# Rotating proteins very frequently



## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Given the food is the same brand, and your fluff's stomach can tolerate it (no visible signs of upset tummies), what are your opinions on rotating protein for each meal?

For example chicken in the morning, beef at night. Would you do it? Why or why not? 

Thanks in advance for responses. 


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Aastha - I do that with proteins. I home cook for Tyler and he has chicken in the morning and either lamb or beef or fish at night. He's never had any issues with it and his bloodwork came back perfect last check up.


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## pammy4501 (Aug 8, 2007)

I think my dogs are part goat, and can tolerate many different foods w/o problems. I rotate foods and proteins frequently with no problem. We vary diets all the time. I usually use commercially prepared food (Fresh Pet or S&C) and supplement with various fresh veg, sometimes rice, yogurt, egg or sometimes fish such as sardines. This is a good description of what we do from the WDJ.

5 Steps to Upgrading Your Dog's Commercial Dog Food Diet - Whole Dog Journal Article


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Thanks, Pam & Sue. I've actually been rotating foods and proteins randomly, much like you guys. More out of convenience than anything else. It's just easy to grab whatever's in the fridge. 

I have recently discovered and fallen in love with Just food (similar to home cooked), and bought literally a bucket of the chicken to save money. I froze about 90% of it but now I'm gonna buy another bucket of another flavor so I can keep rotating. And of course, it's fun to add various toppings. 



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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

I do want to clarify when I say 'randomly' these are balanced meals. Like I start with Dr. Harvey's and either add egg or chicken or turkey etc. Or get Freshpet and top up with veggies, yogurt etc.


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

Yes, I think it's a good thing. Different proteins build different amino acid profiles too. I think the more variety you can put in their diet the better.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I never thought of putting egg in Dr. Harvey's. Is is a raw egg? hard boiled?


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

The A Team said:


> I never thought of putting egg in Dr. Harvey's. Is is a raw egg? hard boiled?



I just scramble it real quick in a skillet. It's our go to for rushed mornings. 


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## Kathleen (Aug 4, 2011)

I do this too. Chicken (pre cooked) in the morning and ground beef or steak at night. They love the smell of it cooking!
We also have turkey, scrambled egg, canned salmon in the rotation. All with either Dr. Harveys or Sojs grain free. And S&C frozen a couple of times a week.
No tummy troubles. I think they like the variety.
It is funny how we were warned for so long to never change food or they would get so sick. We have never had a problem.
I will have to check out Just food. It have never heard of it.


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

I also rotate protein source per meal. For example, turkey freshpet in the morning and homecooked with Balance it (beef or chicken recipes) or Stella and Chewy's in the evening. We don't have any issues with tummy woes or poop and the dogs seem to like the variety. Even the Stella and Chewy's duck duck goose has multiple protein sources within the same product so unless the dog has allergies or intolerance (by trial and error), I think it should be ok. Just based on personal experience though. I'm not a vet nutritionist 


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## SammieMom (Nov 13, 2010)

pammy4501 said:


> I think my dogs are part goat, and can tolerate many different foods w/o problems. I rotate foods and proteins frequently with no problem. We vary diets all the time. I usually use commercially prepared food (Fresh Pet or S&C) and supplement with various fresh veg, sometimes rice, yogurt, egg or sometimes fish such as sardines. This is a good description of what we do from the WDJ.
> 
> 5 Steps to Upgrading Your Dog's Commercial Dog Food Diet - Whole Dog Journal Article


lol...goats here too..:HistericalSmiley:

Thanks for the link Pam.


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## SammieMom (Nov 13, 2010)

Aastha--sounds like its ok to switch proteins around daily. 

I feed a kibble. Do you? along with the meat? I am changing to s&c freeze dried right now. I used FP and kibble but have to buy a med size roll that has to be used in 7 days. So I end up using it daily or goes bad or toss it. Now I'm giving 1/2 S&C ea. meal. With 1/8 cup kibble. I don't like messing with raw stuff but I am good with freeze dried patties. If I crumble it dry over kibble there is kibble all over floor looking for the S&C. So I wet it and put in separate bowl last night. They ate both all up. They love S&C like no other food EVER!!:aktion033: I don't want to just give them all S&C daily. Is it ok to give FP in am and S&C at night meal?? 

Do you all leave food down when at work?


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## SammieMom (Nov 13, 2010)

Add: what I am doing to transition to S&C is give them the FP in am and 1/2 patty at night with the kibble. Sound good? Then 1/2 patty in am/PM and FP once in while. With 1/8 cup kibble at meals. I hope this is ok. 

They rarely eat the kibble during the day. Sammie never does. But I feel better with it there. So it becomes the dinner kibble.


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

SammieMom said:


> Aastha--sounds like its ok to switch proteins around daily.
> 
> I feed a kibble. Do you? along with the meat? I am changing to s&c freeze dried right now. I used FP and kibble but have to buy a med size roll that has to be used in 7 days. So I end up using it daily or goes bad or toss it. Now I'm giving 1/2 S&C ea. meal. With 1/8 cup kibble. I don't like messing with raw stuff but I am good with freeze dried patties. If I crumble it dry over kibble there is kibble all over floor looking for the S&C. So I wet it and put in separate bowl last night. They ate both all up. They love S&C like no other food EVER!!:aktion033: I don't want to just give them all S&C daily. Is it ok to give FP in am and S&C at night meal??
> 
> Do you all leave food down when at work?


Kandis, you can freeze the Freshpet...When I bring it home, I slice the roll, and put each "patty" in a baggie, and take out as needed...I use a sharp knife to cut up into bite size pieces, so it doesn't get mushy...:thumbsup:


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## aprilb (Jul 9, 2010)

I think it is fine to rotate foods for HEALTHY Malts...unfortunately, two of mine have health conditions that require special diets...so rotating does not work for them...I do kind of like Pam...I have a "base" kibble for two of them and just add fresh fruit, veggies, scrambled eggs, Freshpet, or yogurt...sometimes turkey breast...Lily is on canned food, one carb and one protein...


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Mine have never, thank God, had an issue w/any kind of food (except for canned Wellness once from the US). Kitzi is on this exclusion diet for his ear at the moment so I put Lisi on it too just to simplify life in the US a bit. I do think if he is allergic to the food he was on that he would have shown some kind of issue, but I want to do what the vet recommends. I am not sure how we will know anything since this was also his first serious episode w/the ear. He does not lick or bite his feet---never has. Both have had eggs for sometime now, so I am wondering if it may be the eggs rather than the normal food (they did get 1/2 egg each quite often, but not every single day). We got really good organic eggs in Greece, but I am not sure about the ones in Austria since I buy them at the store instead of from the egg producers.
Edit: I don't like the messy faces that come w/this diet!


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## Leanne (Sep 6, 2012)

Since I buy my meat in bulk and pack we are always rotating proteins and have never had any issues. In fact it was suggested by our Vet. None of our kidz have any health issues though. I do have to make sure I do not give fish too many meals in a row or I will be cleaning the floor if you know what I mean....lol


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

I think it's a good thing.... Staying on one too long causes issues. So switch as much as you like  Your two sound like they don't have any issues.

Gracie loves runny eggs (over easy).... Will actually sit and bark while I'm cooking them. I cut them up over her veggies and other things, she loves yolk and so it gets it all over everything and she eats great.


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

Thanks all. Gustave has had frequent tummy upsets in the past, but nothing in over one year now. 

They are loving their new diet and so am I. 


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## eiksaa (Jun 8, 2012)

SammieMom said:


> Aastha--sounds like its ok to switch proteins around daily.
> 
> I feed a kibble. Do you? along with the meat? I am changing to s&c freeze dried right now. I used FP and kibble but have to buy a med size roll that has to be used in 7 days. So I end up using it daily or goes bad or toss it. Now I'm giving 1/2 S&C ea. meal. With 1/8 cup kibble. I don't like messing with raw stuff but I am good with freeze dried patties. If I crumble it dry over kibble there is kibble all over floor looking for the S&C. So I wet it and put in separate bowl last night. They ate both all up. They love S&C like no other food EVER!!:aktion033: I don't want to just give them all S&C daily. Is it ok to give FP in am and S&C at night meal??
> 
> Do you all leave food down when at work?



We don't leave food down. They are both good eaters so they gobble up breakfast, then they get dinner at night. 

Kandis, no kibble here. I do sometimes use it as treats though. 


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Sounds like G&M are doing very well with their diet, Aastha! You know I'm a big believer in rotating foods and proteins so our pups can get different nutrients from different foods. I usually don't end up changing up proteins every day though I wouldn't have a problem with doing that. I usually just buy a bag of one of our many foods we have in our rotation (Primal, S&C, Addiction dehydrated, etc) and work through that as their standard food for however long that bag lasts, and then change it. I do add fruits and veggies, eggs and fresh meat to their meals sometimes too, or give them canned for a meal or two. I recently started using Dr. Harvey's again and I would cook enough protein to last a couple of days and then switch (chicken, wild salmon, etc). Both of mine usually have an iron stomach and can tolerate pretty much any healthy food.


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## SammieMom (Nov 13, 2010)

aprilb said:


> Kandis, you can freeze the Freshpet...When I bring it home, I slice the roll, and put each "patty" in a baggie, and take out as needed...I use a sharp knife to cut up into bite size pieces, so it doesn't get mushy...:thumbsup:


Thank you April. good to know. :thumbsup:
I've transitioned my two to eat S&C freeze dried over past week. Tonight they had first meal of S&C with no kibble. :aktion033: My gosh they literally dance waiting for it to hydrate. I am glad it is a balanced meal in itself. :biggrin: I am still giving them their 1/4 cup kibble in AM for now (?). Its working here so far, and they love the change over to raw for dinner.


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## SammieMom (Nov 13, 2010)

eiksaa said:


> We don't leave food down. They are both good eaters so they gobble up breakfast, then they get dinner at night.
> 
> Kandis, no kibble here. I do sometimes use it as treats though.
> 
> ...


Thanks!! Sammie is not always ready to eat as early as Penny, so I guess I have to leave him something.  luckily Penny eats her breakfast for me. :thumbsup:


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