How do I safely add grain to my new puppy's grain-free dog food?

Great question and good on you for being aware of the dangers of grain free food! You need to do the switch slowly. Start by mixing together 75% old food/25% new food. Feed that for a couple of days, then do a 50/50 mixture. Again feed for a few days, then go to a 25/75 mixture. Finally after a few days of feeding that, you can give Callie 100% new food. Enjoy your new Golden, they are my favorite breed of dog!

Hi there. In general, if you're making a change, it's best to gradually start mixing in the new food over the course of at least 2-3 days rather than switching all at once - this helps to avoid GI upset related to a sudden diet change. As long as you do this, it's fine to switch to a different flavor or brand if you want to.

Rather than using a 50/50 mixture for a diet transition, I would instead ideally recommend starting 75/25 old/new food for 2 days, 50/50 for another 2-3 days, then 25/75 old/new food for another 2 days. Chloe is more likely to experience gastrointestinal upset without the more gradual transition. That said, it is possible that she could be perfectly fine with a more consistent 50/50 transition over 7 days. If she does not normally have a sensitive GI tract, you can try a 50/50 mix for 7 days, but if she does develop signs of a GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite), a more gradual transition will be necessary. I hope this helps clear up any confusion!

All brands have different feeding guidelines and some dogs can differ by up to 10% from the 'normal, recommended' amount to I recommend you check the bag carefully to see how much she should be expected to need daily. Grain free food does not suit all dogs, many domestic dogs digest processed cereals quite well and some do better on these than grain free brands. Sudden diet changes can cause mild gastrointestinal upset also, so if it is not settling over 5-7days I would return to her previous or a sensitive diet formula to see if it resolves again

No. Most dogs handle grains very well. In fact most food allergies are to a protein source such as beef or chicken. If you dog does a food allergy if some kind, it typically shows up with itching and hair loss. A small percentage can have GI symptoms but that is the minority

Yes, you are correct that dog formulated food is much better for him than what you are correctly feeding. His current diet is not nutritionally balanced for him, and will not provide the nutrients he needs to be health. You are correct that you should give him a little bit more each day, as that will help prevent GI upset from switching food. Gradually increase the amount of Ivory Coat and decrease the amount of his current diet until he is eating the Ivory Coat only.

Yes I don't see any reason why you can't transition them back. Most pets don't have grain allergy anyway, which research shows us. I would be cautious however if your pet was perhaps allergic or suspected to be allergic to certain proteins though. Chicken, beef and turkey are the most common allergen protein that dogs have so I would make sure to stay with the same protein as the current food you have your pet on. Also make sure to do a gradual food switch over the course of a week to help prevent GI upset.