Diet Changes

When I first brought Bella home, I fed her some type (I don't remember the brand) of puppy food. Fairly early into her acquisition, I took her to my vet for a checkup and asked what she recommended for food. Two things came out of that question.

1. My vet felt for Bella's make-up (1/2 Lab, 1/2 Australian Shepherd), she needed Large Puppy-type kibbles to ensure proper growth.
2. When asked what she fed her dogs, she said she periodically changed their diet in order that they received a variety of nutrition via the different nutritional mixes.

This made great sense to me as it follows the logic of how we should eat. Also, our previous dog, Lucy, was such a finicky eater that I had to vary her diet or she wouldn't eat. As long as I carefully introduce Bella to a new kibble (to avoid stomach upset), she receives variety for interest as well as nutritional benefit. I have also chosen to give her a grain free diet. At present, she rotates through the Taste of the Wild kibbles (bison, salmon, poultry), but I may in the future change to a different brand.

Recently I came across corroboration to this way of thinking in the website Fully Vetted. If you choose to read this vet's opinion, you can start with Part 1 on the subject, although Part 3 really gets the meat of the subject!

With all the marketing for healthy pet foods, with all the variety of pet foods, I still find it amusing that when your pup is sick, it is still recommended to give them low-fat ground meat and rice. I do believe this was Lucy's favorite meal. Bella, bless her little non-finicky stomach, delights in anything!