Minefield - what shall I feed my dog?

[Fat_Pony]

We've just got a rescue dog. She was fed on pedigree puppy so we've got some of that until we decide what to feed her and then can change over gradually. She is 11 months so she can have adult food. I don't want to feed raw, but don't know whether to feed wet or dry food. And then what brand? I want a decent quality food but don't want to spend a fortune. She is a jack Russell and not at all fussy!

 

[PorkChop]

Hiya, I feed raw, but if I didn't I would probably stick to Skinners.

I have fed Fish4Dogs dry food in the past but I don't think it is as good as it was.

But if I didn't feed raw I would stick to a dry food tbh.

 

[Dobiegirl]

http://www.whichdogfood.co.uk/


Our Lancashire Heeler is about JR size and she is fed Arden Grange for dry days and for wet food days she has Forthglade Natural Lifestyle or raw chicken legs, she also gets raw eggs complete with shell and either tinned sardines or Mackrell.

 

[Fat_Pony]

I've been looking on whichdogfood and skinners doesn't score that brilliantly, but lots of people seem to feed it. Is that because its such good value? What about foods like applaws, Eden and Millie's wolf heart that score very well?

 

[Dobiegirl]

We did start off feeding our Lancashire Heeler as a puppy Fish4dogs and also Origen both foods which scored very high on that list and the fussy madam didnt like either of them. We then put her on raw because she liked a very varied diet so now she is older we feed her the best of both worlds.

 

[LovesCobs]

I feed Arden grange, the lamb one as came higher on the dog food quality scores but costs less than the £50 a bag Origen/burns etc

 

[s4sugar]

The scoring system is a bit strange as it doesn't consider allergens and appears, in the style of USA feeds to insist on first ingredient being a nmed meat. This is why the USA based foods usually have several different cereals to put them down the ingredients list. The Skinners types that get recommended most often are Field & Trial (= no VAT) duck & rice & Salmon & rice which are better than many foods that cost far more and they are palatable & don't have any dodgy ingredients in the list.

To give an example of dodgy labelling - this one a cat food so no bias towards any dog foods -http://www.petsathome.com/shop/purely-adult-complete-cat-food-with-chicken-2kg-48305

When you read the description and then the composition they don't add up! Can you see why this is? (mind you the earlier version of the label said "no fillers" on the back!)

 

[Dudleydoodlebug]

I feed mine raw diet, natures menu. They do lots of things but I use nuggets. So easy just count them out defrost and feed!

 

[Triskar]

I used to feed raw, but have now switched to Eden because all the balancing between meat, bone and vegetables has been done for me - it reckons it is an ancestral diet and since it includes a joint support pack I'm saving the cost of my elderly lab's supplement now. Both dogs coat's have improved on it, too - a lot less to hoover up every day, but glossy and soft! I still give them beef rib bones, or lamb bones, every week to make sure their teeth are cleaned, so I still get white dog poo

 

[Kaylum]

I have a scottie 10 years old and a westie 13 years old both fed whatever is on offer in the supermarket and shock horror my mums old jrt was 17 when she died and she was fed tinned dog food all her life, my friends collie was also 17 and fed on tinned dog food. It's the whole package of how you look after the dogs that matters not just the food hype from companies. Just like horses they know how to make you think your not feeding correctly and the problem as I will say again is what age did the dogs live to fed on each brand?

 

[ThoroughbredStar]

I have a scottie 10 years old and a westie 13 years old both fed whatever is on offer in the supermarket and shock horror my mums old jrt was 17 when she died and she was fed tinned dog food all her life, my friends collie was also 17 and fed on tinned dog food. It's the whole package of how you look after the dogs that matters not just the food hype from companies. Just like horses they know how to make you think your not feeding correctly and the problem as I will say again is what age did the dogs live to fed on each brand?

I kind of agree with this post- I know some food is complete naff naff, i.e. bakers but if your dog is healthy, i.e. slim, good teeth, has enough energy for what it does etc on the food you do feed, why change?

Partly due to cost I feed my dogs either Dr Banks dried biscuits during the day and they have a tin between them in the evening (plus treats etc). They are very fit, healthy and happy mutts

 

[Kaylum]

Exactly my mums dog was fed on bounce, pedigree, chappie, own brand tinned food and had nylabones and kongs to chew on. She was a stray when we found her but had her for 17 years so she was probably nearer 18. Its how long they live for on what your feeding them that matters. How you have looked after them not over done the exercise or under done it. Etc etc. inherited health problems it all adds up.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My old bitch lived til 14 (a great age for a GSD) but would I feed what she was fed ever again? No chance, it looked more like, and had most of the ingredients, of horse feed. She had tripe and bones also

I've just bought enough raw food for my dog to last him about a month for £12 and I have a £18 bag of Autarky for training and tracking with which will last for yonks. It's possible to do both

 

[Leo Walker]

I initially fed Fish4Dogs when Dylan was a puppy but now both of mine are raw fed and I would never go back. Its easy when you get the hang of it, cheaper than pretty much any other food once you befriend some local butchers and my dogs look amazing on it. They literally glow with health, people comment in the street about how shiny, muscly and well they look Plus Dylan used to pick at his food, now hes raw fed hes doing happy dances by the fridge at breakfast time

 

[Arizahn]

My old bitch lived til 14 (a great age for a GSD) but would I feed what she was fed ever again? No chance, it looked more like, and had most of the ingredients, of horse feed. She had tripe and bones also

I've just bought enough raw food for my dog to last him about a month for £12 and I have a £18 bag of Autarky for training and tracking with which will last for yonks. It's possible to do both

I am still trying to find that chap's yard to buy meat from him! Last week I gave up and decided to look him up at the stadium on Friday evening. Could we find the stadium? Tesco and Iceland are laughing at me...! Dogs very happy though.

OP, you could also try Wainwrights, if you don't want raw.

<raw good>

 

[Alec Swan]

.......

....... I have a £18 bag of Autarky for training and tracking with which will last for yonks. It's possible to do both

Looking for a higher protein feed for a heavily in-pup bitch, I bought a bag of Autarky. I looked at the ingredients, and thought that she'd love it. She won't touch the stuff!! A year old bitch isn't that bothered with it, though a 2 yo who'd eat the bag that the food comes in, wolfs it down!

The in-pup bitch has now whelped, a large litter, so by way of helping her, I went to Morrisons and bought some tripe. Again, she turfed it all out of her feed bowl, and went down to the rather ordinary Dr. John's Gold! I expect that as the demand for milk increases, so she'll be a bit more accepting, we'll see!

Alec.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Alec, it's the salmon dinner I'm using, mixed in with a couple of bags of Fishmongers. As it's just a supplement and not the total basis of his diet I'm not too worried - plus he's a little hoglet and will eat anything. My trainer went mad at me last week because I gave him a ham and cheese sandwich that I didn't feel like, waste not, want not!!

Arizahn, will PM you!

 

[Arizahn]

Lol, thank you CaveCanem! We were miles out!

Ours are having sprats and assorted liver today...

 

[amy_b]

I feed my puppy Arden grange (fussy lurcher) and she eats it really well and her coat gleams!! &#128526;
That said...my mum bought Millie's wolfheart from a show recently (just after I had bought about 2 months' supply of food!! &#128561 and her two look fantastic in it, one is a wire dacshund who shows and she struggled to get enough weight on because she runs around a lot and can't fit alot in her tummy!! And the other is a 3/4 whippet lurcher. Who has a tiny appetite and wolfs this down. My puppy was very grumpy for a while that she wasnt getting the same!! Il be swapping to it when mine finished the small mound of food I have already bought. IMO cheap food is a false economy because you have to feed so much more of it.
For example - my brothers lab was on Wagg and was a **** for stealing and was super skinny, he swapped her to Chudleys and she is transformed, she had finally come put of the teenager phase and has stopped counter surfing!! I know!! A lab that DOESNT steal!!! &#128561;