Feeding, advice please!

[ESH_Jess]

I have a nearly 9 month old Weimeraner puppy, She's a bitch, fairy active walked once/twice a day, but active out on the yard or running about the garden most of the day. When she sleeps she crashes out and is generally fairly well behaved, she eats a smaller meal in the morning and a larger one at night and is currently on the Hills Science Large breed puppy food. She looks fantastic on it and is shiney and in good condition. However, it is costing a fortune!!! As at nearly £50 a bag its a bit steap!!

If there isn't anything that matches up to it then I will keep her on it atleast until she's 18 mnths old, but as with horse feeds I've got a sneaky suspision that its all much the same stuff and just wrapped up differently and send out at different prices!!!

I've looked at the different protein and oil levels etc and there seems to be others with similar levels, the only difference that i've noticed is the min of chicken and turkey is 45% and most of the other foods have a MUCH lower %.

So i'm now very confussed as to what I should do and if i do change then what i should change to, a couple of people have sugested chudleys, the working one and the greyhound one, on the merit that they have high enough protein levels for puppys energy and growth.

Thank-you

 

[CAYLA]

Science plan is fab for condition/growth for puppies....I use it for any puppies I have in.
I use chudleys for my adult dogs...and again...I like it and the dogs look good on it and its a good price...considering the amount I have to feed

There is no reason if u are finding it costly not to put her on a good quality puppy food that costs less....im sure others will have better recommendations than me....but I do like/feed my dogs chudleys.

 

[igpodet]

Good 'ole Chudleys!! My staple is their Greyhound Maintenance!
For pups and dogs needing extras, I use either Nutro ... if I was rich that is what I would feed all the time

or Royal Canine ... both are excellent foods and neither are as expensive as Hills !!

There are so many good complete foods out there these days it is 'try it and see' time!! Many dogs do equally as well on the cheapest as on the more pricey.

 

[ESH_Jess]

Thank-you

 

[sloulou]

Personally I would prefer to feed my dog a comercial food that is high quality - especially if they have to eat the stuff every day!

Not saying that it has to be expensive - just good quality....

Have a look at this site: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=betterproducts

is American - but interesting - explains how to read labels of pet food etc.

Also lists food ingredients to avoid and why:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

There are good comercial foods - have been told these are the best: naturediet, Forthglade (both wet food and can be fed with mixer meal - either laughing dog, or asda terrier meal). Dry food - Burns, possibly Jameswellbeloved - but think it sends some dogs hyper

also think applaws is supposed to be good.

Am not an expert - but I do research stuff - Is the least you can do when you taken all the choice out of a dog's diet - is not as if they can hunt the stuff themselves anymore... so maybe have a look into the actual ingredients and see what looks good for your dog?

Sorry - hope that doesn't sound OTT, but I do like to read up on these things...

 

[kate_day]

I agree, chuddleys is really good!!!
The way the vet told me how to tell how good a dog food is, iis to look at the ash and bran percentage!, the higher the quantity of thouse products in the feed the lower the quality of the feed as they are used as bulks with not as much nutrition!