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Entry 458Filed under Breeding

How to Transition your Labrador to Royal Canin Wet Food

Learn the staged transition plan for Royal Canin wet food, how to adjust mixed-feeding portions, what to monitor, and when to contact your veterinarian.
11-minute read By Animalso Team

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Transition your Labrador gradually rather than replacing their current food all at once. Royal Canin Academy’s standard plan introduces the new food in stages over a week; Royal Canin U.S. digestive-health guidance describes a 7–10 day transition. A slower change may suit a dog who is not tolerating a stage well, but no schedule can guarantee that stomach upset will be avoided. Choose the exact food and portions from its feeding directions, and involve your veterinarian if your dog has a medical condition or digestive symptoms.

The right plan also depends on whether you want to feed only wet food or combine it with kibble. The percentages below describe the changing proportions of the current and new foods—not a universal daily ration for Labradors. Your dog’s age, health, current diet, and the exact Royal Canin product all matter when deciding what and how much to feed.

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Use a gradual transition plan

Mix the new wet food with your dog’s current food, changing the proportions in steps. Royal Canin Academy recommends the schedule below. Royal Canin U.S. also advises a gradual change over at least one week, with its digestive-health guidance describing a 7–10 day transition. Treat the schedule as a starting point, not a deadline: if your Labrador is not tolerating a stage well, stay at that stage longer before increasing the new food.

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Transition stage Current food New wet food
Days 1–2 75% 25%
Days 3–4 50% 50%
Days 5–6 25% 75%
Day 7 onward 0% 100%, if your dog is tolerating the change

The percentages describe the proportions of the food during each stage, not a daily feeding amount for every Labrador. Use the chosen product’s feeding directions to work out portions; do not assume the same volume of wet food replaces the same volume of kibble. For a more cautious 7–10 day change, extend one or more mixed stages rather than rushing to the next proportion.

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How to apply the percentages

First decide what the intended feeding plan is: an all-wet diet, or a mixed plan with both wet food and kibble. Then use the feeding guide for the exact product or products to determine the appropriate overall portions for your dog. The transition percentages describe how the current and new foods are introduced relative to one another; they do not supply the total amount your dog needs each day. A Labrador’s breed alone cannot tell you that amount, and the correct feeding directions vary by formula.

As you progress through the table, change the share of the new food gradually rather than making a sudden switch. Keep the other parts of your feeding routine as consistent as you can while you observe your dog’s response. If a particular stage is not going well, do not move to the next percentage simply because a certain number of days has passed. Royal Canin’s guidance supports extending the transition according to the individual dog’s response; it does not set one alternative timetable that applies to every dog.

The basic Academy schedule has two days at each mixed-food stage, then all of the new food from day seven if the dog is tolerating the change. Royal Canin U.S. describes a 7–10 day transition. You can use the longer window by extending mixed stages, but the sources do not specify a different percentage-by-day schedule for every 10-day transition. Let your dog’s tolerance and your veterinarian’s advice guide how long to remain at a stage.

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When to take longer

Royal Canin Academy notes that appetite and underlying health conditions can call for a longer transition. It gives 10–15 days as an example for some pets with chronic kidney disease or on weight-loss diets. That is an example, not a Labrador-specific prescription or a substitute for veterinary advice. Do not assume that your dog needs 10–15 days simply because they are a Labrador, or apply that example to a medical condition without asking the veterinarian managing it.

Ask your veterinarian how to transition if your dog has a diagnosed condition, is eating a prescribed diet, or has a history of digestive problems. A medical diet may have a specific purpose, and changing it or combining it with another formula is not a decision to make based on the food format alone. Appetite changes can also affect how a transition is handled. If your dog is reluctant to eat, has a significant health concern, or has symptoms already, get individualized advice rather than pushing ahead with the table as a fixed deadline.

Work out portions for the specific food

There is no reliable daily quantity to prescribe from breed alone. The right amount depends on your Labrador and the selected formula, and Royal Canin’s feeding instructions are specific to each diet. Check the guide on the pouch or tin, or on the product page, and follow the directions for your dog’s circumstances. If you are uncertain how to interpret the guide or your dog’s needs have changed, ask your veterinarian.

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Wet food has fewer calories per gram than dry food, according to Royal Canin. That difference matters when combining the two: simply adding a wet-food portion to the full kibble ration, or swapping kibble and wet food cup for cup, may not produce the intended total calories. Adjust both portions using the selected product’s directions. Royal Canin UK advises consulting a veterinarian or retailer before mixing foods, particularly to check that the formula and amount suit the dog’s age and health profile. Keep fresh water available.

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This is why “How much wet food should I feed with kibble?” cannot be answered with one number for all Labradors. The feeding guide for the particular wet food is not interchangeable with the directions for a different Royal Canin product, and a mixed ration needs to account for both foods rather than treating the wet portion as an extra by default. Use the chosen formula’s own guide and check the combination with a veterinarian or retailer if you need help translating it into portions.

Do not use equal-volume substitution as a shortcut. Royal Canin notes that wet food has fewer calories per gram than dry food, so cups or scoops are not a reliable way to make an equivalent swap. The product’s calorie and feeding instructions are the relevant starting point. Follow the amounts for the selected food and the intended feeding arrangement rather than applying a generic kibble-to-canned-food ratio.

Choose between all-wet and mixed feeding based on your dog

The transition schedule works whether the intended end point is all wet food or a combination of wet and dry. The schedule does not establish which end point is best for your Labrador, and a breed name alone is not enough to select a formula. Use the product’s own feeding directions and consider these factors:

Decision factor What to check
Feeding plan Whether the chosen formula’s directions support the all-wet or mixed-feeding plan you intend to use.
Portions and total calories How much of each food to feed together; do not use equal-volume substitutions.
Age and health Whether the formula and feeding amount fit your dog’s life stage and health profile.
Veterinary guidance Whether a health condition, medical diet, or digestive history calls for a particular diet or a slower change.

All-wet and mixed feeding should therefore be compared by the selected formula’s feeding directions, the resulting portions and total calories, your dog’s life stage and health, and your veterinarian’s recommendation—not by assuming one format is automatically better. If you plan to keep kibble in the diet, make the wet-and-dry combination deliberate. Royal Canin UK recommends consulting a veterinarian or retailer before combining foods, particularly to check that the formula and amount fit the dog’s age and health profile.

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Do not assume a wet food is an equivalent match for a dry food just because the dry food is labeled for a particular breed. The exact product and its instructions matter. A breed-specific dry food does not establish that there is an equivalent wet counterpart or that it is appropriate for your dog. Because your Labrador’s age, weight, current food, health status, country, and intended feeding plan are not specified here, this guide cannot identify a particular formula or calculate a daily amount.

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Product labels and formulas can vary by country, so follow the package and product-page directions for the food you actually have. If you are considering a medical diet, your veterinarian should help choose it and advise whether it can be fed alone or alongside another food. Avoid choosing a formula from the word “Labrador” or “wet” alone: those details do not provide the individual health and feeding information needed to select a diet.

Monitor your Labrador as you change foods

Watch your dog’s response as you introduce each new proportion. Royal Canin identifies vomiting or nausea, abnormal stool or defecation, gas, altered appetite, and reduced activity as possible digestive signs. These signs do not prove that the new food is the cause; digestive problems can have other causes. Contact a veterinarian to determine what is happening rather than diagnosing the problem as a routine adjustment.

Pay attention to changes in stool, appetite, and activity while the food proportions change. The purpose of moving in stages is to make the change measured and easier to observe, not to assume that any symptom is harmless. If a symptom appears, consider what you are seeing and contact a veterinarian when it concerns you; digestive signs alone do not identify their cause. In particular, do not use the schedule to explain away vomiting or other symptoms that may need assessment.

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What to do if your dog has diarrhea or vomits

Abnormal stool and vomiting are among the possible digestive signs Royal Canin lists. If your Labrador develops diarrhea, vomits, or has another digestive change during the transition, do not automatically conclude that the new food is responsible. Digestive problems can have causes beyond a food change. Contact your veterinarian for help determining the cause and ask whether to pause, slow, or stop the transition. Avoid moving to a higher proportion of new food while you are unsure how your dog is responding.

Royal Canin advises calling a veterinarian immediately if a dog is vomiting daily, has a hard or firm abdomen, is lethargic, or shows distress. Do not wait for the transition to finish or treat these signs as something to push through by changing food proportions yourself. These are not simply milestones to monitor at home; they call for prompt veterinary help.

If you notice a milder change and your dog otherwise seems well, pause at the current stage instead of increasing the new-food share. Seek veterinary advice if symptoms continue, worsen, or concern you. A veterinarian can help determine whether to slow or stop the transition and whether another cause needs attention. If your dog has symptoms before you begin, ask for advice before starting the change rather than using the transition as a way to test what might be causing them.

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Store opened wet food safely

Royal Canin U.S. recommends covering and refrigerating opened wet food and using it within 1–2 days; its FAQ specifies 48 hours for canned food. The same FAQ says to discard food left at room temperature for more than two hours. Follow the storage directions on the specific product, which may vary by formula or package.

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Plan portions with storage in mind: cover the opened container and refrigerate it promptly, then follow the product’s storage directions for how soon to use the remainder. Do not keep food that has been left at room temperature for over two hours, according to Royal Canin U.S. The 48-hour canned-food guidance is not a reason to ignore a different instruction on the particular package; use the label for the food you have.

What the schedule can—and cannot—promise

The staged plan is manufacturer guidance for changing a dog’s diet, not evidence that stomach upset can be prevented in every Labrador. Royal Canin’s published guidance is not specific to Labradors, and product formulas and labels vary by country. A gradual transition gives you a way to introduce the new food in measured steps and notice how your individual dog responds; it cannot establish that the food is suitable for every dog or rule out unrelated illness.

The one-week schedule, the 7–10 day window, and the example of 10–15 days for some pets with particular health or weight-management circumstances are different levels of guidance, not a single rigid timetable. Start with the staged proportions if they fit your circumstances, extend stages when your dog is not tolerating the change well, and ask a veterinarian about a longer or medically supervised plan. No transition schedule can promise that a dog will have no digestive reaction.

For a medical diet, an existing digestive illness, ongoing symptoms, or uncertainty about formula and portions, make the plan with your veterinarian rather than selecting a diet or feeding amount from breed alone. If your dog is well and the chosen food is appropriate, the practical approach is to follow the specific product’s feeding guide, introduce it gradually, keep water available, and monitor how your Labrador responds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I mix my Labrador’s old and new food?

Royal Canin Academy’s standard schedule changes the proportions over seven days: 75% current food and 25% new food for days 1–2, equal shares for days 3–4, then 25% current food and 75% new food for days 5–6. From day 7, feed all new food if your dog is tolerating it. Royal Canin U.S. describes a 7–10 day transition. Extend a stage if needed; ask your veterinarian about a longer plan if your dog has health concerns.

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How much Royal Canin wet food should I feed with kibble?

There is no one amount for all Labradors. Use the feeding directions for the exact wet and dry products and account for both portions. Wet food has fewer calories per gram than dry food, so do not substitute equal volumes or simply add wet food to the full kibble ration. Ask a veterinarian or retailer to help check that the combination suits your dog’s age and health.

What should I do if my Labrador gets diarrhea or vomits during the change?

Abnormal stool and vomiting can have causes beyond a food transition, so contact your veterinarian to determine what is happening. Do not assume the new food is the cause or keep increasing its share while you are concerned. Royal Canin advises calling a veterinarian immediately for daily vomiting, a hard or firm abdomen, lethargy, or distress.

Can I switch to all wet food, or should I keep feeding kibble too?

The transition guidance does not determine which plan is best for your dog. Check that the chosen formula’s directions fit the all-wet or mixed plan you intend to use, adjust portions for total calories, and consider your dog’s age and health. Consult your veterinarian, especially if your dog has a medical condition or eats a prescribed diet.

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How long can opened Royal Canin wet food stay in the refrigerator?

Royal Canin U.S. recommends covering and refrigerating opened wet food and using it within 1–2 days; its FAQ specifies 48 hours for canned food. It also says to discard food left at room temperature for over two hours. Follow the directions on your specific product.

The Bottom Line

Introduce Royal Canin wet food in stages—25%, 50%, then 75%, followed by all new food if tolerated—and extend the change when your dog needs more time. Use the exact product’s feeding guide to set portions, especially if combining wet food with kibble. Monitor stool, appetite, vomiting, and activity, and contact your veterinarian about symptoms, medical diets, or urgent warning signs.

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