So what do you feed yours?

We currently feed any of the four Acana grain free flavours (Ranchlands, Grasslands, Pacifica, Wild Prairie) and it's great stuff. They also get stuff added for variety, like an occasional tray of Naturediet between them, appropriate table scraps, raw eggs, etc.
 
Stencilface said:
Is it possible (and easy ish ) to move an older dog (4) from dry onto raw/something better than the dry food? I know this has been done to death obviously, but while there's a post up and running :p
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Yes, it is!

We have just gained an older Labrador, (10) overweight, lame and smelly. She went straight onto raw (green tripe) and has not looked back. She is now a respectable weight not as lame and doesn't smell (unless she has rolled)

I only feed raw. They get a variety from the basis of green tripe, pigs head, bambi, if I find a road kill, rabbit and calf meat and bones.

As for it working out more expensive, not so for me. I collect the tripe and pigs heads from a local abattoir, flesh from the kennels and shoot the rabbits.

I am currently feeding 17 dogs for £30 a month.
 
I will probably get jumped on but mine has chappie, one large can per day. After 8 yrs experimentation its the only thing he can eat in vast quantities without going either loopy or getting the runs. Plus all manner of leftovers. In defence he's a big active dog with a very fast metabolism. And the only one I've done this with.
 
Thanks foxhunter, thats really useful to know, I will try and transition as well as possible (but will be pretty short!) by feeding raw in the mornings to start with and 'normal' food in the evening, to have as un-upset belly as possible.

I will only be able to do shop bought stuff though, at least at the start, I don't have the stomach for handling meat (aside from sausages etc for the OH!) and I need to make it easy if the parents/sister etc are feeding him, which they will be from time to time. I would like to be able to do the real raw, sounds like a total bargain, I have no doubt the dog will do his best to eat roadkill, and if he wants, all the rats he can eat at the stables (although not sure if a GSD/rottie will be suitable for that!!) :D
 
littlelegs said:
I will probably get jumped on but mine has chappie, one large can per day. After 8 yrs experimentation its the only thing he can eat in vast quantities without going either loopy or getting the runs. Plus all manner of leftovers. In defence he's a big active dog with a very fast metabolism. And the only one I've done this with.
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One of the vets i worked with who was obsessed about dog food rated chappie very highly. Before my dog was on Hills Vet Essentials she was on Chappie. He said because it was cheap people thought it was rubbish but it wasnt. xxx
 
Stencilface said:
Is it possible (and easy ish ) to move an older dog (4) from dry onto raw/something better than the dry food? I know this has been done to death obviously, but while there's a post up and running :p
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Sure. Brig was switched to raw aged 7. It gives him natural glucosamine and chondroitin with the bones, so handy for an older dog. :)

Chappie is poor quality but dogs do well on it because of the high rice content so it's almost guaranteed not to upset stomachs.

Hills is recommended by vets because they are sponsored to sell it. It is full of unnecessary fillers and red rated for this and the cereal content on the food index. Hills give virtually the only nutritional training during vet training. Whilst some vets may study nutrition after qualifying, the vast majority will still recommend a poor quality kibble because the company gives them money to do so.
 
cinnamontoast said:
Sure. Brig was switched to raw aged 7. It gives him natural glucosamine and chondroitin with the bones, so handy for an older dog. :)

Chappie is poor quality but dogs do well on it because of the high rice content so it's almost guaranteed not to upset stomachs.

Hills is recommended by vets because they are sponsored to sell it. It is full of unnecessary fillers and red rated for this and the cereal content on the food index. Hills give virtually the only nutritional training during vet training. Whilst some vets may study nutrition after qualifying, the vast majority will still recommend a poor quality kibble because the company gives them money to do so.
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We dont get paid to sell Hills and are not sponsored to sell it. My dog has done great on it. Best food i've found for her. Some of my colleagues feed Hills Vet Essentials, some burns, Hills Science Plan, some JWB so we feed what suits our pets not because we get sponsored or paid too. We have many food reps come in and try and tell us to sell there food but we sell what we believe is good.
 
twiglet84 said:
We dont get paid to sell Hills and are not sponsored to sell it. My dog has done great on it. Best food i've found for her. Some of my colleagues feed Hills Vet Essentials, some burns, Hills Science Plan, some JWB so we feed what suits our pets not because we get sponsored or paid too. We have many food reps come in and try and tell us to sell there food but we sell what we believe is good.
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I wouldn't want to give my dogs fillers. I can eat whatever I choose, but if I make my dogs eat something, I want unprocessed, as 'pure' (within reason) as possible. I wouldn't eat dried food every day, I'd be bored. Don't see why my dogs should be.

Hand on heart, you can't honestly say Hills is a great food. It's not brilliant, is it? First ingredient is corn meal: cheap filler (IMO and worthless to dogs)
http://dogs.about.com/od/dietandnutrition/ss/2science_diet.htm
 
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Twiglet-funnily enough years ago two different vets rated chappie, back in the 90s, before vets had any financial gain from recommending one food over another. When I first got mine he was a rescue, & still very thin despite a month of excellent care in the dogs home. It was actually their resident vet who recommended I stick with the chappie till he had reached a healthy weight at least. Other large dogs have had raw, & omega many years ago, but he does best on large quantities of chappie still. Just has bones for his teeth.
 
Mums JR who lived until 17 plus was fed on chappie. Again you have to see what the older longer living dogs were fed on. It was also softer for her teeth in her later years.
 
Raw and JWB Turkey and vegetables (which I cannot see rated anywhere but has the right protein level and no cereals for my cereal hating hound).
 
Arden Grange lamb for my two lurchers, one very fussy and the other stressy so tends to loose weight quickly but they both do well on this :)
 
Wainwright trays with a small handful of terrier mix, tastes so good I could almost eat it myself :D;

My two terriers love it and spend a good ten minutes after they have finished licking the bowl!
 
Wainwrights trays + Autarky mixers = one happy working cocker pup, although she is getting a bit bored of the trays so looking for a mixed box alternative. She also gets a bone at lunchtime to give her something to nomm and aleviate boredom through the afternoon (haven't found anything that she feels is high value enough to bother with in a Kong).
 
The cheapest that Mr Sainsbury can sell. Basic tinned in jelly with a mixer. They love it and look fabulous on it.
 
Suelin said:
The cheapest that Mr Sainsbury can sell. Basic tinned in jelly with a mixer. They love it and look fabulous on it.
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Horrible. Have you even looked at the ingredients or do you just not care? And of course they love it, it's like eating McDonalds constantly or letting your child eat nothing but sweets. Its probably stuffed full of colours, additives, fake stuff to make it taste nice and some lovely carcinogenic additives. Yum.

I HATE it when people say 'they love it'. My youngsters loved eating their own s*** when they were babies. Don't think it was good for them, tho.

If you want cheap, go raw. You seriously cannot get cheaper food.
 
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On this topic... What would you all recommend for a puppy? I am picking her up on wednesday and would love to know all your opinions to give her the best start in life! she is currently being fed Eukanuba by the breeder
 
I didn't bother with "puppy" feed, just put Polly straight onto Wainwrights trays after weening her off the Hills she came with :( It really didn't agree with her, I suspect because of the high amount of fillers in it.
 
right this is going to sound bad & before I start my 3 labradors are all very slimline. They eat everything and anything. They eat left overs on the days when food is left, being labs they like everything including fruit & veg, melon being their favorite fruit. They eat dry dog food on the other days & that changes each time I buy. They are all healthy & very lively and just enjoy food.
 
I feed Arden grange lamb and Arden grange premium, and puppy gets puppy of course. They have never been to the vets for anything un planned, shiny coats, white teeth! It's great stuff and from berriewood only works out £27 bag. Also feed nature diet for a treat, and James well beloved is my back up if get caught not able to get my ag. :-)
 
I know Chappie gets a bad rep but I wish I had thought of it years ago, it would have saved a lot of time, money and pain.

Don't get me wrong, I still think raw is the best way to go, my young one is on raw, but some dogs just aren't textbook.
 
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