# Rotating Taste of the Wild?



## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

I'm on my third bag of the wetlands roasted fowl variety. I switched form Chicken Soup (which I was not unhappy with) because I like the ingredients better, it's grain-free and Molly has some delicacies that may or may not be grain-related, it's only a bit more expensive and it's just as easily obtainable. (I pass a farm store every week day on the way home that carries Chicken Soup, Canidae and TOTW and, sometimes, VERY fresh cheese curds.)

My question is: Any reason to rotate between the wetlands, high prairie and sierra mountain varieties? Any reason not to?

My dogs are unlikely to demonstrate a taste preference. They will gobble gourmet dogfood or rotted fish with equal gusto (though the rotted fish is better for rolling in.)


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## ember (Jun 29, 2011)

Are you _always_ talking of cheese curds?  You're making me hungry....

Anyways, I've heard rotating is good in that they are less likely to develop allergies(not sure if this is true, perhaps someone with more knowledge could confirm?).


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## katielou (Apr 29, 2010)

I think its a personal choice.
I only feed Kibble for one meal a week but if i ever fed it full time again i would rotate. Reason being (and the reason i still feed it one meal a week) is that i have had dogs get "stuck" to one protein source or one food and it was hell to transition them to something else when i needed to.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

I rotate around between 3 flavors of TOTW. I let Molly pick her flavor of the day by setting out 3 pieces of kibble. She usually smells each & then picks one. That's the flavor she gets that day. I've had no problems with her digestion switching flavors around like this & I think she likes the variety.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

I rotate between sierra mountain and pacific stream, because Alice is allergic to chicken and the high prairie gives her gas. I also like the slightly lower protein. I actually haven't tried the high prairie since they took out most of the venison (venison z-filets also make her have green fogs)


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

I rotate all flavor of TOTW except for Pacific Stream (Aidan doesn't like it), with no ill effects on my dog.


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## zeronightfarm (Jun 15, 2011)

yup I do as well. cheecho loves the diffrent flavors. If I stick to one flavor to long he gets picky about eating. he is such a weirdo.


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## Porphyria (Jul 18, 2011)

I rotate the different Fromm Four Star formulas on a bag-by-bag (15 lb. bags) basis. I've also heard about rotation diets reducing the chances of allergies and pickiness, but don't know how true that is. The main reason I rotate is because I can't imagine how boring it would be eating the exact same thing for every meal, every day, for my entire life, so I think adding a little variety is a good thing, and can help keep a dog interested in his food (not that my dog needs any help in _ that _ department.  )


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## HerdersForMe (Jul 26, 2011)

We rotate between all formulas of TOTW. Reason being is they each contain very different proteins. A raw diet doesn't just consist of chicken every day. No reason why a kibble diet should remain the same every day. 

I'm sure they have different taste and dogs approve of something different too.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

> I can't imagine how boring it would be eating the exact same thing for every meal, every day, for my entire life,


When I was living in Santa Barbara with a stray Irish setter that had moved in with me, I had a very vivid dream. 

In that dream, my dog said to me (calmly and without being judgmental,) "Do you have any idea how boring it is, eating the exact same thing for every meal, every day, for my entire life?" (That's pretty much exactly what she said.)

The next day I started rotating food, though I didn't know it was called that. 

BTW, that dog still speaks to me occasionally in dreams, though she's been gone for over 25 years.


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## ember (Jun 29, 2011)

RonE said:


> When I was living in Santa Barbara with a stray Irish setter that had moved in with me, I had a very vivid dream.
> 
> In that dream, my dog said to me (calmly and without being judgmental,) "Do you have any idea how boring it is, eating the exact same thing for every meal, every day, for my entire life?" (That's pretty much exactly what she said.)
> 
> ...


That's funny, RonE. I've never had any of my deceased pets talk to me before, but normally I see them one last time in a dream though.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

That Irish setter appeared in dreams almost nightly for 17 years. She was always running or swimming, which is what she did and, when I'd wake up, it was like losing her all over again. The dreams greatly diminished in frequency when we got our next great dog - Cubby, the oversize black lab that I refer to often. 

I guess it's okay to veer off-topic in my own thread.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

There are 4 flavors of TOTW. . .are you planning on skipping Pacific Stream for some reason?

Yeah, I think rotating is a good idea. I don't think it's healthy to eat the same thing every day for years. And changing the protein sources is good, too. As long as their tummies don't disagree, I think it's the thing to do.


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## BeyondBlessed (Jan 25, 2011)

Bo just goes crazy when I get something new, so I buy the smallest bags available of all varieties. He seems to have a problem with the regular Orijen and the canned 96% chicken Before Grain, so with those options out I'm going to try the dry BG lines that contain chicken meal but not as much chicken. He's on Orijen Regional Red now and he's done fine on 6 Fish before, so those are the options I know work. I do buy all kinds of canned food, not just the grain free. It's hard to tell but I think his favorite is the Merrick Cowboy Cookout.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

It's said that it's good to rotate between various proteins, can keep allergies at bay, so it would probably be a good thing. Another thought: if you only feed one of them, what happens if you go to the store and they don't have that flavor? If they're used to all of them, you'll always have one to feed!


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

I was feeding PS but I switched to HP, I think im going to stick with HP for a while, unlike most, when I get something I like... Or they like, I tend to stick with it.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

I rotate mostly between the HP and PS. I am also one to consider that it must be pretty boring to eat the same stuff everyday. At least this gives the Boys something a little different. I think it has helped with their 'pickiness' as well. 

I know many people who do not have the funds to buy premium dog food, so they get what they can afford. This usually is whatever is on sale at the time, so the kibble changes often. These dogs have had no ill effects, even though the food is low quality. 

I have heard no evidence that says its 'bad' for a dog.


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