给你的狗换狗粮?(maizhan译)

打死我也不说

Change Your Dog's Food
给你的狗换狗粮

Once you have selected a good quality dog food, that's all you need to feed, right? Not really. You should vary your dog's food periodically. There are many good reasons for this:
一旦你选择了一种质量不错的狗粮，除了这种狗粮，其他什么都不用喂了，正确吗？不一定。你应该定期地更换你的狗粮。这么做的原因有很多：

Dogs (actually all mammals) are designed to consume a range of different foods, and to obtain differing vitamins and minerals from each. They are not designed to eat "only chicken" or "only lamb" or any other food item for eternity. Changing foods, importantly the contents of those foods, every so often helps to give them the variety their bodies were designed to thrive on.
狗（实际上所有的哺乳动物都是）天生需要吃各种不同的食物，并从中获得不同的维生素和矿物质。它们并不是为了一辈子只吃单一的鸡肉、羊肉或者其他单一食物的。更换它们的食物，尤其是食物的内容，常常有助于满足它们身体的多样化所需。

There is no one dog food in existence that "has it all". And remember, the feeding trials that foods go through only last for six months (and not all foods are even trialled). Changing foods periodically helps to ensure that no dietary deficiencies or excesses build up over time.
目前没有一种狗粮是万能的，记住狗粮的喂食试验都不会超过6个月（况且并不是每种食物都经过喂食试验）。定期更换狗粮可以避免饮食不均衡或者过量。

Variety is the spice of life. Who wants to eat the same food day in and day out? Could you do it? For months or years? Feeding your dog something different helps to ensure that he does not become bored and frustrated with his food. This will not make your dog picky - we are talking about periodic changes here, not serving up something different or adding goodies to tempt him every time he doesn’t like his dinner.
多样化是生活的情趣所在。谁愿意每天吃同样的食物呢？连吃几个月或几年，你行吗？给你的狗喂些不同的食物有助于保证其对食物不会产生厌倦或者沮丧情绪。这并不会使你的狗变得挑食——我们谈的是周期性的更换食物，不是每次它不愿意吃饭的时候就用其他食物来引诱它吃。

And most importantly of all:
至关重要的是：

It helps to avoid the development of allergies. In a few extreme cases, you (or your dog) may be instantly and violently allergic to something. But that is a few extreme cases only - the vast majority of allergies are things that build up over time and with constant exposure. The surest way to develop an allergy to chicken, for example, is to consume it daily for an extended period. It is no coincidence that the most common allergens are things that have commonly been used in dog foods for many years. The (modern) advice given by nutritionists is that feeding a wide variety of different foods, preferably from a young age, can help to avoid the development of allergies in the first place (that's the advice given for humans too).
更换食物有助于避免过敏。在少数的极端情况下，你（或者你的狗）可能会对某些东西立即严重过敏。不过这也是很少的极端例子了——大多数的过敏是由于长期持续的积累而成。例如，对鸡肉过敏的必然途径是常年不变地每天进食鸡肉。最常见的过敏是常年进食狗粮中的常见成分导致。营养学家给出的建议是，给狗喂食多样化的食物——且最好由幼犬起就这么做——有助于避免过敏的发生（当然，对人类也是如此）。

Common signs of allergies are itchy skin, red itchy paws, chewing paws, yeast infections, ear infections, and skin infections that may respond to antibiotics but reappear as soon as the antibiotics are discontinued.
常见的过敏症状有皮肤瘙痒、爪子红痒、啃爪子、酵母菌感染、耳部感染，以及可以由抗生素治愈，但一经停用抗生素又复发的皮肤感染等。

That all adds up to changing the food you feed every once in a while. That means changing to a food with different main ingredients. There is very little benefit to switching from one chicken/rice food to another, for example. If you have been feeding a food with chicken as the main ingredient, then it is far better that the next food is based on lamb, or turkey, or fish, or beef, etc and that the other main ingredients are also varied.
所以应偶尔更换你的狗粮，重要的是更换不同主要成分的狗粮。例如，从一个品牌的鸡肉米饭狗粮更换至另一个品牌的鸡肉米饭狗粮是收效甚微的。如果你正在喂一种以鸡肉为主要成份的狗粮，更换成羊肉或火鸡、鱼、牛肉等作为主要成分、其他成分也有所不同的会更好。

Do I have to change brands every time I change food?
我每次都得更换品牌吗？

No, not necessarily. Look at the ingredients in the different formulas made by your brand. What is different? If it is only the main meat ingredient, then you should change to a different brand when you change foods. If many of the ingredients, including the main meat, are different then there is no need to change brands if you don't want to. The point here is to ensure that your dog gets a good variety of different food items in his diet. Not brand loyalty.
不需要。看看你用的品牌里不同系列狗粮的成分。它们有什么不同？如果只是最主要的肉类成分有所不同，那么你就可以换其他品牌了。如果两种系列里包括主要肉类成分的许多成分都有所不同，那么你大可不必尝试另一个品牌。关键点在于使你的狗接受多种不同的食物成分，而不是品牌忠诚度。

How often should I rotate foods?
我该多久换一次狗粮？

Minimally, at least every three months. But you can change more frequently than that. If your dog does not suffer from digestive upsets when his food is changed, then you might even consider changing foods every time the bag runs out.
至少应该三个月一次。当然你可以换得更频繁。如果你的狗对更换狗粮并没有产生肠胃不适应，你甚至可以考虑每用完一包狗粮就换另一种。

How many different foods do I need? Can I use a food again?
我该需要多少种狗粮呢？可以重复使用同一种吗？

At least three or four different foods (different main meat source and different main ingredients). More is better. You can certainly reuse a good food though, especially if your dog does particularly well on it. You could choose, for example, to feed food A for one bag then change to food B – go back to food A, then to food C and so on. This satisfies the criteria of avoiding constant or prolonged exposure to a particular set of ingredients.
至少应该有三至四种（不同的主要肉类来源以及不同的主要成分）。越多则越好。你当然可以重复使用同一种好狗粮，尤其在是你的狗对这种狗粮适应得很好的情况下。举例来说，你可以选择喂一袋A狗粮然后转成B狗粮——然后又转到A狗粮，再转用C狗粮。这可以避免持续地使用同一组成分的狗粮。

What about just mixing foods together?
把狗粮混在一块儿怎么样？

Mixing foods together can certainly help to ensure nutritional adequacy for the long term. But it does nothing to provide your dog with variety (something different to eat!) and it does not satisfy the criteria of avoiding constant or prolonged exposure to a particular set of ingredients. So this practice will do nothing to help avoid the development of food allergies – it just means that there are a greater number of things the dog is being exposed to on a constant basis. It also means that there is a wider range of possible culprits should a food allergy develop. You can mix foods if you choose, but you should vary the foods that you mix together, just as if you were feeding a single food.
把狗粮混合在一起当然可以保证长期的营养充足。但对于向你的狗提供多样化（不同的食物！）来说并没有帮助，而且也不能做到避免持续食用同一组成分的标准。这还可能导致你的狗对更大范围的食物成分过敏。你可以混合狗粮，但你应该混合不同的狗粮，正如你喂单一狗粮一样。

Do I need to change the food gradually?
我需要逐渐地转换狗粮吗？

It is usually wise to effect a change gradually. Not every dog is sensitive to food changes, and many will handle cold turkey changes without issue. But many won't, and the upset tummies and loose stools that can come with changing foods too fast are such an annoyance (for the dog too!) that it makes sense just to change gradually, unless you know for certain that your dog has the sort of cast iron stomach that won't be upset by a sudden change.
通常来说缓慢地转换狗粮是明智的。但也不是每只狗对食物转换都是敏感的，很多狗对突然的食物转换并没有什么反应。当然，也有很多狗是有问题的，换食太快常常导致拉稀。因此还是逐渐地转换狗粮较好，除非你知道你的狗有一副铜肠铁胃。

The simplest way to change foods is to blend the old and new foods together for a week or so. Start with a mix that is 25% new food and 75% old. Feed that for two or three days, and if there are no upset tummies or loose stools, increase the blend to a 50/50 mix. Again, feed that for a couple of days, then increase to a 75/25 blend, and finally to 100% new food. If at any stage there is a tummy upset or the dog's stools become loose, then hold off on increasing the amount of new food in the blend until that problem resolves. If there are no problems at all, it will take a week to ten days to accomplish the switch.
最简单的更换狗粮的方法是混合新旧两种狗粮大约一星期。由25%的新狗粮兑75%的旧狗粮开始喂两至三天，如果没有拉肚子或者软便就增加到50/50。再喂两三天，增加到75/25，最后由100%的新狗粮代替。如果在这过程中有任何拉肚子或者软便的情况出现，减慢增加新狗粮的速度，直至问题解决为止。如果根本就没有什么问题，一个星期到十天的转换期就可以了。

Won't changing foods make my dog picky?
更换狗粮会让我的狗挑食吗？

No, it won't. It's more likely to have the opposite effect, and keep the dog interested in his food. How long could you stay interested in eating exactly the same thing? A food change once a month, or every two or three months is not going to give you a picky dog. What creates pickiness is serving up something different any time the dog shows no interest in his meal. Just like little kids, a dog will learn very quickly that refusing to eat a meal results in Mom producing something better – if you constantly produce something better. Instead, you should give the dog his food at set meal times, and pick it up if it is not eaten within about 20 minutes. Don't offer anything else (i.e. don't fill him up on treats) until the next meal time.
不，不会的。反而会使你的狗对食物更感兴趣。你对同一种食物能感兴趣多久？每个月，或者每两三个月更换一次食物不会让你的狗变得挑食。导致挑食的原因是当狗对食物一表现出没有兴趣的时候就给它吃其他食物。就跟小孩子一样，狗会很快学习到拒绝一种食物的结果是可以得到更好吃的东西——如果你不断地给它更好吃的其他食物的话。相反地，你应该定时喂食，20分钟不吃就取走。不要喂它吃其他食物（比如狗饼干）直至下一次喂食时间。

Are there any other benefits to changing foods?
Change Your Dog's Food
给你的狗换狗粮

Once you have selected a good quality dog food, that's all you need to feed, right? Not really. You should vary your dog's food periodically. There are many good reasons for this:
一旦你选择了一种质量不错的狗粮，除了这种狗粮，其他什么都不用喂了，正确吗？不一定。你应该定期地更换你的狗粮。这么做的原因有很多：

Dogs (actually all mammals) are designed to consume a range of different foods, and to obtain differing vitamins and minerals from each. They are not designed to eat "only chicken" or "only lamb" or any other food item for eternity. Changing foods, importantly the contents of those foods, every so often helps to give them the variety their bodies were designed to thrive on.
狗（实际上所有的哺乳动物都是）天生需要吃各种不同的食物，并从中获得不同的维生素和矿物质。它们并不是为了一辈子只吃单一的鸡肉、羊肉或者其他单一食物的。更换它们的食物，尤其是食物的内容，常常有助于满足它们身体的多样化所需。

There is no one dog food in existence that "has it all". And remember, the feeding trials that foods go through only last for six months (and not all foods are even trialled). Changing foods periodically helps to ensure that no dietary deficiencies or excesses build up over time.
目前没有一种狗粮是万能的，记住狗粮的喂食试验都不会超过6个月（况且并不是每种食物都经过喂食试验）。定期更换狗粮可以避免饮食不均衡或者过量。

Variety is the spice of life. Who wants to eat the same food day in and day out? Could you do it? For months or years? Feeding your dog something different helps to ensure that he does not become bored and frustrated with his food. This will not make your dog picky - we are talking about periodic changes here, not serving up something different or adding goodies to tempt him every time he doesn’t like his dinner.
多样化是生活的情趣所在。谁愿意每天吃同样的食物呢？连吃几个月或几年，你行吗？给你的狗喂些不同的食物有助于保证其对食物不会产生厌倦或者沮丧情绪。这并不会使你的狗变得挑食——我们谈的是周期性的更换食物，不是每次它不愿意吃饭的时候就用其他食物来引诱它吃。

And most importantly of all:
至关重要的是：

It helps to avoid the development of allergies. In a few extreme cases, you (or your dog) may be instantly and violently allergic to something. But that is a few extreme cases only - the vast majority of allergies are things that build up over time and with constant exposure. The surest way to develop an allergy to chicken, for example, is to consume it daily for an extended period. It is no coincidence that the most common allergens are things that have commonly been used in dog foods for many years. The (modern) advice given by nutritionists is that feeding a wide variety of different foods, preferably from a young age, can help to avoid the development of allergies in the first place (that's the advice given for humans too).
更换食物有助于避免过敏。在少数的极端情况下，你（或者你的狗）可能会对某些东西立即严重过敏。不过这也是很少的极端例子了——大多数的过敏是由于长期持续的积累而成。例如，对鸡肉过敏的必然途径是常年不变地每天进食鸡肉。最常见的过敏是常年进食狗粮中的常见成分导致。营养学家给出的建议是，给狗喂食多样化的食物——且最好由幼犬起就这么做——有助于避免过敏的发生（当然，对人类也是如此）。

Common signs of allergies are itchy skin, red itchy paws, chewing paws, yeast infections, ear infections, and skin infections that may respond to antibiotics but reappear as soon as the antibiotics are discontinued.
常见的过敏症状有皮肤瘙痒、爪子红痒、啃爪子、酵母菌感染、耳部感染，以及可以由抗生素治愈，但一经停用抗生素又复发的皮肤感染等。

That all adds up to changing the food you feed every once in a while. That means changing to a food with different main ingredients. There is very little benefit to switching from one chicken/rice food to another, for example. If you have been feeding a food with chicken as the main ingredient, then it is far better that the next food is based on lamb, or turkey, or fish, or beef, etc and that the other main ingredients are also varied.
所以应偶尔更换你的狗粮，重要的是更换不同主要成分的狗粮。例如，从一个品牌的鸡肉米饭狗粮更换至另一个品牌的鸡肉米饭狗粮是收效甚微的。如果你正在喂一种以鸡肉为主要成份的狗粮，更换成羊肉或火鸡、鱼、牛肉等作为主要成分、其他成分也有所不同的会更好。

Do I have to change brands every time I change food?
我每次都得更换品牌吗？

No, not necessarily. Look at the ingredients in the different formulas made by your brand. What is different? If it is only the main meat ingredient, then you should change to a different brand when you change foods. If many of the ingredients, including the main meat, are different then there is no need to change brands if you don't want to. The point here is to ensure that your dog gets a good variety of different food items in his diet. Not brand loyalty.
不需要。看看你用的品牌里不同系列狗粮的成分。它们有什么不同？如果只是最主要的肉类成分有所不同，那么你就可以换其他品牌了。如果两种系列里包括主要肉类成分的许多成分都有所不同，那么你大可不必尝试另一个品牌。关键点在于使你的狗接受多种不同的食物成分，而不是品牌忠诚度。

How often should I rotate foods?
我该多久换一次狗粮？

Minimally, at least every three months. But you can change more frequently than that. If your dog does not suffer from digestive upsets when his food is changed, then you might even consider changing foods every time the bag runs out.
至少应该三个月一次。当然你可以换得更频繁。如果你的狗对更换狗粮并没有产生肠胃不适应，你甚至可以考虑每用完一包狗粮就换另一种。

How many different foods do I need? Can I use a food again?
我该需要多少种狗粮呢？可以重复使用同一种吗？

At least three or four different foods (different main meat source and different main ingredients). More is better. You can certainly reuse a good food though, especially if your dog does particularly well on it. You could choose, for example, to feed food A for one bag then change to food B – go back to food A, then to food C and so on. This satisfies the criteria of avoiding constant or prolonged exposure to a particular set of ingredients.
至少应该有三至四种（不同的主要肉类来源以及不同的主要成分）。越多则越好。你当然可以重复使用同一种好狗粮，尤其在是你的狗对这种狗粮适应得很好的情况下。举例来说，你可以选择喂一袋A狗粮然后转成B狗粮——然后又转到A狗粮，再转用C狗粮。这可以避免持续地使用同一组成分的狗粮。

What about just mixing foods together?
把狗粮混在一块儿怎么样？

Mixing foods together can certainly help to ensure nutritional adequacy for the long term. But it does nothing to provide your dog with variety (something different to eat!) and it does not satisfy the criteria of avoiding constant or prolonged exposure to a particular set of ingredients. So this practice will do nothing to help avoid the development of food allergies – it just means that there are a greater number of things the dog is being exposed to on a constant basis. It also means that there is a wider range of possible culprits should a food allergy develop. You can mix foods if you choose, but you should vary the foods that you mix together, just as if you were feeding a single food.
把狗粮混合在一起当然可以保证长期的营养充足。但对于向你的狗提供多样化（不同的食物！）来说并没有帮助，而且也不能做到避免持续食用同一组成分的标准。这还可能导致你的狗对更大范围的食物成分过敏。你可以混合狗粮，但你应该混合不同的狗粮，正如你喂单一狗粮一样。

Do I need to change the food gradually?
我需要逐渐地转换狗粮吗？

It is usually wise to effect a change gradually. Not every dog is sensitive to food changes, and many will handle cold turkey changes without issue. But many won't, and the upset tummies and loose stools that can come with changing foods too fast are such an annoyance (for the dog too!) that it makes sense just to change gradually, unless you know for certain that your dog has the sort of cast iron stomach that won't be upset by a sudden change.
通常来说缓慢地转换狗粮是明智的。但也不是每只狗对食物转换都是敏感的，很多狗对突然的食物转换并没有什么反应。当然，也有很多狗是有问题的，换食太快常常导致拉稀。因此还是逐渐地转换狗粮较好，除非你知道你的狗有一副铜肠铁胃。

The simplest way to change foods is to blend the old and new foods together for a week or so. Start with a mix that is 25% new food and 75% old. Feed that for two or three days, and if there are no upset tummies or loose stools, increase the blend to a 50/50 mix. Again, feed that for a couple of days, then increase to a 75/25 blend, and finally to 100% new food. If at any stage there is a tummy upset or the dog's stools become loose, then hold off on increasing the amount of new food in the blend until that problem resolves. If there are no problems at all, it will take a week to ten days to accomplish the switch.
最简单的更换狗粮的方法是混合新旧两种狗粮大约一星期。由25%的新狗粮兑75%的旧狗粮开始喂两至三天，如果没有拉肚子或者软便就增加到50/50。再喂两三天，增加到75/25，最后由100%的新狗粮代替。如果在这过程中有任何拉肚子或者软便的情况出现，减慢增加新狗粮的速度，直至问题解决为止。如果根本就没有什么问题，一个星期到十天的转换期就可以了。

Won't changing foods make my dog picky?
更换狗粮会让我的狗挑食吗？

No, it won't. It's more likely to have the opposite effect, and keep the dog interested in his food. How long could you stay interested in eating exactly the same thing? A food change once a month, or every two or three months is not going to give you a picky dog. What creates pickiness is serving up something different any time the dog shows no interest in his meal. Just like little kids, a dog will learn very quickly that refusing to eat a meal results in Mom producing something better – if you constantly produce something better. Instead, you should give the dog his food at set meal times, and pick it up if it is not eaten within about 20 minutes. Don't offer anything else (i.e. don't fill him up on treats) until the next meal time.
不，不会的。反而会使你的狗对食物更感兴趣。你对同一种食物能感兴趣多久？每个月，或者每两三个月更换一次食物不会让你的狗变得挑食。导致挑食的原因是当狗对食物一表现出没有兴趣的时候就给它吃其他食物。就跟小孩子一样，狗会很快学习到拒绝一种食物的结果是可以得到更好吃的东西——如果你不断地给它更好吃的其他食物的话。相反地，你应该定时喂食，20分钟不吃就取走。不要喂它吃其他食物（比如狗饼干）直至下一次喂食时间。

Are there any other benefits to changing foods?
更换狗粮有什么其他好处吗？

YES! Changing foods every so often means that you keep yourself aware of what is available. Dog food is not a static science and it is very pleasing to be able to note that constant improvements are being made. Foods that may have once been amongst the best available are constantly being surpassed (this is a good thing! Dog food has not historically been a high quality product).
是的！时常更换狗粮让你知道有什么新产品面世。狗粮不是静止不变的，了解其进步是一种乐趣。有些狗粮可能曾是最好的之一但现在已经落后了（这是件好事情！狗粮以前可从来不是高品质的产品）。

We've all met people who swear "brand x" is the best you can get – and have been feeding it for the last 15 years, completely unaware of advances that have been made. Well, that may have been true 15 years ago, but now "brand x" may be one of the lower quality foods available (though it's unlikely to be reflected in cost).
我们总能遇到一些人信誓旦旦地说“X品牌”是你能买到的最好的狗粮——并且连续喂了15年，全然不顾现在的进步。好吧，15年前那是没错，但现在“X品牌”已经属于下等质量的狗粮了（虽然在花费上并不能看出来）。

We fully expect the foods we currently recommend here to be surpassed or improved in the coming years. This is good news for you and your dog. Don't fall into the trap of assuming that what is the best available now will always be the best you can get. It won't be (or at least, we sincerely hope that it won't be).
我们希望我们现在推荐的狗粮在未来的几年会被超越和改进。这对你和你的狗都是个好消息。不要掉进一好百好的陷阱，那是不会发生的（至少，我们希望那不会发生）。


YES! Changing foods every so often means that you keep yourself aware of what is available. Dog food is not a static science and it is very pleasing to be able to note that constant improvements are being made. Foods that may have once been amongst the best available are constantly being surpassed (this is a good thing! Dog food has not historically been a high quality product).
是的！时常更换狗粮让你知道有什么新产品面世。狗粮不是静止不变的，了解其进步是一种乐趣。有些狗粮可能曾是最好的之一但现在已经落后了（这是件好事情！狗粮以前可从来不是高品质的产品）。

We've all met people who swear "brand x" is the best you can get – and have been feeding it for the last 15 years, completely unaware of advances that have been made. Well, that may have been true 15 years ago, but now "brand x" may be one of the lower quality foods available (though it's unlikely to be reflected in cost).
我们总能遇到一些人信誓旦旦地说“X品牌”是你能买到的最好的狗粮——并且连续喂了15年，全然不顾现在的进步。好吧，15年前那是没错，但现在“X品牌”已经属于下等质量的狗粮了（虽然在花费上并不能看出来）。

We fully expect the foods we currently recommend here to be surpassed or improved in the coming years. This is good news for you and your dog. Don't fall into the trap of assuming that what is the best available now will always be the best you can get. It won't be (or at least, we sincerely hope that it won't be).
我们希望我们现在推荐的狗粮在未来的几年会被超越和改进。这对你和你的狗都是个好消息。不要掉进一好百好的陷阱，那是不会发生的（至少，我们希望那不会发生）。


Once you have selected a good quality dog food, that's all you need to feed, right? Not really. You should vary your dog's food periodically. There are many good reasons for this:
一旦你选择了一种质量不错的狗粮，除了这种狗粮，其他什么都不用喂了，正确吗？不一定。你应该定期地更换你的狗粮。这么做的原因有很多：

Dogs (actually all mammals) are designed to consume a range of different foods, and to obtain differing vitamins and minerals from each. They are not designed to eat "only chicken" or "only lamb" or any other food item for eternity. Changing foods, importantly the contents of those foods, every so often helps to give them the variety their bodies were designed to thrive on.
狗（实际上所有的哺乳动物都是）天生需要吃各种不同的食物，并从中获得不同的维生素和矿物质。它们并不是为了一辈子只吃单一的鸡肉、羊肉或者其他单一食物的。更换它们的食物，尤其是食物的内容，常常有助于满足它们身体的多样化所需。

There is no one dog food in existence that "has it all". And remember, the feeding trials that foods go through only last for six months (and not all foods are even trialled). Changing foods periodically helps to ensure that no dietary deficiencies or excesses build up over time.
目前没有一种狗粮是万能的，记住狗粮的喂食试验都不会超过6个月（况且并不是每种食物都经过喂食试验）。定期更换狗粮可以避免饮食不均衡或者过量。

Variety is the spice of life. Who wants to eat the same food day in and day out? Could you do it? For months or years? Feeding your dog something different helps to ensure that he does not become bored and frustrated with his food. This will not make your dog picky - we are talking about periodic changes here, not serving up something different or adding goodies to tempt him every time he doesn’t like his dinner.
多样化是生活的情趣所在。谁愿意每天吃同样的食物呢？连吃几个月或几年，你行吗？给你的狗喂些不同的食物有助于保证其对食物不会产生厌倦或者沮丧情绪。这并不会使你的狗变得挑食——我们谈的是周期性的更换食物，不是每次它不愿意吃饭的时候就用其他食物来引诱它吃。

And most importantly of all:
至关重要的是：

It helps to avoid the development of allergies. In a few extreme cases, you (or your dog) may be instantly and violently allergic to something. But that is a few extreme cases only - the vast majority of allergies are things that build up over time and with constant exposure. The surest way to develop an allergy to chicken, for example, is to consume it daily for an extended period. It is no coincidence that the most common allergens are things that have commonly been used in dog foods for many years. The (modern) advice given by nutritionists is that feeding a wide variety of different foods, preferably from a young age, can help to avoid the development of allergies in the first place (that's the advice given for humans too).
更换食物有助于避免过敏。在少数的极端情况下，你（或者你的狗）可能会对某些东西立即严重过敏。不过这也是很少的极端例子了——大多数的过敏是由于长期持续的积累而成。例如，对鸡肉过敏的必然途径是常年不变地每天进食鸡肉。最常见的过敏是常年进食狗粮中的常见成分导致。营养学家给出的建议是，给狗喂食多样化的食物——且最好由幼犬起就这么做——有助于避免过敏的发生（当然，对人类也是如此）。

Common signs of allergies are itchy skin, red itchy paws, chewing paws, yeast infections, ear infections, and skin infections that may respond to antibiotics but reappear as soon as the antibiotics are discontinued.
常见的过敏症状有皮肤瘙痒、爪子红痒、啃爪子、酵母菌感染、耳部感染，以及可以由抗生素治愈，但一经停用抗生素又复发的皮肤感染等。

That all adds up to changing the food you feed every once in a while. That means changing to a food with different main ingredients. There is very little benefit to switching from one chicken/rice food to another, for example. If you have been feeding a food with chicken as the main ingredient, then it is far better that the next food is based on lamb, or turkey, or fish, or beef, etc and that the other main ingredients are also varied.
所以应偶尔更换你的狗粮，重要的是更换不同主要成分的狗粮。例如，从一个品牌的鸡肉米饭狗粮更换至另一个品牌的鸡肉米饭狗粮是收效甚微的。如果你正在喂一种以鸡肉为主要成份的狗粮，更换成羊肉或火鸡、鱼、牛肉等作为主要成分、其他成分也有所不同的会更好。

Do I have to change brands every time I change food?
我每次都得更换品牌吗？

No, not necessarily. Look at the ingredients in the different formulas made by your brand. What is different? If it is only the main meat ingredient, then you should change to a different brand when you change foods. If many of the ingredients, including the main meat, are different then there is no need to change brands if you don't want to. The point here is to ensure that your dog gets a good variety of different food items in his diet. Not brand loyalty.
不需要。看看你用的品牌里不同系列狗粮的成分。它们有什么不同？如果只是最主要的肉类成分有所不同，那么你就可以换其他品牌了。如果两种系列里包括主要肉类成分的许多成分都有所不同，那么你大可不必尝试另一个品牌。关键点在于使你的狗接受多种不同的食物成分，而不是品牌忠诚度。

How often should I rotate foods?
我该多久换一次狗粮？

Minimally, at least every three months. But you can change more frequently than that. If your dog does not suffer from digestive upsets when his food is changed, then you might even consider changing foods every time the bag runs out.
至少应该三个月一次。当然你可以换得更频繁。如果你的狗对更换狗粮并没有产生肠胃不适应，你甚至可以考虑每用完一包狗粮就换另一种。

How many different foods do I need? Can I use a food again?
我该需要多少种狗粮呢？可以重复使用同一种吗？

At least three or four different foods (different main meat source and different main ingredients). More is better. You can certainly reuse a good food though, especially if your dog does particularly well on it. You could choose, for example, to feed food A for one bag then change to food B – go back to food A, then to food C and so on. This satisfies the criteria of avoiding constant or prolonged exposure to a particular set of ingredients.
至少应该有三至四种（不同的主要肉类来源以及不同的主要成分）。越多则越好。你当然可以重复使用同一种好狗粮，尤其在是你的狗对这种狗粮适应得很好的情况下。举例来说，你可以选择喂一袋A狗粮然后转成B狗粮——然后又转到A狗粮，再转用C狗粮。这可以避免持续地使用同一组成分的狗粮。

What about just mixing foods together?
把狗粮混在一块儿怎么样？

Mixing foods together can certainly help to ensure nutritional adequacy for the long term. But it does nothing to provide your dog with variety (something different to eat!) and it does not satisfy the criteria of avoiding constant or prolonged exposure to a particular set of ingredients. So this practice will do nothing to help avoid the development of food allergies – it just means that there are a greater number of things the dog is being exposed to on a constant basis. It also means that there is a wider range of possible culprits should a food allergy develop. You can mix foods if you choose, but you should vary the foods that you mix together, just as if you were feeding a single food.
把狗粮混合在一起当然可以保证长期的营养充足。但对于向你的狗提供多样化（不同的食物！）来说并没有帮助，而且也不能做到避免持续食用同一组成分的标准。这还可能导致你的狗对更大范围的食物成分过敏。你可以混合狗粮，但你应该混合不同的狗粮，正如你喂单一狗粮一样。

Do I need to change the food gradually?
我需要逐渐地转换狗粮吗？

It is usually wise to effect a change gradually. Not every dog is sensitive to food changes, and many will handle cold turkey changes without issue. But many won't, and the upset tummies and loose stools that can come with changing foods too fast are such an annoyance (for the dog too!) that it makes sense just to change gradually, unless you know for certain that your dog has the sort of cast iron stomach that won't be upset by a sudden change.
通常来说缓慢地转换狗粮是明智的。但也不是每只狗对食物转换都是敏感的，很多狗对突然的食物转换并没有什么反应。当然，也有很多狗是有问题的，换食太快常常导致拉稀。因此还是逐渐地转换狗粮较好，除非你知道你的狗有一副铜肠铁胃。

The simplest way to change foods is to blend the old and new foods together for a week or so. Start with a mix that is 25% new food and 75% old. Feed that for two or three days, and if there are no upset tummies or loose stools, increase the blend to a 50/50 mix. Again, feed that for a couple of days, then increase to a 75/25 blend, and finally to 100% new food. If at any stage there is a tummy upset or the dog's stools become loose, then hold off on increasing the amount of new food in the blend until that problem resolves. If there are no problems at all, it will take a week to ten days to accomplish the switch.
最简单的更换狗粮的方法是混合新旧两种狗粮大约一星期。由25%的新狗粮兑75%的旧狗粮开始喂两至三天，如果没有拉肚子或者软便就增加到50/50。再喂两三天，增加到75/25，最后由100%的新狗粮代替。如果在这过程中有任何拉肚子或者软便的情况出现，减慢增加新狗粮的速度，直至问题解决为止。如果根本就没有什么问题，一个星期到十天的转换期就可以了。

Won't changing foods make my dog picky?
更换狗粮会让我的狗挑食吗？

No, it won't. It's more likely to have the opposite effect, and keep the dog interested in his food. How long could you stay interested in eating exactly the same thing? A food change once a month, or every two or three months is not going to give you a picky dog. What creates pickiness is serving up something different any time the dog shows no interest in his meal. Just like little kids, a dog will learn very quickly that refusing to eat a meal results in Mom producing something better – if you constantly produce something better. Instead, you should give the dog his food at set meal times, and pick it up if it is not eaten within about 20 minutes. Don't offer anything else (i.e. don't fill him up on treats) until the next meal time.
不，不会的。反而会使你的狗对食物更感兴趣。你对同一种食物能感兴趣多久？每个月，或者每两三个月更换一次食物不会让你的狗变得挑食。导致挑食的原因是当狗对食物一表现出没有兴趣的时候就给它吃其他食物。就跟小孩子一样，狗会很快学习到拒绝一种食物的结果是可以得到更好吃的东西——如果你不断地给它更好吃的其他食物的话。相反地，你应该定时喂食，20分钟不吃就取走。不要喂它吃其他食物（比如狗饼干）直至下一次喂食时间。

Are there any other benefits to changing foods?
更换狗粮有什么其他好处吗？

YES! Changing foods every so often means that you keep yourself aware of what is available. Dog food is not a static science and it is very pleasing to be able to note that constant improvements are being made. Foods that may have once been amongst the best available are constantly being surpassed (this is a good thing! Dog food has not historically been a high quality product).
是的！时常更换狗粮让你知道有什么新产品面世。狗粮不是静止不变的，了解其进步是一种乐趣。有些狗粮可能曾是最好的之一但现在已经落后了（这是件好事情！狗粮以前可从来不是高品质的产品）。

We've all met people who swear "brand x" is the best you can get – and have been feeding it for the last 15 years, completely unaware of advances that have been made. Well, that may have been true 15 years ago, but now "brand x" may be one of the lower quality foods available (though it's unlikely to be reflected in cost).
我们总能遇到一些人信誓旦旦地说“X品牌”是你能买到的最好的狗粮——并且连续喂了15年，全然不顾现在的进步。好吧，15年前那是没错，但现在“X品牌”已经属于下等质量的狗粮了（虽然在花费上并不能看出来）。

We fully expect the foods we currently recommend here to be surpassed or improved in the coming years. This is good news for you and your dog. Don't fall into the trap of assuming that what is the best available now will always be the best you can get. It won't be (or at least, we sincerely hope that it won't be).
我们希望我们现在推荐的狗粮在未来的几年会被超越和改进。这对你和你的狗都是个好消息。不要掉进一好百好的陷阱，那是不会发生的（至少，我们希望那不会发生）。

超級马甲＿86

中英对照..不错....