# Europe to Canada; food change



## vizlil (Aug 17, 2016)

Hi everyone,
We got our vizsla puppy in France and are now heading back home to Canada in less than 2 weeks ( we have been living here for almost a year). Our puppy is 9 1/2 months old now, he eats Farmicroc which has 32% chicken, 25% rice, 14 % corn, 8% dehydrated chicken fat, and fish, 4% dehydrated beet, 2% fish oil and 1% vegetable oil. I was hoping to take two bags of kibble back to Canada with us but Canadian food inspection agency has declined our permit request. Now I am trying to find the closest kibble to this brand. What I think might be similar is Acana chikcen, but I am not sure and very worried that he might have digestive problems due to complete change in kibble. Not to mention the long distance flight from Europe to Canada. 
In addition to Kibble I sometimes give him home cooked rice+chicken, or rice+ground beef, eggs, tuna, fish oil and some vegetables. 
I was hoping to get some ideas around how I should go about introducing a completely new food.
Also if anyone is using Acana I would appreciate their feedback. 
Thanks a lot,


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## Anida (Jun 10, 2016)

I've heard of quite a few members using Acana and their dogs doing well on it. It is one of the higher rated dog foods. Hope your pup does alright with the rough transition


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## trevor1000 (Sep 20, 2013)

Anida said:


> I've heard of quite a few members using Acana and their dogs doing well on it. It is one of the higher rated dog foods. Hope your pup does alright with the rough transition


I'll second the Acana
There are many flavors and single protein kibble in case of some protein allergies.
Grain free and made in Canada too


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## vizlil (Aug 17, 2016)

Thank you Trevor1000 and Anida. Any idea how I should introduce the food; I am thinking I will have to give him a bland diet for the first few days like boiled chicken and rice and then gradually add the new food? I didn't know Acana is made in Canada!  Any suggestions to help him with the transition? Much appreciate it.


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## trevor1000 (Sep 20, 2013)

Anytime I changed food (Even just with changing Acana protein types ) my boy I went slow
3 or 4 days of 25% new food and 75% old 
Then 3 or 4 days of 50% - 50%
Takes about 2 weeks to change .


Now that he has had most all the kinds of Acana we change it up every couple bags.
The only one we don't get him is the Salmon based one
My wife calls them "fish kisses", his breath is terribly fishy.


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## organicthoughts (Oct 9, 2012)

We feed raw. Easiest in the sense that there is never a transition and pups are healthy


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## Canadian Expy (Feb 27, 2013)

I've had to change fosters to new food without being able to do a proper transition. I've had great success with adding canned pumpkin, adding a couple tablespoons each feeding (not this is pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling. This includes switching them from whatever poor quality food they were fed in the shelter, to Acana which we feed our pups.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


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## vizlil (Aug 17, 2016)

Hello everyone and thank you for your suggestions. We are home in Canada and we bought the Acana puppy and junior food yesterday, I mixed a handful with his home-cooked rice and chicken dinner, within half hour of eating he was trying to vomit, he didn't vomit though, and this morning his poop was loose and watery. Is this too early to tell after just one serving and that a handful of kibbles? I might have gone overboard with protein yesterday, he had cooked rice and ground beef for breakfast,hard boiled egg for lunch, and one chicken thigh and rice with Acana for dinner. 
Also has anyone had any luck with Purina proplan?
Another one, will dogs be ok with rice+ground beef, rice+chicken, eggs, fruits+veg, yogurt, tuna, fish oil supplements and no kibble at all?
Thanks ahead for your suggestions.


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## trevor1000 (Sep 20, 2013)

Start eliminating different kinds of foods
Maybe switch to a half a handful of kibble with chicken and rice ONLY for a few days
If that goes well bring in some of the other things you have been feeding him and increase the kibble.


"Another one, will dogs be ok with rice+ground beef, rice+chicken, eggs, fruits+veg, yogurt, tuna, fish oil supplements and no kibble at all?"


If you are planning on NOT feeding your dog kibble I'd recommend you look into a RAW, PREY or BARF type diet.
For a diet like this you need to be fairly specific in the amounts and percentages of raw food you feed.
Any shortfall in any part of these diet's makes them unbalanced and therefore not good for your dog.
But in my opinion a RAW diet done right can't be beat by any kibble.


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## Betty (Apr 14, 2016)

For what it is worth, I have fed Purina ProPlan since day one...my dogs get some juicy canned food (I used Alpo) or veggie on top and they love it. Water also helps make it "better". So the V that started out fussy is on 3 cups daily of kibble and is fed 2X daily after he was 6 months old. (before it was 3X ). Enjoy your furbaby they are wonderful dogs.


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## vizlil (Aug 17, 2016)

*Update*

To everyone who took the time to reply thank you! I appreciate your feedback.
Just to give you a little update; pup is doing very well on Acana puppy and junior. We didn't have any other option but to start his new food right away. What I did that seemed to work was home-cooked rice+chicken thighs and breast for his meals with a handful of new kibble, then two handfuls, then three mixed with chicken rice and then I eliminated the chicken+rice. It took 2 1/2 weeks but he is fully on his new diet now and seems to enjoying Acana.:grin


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