Is it bad to feed your dog two types of dog food at once?

Question

I mix two types of dog food and feed them to my dog because she seems to get bored of just one kind all the time. Are there risks to doing this?

Answer 1

No, in fact there are many [well-researched] owners and breeders that feed either 2 kinds of food mixed, or do food-rotation between 2-3 of the top brands (food rotation on a semi-monthly basis or so; first get brand A, next they get brand B, next they get brand A again).

Just make sure you are feeding high-quality dog foods.

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Read the ingredients on the food you buy. Go with a high quality dog food. A grain should not be in the first couple ingredients ingredient (corn and such are mainly fillers, dogs don't digest it well). Avoid foods that have a lot of "by products" listed.

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Some GOOD foods are :
* Merrick - http://www.merrickpetcare.com/
* Solid Gold - http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
* Canidae - http://www.canidae.com/
* Timberwolf - http://timberwolforganics.com/
* Orijen - http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/
* Wellness - http://www.omhpet.com/wellness/
* Chicken Soup brand - http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
* Innova - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/innova.asp
* Innova EVO - http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp

Or check this website for good foods: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
(I recommend only feeding foods rated 4, 5, or 6 stars. Anything 3 stars or less, I would stay away from.)

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Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)

Beware "premium" foods. "Premium" does not mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. It has the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that's why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don't focus a lot on nutrition. It's not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told "this is good food", so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it's good as well.

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A

Answer 2

Absolutely no risks if it's a good quality dog food. NEVER buy dog food from a grocery store. They carry poor quality food. It's best to get dog food from a pet or feed store. Check the ingredients. Opt for a food that has chicken or beef as the first ingredient. If you feed a good quality food I can guarantee you that your dog will not be bored with the daily menu. Good luck.

Answer 3

Well, there are all kinds of discussion on this. Go online and look for holistic dog food and you will find recipes for dogs. Some foods they can eat are: apples carrots meat (cooked, not raw) brown rice (cooked, of course) never, never chocolate (it contains a chemical called theobromide which is very toxic for dogs) Although I have gotten recipes for various vegetable combos, I have heard that you are not supposed to feed them broccoli, but my dog loves it cooked or raw and has not had any adverse effects from it. I stay away from spoiled food from the fridge. If I won't eat it, why would I expect my dog to? Yuck. Check with your vet as well about dos and don'ts.

Answer 4

I don't think so.I do it all the time,and always have.I figure it not only brings variety to the dogs life,but if one dog food is lacking something,the other one will make up for it.Of course you have to make sure to feed two good dog foods,not anything cheap,or with a lot of corn,wheat,or soy.I feed Diamond Naturals,and Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover's Soul,and also Pedigree canned and Bil - Jac frozen,and my dogs are as healthy as can be.

Answer 5

Technically you shouldn't change your dogs diet very often. They have a more sensitive digestive system and it could cause problems (especially upset stomach). As long as you keep one of the foods constant when you mix in a new one, you should be okay. Do make sure they are good quality foods though. A lot of brands make multiple flavors of the same food. You could try just changing flavors. Do be careful though. Sick dogs aren't any fun...

Answer 6

Not at all. It's actually good to feed your dog different varieties of food and flavors. This will help with if your dog was to get into the garbage or something it will less likely get an upset stomach because it's system will be used to having different kinds of foods.

Answer 7

No, as long as it's good quality dog food and you aren't changing the diet frequently. If you are just mixing the food, no problem. If you are regularly changing it then your dog might be betting stomach aches or digestive probs he can't tell you about. I mix two different kinds of foods for my cats and they are just fine.

Answer 8

as long as you feed your dog pretty much the same amount of each every time there is no harm in it. make sure it is not a quick change but a gradual change so their stomach doesn't become upset. i feed my dogs a blend of canidae and innova evo and my yorkie puppy is on a tri blend of canidae, innova and nutro

just make sure you check the ingredients of each. you don't want to mix to high calorie foods together or your dog will gain unnecesary weight

Answer 9

Well, different foods have different nutritional values. It's probably not too unhealthy since you're keeping her on a steady diet of those two foods though, just avoid alternating brands and keep an eye out for a sick stomach.

Answer 10

Depends on the food. If it's good quality food, mix and match to your hearts content. If it's a cheap Walmart brand, like Ol' Roy, then you should go with the better quality brand.