Nutrition guide
How to feed fresh
Plan on about ten days to switch foods. Tell us about your dog and we'll lay the whole thing out, day by day, in ounces.
Why go slowly
Your dog's gut is adapted to their current food - switching abruptly, even to fresh food, can cause loose stool or an upset stomach. Introducing new ingredients gradually over several days gives their system time to adjust for a smoother transition.
Written by the Wynwood Dog Food nutrition team. Reviewed by Laura Gaylord, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition). Last reviewed September 2026.
Your dog
The plan
The first ten days
transition calculator
Start with 25% Wynwood and increase it every three days.
If their stomach needs more time, stay at the same stage for a few extra days before moving up.
What are they eating now?
Pick the closest match to what is in their bowl now. The kcal per kg is usually found on the food packaging.
| When | Wynwood | Their current food |
|---|
Use this as a starting point, not a number you have to hit exactly. Keep an eye on your dog and adjust as you go. You know them best.
Thawing
Your food arrives frozen and keeps for up to a year in the freezer. Move a packet down to the refrigerator the night before you need it. Once it is thawed and open, use it within five days.
The easy routine
- Move it down the night beforeFreezer to refrigerator, still sealed, and it should be ready by morning. Stand it on a plate or small tray while it thaws.
- Leave it sealed until you serveKeep the packet sealed while it thaws. This helps limit exposure to bacteria and keeps handling simple until you're ready to serve.
- Start the next one before you run outThat is the whole rhythm. There is always one thawing behind the one you are feeding.
Three things to know
- Don't microwave the packet. The food is packaged in plastic and should not be microwaved in the bag.
- Warm is fine. Cooked is not. If you warm the food, keep it below 98°F. Higher temperatures can start to affect the nutrients in the food.
- Counter thawing is fine, just set a timer. About 45 minutes is a good starting point for a 16 oz packet. You want it softened, not sitting out fully thawed for hours.
Three ways to serve it
All three are fine. Which one suits you comes down to how quickly your dog gets through a packet.
Straight from the packet
Cut a small opening across the top, serve what you need, fold it over and clip it. Then put it back in the refrigerator.
- Nothing else to buy and nothing to wash
- Cut a small opening rather than the whole top so it folds shut properly
- Works best when one packet is five days of food or less
Into a container
Empty the packet into an airtight container once it is thawed and scoop from there.
- Easier to scoop and weigh
- Better when more than one person feeds your dog
- Use within five days of opening the packet
Portion it out
While the packet is thawed but still cold, weigh each meal into its own small container.
- Every meal is ready to go
- Makes feeding easy when more than one person is involved
- Best when one packet lasts more than five days
- Anything you will not use within five days can go back in the freezer and should be used within three months
What to expect
Softer stool for a few days
Common early on and usually nothing to worry about. It should firm up as you go. If it does not, stay on the same stage for a few extra days instead of moving up.
A lot more interest in dinner
Most dogs are noticeably keener. It is not a sign they need more food, so keep the portion where the plan puts it.
Possibly less drinking
Fresh food carries far more water than kibble, so some of their water now comes with the meal. Keep the bowl full as normal.
Drag to spin
How Probiotics & Fiber Can Help
Adding a probiotic and/or a fermentable fiber during the switch can support your dog's gut bacteria and lead to firmer, more consistent stools as their system adjusts.
Where this comes from
Anne H Lee, Ching-Yen Lin, Sungho Do, Patricia M Oba, Sara E Belchik, Andrew J Steelman, Amy Schauwecker, Kelly S Swanson. Dietary supplementation with fiber, "biotics," and spray-dried plasma affects apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and the fecal characteristics, fecal microbiota, and immune function of adult dogs. Journal of Animal Science, Volume 100, Issue 3, March 2022, skac048.
Feeding reference
The calculator above works out your dog. These are the same figures for a typical adult dog, if you would rather look yours up.
The ten day transition
| Days | Wynwood | Their current food |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 3 | 25% | 75% |
| Days 4 to 6 | 50% | 50% |
| Days 7 to 9 | 75% | 25% |
| Day 10 onward | 100% | None |
Hold a stage for a few extra days if you need to. Slower is never a problem.
Daily amounts for an adult dog
| Dog weight | Calories a day | Beef + Potato | Chicken + Rice | Lamb + Egg | Turkey + Sweet Potato | Venison + Squash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 lb | 160 | 4 1/2 | 3 3/4 | 4 3/4 | 5 3/4 | 5 1/2 |
| 10 lb | 270 | 7 3/4 | 6 1/2 | 8 1/4 | 9 3/4 | 9 1/4 |
| 15 lb | 366 | 10 1/2 | 8 3/4 | 11 | 13 1/4 | 12 1/2 |
| 20 lb | 454 | 13 | 10 3/4 | 13 3/4 | 16 1/2 | 15 1/2 |
| 30 lb | 615 | 17 1/2 | 14 3/4 | 18 3/4 | 22 1/4 | 21 |
| 40 lb | 763 | 21 3/4 | 18 1/4 | 23 1/4 | 27 1/2 | 26 |
| 50 lb | 902 | 25 3/4 | 21 1/2 | 27 1/2 | 32 1/2 | 30 3/4 |
| 60 lb | 1034 | 29 1/2 | 24 3/4 | 31 1/2 | 37 1/4 | 35 1/4 |
| 80 lb | 1283 | 36 1/2 | 30 3/4 | 39 | 46 1/4 | 43 3/4 |
| 100 lb | 1517 | 43 1/4 | 36 1/4 | 46 | 54 3/4 | 51 3/4 |
| 120 lb | 1739 | 49 1/2 | 41 1/2 | 52 3/4 | 62 3/4 | 59 1/2 |
Adult dogs aged one to seven years, normal activity, neutered, fed Wynwood as their whole diet. Puppies, seniors, very active dogs and dogs fed Wynwood as part of the bowl all differ, and the calculator above handles those.
Feeding amounts for the Fresh Rx therapeutic diets are set by your veterinarian.
Questions
Can I refreeze it?
Yes, if you do it before the food has been sitting thawed for days. Thaw the packet fully, divide it into portions of about three days each, and put all but the one you are using straight back in the freezer. Serve the refrozen portions within three months.
The planner above tells you when your packet size makes this necessary, and when it does not.
What if their stool goes loose?
Stay where you are rather than moving up. Hold the current stage for a few more days and let things settle, then carry on. Slower is never a problem.
If it does not settle, or you see blood, repeated vomiting, or a dog who is off in themselves, stop and speak to your veterinarian. Our team is on the phone too.
Where do these numbers come from?
The same calculation the rest of the site uses. It starts from your dog's weight, adjusts for life stage and how active they are, then converts calories into ounces using the density of the diet you picked.
It is a starting point, not a prescription. Weigh your dog every few weeks and adjust. If they are on a Fresh Rx diet, your veterinarian's instruction comes first.
Who checked this page
Laura Gaylord, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)
Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist®
Last reviewed 3 September 2026.
Made fresh daily in Miami
Cooked by us since 2015, and recommended by veterinarians across the country.
