and less stinky stools. The dog will also eat smaller quantities of the food because it is more nutritious. Also they have healthier skin and coats. Check out petco.com for more info on Premium vs. Grocery store foods. I had no idea about all this until someone told me, and Im glad they did. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

If you still some of the Eukanuba puppy food left use a little bit of that with the lamms puppy food till the dog won't noticed the change. Honestly there isn't a big difference in the two but price.

Answer 6

You can change foods at any time. The proper way to do it would be to gradually switch the amount of food over a number of days (this helps the pup's digestive system adjust to the new food). Start out by using 3/4 of the old food with 1/4 of the new. Gradually decrease the old food while increasing the new over a period of about 7 days.

When changing to a different food watch for any noticable changes (appetite, water consumption, size and consistency of stools, skin and coat condition, body weight, energy level, mood, itchiness).
If any of these changes occur you might need to try a different food.
If the changes are persistent then the pup needs to visit the pet doctor.

Despite the popularity of both Eukanuba and Iams, they are both low-quality foods. I understand you're going for convenience here, but your dog will suffer in the long run and that, in turn, may wind up costing you more as well.

Poor foods providing poor nutrition will only result in poor health. Of course most vets would love for you to feed your dog these foods. They are in business to make money.
And anyone who owns a pet knows that visits to the vet are not cheap. A healthy diet and lifestyle will help to minimize the need to make unnecessary, and obviously avoidable, trips to the doctors office.

In looking over the ingredients list for both brands, it appears that the Eukanuba puppy formulas are the lesser of the two evils. This choice is based on the following criteria:

The ingredients listed before the fat contained in the food.

Both brands have 3 different puppy formulas with slightly differing order of ingredients as well as levels of each ingredient (ingredients are listed in the order of predominence. The highest amount of ingredient in the food is listed first. And anything listed before the fat {i.e. chicken fat} makes up the majority of ingredients the food contains)

Eukanuba's list for small breed puppy food is:

Chicken
Chicken by-product meal
Corn meal
Ground whole grain sorghum
Chicken fat (naturally preserved, a very important feature)
followed by:
fishmeal
natural chicken flavor
brewer's rice
beet pulp
egg product
fish oil
Brewer's dried yeast
Vitamins/Minerals

Actually not all that bad, except for the by-product meal (heads, feet, bone and any part of the chicken deemed unsuitable for human consumption is processed to make by-products), corn meal (indigestible, and a potential allergen), and brewer's rice (a non-nutritional filler, though it's listed after the fat)

But the formula's for medium and large breed puppies is worse, with more indigestable (corn meal) and filler ingredients (brewer's rice) used before the fat.

As for Iams, the small breed puppy food reads as follows:

Chicken
Corn meal
Chicken by-product meal
Ground whole grain sorghum
Chicken fat
then:
Fish meal
Natural chicken flavor
Beet pulp
Fish oil
Egg product
Brewers dried yeast
Vitamins/Minerals

This "appears" to be a better choice, but it actually contains more corn meal than Eukanuba.

With Eukanuba you feed the dog alittle less than you would Iams, so any size bag of food lasts longer.

One thing both brands have going for them is that the first ingredient listed is chicken.
But don't settle for either just because of this one little "plus".
With alittle research on your part you can find a much better food that actually may cost less.

Your pooch is counting on you to make the best decision possible for a long and healthy life. Proper nutrition is the key to achieving this.

Whatever you decide I hope it is the best for BOTH of you.

Please check out the following links.

Answer 7

Although they are made by the same company the ingredients can differ, which can upset your dog's stomach.

Upon looking up and trying to compare the ingredients I did not know much difference between the two products:

IAMS:
Chicken, Corn Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dried Beet Pulp (Sugar Removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E),

Eukanuba:
Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken Fat (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Fish Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Brewers Rice, Dried Beet Pulp (Sugar Removed), Dried Egg Product, Fish Oil (Preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E),

Although there is not much of a difference between the two product there is a small chance that it can upset the dog's stomach. To be sure it's best to stick with the food and just drive the extra mile for it. You might also want to stop get the other food to switch over slowly so that you can purchase the other.

My opinion is that both foods are not high quality. Good Luck.

Answer 8

I would stick to Eukanuba, rather than go with Iams. It's much healthier for the puppy, and the puppy has adjusted to the Eukanuba. It's worth the trip, for your dog's well being. If you do decide to switch, don't do it suddently, but gradually, because a sudden change can cause digestive problems.

Answer 9

While it is beneficial to rotate foods every couple of months,it's very important to know what you are feeding your dog. Don't go by brand name alone. Read the ingredient list. You want a kibble with high meat content(look for several meats listed in the first 7 ingredients). Avoid known canine allergens such as corn,maize,soy,wheat,beet pulp,brewers rice(which is a by product ie:floor sweepings),sugars,preservatives,colorings,fats(oils are ok). If you are feeding a chicken based kibble rotate to a different protein such as lamb,beef,bison,elk,fish. Make the change a gradual one by starting with a mix of 75% old food and 25% new for a few days and slowly increase the new while reducing the old. Good luck!

Answer 10

Change food anytime, but introduce the new one gradually by mixing it in the old food in increasing amounts over 1-2 weeks. I started my puppy on Eukanuba, and later tried Iams, Science Diet, and lastly, Natural Choice by Nutro. I fed my dogs Natural Choice for years and they were the healthiest on this diet.