If you've been feeding your dog raw, transitioning to a healthy ZENOO diet will be a piece of (raw) cake! This is because your dog's digestive tract is already accustomed to this type of food. However, if your dog has been eating kibble, it's crucial to introduce ZENOO food slowly into their diet. The enzymes needed to break down a high-protein, raw meat, and bone diet differ from those required for a high-carbohydrate processed diet like kibble.
The length of transition will depend on a few factors:
- The quality of the food previously fed;
- Your pet's age and weight;
- Stomach sensitivity;
Method I: Starvation Diet. The pet does not eat anything for 24 hours since the last meal: no treats, bones, etc. You provide fresh drinking water only. After 24 hours, serve ZENOO food. The transition to a starvation diet can be applied to adults and healthy dogs. We don't recommend it for seniors or dogs with serious health problems, young puppies, and dogs who have been eating only dry food for a long time.
Method II: Gradual Diet Change. With this method, the diet switches gradually over a week:
- On day 1, the daily portion consists of the previous food and a small amount of new food.
- On days 2nd and 3rd, the daily portion consists of 75% of the previous food and 25% of new food.
- For 4-5 days, the daily portion consists of 50% of the previous food and 50% of the new food.
- On days 6-7, the daily portion consists of 25% of the previous food and 75% of the new food.
- And from day 8, the whole portion consists only of new food.
Don't be concerned if your puppy has softer bowel movements or vomits in the first few days. Changes in diet can cause the body to experience a bit of stress, which may result in slight bowel distress. We recommend giving natural probiotics during the transition period to make the transition smoother. Kefir and natural yoghurt will help restore the proper intestinal microflora.