Introducing New Foods

New foods should always be introduced gradually into your pet’s diet. It may take up to two or three weeks to phase in a new food for very sensitive animals, particularly if the new food is very different from the previous diet.

The reason for phasing in the food gradually is to allow the gut flora (“friendly bacteria”) to adjust and build up for optimal digestion of the nutrients in the new food. Mixing in the new food too quickly can lead to digestive upset such as diarrhea.

We recommend feeding twice-a-day. For the first 3-4 days, mix 1/3 Solid Gold food and 2/3 old food for each meal. Add SeaMeal to provide extra trace minerals, essential fatty acids and digestive enzymes, to assist in digestion. The SeaMeal should be mixed with a little warm water, to help to disperse it evenly, and added to both meals. *See information of adding SeaMeal, in the section entitled “Using SeaMeal” below.

For the next 3-4 days, mix ½ and ½ Solid Gold and old food. If old food is not available, cooked brown rice can be used instead. Gradually adjust the ratio every few days, until a complete transition is made to the Solid Gold food.

Left-over vegetable such a steamed green beans, zucchini, squash or carrots (don’t use corn or peas) or raw fruit such as bananas, grapes, apples, or blueberries can also be added to the food, but again, do so gradually. Plain yogurt or cottage cheese may also be added and can help to balance the intestinal flora during the transition to new food.

If digestive upset does occur, add half a baked potato with the skin on, or some cooked brown rice to the food, which will help to firm up the stools. The increased fiber may also cause larger stools. Brown rice and potato skins are high in fiber and relatively bland to help settle the digestive tract. They can be prepared in advance and refrigerated to save cooking them for every meal.

Allow up to 30 days to see an improvement in allergies such as skin irritation or chewing at the feet. Eliminating common allergens from the diet (with Solid Gold foods) and boosting the immune system (with SeaMeal) will help to combat a food-allergy problem. Increased stool volume may occur to begin with, as the animal detoxifies, and also because of the higher fiber and whole grains used in our food-which may help to prevent digestive disorders such as colon cancer later in life.

Using SeaMeal
Put ¼ inch warm water in the bottom of the food bowl. Add SeaMeal, according to your pet’s body weight:

SeaMeal is a good source of uncooked, viable, digestive enzymes, which increase the digestibility of the food. Solid Gold foods are around 80% digestible on their own. When SeaMeal is added, they are around 92% digestible. It can take up to 22 days for the results of the SeaMeal to be seen. That is the rate of cell turnover in the body.