Royal Canine Prescription Food December 2020

Royal Canine Prescription Food
December 2020
The following information will be of special interest to owners whose pets are on a Royal Canin prescription diet, but, in general, all clients may find it helpful when faced with making changes to a pet’s diet.
Dear Burke Animal Clinic Clients:
The Royal Canin pet food company has reformulated some of their prescription foods over the past year. Most recently, they reformulated their canine and feline dermatology prescription diets and began distributing them over the last several months. The changes vary and may include caloric changes, increases or decreases in protein or fiber, and/or other ingredient changes. For most of these reformulations, Royal Canin indicates the changes are “minimal.”
For three of the feline canned foods, Selected Protein PD (pea and duck), PR (pea and rabbit), and PV (pea and venison), they recommend a slow transition from the current diet or formula to the newly formulated diet, especially if the cat has irritable bowel disease. These new formulas are easily recognized as they come in smaller cans, 5.1 ounces instead of 5.8 ounces.
Our veterinarians recommend that any time you change a pet’s diet, whether it is a new food or a reformulation of the same brand, it should be done slowly over a 7 to 10-day period as follows: *
- Days 1-3, feed your pet 75% of the old diet; 25% of the new or reformulated diet.
- Days 4-6, feed 50% of the old diet; 50% of the new or reformulated diet.
- Days 7-9, feed 25% of the old diet; 75% of the new or reformulated diet.
Thereafter, transition to 100% of the new diet if your pet is doing well.
Changing your Pet’s Food

*An exception to the slow transition would be if the veterinarian has recommended the soft bland diet (plain chicken and rice), which should begin without any transition period unless directed otherwise.
If your pet experiences gastrointestinal upset, such as vomiting or diarrhea, or any other abnormalities when changing to a new diet or reformulated food, please stop the new diet and call the clinic at 703-569-9600 for a doctor’s advice. Feel free to call with any questions about Royal Canin’s reformulation.
Thank you,
Burke Animal Clinic Veterinarians