How to Feed Your Dog a Variety of Food

You think your dog is ready for some variety and you’ve already picked out a few delicious options for them to try, now what? Feeding your dog a variety of food doesn’t have to be complicated. There are plenty of options on the market, including many that you can find in Redbarn’s dog food section!

Whether you’re feeding wet food, dry food, semi-wet or raw, it’s important to be mindful of how quickly you introduce their food, along with dietary needs based on breed, life stage and weight.

Choosing Complete and Balanced Food

Dogs with food allergies and other gastrointestinal sensitivities can greatly benefit from a variety of food in their diet. This is often because they’re being exposed to different types of protein sources in their diet on a routine basis. This helps rule out specific protein or other ingredient allergies as well.

But before feeding a bunch of your dogs faves at once, make sure you’re reading the label to ensure the food is complete and balanced. This statement, according to the American of American Feed Controls, refers to dog food that has all of the nutritional needs required and in the appropriate ratios.

Also note that some dogs need to slowly transition to new diets while others adjust quickly to the change. We recommend a slow and gradual transition by incorporating new foods and carefully watching your dog's response (stool, gas, energy levels, etc.).

Create a Plan

Building variety starts with creating a plan. After choosing what you want to feed, decide how you want to start the transition. If your dog is a picky eater, consider starting off with a food that can serve as a meal topper. Feed them the meal topper mixed in with their regular food, then slowly start to add more over a 5 day period; you can check out our transition guide for tips.

A fun way to begin is by creating a calendar and scheduling out “treats for the week” that you can introduce to your dog. Depending on your dogs needs and transition schedule you can also do this bi-weekly. These treats can include toppers, wet food, or dry food mix-ins.

Redbarn’s Rolled Food is the perfect option for this type of transition plan. Featuring over 50% fresh meat per roll, it’s more convenient than a raw diet. Redbarn’s Rolled Food is complete and balanced so it can serve as a full feed. Even better, food rolls can be cubed or shredded as a food topper, treat, pill concealer or training treat.

You can also try scheduling out different types of dry food. Redbarn’s dry dog food includes meat in the “Land” recipes, poultry in the “Sky” recipes, and fish in the “Ocean” recipes so your pup has plenty to choose from. Maybe your dog likes meat and fish! They don’t have to stick to just one. The best part— Redbarn’s kibble is formulated to skip the transition period when switching between recipes.

Other varieties to try: 

• Redbarn’s Protein Puffs are a great low-calorie meal topper
• Redbarn’s Air Dried dog food packed with 85% or more beef, fish, or chicken
• Redbarn’s Beef Cuts are a great high-value topper bursting with flavor

Using our transition schedule you can feed your dog all of their favorites without the fuss. Of course, be sure to follow all of our tips and discontinue use if you notice your dog isn’t responding well to the changes. If you are unsure, always ask your vet for your specific dog's needs.