How To Transition Your Dog To Fresh Food

At a glance

• Switch gradually over 7 to 10 days, mixing a little more fresh food into your dog’s usual food each time
• Start with around 25% fresh food, move up to 50% and then 75% every 2 to 3 days, and feed it on its own from day 10
• Give puppies, older dogs and dogs with sensitive stomachs up to 14 days
• Expect a few days of softer poos and a little extra wind while the gut adjusts
• Go back a step if stools turn loose, and call your vet if your dog keeps vomiting

How do I transition from dry to fresh dog food?

Transition your dog from dry food to a gently cooked fresh food, like Marleybones Pantry Fresh®, gradually over 7 to 10 days. Mix a little more fresh food into each meal until the bowl is all fresh. The same schedule works whenever you change your dog's food, whatever you're switching from or to.

A gradual switch matters because your dog's gut, and the bacteria living in it, are used to the food they've been eating. Changing food too quickly usually shows up as loose stools, wind or an unsettled tummy, especially in a dog with a sensitive stomach. 

We've supported thousands of dog owners through the switch, and the smoothest ones come from going slowly and changing one thing at a time.

How to switch a dog to fresh food, day by day

Switch your dog to fresh food in four stages: start with around 25% fresh food mixed into their usual meal, increase every 2 to 3 days, and feed it on its own from day 10.

• Recalculate portions first: fresh food has different calories and far more moisture than kibble, so follow its feeding guide rather than swapping scoop for scoop.
• Keep treats, toppers and chews the same, so you know what's behind any change in their poo.
• Start with one single-protein recipe, so there's only one new protein to get used to.
• Pick up anything uneaten after about 30 minutes, and use an opened pack within 48 hours.
• With no time for a gradual switch, changing your dog's food suddenly can still go smoothly with a few precautions.

How do you change dog food without upsetting their stomach?

To change your dog's food without upsetting their stomach, use the same gradual plan for any switch: mix the new food in over 7 to 10 days, a quarter at a time. The bigger the difference between the old food and the new one, the slower the switch should be. Swapping one kibble for a similar one is a small change, and so is wet food to fresh: 5 to 7 days is usually enough. From frozen fresh food, a few days of mixing will do. Kibble to fresh food changes moisture, protein and texture at once, so it gets the full ten days.

A dog's stomach usually takes a few days to settle after changing food. If your dog's digestion gets worse after switching food brands instead of settling, slow right down and hold each stage for longer.

"When a dog changes diet, the gut is exposed to a different combination of moisture, fibre, fats. A gradual transition helps the digestive tract adapt to that new nutrient environment with fewer disruptions in stool quality."

Dr Davide Stefanutti, DVM, PhD, veterinary nutritionist

Should I switch my dog to fresh food?

For most dogs, yes. A gently cooked fresh food is around 65 to 75% moisture against about 10% in dry kibble, so every meal adds water to your dog's day. When transitioning a dog from kibble, the best food is a complete and balanced one, so your dog gets everything they need at every stage of the switch.

Fresh cooked food is easier for dogs to digest than kibble. Controlled feeding trials, including a 2021 study in the Journal of Animal Science, found commercial fresh cooked diets more digestible than extruded dry kibble, so more of each meal gets used.

Kibble is complete and suits plenty of dogs, and mixing kibble and fresh food long term works well if you'd rather not go fully fresh.

Going fresh doesn't have to change your routine, either. A shelf-stable fresh food, like Marleybones Pantry Fresh, is kept in the cupboard just like kibble until it's opened, so there's no freezer space to find and nothing to thaw before dinner.

In a January 2026 survey of 1,056 Marleybones subscribers, 71% reported better digestion and stools and 67% said their dog was more excited at mealtimes after switching. Dr Davide Stefanutti, the veterinary nutritionist who helped formulate the recipes, sees so many dogs regain their spark on real, minimally processed food. The change is gradual, but it shows in their energy and coat.

"Marleybones is great! Meal times are always more exciting and empty bowls every time, plus no more runny poos!" - Flora T., Trustpilot, October 2026

How long does it take to transition a dog to a fresh food diet?

Transitioning a dog to a fresh food diet takes 7 to 10 days, and most dogs have fully settled by about three weeks. Mild digestive issues at first are common, such as a few days of softer poos and a little extra wind, while the gut bacteria adjust to a wetter, more digestible diet.

If stools turn loose, step back to the last mix that suited your dog for two or three days, then carry on more slowly. Plain chicken and rice isn't a complete diet, so using it mid-switch only adds a second change of food.

Smaller poos are normal on fresh food, because more of each meal is digested, and so is a dog drinking less from the water bowl, since fresh food brings its own water. You'll know the transition to fresh food is complete when stools are consistently formed, usually within the first month, and your dog's appetite is steady.

A dog's gut bacteria keep adjusting for weeks after a change of food, so give a new diet that long before you judge it. Dr Davide Stefanutti calls it three weeks of patience for years of better health.

"If you ever doubt it's working, remember: adaptation happens inside before you see it outside. Keep going — the results will follow."

Dr Davide Stefanutti, DVM, PhD

Loose stools during the switch are normal; persistent vomiting is not. Call your vet if your dog vomits repeatedly, has blood in their poo, refuses food or water, seems lethargic or unwell, or has diarrhoea that's no better within 48 hours. Repeated retching with a swollen, tight tummy is an emergency: call straight away. Puppies and older dogs need a vet sooner.

How do you switch a puppy or a senior dog?

Puppies switch to fresh food the same way as adult dogs, but at the slower end of the plan: up to 14 days, with a few extra days at each stage. The food itself has to be complete for a growing puppy. A gently cooked fresh food that's complete for all life stages meets FEDIAF nutritional guidelines and can be fed from puppyhood into adulthood. That's how we make Marleybones Pantry Fresh, so your puppy can stay on the same food as they grow, with no second switch to make.

To transition a new puppy to fresh, natural dog food safely, work out their portion by age and weight first. A hesitant puppy is usually reacting to the novelty, so serve the food at room temperature and give it a day or two.

To transition a dog to a senior diet without stomach upset, or to move an older dog onto fresh food, take up to 14 days. A very old dog, or one with a history of digestive trouble, can take up to 21. Dogs on long-term medication, or being managed for a condition that needs a diagnosis, should talk the switch through with their vet first.

What if my dog has a sensitive stomach or is a picky eater?

Dogs with sensitive stomachs should extend the transition to 14 days, starting at 10 to 15% fresh food and moving up in smaller steps. A protein your dog already knows keeps one thing familiar, so a dog raised on chicken kibble might start on Marleybones Chic Chicken; for a known sensitivity, try a novel protein they haven't eaten before, such as Lush Lamb. Every recipe in the range includes chicory root, a natural prebiotic that feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

A fussy eater usually needs patience more than a different plan. Fresh food smells like real meat, and serving it slightly warmed brings the aroma out. Keep set mealtimes, and don't offer an alternative or go back to the old food when a meal is refused, because that teaches a fussy dog that holding out works. If your dog was fussy long before the switch, the reasons behind fussy eating are worth a closer look.

Every dog is different — build your personalised Marleybones feeding and health plan tailored to your dog's age, size, and health requirements.

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FAQs

Can changing dog food cause diarrhoea?

Yes, especially when the switch is sudden, because the gut hasn't had time to adjust to the new food. Diarrhoea from a change of food usually clears within one to three days; call your vet if it's no better within 48 hours or your dog seems unwell.

Can you switch a dog from kibble to fresh food overnight?

Yes, a healthy adult dog can switch abruptly onto a new complete food if it has to, though softer stools for a few days are more likely, and three or four smaller meals a day help at first. Puppies, older dogs and dogs with sensitive stomachs are better off with the gradual route.

Should I mix fresh food with kibble during the transition?

Yes, mixing them in the same bowl is the simplest way to transition, stirred together thoroughly so your dog can't pick out the bits they prefer. Afterwards you can go fully fresh or keep a steady mix, which is what Marleybones half plans are portioned for.

Do you need to transition between two fresh foods?

Yes, though it can be quicker. Moving between two fresh recipes, say from Marleybones Boss Beef to Sassy Salmon, still changes the protein your dog's gut is used to, so mix them over 5 to 7 days rather than swapping overnight.

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Sources

• Liao P, Yang K, Huang H, Xin Z, Jian S, Wen C et al. (2023). Abrupt dietary change and gradual dietary transition impact diarrheal symptoms, fecal fermentation characteristics, microbiota, and metabolic profile in healthy puppies. Animals 13(8): 1300
• Maturana M, Castillejos L, Lesaux AA, Martin-Orue SM (2025). Impact of an abrupt change from dry to canned diet on digestive function and gut microbiota in dogs. Journal of Animal Science 103: skaf143
• Tanprasertsuk J, Perry LM, Tate DE, Honaker RW, Shmalberg J (2021). Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility and metabolizable energy estimation in commercial fresh and extruded dry kibble dog foods. Translational Animal Science 5(3): txab071
• Do S, Phungviwatnikul T, de Godoy MRC, Swanson KS (2021). Nutrient digestibility and fecal characteristics, microbiota, and metabolites in dogs fed human-grade foods. Journal of Animal Science 99(2): skab028
• Tanprasertsuk J, Shmalberg J, Maughan H, Tate DE, Perry LM, Jha AR et al. (2021). Heterogeneity of gut microbial responses in healthy household dogs transitioning from an extruded to a mildly cooked diet. PeerJ 9: e11648
• PDSA: Your dog's diet
• PDSA Pet Health Hub: Diarrhoea after a change of food

Last updated: 28 October 2026