Is mixing different dog food brands good for my dog's health?

ProPlan is a great food! If Chloe is doing well on it, I don't recommend changing it. Other brands I recommend are Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, and Iams. I do not recommend alternating foods, it causes GI upset.

That should be fine! As long as Chloe likes her food, has no GI issues like diarrhea, good skin and ears and is at a healthy weight there is no problem with variety. I recommend an AAFCO tested (vs formulated - should be written on the bag) food, I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is actually not accurate. The reason is that most dogs are very sensitive to diet changes and it is best to stick with one good high quality balanced diet longterm instead of switching them frequently. Some examples of high quality balanced diets include Purina Pro Plan and Science Diet foods. Once you are feeding a balanced and complete diet, there is no need to add other ones or switching them. This will avoid the gastrointestinal issues that would come with changing diets on a regular basis. Good luck and have a great day!

The brand doesn't matter but is always a good practice to change food gradually. Abrupt changes to Leo's diet could result in gastrointestinal disturbances that lead to vomiting and/or diarrhea. Take a look at this website that will give you some tips to how to gradually switch to the new food: https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/effects-of-changing-new-dogs-food

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chloe, what a great name for a Cavalier. As you know there are so many diets out there it's hard for anyone to keep up with all of them. What matters is that the diet is nutritionally balanced for the particular life stage of the pet, their body condition score, and their activity level. Diets vary in content, number of ingredients, energy density, fillers/additives, supplements, vitamins/minerals, etc. Some diets are what are called Limited Ingredient diets and these are for pets that may have food problems with certain foods such as a sensitivity or even an allergy to certain proteins. The grain feed fad appears to be just that. Since many humans now are cutting out grains, the pet food manufacturers have jumped on that as a marketing ploy but no evidence exists that grains in general are a problem for most pets. There are cases where pets do better without grains according to the owners. These diets tend to be higher in price and again, like I said, a marketing ploy. So bottom line, look for a diet that Chloe enjoys eating, is appropriate for an adult small-medium breed dog which fits her activity level, and fits your financial budget. Some nutritionists now believe that switching dog foods and brands occasionally (with a very slow transition to the new diet over a 2 week period) is good for pets since no one diet is appropriate for an individual pet. I hope this helps and gives you some guidance. The diets with fewer ingredients are usually meant for pets that are having medical problems or problems associated with their diet. Good Luck with Chloe.

Hello, both dog foods are good brands. It may be a difference in ingredients and quality of ingredients which fits better for Chloe. Both formulas are made to meet the AAFCO standards and regulations for pet food, meaning they are both balanced and will provide adequate nutritional support for Chloe. The difference in these two foods mainly has to do with price and brand. Natural Balance is still considered a good brand of food and one of the most used and well known brands of commercial dog food. Chloe can have Natural Balance if she does better on it. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Karen. It is not typically not a problem to offer to different brands of food especially if you are using small amounts of canned food to entice her appetite. If you cannot find a large breed puppy formula canned food, then I would use an adult version. Being a giant breed dog, you what her to grow very slowly. As with any diet change, monitor for any vomiting and diarrhea. Problems are usually seen when abruptly switching from one dry brand to another without mixing the food or going from dry kibble to strictly wet food again without a gradual transition. I hope this information helps!