---
title: "Switching puppy food without an upset stomach"
description: "A seven-day plan for moving from the breeder's food to the one you chose."
url: https://evapup.com/journal/feeding/puppy-food-transition
category: "Nutrition & Feeding"
author: "Olivia Marsh"
published: 2026-08-28
updated: 2026-09-13
---

# Switching puppy food without an upset stomach

A seven-day plan for moving from the breeder's food to the one you chose.

Bring home a week of whatever the puppy has been eating. Then change over slowly.

## The seven-day ratio

Days one and two, three quarters old food and one quarter new. Days three and four, half and half. Days five and six, one quarter old. Day seven, all new.

> **Do not free feed a puppy.** Scheduled meals make potty timing predictable and let you notice a skipped meal, which is often the first sign of illness.

## Signs to slow down

Soft stool for more than a day means you moved too fast. Go back one step for two days.

### Picking the new food

Look for a growth formula that meets the AAFCO puppy profile, and for large breeds a large-breed puppy formula with controlled calcium.

---

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