Switch your dog's food over seven days, not one: a quarter new food for the first two days, half for the next two, three-quarters for two more, then fully new on day seven. Go slower if your dog has a sensitive stomach. The whole point is to give the gut time to adjust, so the only thing you are watching is the stool, and the only rule is that if it gets loose, you hold or step back a day rather than push on.
Why a sudden switch upsets the stomach
Your dog's gut is tuned to the food it eats every day. The bacteria that live there, and the enzymes that break the food down, adjust to that mix of protein, fat and fibre. Change everything overnight and the gut has to catch up while digesting something unfamiliar. The result is usually loose stool, sometimes gas, occasionally a vomit. None of that means the new food is bad. It means the change was too fast.
This applies to every kind of switch: kibble to kibble, kibble to freeze-dried raw, one protein to another within the same brand. The bigger the jump in ingredients and moisture, the more the gradual schedule matters.
The 7-day schedule
| Day | Old food | New food | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 75% | 25% | Eats willingly, stool normal |
| 3–4 | 50% | 50% | Stool still formed, no vomiting |
| 5–6 | 25% | 75% | Energy and appetite normal |
| 7 | 0% | 100% | Fully switched |
Measure by the amount your dog should eat of each food, not by volume. A cup of kibble and a cup of freeze-dried nuggets are not the same meal. Work out the full daily portion of the old food and the full daily portion of the new food from each label, then take 75% of one and 25% of the other, and so on. A kitchen scale makes this painless.
Mix the two foods in the same bowl and stir, rather than putting them side by side. A dog that can eat around the new food will.
When to go slower
Stretch the schedule to 10 to 14 days, spending three or four days at each step, if your dog:
- has a history of loose stool or a "sensitive stomach"
- is a puppy or a senior
- is moving between very different foods, such as dry kibble to rehydrated freeze-dried raw
- has had a food change go badly before
A very slow start for sensitive dogs is to use the new food as a topper for a few days first: a crumbled teaspoon on the old food, nothing more. Once that has gone through without incident, start the schedule properly.
If your dog has a diagnosed condition, is on a prescription diet or takes regular medication, ask your vet before you change foods and follow their schedule instead.
What to watch, and what it means
Check the stool at every toilet break during the switch. It is the clearest signal you have.
- Firm, holds its shape, easy to pick up. Carry on to the next step as planned.
- Softer than usual but still formed. Normal in the middle of a transition. Stay at the current ratio an extra day or two before moving on.
- Loose, no shape. Step back to the previous ratio for two days, then try again more slowly.
- Watery, with blood, or with vomiting, lethargy or refusal to drink. Stop the new food and contact your vet today. This is not a transition problem any more.
Also watch for new itching, ear scratching or paw licking after a food change. It has many possible causes, including food, so note the date and mention it to your vet.
Switching to freeze-dried raw specifically
Freeze-dried raw has a few quirks worth knowing before day one.
- Rehydrate it. The nuggets are designed to take water. Add it and wait a few minutes before serving, especially for small dogs and dogs that don't drink much. The soaked food also smells stronger, which helps a hesitant eater.
- Weigh the dry portion. Freeze-dried food is light and dense in nutrition. Follow the feeding chart on the bag by your dog's weight, and weigh it dry before adding water.
- Don't leave it out. Rehydrated raw food in a 30°C flat is not something to leave in the bowl for the afternoon. Lift the bowl after 20 to 30 minutes. Throw away what's left, or cover it and put it in the fridge straight away and use it within a day.
- Handle it like raw meat. Wash your hands, the bowl and the scoop after each meal. If you have a baby, an elderly person or anyone with a weak immune system at home, ask your vet before you start feeding raw.
- Store the bag sealed. Humidity is the enemy of anything freeze-dried. Zip the bag properly and keep it in a cool cupboard, not above the stove.
- Expect smaller stools. Many owners notice less, firmer poop once the switch is done. This is normal with higher-meat diets and not a sign of a problem.
Keeping a picky dog on side during the switch
Some dogs sniff the new food and walk off on day one. Don't abandon the plan. Keep meals at fixed times, lift the bowl after 20 minutes, and don't offer anything else until the next meal. Most dogs come round within two or three sittings. A pinch of a treat they already love, crumbled and stirred through the bowl, is allowed in the first few days. Hand-feeding a few pieces of the new food as "treats" between meals also builds familiarity without pressure.
What not to do: switch back to the old food in a panic on day two, then try again next week from scratch. That is two sudden changes instead of one gradual one.
Why we chose Steve's Real Food for the switch
If you are moving your dog to freeze-dried raw, the food you move to should be complete, so you are not juggling supplements during a week that is already a change. Steve's Real Food Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food (20 oz, S$72) is an 80/15/5 recipe, meaning 80% meat, organs and bone, 15% non-GMO, pesticide-free produce and 5% natural superfoods, and it is formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages (except the Whitefish recipe, which is for supplementary or intermittent feeding alongside other complete foods; check the pack). The pieces are tater-tot-sized nuggets that scoop easily and rehydrate quickly, which makes the 25%, 50%, 75% steps straightforward to measure, and the nuggets swell back up when you add water, so a bag goes further than its size on the shelf suggests. Steve's own guide on the pack takes about ten days, which is a good pace for a move from kibble to raw. Steve's says every batch is tested for salmonella and other bacteria before it ships. Flavours are beef, chicken, turducken, pork, turkey and whitefish, so if one protein doesn't suit your dog there are others to try. If your dog has a food allergy, check the full ingredient list with your vet first. Mix-and-match bag deals apply automatically at checkout. Our pawbies finish the bowl and then check it twice.
Today: weigh out a full day's portion of your dog's current food and a full day's portion of the new one from the labels, write both numbers on the bag, and start tomorrow morning with three-quarters of one and a quarter of the other, stirred together. Then watch the stool, not the clock.