You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

From time to time it may be necessary to change your pets usual food - here are some helpful hints on how to do it successfully

As the role of nutrition in the management of diseases becomes increasingly important pet owners are more likely to be asked to change the ration that they normally feed for medical reasons. However, changing a pets food is not always easy because, being animals of habit, they will often resist changes in their daily routine - including attempts to change their diet. 

Changing a pets ration may be particularly difficult under the following circumstances :

• When a pet has been fed a single brand of food for a long time
• In old animals which are accustomed to a specific brand of food
• If the new food is a different form of food - for example switching from a canned food to a dry food or vice versa
• If the composition of the food is very different - for example switching from a high fat ration to a low fat ration

Manufacturers will ensure that their diets are acceptable by adding substances to increase palatability, nevertheless switching foods can still be difficult. To change food successfully it may be necessary to use the following techniques :

• Switch foods gradually - add a small amount of the "new" food to the old food and gradually increase the amount of new food until it is 100% over a 5-7 day period.
• Add water - for some animals water added to a food will increase its acceptability
• Warm the food - this increases aroma and also the temperature of the food itself can increase acceptability for some animals
• Add warm water - a combined effect
• Add a strong smelling substance eg broth to the food to stimulate feeding. This can only be done if the substance does not contain nutrients that will upset the composition of the ration - ask your vet
• Hand feed - if your pet simply refuses to eat a new food try offering small amounts by hand - this usually works to get them started
• Force feeding - food can be forced into the mouth using a spoon or a syringe - but this should only be done under the instruction of your vet.
• In some cases your vet may need to ask you to feed your pet through a tube - placed up the nose, through the side of the neck or directly into the stomach . If this is the case make sure you stick to the feeding rates recommended.

In all situations when your pet is put on to a "special" diet you should stop giving treats or left-overs and prevent scavenging - otherwise the whole balance of the ration can be altered.

Updated October 2013