{"id":46167,"date":"2026-08-10T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/?p=46167"},"modified":"2026-08-12T22:10:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T22:10:22","slug":"how-to-transition-your-dog-to-the-farmers-dog-instant-fresh-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/how-to-transition-your-dog-to-the-farmers-dog-instant-fresh-food\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Transition Your Dog to The Farmer\u2019s Dog Instant Fresh Food"},"content":{"rendered":"<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><p><strong>In this article:<\/strong><\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#how-do-i-prepare-to-transition-my-dog-s-food\">How do I prepare my dog for a transition to The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh food?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how-do-i-gradually-transition-my-dog-s-diet-to-the-farmer-s-dog-instant-food\">How do I gradually transition my dog&rsquo;s diet to The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh food?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how-do-i-prepare-instant\">How do I prepare Instant Fresh?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#what-should-i-watch-out-for-during-the-transition-period\">What should I watch out for during the transition period?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#why-do-i-need-to-gradually-transition-between-foods\">Why do I need to gradually transition between foods?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#what-if-i-have-more-questions\">What if I have more questions?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"><div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div><p><em>This article was originally published in June of 2026, and has been updated.<\/em><\/p><p>Feeding your dog real, healthy food ensures that they get all the nutrients they need&mdash;without the harmful effects of ultra-processing. And personalized portions can help keep your dog at their ideal weight&mdash;which is crucial, considering that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/myths-and-facts-about-dogs-weight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lean dogs can live up to 2.5 years longer than those who are overweight<\/a>.<\/p><p>The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh recipes are all developed by our on-staff, board-certified nutritionists to be complete and balanced for adult dogs*&mdash;and each recipe uses real meats, vegetables, and grains. We ensure every ingredient is gently cooked and dried using our Low-Heat Drying Technology&trade; to avoid harmful processing, and to retain nutrients. Finally, we mix it all together&mdash;with every step of our process meeting human-grade safety standards.<\/p><p>Still, any change in a dog&rsquo;s diet can take some getting used to, and a gradual transition is the best way to make sure your best friend reaps the benefits of their new food without experiencing any digestive issues.<\/p><p>Here are some simple tips for pulling off a seamless transition to The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh food, a shelf-stable option that transforms into a freshly made meal in seconds.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"responsive-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Transition to Instant Fresh\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/73t6i2TMd6A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-i-prepare-to-transition-my-dog-s-food\">How do I prepare to transition my dog to The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh food?<\/h4><p>Keep enough of your dog&rsquo;s old food to get through at least one week of transition. Everything else you need to know will come with your first box.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-i-gradually-transition-my-dog-s-diet-to-the-farmer-s-dog-instant-food\">How do I gradually transition my dog&rsquo;s diet to The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh food?<\/h4><p>You&rsquo;ll receive complete transition instructions in your first box of Instant Fresh. But here&rsquo;s the gist:<br>You&rsquo;ll start by feeding your dog meals that are three-quarters their old food and one-quarter Instant Fresh.<\/p><p>Over the course of a week, slowly decrease the amount of their old food and increase the amount of Instant Fresh.<\/p><p>By day seven, you&rsquo;ll be feeding them their full personalized portion of Instant Fresh.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-i-prepare-instant\">How do I prepare Instant Fresh?<\/h4><p>Preparing Instant Fresh is easy. In addition to the dry food mix, you&rsquo;ll need a clean dog bowl, a measuring cup, a spoon for stirring, and water. Here&rsquo;s what you do:<\/p><ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Scoop<\/strong> your dog&rsquo;s personalized portion of Instant Fresh into the bowl with the measuring cup. Make sure your measuring cup is clean and dry before using.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stir<\/strong> in an equal amount of water for a few seconds until it looks fluffy. Make sure you use water you&rsquo;d drink yourself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Serve<\/strong> your dog a real, freshly made meal. You can feed the prepared food right away, and store it for up to two days in the fridge.<br>Store the resealable Instant Fresh bag in a cool, dry place like your pantry, and use within three months of opening.<\/li>\n<\/ol><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"responsive-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to Prepare Instant Fresh\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gWhavOT8lx8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-should-i-watch-out-for-during-the-transition-period\">What should I watch out for during the transition period?<\/h4><p>Some dogs have sensitive stomachs&mdash;so even if an owner does everything right during a transition, their dog may temporarily experience runnier-than-usual stools or one or two episodes of vomiting.<\/p><p>If either of these happen to your dog, make sure that they continue to drink water as normal, enjoy playtime, and have a healthy appetite. If this is the case and they otherwise behave normally, they should bounce back quickly. As your dog&rsquo;s digestive system acclimates to their new food, loose stools typically resolve over a few days.<\/p><p>If your dog has ongoing or worsening loose stools, continues vomiting, is not interested in eating, or seems lethargic, contact your veterinarian immediately.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why-do-i-need-to-gradually-transition-between-foods\">Why do I need to gradually transition between foods?<\/h4><p>A slow transition is easier on your dog&rsquo;s digestive system. &ldquo;A dog&rsquo;s digestive system, just like a human&rsquo;s, contains a community of organisms called the microbiome that plays a big role in digestion and overall health,&rdquo; said Brandon Stapleton, DVM, Head Veterinarian at The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog. &ldquo;Changing foods can change the microbiome&mdash;and if it happens too quickly, it can cause digestive upset.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-if-i-have-more-questions\">What if I have more questions?<\/h4><p>Transitioning foods is usually a smooth process&mdash;and switching to less-processed food can give your dog a lifetime of health benefits. If you have any questions about your dog&rsquo;s transition, reach out to our Customer Care team at any time. <a href=\"http:\/\/thefarmersdog.com\/app\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Log into your account<\/a> for more tips, and to update your dog&rsquo;s plan as needed. And if you have any concerns about your dog&rsquo;s digestive health, call your veterinarian.<\/p><p>*<em>The Farmer&rsquo;s Dog Instant Fresh Chicken &amp; Grain is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance of adult dogs; if you have a puppy, please ask our customer care team about options that are right for your dog.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s how and why to take it slow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":46502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[416,174],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-wellness","category-nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46167"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47157,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46167\/revisions\/47157"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thefarmersdog.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}