WHAT IS ROTATIONAL FEEDING?
Rotational feeding refers to a diet rotation that provides pets with regular dietary changes.
Rotational feeding can be as simple as changing a dog’s food very other bag or changing it meal to meal. How often, how quickly and how drastically to switch a dog’s food depends on his stomach’s sensitivity to change and types of proteins, as well as a Pet Lover’s lifestyle.
There are many different reasons to adopt a rotational feeding Program, ranging from adding interest to meal times or adding nutritional variety.
BENEFITS
Round Out Nutrient Intake
Each food in the ACANA Singles product line features a single animal protein and a perfectly paired fruit or vegetable to appease dogs with food sensitivities or flavour preferences. Different animal proteins have different amino acid and fatty acid profiles, as well as various minerals and vitamins. For example, beef contains significant amounts of iron but is lower in omega-3 fatty acids than pork. Amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, differ slightly across different animal protein sources as well. Turkey meat contains higher amounts of the amino acid tryptophan than pork meat.
Although all of our ACANA Singles recipes are balanced to be
fed alone and meet the requirements as set out by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), rotational feeding adds variety. The dietary variation that dogs and cats’ wild cousins would experience is typically lost in regular feeding. Through rotational feeding, our pets gain diversity in their nourishment.
Protein Exposure
Food sensitivities exist in dogs but are often misdiagnosed or confused with food allergies. Food allergies cause an immune mediated response, whereas food sensitivities are much more common and traditionally manifest as poor food reactions, including soft stools, excess gas, itchy dry skin and itchy paws and ears. Just like humans, exposure to different proteins at a young age may decrease the chances of developing food sensitivities. Feeding a rotational diet to a dog exposes them to a broader range of proteins and helps to prevent sensitivities.
Flavour Fatigue
Often, pets experience flavour fatigue from eating the same diet every day, just as we would. Rotational feeding keeps dogs and cats interested in the food and prevents flavour fatigue. Rotational feeding also offers the novelty of new foods. This can help boost intake for picky eaters or animals with a reduced appetite.
OPTIONS FOR ROTATIONAL FEEDING
The Biologically Appropriate recipes in the ACANA Singles line are ideal for rotational feeding. All diets are completely balanced to be fed alone and offer the unique opportunity to rotate between diets within the product line. Our ACANA Singles recipes are specifically designed to contain only five macro-ingredient classes with the same botanicals and low-glycemic carbohydrates allowing Pet Lovers to add the dietary variation traditionally seen in the wild, with minimal chance of gastrointestinal upset.
If you would like more information on how to incorporate rotational feeding into dogs or cats’ diets, please contact our Customer Care team on 01737 767679 or at sales@bernpetfoods.co.uk
References: 1. USDA Food composition database. Accessed
April 4, 2018. DOI: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list 2. Chesney, C.J. 2006. Food sensitivity in the dog: a quantitative study. Journal of Small Animal Practice. 43(5): 203-207 3. Wills, R., & Harvey, R. 1994. Diagnosis and management of food allergy and intolerance in dogs and cats. Australian veterinary journal.71(10):322-6 4. Stasiak, M. 2002. The development of food preferences in cats: the new direction. Nutritional neuroscience. 5(4):221-8