Last Updated: 07/11/2025
Rotational Diets for Dogs
Is your dog bored of their diet? Check out our Vet-written guide all about rotational diets - to provide more variety and health benefits for your pooch.
Author: Dr Belinda Stancombe BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 7 minutes - short read
Imagine eating your favourite meal day in, day out, for the rest of your life! Even the most delicious food can get boring without a change in flavour or texture. For some dogs, eating the same food daily is a regular mealtime occurrence.
Rotational diets are all about variety and involve feeding your dog several different foods, in a regular pattern, alternating between the different diets. Feeding your dog a rotational diet not only provides variation at meal time, but can also benefit your pets physical health and well-being.
Our vets have outlined the benefits of feeding a rotational diet, how to transition your pet safely and some diet formulas and treats you can try at home. With a wide range of pet food options available, the possible combinations for your dog's rotational diet are only limited by your imagination!
What is a Rotational Diet?
A Rotational Diet involves feeding a variety of different food types, be it different brands, protein sources or forms, instead of staying on just one type of pet food continuously. Owners may keep a variety of pet food diets on hand and change between these in a regular alternating pattern. Rotating your cat's diet daily, every few days or weekly, depending on what works for your family, can provide important health benefits.
The ideal rotation diet provides:
1. A variety of proteins (eg chicken, beef, fish, etc)
2. A variety of textures (dry, wet, freeze-dried, raw)
3. A range of different pet food brands
What are the Benefits?
1. Reduced Risk of Allergies
Rotational diets were first introduced in the human nutrition world for people with food allergies or intolerances. Scores of people worldwide have anecdotally reported that by implementing a rotation of different food groups over a period of a few days, their food allergy symptoms significantly reduced. The intention is to allow a person to eat a wide range of food types, but ensure they leave 4 days between eating the same food twice. By providing short exposure to potential allergens, this helps keep up a tolerance without over-exposing, and helps treat current food allergies.
While research into the field of rotational diets in animals is limited, many pet owners who have adopted this human-recommended diet report that it works extremely well for their pets with sensitivities, and reduces their risk of developing further food intolerances. Some top nutritional experts in the veterinary academia world are also starting to advocate the theory.
Sometimes, when a pet owner discovers their pet is allergic to one component of the food, such as chicken, they will swap over to a diet containing only beef and feed this exclusively. Unfortunately by doing this, the pet can actually develop a sensitivity to this new protein. Instead, it might be more beneficial for that pet to move onto a chicken-free diet that rotates between other protein sources varyingly.
Got an itchy dogs? We've got plenty more tips to help you out! See our guide on how to stop your dog from scratching.
2. Variety for Fussy Eaters
Just like us, pets can get bored with the same flavour and texture for every meal. Offering a rotation of proteins, as well as a rotation of textures, can help keep your pet interested and happy!
3. Promotes Good Digestion
A healthy gastrointestinal tract relies on 'good' bacteria to aid digestion. Varying the ingredients in your pet's diet enables a wide range of good bacteria to establish in their gastrointestinal tract, which can aid good digestion.
4. Ensures a Complete and Balanced Diet
While most pet foods are formulated to meet guidelines, different brands can vary greatly in nutrient content, particularly for components such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.Varying the diet that your pet is eating ensures that they are receiving a full spectrum of these essential ingredients.
Unfortunately, even the most premium pet food manufacturers can make mistakes. A rotation diet can help protect you in case a manufacturer produces a vitamin deficient or nutritionally imbalanced batch and issues a recall (which is rare, but can happen from time to time). Take the 2017 case of recalled thiamine-deficient 'BFF' brand cat food as an example. Most of the cats who became ill from the recalled food were fed the diet exclusively, with nothing else. Without other balanced diets to draw thiamine from, these cats suffered from thiamine deficiency and consequentially became seriously ill.
If your pet is fed a rotation of a few different diets, they can draw nutrients from multiple sources. This means that in the case of any vitamin deficient batches produced by one manufacturer, your pet will have other diets to fall back on.
Open Farm
Open Farm, exclusive in Australia to Pet Circle, is redefining what it means to create premium nutrition for pets. Not only are Open Farm diets made with top quality proteins and superfoods, but every product is proudly produced with a focus on transparent sourcing and traceability, humane production animal welfare standards, ethically sourced ingredients, and sustainable fishing practices in line with Ocean Wise Standards.
Choose from grain-based or grain-free, highly palatable dry cat food recipes such as Wild Caught Salmon, Lamb and Turkey and Chicken, with a range of complementary Wet Foods in each flavour. Feeding your dog a rotational diet has never been so easy.
Key Benefits:
- Premium, Natural Ingredients
- Transparent, Ethically Sourced and Sustainable
- Grain-free options, with No artificial flavours or preservatives
Rotation Diet Examples
Below are some examples of rotation diets that are suitable for different ages and to support different conditions. Each diet has been recommended 4 options, with variation in protein sources, texture and brand.
Healthy Puppy
Instinctive Bite Chicken dry food + Open Farm Wild Caught Salmon dry food + Prime100 SPD Lamb Apple and Blueberry + Ziwi Peak Beef canned food
These four diets consist of two dry foods, one air-dried food, and one wet food. The proteins are different in each formula - with lamb, fish, beef, and chicken all provided for. Each food meets the requirements to support growing puppies, and is of a very high quality. The carbohydrate component in each food also varies.
Puppy with Sensitive Skin
Proplan Sensitive Skin and Stomach dry food + Canidae All Life Stages Salmon and Ancient Grains dry food + Open Farm Wild Caught Salmon Rustic Stew wet food + Absolute Holistic Home Cooked with Fish.
Most pet owners with sensitive skin puppies find an improvement when they change to fish-based diets. This is partly due to the higher levels of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, but it is also due to the fact that fish-based foods tend not to contain common food allergen ingredients. In dogs, common food allergens include chicken, wheat, corn, and pork.
These diets consist of two dry foods, one wet and one fresh food. All of the diets contain fish, are of very high quality and completely natural.
Healthy Adult Dog
Zignature Grain Free Duck dry food + Instinctive Bite Single Protein Kangaroo dry food + Black Hawk Grain Free Lamb wet food + K9 Natural Beef Feast freeze-dried food.
This diet consist of two dry foods, one freeze-dried food, and one wet food. The proteins are different in each formula - providing duck, kangaroo, lamb and beef to rotate through. Each diet is of a very high premium quality, and the carbohydrate source differs between each food.
Adult Dog with Sensitive Skin or Food Allergies
Ivory Coat Grain Free Salmon and Ocean Fish dry food + Black Hawk Fish and Potato dry food + Prime100 Salmon and pumpkin wet food + K9 Natural Lamb Green Tripe freeze dried topper.
For dogs with sensitive skin or a suspected food allergy, many people find an improvement when they change to fish-based diets. This is partly due to their higher levels of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, but it is also due to the fact that fish-based foods tend not to contain common food allergen ingredients. In dogs, common food allergens include chicken, beef, wheat, corn, and pork.
The four diets selected for this rotation consist of two dry foods, one wet food and a topper. The protein sources are mostly fish-based, with a mixture of salmon, ocean fish and lamb tripe. Lamb tripe contains probiotics, which can help with skin and stomach upsets in dogs.
Adult Dogs with Weight Issues
Royal Canin Neutered Adult dry food + Savourlife Grain Free Lean dry food + Orijen Senior dry food + Advance Weight Control Cans.
These four diets are all top quality and are designed specifically for weight management. This rotational regime consists of three dry foods and one wet food. The protein source is varied between the different recipes - including pork, poultry and salmon, and a variation in wet and dry food. Each diet is of a very high premium quality, and carbohydrate sources are varied between each food.
How to Transition Your Dog
When starting a rotation diet, it's best to do things slowly to avoid tummy upsets. At first, stick to one food for a few days at a time and provide transition meals (half food A / half food B) when rotating. Eventually your pet's tummy will get used to it, and will be able to eat a different meal every day, or every couple of days (depending on what works for you).
Looking for more information on how to transition your dog onto another diet, see our veterinary written article How To Introduce a New Food to your Pet.
Unique Protein Treats
There are now a wide range of unique protein treats available to complement a rotational diet, or just to add some variation to your dog's current diet. Insect based protein treats are a unique, delicious and sustainable carbon neutral treat options for your dog.
Other unique protein treat options include Venison, Duck, Kangaroo and Fish Protein.
*A rotational diet may not be suitable for all pets. Some pets require a prescription diet to manage medical conditions and should be fed this diet exclusively or as directed by their veterinarian. For more information on what diet is suitable for your pet please contact The Pet Circle Vet Squad or check with your regular veterinarian.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Fri Nov 7 2025
Edited by Dr Belinda Stancombe BVSc (Hons)Dr Belinda Stancombe BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr Belinda graduated from The University of Queensland in 2009 and has worked as a Small Animal Veterinarian for over 10 years in South East Queensland. She also has experience as a telehealh consultant, providing veterinary advice for online customers.She has a special interest in animal behaviour, preventative health, the human-animal bond and internal medicine. Outside of work hours she is closely affiliated with a kitten rescue and is also a devoted carer of orphaned rescue kittens.
