I Accidentally Bought Large Breed Dog Food (8 Things To Do!)
It’s not hard to do when you’re in a rush to get home, especially if you’re going to do something fun. As you quickly move through your favorite store, you aren’t paying close attention to the labels when you quickly grab a bag of dog food from the shelf. It’s not until you get home that you realize what happened: You got the wrong type of dog food!
It can be frustrating when you buy the wrong thing, particularly when it’s something that’s not inexpensive, like a 50-pound bag of dog food! Don’t worry though, buying large breed dog food for your smaller buddy isn’t the end of the world. Fortunately, there is more than one good way to remedy the situation.
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Compare The Food
The first thing to do is to figure out why this large breed dog food is for large breeds. Depending on the brand and type of food, large breed dog food can mean bigger kibble, different nutrients, or denser calories.
If the mistakenly purchased food has different nutrition values than what you normally feed your good boy then you probably don’t want to feed it to him. On the other hand, you might be able to get by with a little effort and some simple math if the only differences are in calories and kibble size.
Mix The Large Breed Food With Your Regular Food
If the differences between the two types of dog food are only in terms of calories and kibble size, then you can probably get away with mixing the two.
Start by gradually adding a small amount of the new food to your dog’s current diet. This will give his digestive system time to adjust to the new food.
Once he’s comfortable with the new food, you can feed him more of it. Be sure to keep in mind the caloric differences and adjust the amount of food you give your good boy as needed.
If you have a very small dog, make sure the kibble is small enough that he can eat it. If not, you’ll need to break it up. You also might get away with softening it with some water as well.
Get A Refund
Luckily, most pet stores and big box stores, have a fairly lenient return policy when it comes to pet food.
Keep in mind that you’ll likely need your receipt and depending on the store the food might need to be unopened. But, some stores, especially places that focus on pet supplies may be willing to take an opened bag of dog food back.
Consider Donating Donate The Food
If you don’t want the hassle of returning the food and you don’t mind giving it away, then consider donating it to your local animal shelter.
Most rescues and shelters would love to have the food. They can always use donations, and it’s a great way to help out.
Before you donate the food, be sure to check with the rescue or shelter first. Some might not be able to take it if they have a specific type of food they use.
Sell The Food
If you can’t or don’t want to use the food and donating it isn’t an option, then you could try selling it.
There are many online forums and classifieds sites where you can list the food for sale. You might also be able to find a local store that buys unopened bags of pet food.
Gift It To A Friend
If you’re a dog person, chances are that you have friends who are as well. If you have a friend with a large breed dog, offer them the food. They’ll be happy to receive it and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that it was appreciated and used.
Trade The Food For What You Want
Odds are someone else in your community has made the opposite mistake. They have a large breed dog but mistakenly bought small breed food.
Reach out to your local pet groups and on social media. If you can find your opposite, work out a trade so that both of you get what you need.
Use It As A Treat
If you can’t find a good way to get rid of or use the large breed food, try using the kibble as treats for your good boy. Even though it is just kibble, the different taste will still be a welcomed treat.
Summary: Help! What Should I Do With Accidentally Purchased Large Breed Dog Food?
If you’ve accidentally bought large breed dog food here are some quick and easy solutions to your problem:
- Mix it with your dog’s regular food.
- Get a refund.
- Donate the food.
- Sell it online.
- Gift the food to a friend.
- Trade the food for what you need.
- Use the kibble as a treat.
As you can see, if you mistakenly bought large breed dog food, there are a lot of options available to you. In the end, it’s important not to get frustrated if things don’t go exactly as planned. Just take a deep breath, remember not to beat yourself up for your mistake, and then work on tackling the problem.