Diet transition

A diet transition is the gradual changeover from one food to another, achieved by slowly increasing the proportion of the new product while reducing the old one over a number of days. Its purpose is to spare the gut flora and to limit digestive upset such as diarrhoea or soft stools, because an abrupt switch can disturb the intestinal microbiota and cause temporary discomfort even in an otherwise healthy animal (WSAVA, 2021). A transition spread over roughly seven days is the commonly recommended pattern, often described as moving in stages from about a quarter new food to a half, then three-quarters, then the full amount, though sensitive individuals or those with a history of digestive trouble benefit from a slower, longer changeover. The principle applies broadly: any change of food, including the alternations involved in [diet rotation](/glossary/diet-rotation), is best made gradually for most animals. It is also relevant whenever an owner moves a pet onto a [complete food](/glossary/complete-food) for a new [life stage](/glossary/life-stage), such as from a puppy or kitten growth formula to an adult maintenance diet. The single key point to retain is simply that gradual is safer than sudden, and that watching the animal's stools and appetite during the changeover gives an early signal of whether the pace needs to be slowed further. It is the practical companion to setting any new [ration](/glossary/ration). For more, see the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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