Best dog food

[ktj1891]

Hi,

Looking for advice on best dog foods, I am a wizz at horse feeds but complete novice with dog foods. What ingredience make up the best dog feed like with horses its all about high fibre low starch.

So far I have been advised of middle range feed as I am not a millionaire so cannot afford stupidly expensive dog food.

Skinners
Burgess
Oscars
Wainright
Taste of the Wild

I will need puppy food to begin with and move onto adult food.

Thank you for reading.

 

[lexiedhb]

Personally i think you cant beat raw for cost/quality/what they should be eating - but its not for everyone.....

You want to look at meat content- as in actual meat- not meat meal- also a lack of grain would be good. have a look here:

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/255727-updated-dry-dog-food-index.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/305410-updated-wet-dog-food-index.html

ETS- I fed skinners before moving to raw

 

[Toast]

Another vote for raw, but as said it's not for everyone. I too fed skinners before I fed raw. The duck and rice I think is the best.

 

[SCMSL]

From the brands you mentioned the best one is Taste of the Wild, since it had absolutely no cereals. I would go for the salmon one as its higher in omega 3's so great for adding shine to the coat and help protect those developing joints.

 

[Bosworth]

Another here for raw, and by far the cheapest way of feeding. Chicken necks and carcasses at 66p a kilo, butchers pet mince 85p a kilo. I get through 2 kilos of mince and 4 kilos of necks/ carcass a week for 2 dogs. I do use Barking Heads Salmon kibble if I am away for any time, but to be honest its far better for them and me when they are on pure raw

 

[ktj1891]

Taste of the wild does look good but v expensive can anyone recommend a good feed that is no more that 40 pound ideally for a 15kg bag.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I fed Skinners and Wainwrights before moving to raw.

I use Burgess Supadog salmon and rice for tracking and training with at the moment (I feed from my pocket and feeding raw from my pocket is not happening!!!). It's more rice than salmon but it's not his main food source so I don't mind so much.

Fishmongers from Pets at Home is £30 for 10kg and has a very high fish content.
I bought the Supadog as it was a bigger bag for less money on special offer but I acknowledge that the Fishmongers is better quality and would feed it if it was the dog's main diet.

 

[ktj1891]

I live in Swindon how do you actually feed a raw diet where do you buy from and how much is it? How do you feed it up puppies as well?

 

[CorvusCorax]

My young dog was weaned onto raw. Chicken wings and big strips of tripe, yum!!!

There are people who sell ready made raw feed like DUCK and Natural Instinct (they do all the hard work for you!) then cheaper options from the pet shop like Prize Choice, Natures Menu etc.
Then there are suppliers like Durham Animal Feeds, Landywoods and Berriewoods.
There is a good sticky at the top of this board.

I personally go to a guy who supplies the greyhound tracks.
I can get 25 chicken carcasses and two massive bags of tripe for £12 which feeds the dog for about two months. If he has any bits and bobs like hearts, lungs, oxtails etc I will get them too.
I keep a 15kg bag of kibble for training with (but never feed the two together - they digest at different rates) and then if I am in one of the supermarkets and there are things like liver, kidneys, eggs etc in the bargain bin I buy some.

You do need a wee bit of freezer space though. I just got a free one from a mate. And tupperware/ice cream tubs/Celebration tubs for defrosting.

 

[ktj1891]

See I would have no idea where too look for a raw meat supplier so makes the situation harder for me. My mum fed our Yorkie a tiny bit of raw beef once and she got colitis from it!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Well all the companies I mentioned have websites and I found the greyhound guy by accident after getting chatting to another customer at a pet shop. Other people I know just meet him at the greyhound track and buy it out of his van I go to his warehouse and see the stuff coming in and going out (the whole minced chickens are indeed, whole minced chicken!!) and it's great stuff.

 

[Bix]

I don't know much, but I do know that when my pup was on Burgess his poops were runny and he pumped all day long. He's on Wainwrights now (Salmon & potato) and his smelly problem is no more! (His coat is much shinier now too)

 

[Twizzel]

Our spaniel is on fish4dogs and looks great on it. Have just started her on salmon oil too or some tinned salmon mixed into her kibble. She was on Burns lamb and rice before but didn't like it. I preferred the fish4dogs as it is mixed with potato rather than rice, I think it was the rice part of the burns she didn't like.

 

[cremedemonthe]

Another vote for raw. I use landywoods.co.uk they deliver once a month, if you don't have a lot of freezer space try getting one o9r two of your friends interested so you can share the delivery and save on space, Oz

 

[sarah.oxford]

If you are looking for a complete dry food, check out the CSJ website. Best bet is to contact CSJ direct and they will advise you on best option for your dog.
This is a quality product and I think it is classed as a working dog food so you don't get VAT added - hence great value.
CSJ also send you free samples of the types of food best suited to your dog so you can make sure your dog approves of your choice!!
btw : I have no connection with the company, just a happy customer. I buy through a local stockist.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Traffic light system dog food. Green ones have no cereal which is what I'd look for as cereal is purely a cheap filler and can cause allergic reactions.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=11176258#post11176258

Wainwrights fishmongers is fab quality and has more actual fish than Fishfordogs' new recipe. Their trays are also good.

Raw is v cheap, I reckon Lexie probably already sent you this but here's a supplier list for raw anyway!
http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/197702-raw-food-supplier-list.html

The Dog Food Company does your area, I like the quality of his stuff and he does monthly visits.

 

[Lanky Loll]

I live in Swindon how do you actually feed a raw diet where do you buy from and how much is it? How do you feed it up puppies as well?

Pets at home do some frozen blocks, as do Countrywide. Otherwise when we tried to do T on raw I used to raid the supermarket mark downs and visit the local butcher for carcasses and bones. the abattoir between lyneham and Bassett is probably worth trying too.

 

[ktj1891]

Is it suitable for a puppy though? How would you prepare it and feed to a puppy? How much do you feed a puppy a day? Sounds quite confusing to me. Is there are dog feeds out there that are reasonable priced no more that 40 for a 15kg bag that are high in meat content but low in cereal grains etc. would it be worth feeding a biscuit diet to begin with and given raw bones once or twice a week?

 

[galaxy]

I feed fishmongers which is £30 a 10kg bag and you feed less quantity if it than other foods such as burns and Arden grange. H does really well on it. It is quite often on offer at petsathome and you get a fiver off!!

 

[RhaLoulou]

Fusspot by barkingheads is excellent my dog is v healthy has bags of energy nice solid poos and never pumps (unless she has eaten a raw dead rabbit!)

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Is it suitable for a puppy though? How would you prepare it and feed to a puppy? How much do you feed a puppy a day? Sounds quite confusing to me. Is there are dog feeds out there that are reasonable priced no more that 40 for a 15kg bag that are high in meat content but low in cereal grains etc. would it be worth feeding a biscuit diet to begin with and given raw bones once or twice a week?

I'll email you a link. It's a piece of cake once you're in the swing of it and definitely the cheapest feeding method plus you see what the dog is getting. Puppies can of course be fed raw.

Fusspot by barkingheads is excellent my dog is v healthy has bags of energy nice solid poos and never pumps (unless she has eaten a raw dead rabbit!)

And is full of cereal, expensive for a mid range food.

 

[Venevidivici]

Have a look at Angell dog food and Challenge dog food. Both do excellent salmon and potato recipes with no cereals and high real protein content. One also does a lamb and rice.
15kg lamb & rice is about £34 and £15kg salmon&pot about £42 I think.
(I am told the fish recipes are made in the same factory as fish4dogs food and are essentially the same food but cheaper)

 

[Venevidivici]

Sorry,forgot,both do a puppy version.

 

[LovesCobs]

I settled on Arden grange, 12kg puppy is £34ish I think, also I get the pets at home VIP card which means money off here and there. If I get a %off offer then I buy a couple of big bags. I've just gone from puppy to adult range and got a £12kg bag for £30 (it's on offer).

 

[Highlands]

Another vote for Angells pet co! My local food supplier!

 

[Custard Cream]

We've always fed Skinners. Big dog is on the pink bag (hypoallergenic salmon and rice) and the puppy is on the puppy kibble.

 

[Vicstress]

Our little girl was on raw and she was a state....not a fan as dogs can also die of salmonella! I use Burns which is great then give them a bit of meat on top....

 

[ktj1891]

I dunno I spoke to my friend that is secretary at vets are they are very against it says dogs can get salmonella and we can too from them licking us etc and risk of them getting bones stuck etc. what does everyone think of wainwrights and what can we feed to clean teeth etch. I don't think raw meat is going to be for us.

 

[quirky]

Our spaniel is on fish4dogs and looks great on it. Have just started her on salmon oil too or some tinned salmon mixed into her kibble. She was on Burns lamb and rice before but didn't like it. I preferred the fish4dogs as it is mixed with potato rather than rice, I think it was the rice part of the burns she didn't like.

Did you know the recipe has changed, 30% less fish, replaced with pea flour.
Not sure if it is across all their foods or not.

 

[ecrozier]

Vets do tend to be against it - they also tend to be quite keen to sell you whatever pet food they happen to provide and sell on site!
My puppy has been on raw since he came home at 8 weeks and is a picture of health. I buy natural instinct for him, order online, delivered within 2 days, and just defrost one a day and feed over initially four, now three meals.
I have just ordered my first batch from DAF for my older dog who is also now a picture of health, and DAF is much cheaper - I like the NI for the puppy as it seems like someone else has done all the research of exact proportions and correct diet ingredients etc for a growing puppy.
Anyway, if you really can't do raw, then I would definitely listen to the recommendations above and use the ones with most meat/least grain etc etc...