I've noticed that pets tend to get tired of eating the same brand of pet food. Because of this, I have to keep changing the brand of pet food every few weeks. I have not really taken notice how many weeks before my dogs and cats want another type. When I see that they start losing interest during feeding time then that would be my signal to change. I wonder if there is an ideal time frame for staying in one brand before moving into another one. How do you manage this issue with your pets?
I do not change brands because my pets start to get tired of it. I try out different foods to keep it interesting, or if there is a really good offer running. I don't buy any of the cheapest brands though as they are filled with some 'filler' type ingredients and not the best for animals health. My pets eat what they are given, if they try to leave it then I leave it for them until they are hungry enough to eat it. Can't let them run the show here!
My dogs get bored with their food very quickly but instead of changing the brand too often I will add some fresh meat into their food and they gobble it up. The only time I change their brand is when I hear that there has been a recall or something with it. I've changed their brand several times.
Thankfully my cats are not picky eaters. I usually feed them Authority or Simply Nourish, or sometimes Iams. Sometimes I buy other more expensive brands if they are on sale to try them out. I also get them wet Authority and Fancy Feast. I prefer switching it up instead of buying the same all the time because I think that would better nutritionally and they don't seem to mind. But I know some cats can be very picky. When I was a kid my first cat was addicted to Friskies Seafood Flavor and refused to eat any other dry food. That's the food he ate before we got him and we could never get him to accept another brand, even mixing it with the old one didn't work.
I try to keep my cats on the same food all the time as changing it can upset their tummies. Sometimes I can't afford what I really would like to feed them though and then I mix them, gradually introducing more of the new food, which keeps the tummy upsets to a minimum. I think dogs are less sensitive to food change. Another thing you can do is buy different flavors of the same brand to give the some variety.
Oh, no, I definitely don't change their food often. In fact, this can upset their tummies and make them sick! Food should only be changed if there is a problem or it's recommended by a vet usually.
I very rarely change my dog's food brand. When he was a puppy, I started giving the food the veterinarian recommended open till he noticed it was making his pop too soft (sorry for nasty visuals). Then I changed to a really good natural dog food that has no chemicals or artificial conservatives and he got along with this one so well. I tried a new one a few months ago and he did not seem to adapt that well to that one. So I just went back to this natural one and he's been eating ever since. I don't really plan on trying a new one anytime soon.
I think animals are like humans too in the sense that they need variety when it comes to their food. My cat always gets tired of eating the same thing after a few consecutive days. You can tell by his manner of eating, it's not enthusiastic as before. But he still eats it though. When he's really sick of it, he will let you know by ignoring the food.
I change my dog's food twice a year, when I notice that he's not eating it or when I find a good brand on sale. By trying something else, sometimes I find that my dog likes the new food better.
Just recently my cat starting eating less the food I buy her. Looks like it's time to change it. So I suppose that I change it only when she indicates she wants it to be different, or if it doesn't agree with her.
I only own a few betas, not much else, but they're getting rather picky, especially for a kind of fish that usually eats without being able to stop, so I have to buy a different bag of food every two weeks, so I rotate between 3 kinds of feed. My cats on the other side don't mind eating generic brand food, even tho I try to get them the better stuff when I don't have to worry about money.