Is Rotating Your Dog’s Food Important?
Yes, yes, and YES! More than you realise.
It’s so important that your dog’s health and wellbeing could depend on your ability to understand why rotation is so important.
Let’s start with something we repeat a lot:
✅ Your dog needs 22 amino acids
✅ Your dog needs 13 vitamins
✅ Your dog needs 14 minerals
And every single one must be present in the right amounts for your dog to flourish and thrive.
If just one is missing, the best your dog can hope for is survival, not true health.
But My Dog Has Lived to 12, 13, or 14 Without All of These…?
Many dogs live into their teens while missing key nutrients. But here’s the harsh reality, they’ve likely suffered or struggled along the way.
Biology is science, and science is fact. The numbers 22, 13, and 14 are not opinions. They are the fundamental building blocks of canine nutrition.
Ignoring them because it’s easier, cheaper, or just “what you’ve always done” isn’t just neglect, it’s just not helping.
Why Don’t More People Know This?
Most people, when we mention these numbers, the very basics of dog nutrition, their eyes glaze over. They switch off because it’s easier than learning something new. At this point, we know we are wasting our time. You can’t teach someone who already thinks they know everything.
You just can’t. So, we don’t.
But you’re still reading. And that tells us something. Something good about you. It tells us you care enough to want the best for your dog. So, let’s make sure your dog gets the nutrition it truly needs.
Why Rotation is the Answer
Your dog cannot get all the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals it needs in the correct amounts from just one type of meat.
🔎 For example:
Your dog naturally produces 12 amino acids.
But the other 10 must come from food.
Here’s where they come from:
|
Essential Amino Acid |
Key Benefits |
Main Sources |
|
Arginine |
Circulation, detoxification & boosts immune function |
Chicken, Turkey |
|
Histidine |
Haemoglobin production, nerve health & tissue repair |
Beef, Fish, Salmon |
|
Isoleucine |
Muscle function & energy production |
Lamb, Salmon, Fish |
|
Leucine |
Muscle growth & repair |
Chicken, Beef, Turkey |
|
Lysine |
Calcium absorption, bone health & antibody production |
Beef, Chicken, Salmon |
|
Methionine |
Heart, eye, skin & coat health |
Salmon |
|
Phenylalanine |
Brain function & hormone production |
Beef, Pork, Salmon |
|
Threonine |
Immune & digestion support & nutrient absorption |
Chicken, Turkey, Fish |
|
Tryptophan |
Behaviour, mood & sleep regulation |
Lamb, Pork, Beef |
|
Valine |
Muscle development, nervous system support & energy production |
Beef, Lamb, Chicken |
See the problem?
One meat alone will never be enough and overtime it can become too much.
🔄 Rotating different meats is crucial for your dog’s health.
Is My Dog Allergic or Just Eating Too Much of One Thing?
How many times have you heard someone say:
❌ "My dog is allergic to chicken!"
❌ "My dog can’t eat salmon, it gives them diarrhoea!"
Here’s a reality check:
🐾 Less than 10% of all suspected food allergies in dogs are real allergies.
🐾 90% of cases are just owners jumping to conclusions too quickly.
Let us use our own Rottweiler, Lucy, as an example.
She’s fed our own brand of dog food, rotating between chicken, lamb and salmon. She’s healthy, happy, and thriving. BUT… when she eats a full bowl of salmon, she gets the worst diarrhoea imaginable. Do I remove salmon from her diet? NO. Because it’s not an allergy, it’s just too rich for her in large amounts.
💡 The solution? Instead of removing salmon completely, we feed her 25% salmon mixed with her other food.
👉 She still gets the essential nutrition from the salmon, but without the upset stomach.
Too many dog owners immediately assume an allergy when simple portion adjustments would solve the issue.
Leaving huge gaps in nutrition, all at the detriment of their dog.
Overloading on “Good” Nutrition is Just as Bad. If Not Worse!
Here’s something most people don’t know:
🚨 Overfeeding amino acids, vitamins and minerals, will over time create a toxic environment inside your dog’s body.
🚨 It overloads the liver, kidneys, joints, and heart and can also come out in skin complaints
🚨 This can’t be “walked off” with extra exercise because it has become toxic and is being stored inside your dogs body.
Rotation helps to reduce the probability of nutrient overload just as much as it prevents deficiencies.
This is why we don’t just rate dog food, we provide practical solutions to help you balance your dog’s diet correctly.
So, Should You Rotate Your Dog’s Food?
✔ Rotating prevents nutrient gaps.
✔ Rotating reduces the risk of overloading certain nutrients.
✔ Rotating gives your dog the variety it craves.
✔ Rotating is what the best, most responsible dog owners do.
If this is the first time you’ve ever heard this explained properly, that’s not your fault.
The pet food industry and most vets simply don’t teach it. But now you know. And knowing this makes you a better, more informed, more responsible dog owner than most.
👏 Well done. 👏
If You Need Help…
📩 Need advice on choosing food?
📩 Want help adjusting portions?
📩 Not sure how to rotate properly?
Just contact us. We’re always happy to help.
🐾 Because at the end of the day, it’s all about your dog’s health. 🐾
Final Thought:
Dogs are fed the same food every day for years.
If a dog eats twice a day and lives to 10 years old, that’s 7,300 bowls of the same meal.
❌ If that food lacks key nutrients, your dog will suffer for it.
✔ Rotation, variety, and balance are the keys to a longer, healthier, happier life for your dog. 🐾