Vitalin original working dog food is being discontinued!!

[scruffyponies]

This is a complete disaster for us. We have always fed our dogs their muesli, and it's just the best in our expeirence. We have a couple of elderly dogs who have never eaten anything else, and we're distraught at the idea of having to 'experiment' with their digestion.

Is there anything else remotely like it?

 

[Dexter]

I just looked at the ingredients. What an absolutely awful food. It reads like something people fed horses in the 60s and 70s. Its 87% cereal like maize. Flaked Wheat, Flaked Maize, Meat & Bone Meal (13.0%), Flaked Soya, Flaked Barley, Soya Oil, Antioxidants.

You can look on here to see most dog foods reviewed and ranked, and even filter by age and weight. Vitalin is rated 27%

Dog Food Reviews | Find the Best Dog Food - All About Dog Food

Wet, dry, big, and small we've got it covered. Browse, search and compare dog foods in the World's most comprehensive interactive dog food directory!

www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

 

[Clodagh]

There is tonnes of similar rubbish available, OP, if you want to continue to feed it. Go into Mole Valley or equivalent and look at their cheaper ranges. I think Dr John is similar but there’s non brand ones too.

 

[Clodagh]

I would say dogs always hold condition well on that sort of food, if they aren’t in hard work.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Favour, Feedwell, Skinners and Red Mills all do their own museli mix or go into any farm shop/feed merchant/greyhound man as they'll have generic bags of similar stuff.

Wouldn't feed it now but our longest liveth dog (14) did well on it.

 

[scruffyponies]

There is tonnes of similar rubbish available, OP, if you want to continue to feed it. Go into Mole Valley or equivalent and look at their cheaper ranges. I think Dr John is similar but there’s non brand ones too.

Really? Everything I have ever seen or tried is some kind of extruded, unidentifiable oily lump - usually coloured with dye and so greasy that it has to be supplied in plastic-coated bags, because paper bags would turn see-through and mushy.

As far as I can see Dr John is extruded 'dog nuggets' too.
The reason we like the Vitalin is that you can see what is in it clearly, it isn't greasy with 'recycled fats' and can easily add fresh veggies, meds, leftovers etc.

Genuinely interested in anything similar - with a photo of the actual product, because a photo of a spaniel frolicking on the front of a bag tells me zilch.

 

[scruffyponies]

Wouldn't feed it now but our longest liveth dog (14) did well on it.

We first tried it when we were desperate to find something our super-athletic uber-fussy setter would do well on.
Never looked back once we tried it. She lived to 17.

 

[druid]

Skinners or pedro do a museli that is similar. Might start with that?

For all the hype about raw, grain free, cold pressed etc realistically what suits the dogs and what they will eat is teh right option. Plus not everyone can afford the uber premium brands these days with costs going up.

 

[BlackadderUK]

For all the hype about raw, grain free, cold pressed etc realistically what suits the dogs and what they will eat is teh right option.

I think you've summed it up right there! I must admit that I was a food "snob" (for want of a better word) some years ago believing that a dog has to have the best food available to thrive, grains/carbs were a big no-no, must be meat etc etc.
Whilst I do still think that, in general, a dog is better suited to a meat based diet I've come to realise that they have adapted (evolved?) to eat almost anything.

Every dog is an individual & what suits one might not suit another. My thinking now is that as long as the dog does well, is healthy & happy then feed what suits that dog.

 

[Clodagh]

Favour, Feedwell, Skinners and Red Mills all do their own museli mix or go into any farm shop/feed merchant/greyhound man as they'll have generic bags of similar stuff.

Wouldn't feed it now but our longest liveth dog (14) did well on it.

The working terriers were on valumix, remember that? They did well on it. The poos were gross though !

OP Skinners muesli is just that. They do trial samples if you contact them. Bellman and Flint do a food that seems very popular in gundog world but I’ve not seen it IRL.

 

[blackcob]

Alpha do a muesli style mix. IIRC I've had sample bags off them before, they used to be quite generous sponsors of sled dog races.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Chudleys used to do a working muesli type , not sure if they still do. Many years ago my mother used to feed her show and breeding stock Vitalin, the dogs did well enough on it, as did the local bird population on what the dogs pooped out !

 

[scruffyponies]

Chudleys used to do a working muesli type , not sure if they still do. Many years ago my mother used to feed her show and breeding stock Vitalin, the dogs did well enough on it, as did the local bird population on what the dogs pooped out !

That's very true about the birds liking to pick over the dog poo.

I'm seeing loads of things that describe themselves as muesli but actually look like more extruded lumps instead of like this:
The worst thing is that my oldest dog is a 13yo Rottie. She's currently fit and well, with the arthritis successfully kept in check with Youmove, but she has such delicate digestion that I fear a change might be the end of her.

 

[CorvusCorax]

We first tried it when we were desperate to find something our super-athletic uber-fussy setter would do well on.
Never looked back once we tried it. She lived to 17.

Ours was on Favour for years. It looked really like horse feed.

 

[druid]

Rocco traditional flake mix off Zooplus looks like your picture from what I remember

 

[Shady]

My SIL feeds all her dogs, be that Boxers or Chi's a muesili mix and I have to say they have all lived very long healthy lives . I'd never seen it before and was a bit eww watching the Boxers tuck in, but I have learned over the years from having both cats and dogs, pure breeds and mixed, that you can feed the most expensive food on the market, or give the finest raw diet and still get an animal with crap guts and an ecoli infection. My neighbour fed his dog supermarket Fido which was about £10 for 12kg's and those bright red chew things that made his poo pink, and he was never sick, lived for blinkin ever and had a beautiful shiny coat. Personally I would be more worried about the ethics of a company nowadays and how many recalls they are getting

 

[Britestar]

You could try Wilsons original or wilsons extra.

 

[whirlwind]

I feed skinners muesli sometimes to anything that doesn’t need the full whack 30% stuff. I can take a picture of it so you can compare if you want?

 

[scruffyponies]

I feed skinners muesli sometimes to anything that doesn’t need the full whack 30% stuff. I can take a picture of it so you can compare if you want?

Ooh. Yes please. It's driving me nuts looking at packaging with no product pictures!

 

[whirlwind]

Ooh. Yes please. It's driving me nuts looking at packaging with no product pictures!

 

[Nasicus]

That's very true about the birds liking to pick over the dog poo.

I'm seeing loads of things that describe themselves as muesli but actually look like more extruded lumps instead of like this:
View attachment 117015

The worst thing is that my oldest dog is a 13yo Rottie. She's currently fit and well, with the arthritis successfully kept in check with Youmove, but she has such delicate digestion that I fear a change might be the end of her.

That looks like chicken feed, corn and oats lol!
You're going to get 'extruded lumps' even in most mueslis because they need to preserve the meat content somehow. A quick google for a clearer photo shows that even the vitalin has little extruded pellets.

Perhaps Chudley's might be close to what you're after? Looks like cheap small animal muesli mind!
https://vanderl.co.uk/product/chudleys-original/

Also Pedro?:

Buy Pedro Muesli & Beef 15kg PK1 (Clear Bag) Wholesale From Kadona Wholesale Ltd.

Wholesale Pedro Muesli & Beef 15kg PK1 (Clear Bag) Ireland, order now from our online store. - Kadona Wholesale Ltd.

kadonawholesale.ie

No idea on the sites they're being sold on, but it's examples at least!

Alternatively, stock up whilst you can. I know it sounds really really grim to say, but given their age and breeds (the rottie at least), you might be able to stock up enough that you don't have to switch. It's what I did when I was in a similar situation with a very fussy, very elderly cat

 

[scruffyponies]

A quick google for a clearer photo shows that even the vitalin has little extruded pellets.

Vitalin original has no lumps. The 'meat' content is a fine dust of meat and bonemeal (abbatoir waste - yes, it's bery basic stuff) which mixes with other things (e.g. powdered meds) particularly well.

Re stocking up, we have placed an order for 3 more 15kg bags, but 5 dogs eat a great deal of food, especially the mastiffs - even though I swear we feed them half what anyone else would.
Better not tell Alice her days are numbered. I am still met at the bottom of the stairs by a frolicking hipporottimus every morning for her walk. I live in hope of her seeing another couple of years at least.

Photo of said beastie below: -Note the setter is the only one on a lead... 17 years old, weeks before her death, and still considered likely to **** off if she sees a rabbit!

 

[druid]

I think the Rocco traditional flake is the closest you will find - it looks very similar with possibly more veg flakes.

 

[Nasicus]

Vitalin original has no lumps. The 'meat' content is a fine dust of meat and bonemeal (abbatoir waste - yes, it's bery basic stuff) which mixes with other things (e.g. powdered meds) particularly well.

Re stocking up, we have placed an order for 3 more 15kg bags, but 5 dogs eat a great deal of food, especially the mastiffs - even though I swear we feed them half what anyone else would.
Better not tell Alice her days are numbered. I am still met at the bottom of the stairs by a frolicking hipporottimus every morning for her walk. I live in hope of her seeing another couple of years at least.

Photo of said beastie below: -Note the setter is the only one on a lead... 17 years old, weeks before her death, and still considered likely to **** off if she sees a rabbit!

I did say it was a very grim way to look at it! I certainly hope they have many more happy years, don't get me wrong and apologies if I upset you with my words. I was under the impression 13yrs was a great age for a Rottie as the oldest recorded one on was 13.
Anyway, I just mentioned it as doing so meant I was able to keep the old cat on her chow of choice until she popped her clogs 9 months later with minimal digestive disturbance.

I must have found an incorrect photo of the stuff, the one I looked at showed pellets mixed in.
Perhaps it's worth stockpiling for the older two and looking to switch the younger ones with more robust digestive systems to something that'll be readily available?

 

[scruffyponies]

No worries - I'm aware she's ancient. One of the reasons we're so attached to this particular food is the apparent health and longevity of our dogs. Alice is Rottie x Bullmastiff, and may enjoy a bit of 'hybrid vigour' but 13 is still (as you rightly say) very much older than they can expect to reach.
Our 10yo CKCS is also looking pretty perky, and vets confirm no sign of a heart murmur... which is highly unusual, apparently.

 

[Nasicus]

No worries - I'm aware she's ancient. One of the reasons we're so attached to this particular food is the apparent health and longevity of our dogs. Alice is Rottie x Bullmastiff, and may enjoy a bit of 'hybrid vigour' but 13 is still (as you rightly say) very much older than they can expect to reach.
Our 10yo CKCS is also looking pretty perky, and vets confirm no sign of a heart murmur... which is highly unusual, apparently.

Does make you think, doesn't it!

 

[Clodagh]

I feed my dogs the most astronomically expensive food I can afford. Scout has always looked like a hat rack (a muscular, shiny hat rack but far too many ribs for comfort).
I’ve just put the easy three on Wainwrights from PAH and he looks the best he ever has. So, theres more to carbs than meets the eye.
Not meaning to hijack, OP, but agree that expensive isn’t always the best.

 

[druid]

I get comments from ringside about Finn's coat from ringside (he's like a mirror he's so shiny)...Royal Canin Digestive Care...what suits them, suits them!

 

[scruffyponies]

Update: after a nasty few weeks on 'normal' food, we are now happily feeding O'Neils muesli.

O'Neills DRY Complete Dog Food 15kg - MUESLI - Patch

DRY Complete Dog Food - 15KG bag. Blended Specially for Sporting and Working Dogs, suitable for all pets

www.patchseedpotatoes.co.uk

We're very happy with it; higher meat content, and some kibble type lumps, but not huge amounts.
The dogs love it... not least because there's the occasional lump of something identifiable in there (an ear, bone, lump of tendon etc), which makes their day.