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Original poster

recommend me good but not hugely expensive dog food!

31 replies

LittleB · 02/01/2008 21:27

I've got a nova scotia duck tolling retriever dog, he's 10mths now and has been on Royal Canin (£40 for 15kg) as soon as he started eating, but its expensive, we thought we'd give him a good start and he'll be on that until he's 1, then I want a cheaper - but not dead cheap dog food, working dog foods would be ok as he leads an active life and is a working dog breed - anyone recommend something? And do you bulk buy food online - is it cheaper? He gets it bulked out with a small amount of tinned food and scraps such as veg/cheese/rice/pasta/meat etc but I'm not cooking all his food for him, before someone suggests this! - I don't think I've got the time.

OP posts:

LadyOfTheFlowers · 02/01/2008 21:31

We feed our Labs working dog Wagg Complete. It is a bit cheaper then the nromal Wagg and you can get it from countrywide stores and some branches of Focus. Working Wagg is about £9 for 17 kilos.
They love it. They actually prefer it to Bakers, which has suddenly shot up, thank God. It has gone up to £22 for 15 kilo which does not sound al lot, but when you have 2 Labs eating it, it's £44 a month.
The working Wagg seems to satisfy them longer too.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 02/01/2008 21:33

Mine eat a totally dry diet with plenty of water available obv. The canned stuff can really knacker their teeth out, unless you are brushing them?
They get the odd scrap of course.

BroccoliSpears · 02/01/2008 21:35

In my experience it's not a case of good or bad dog food - it's what works for your dog and they're all different.

I tend to buy decent dog food for my pampered pooches but I had a dog once who thrived on the cheapest, nastiest, sawdust filled basic dog food tins. She would get quite ill on more expensive food.

My current dog has to have dry food only, and it has to be chicken flavour - tins make her tummy funny. Also, she has to have her food 4 times a day or she gets indigeston and is sick.

Experiment and see what suits your dog best.

Hope some of that is helpful.

MAMAZONtopofKILTbeingrude · 02/01/2008 21:42

Second vote for Wagg.
you get an enromous bag for about £9 in asda, tesco, pets at home...everywhere now.

we have always given it to my dogs (iva had boxers, a rotty, west highland and a couple of xbreeds) all have thrived on it.

my mum has now started giving it to her dog as well and she has had no problems at all, mums dog is normally a pain to try and alter her food as it really upsets her tummy.

if your changing from tinned food to dry just try stiring in some tinned and just decreasing the amount of meat to dry.
you can pour over some gravy to make it more moist as well.

just ensure they have a lot of water available as obviously dry will make them drink more

CountryGirl2007 · 02/01/2008 23:00

The best foods are supposed to be Hills and Burns.

I would avoid foods like bakers as they are full of nasty colourings etc to make them look appealing to the dog's owners! my 2 loved bakers as well until I read that. Now they get a mostly natural diet.

CountryGirl2007 · 02/01/2008 23:05

oh I forgot to say I'm not sure if they are available in the UK and also they are not the cheapest, they are quite dearer than other, lower grade foods, but IMO the dog's wellbeing is more important than an extra few £'s.

nortynamechanger · 02/01/2008 23:06

burns or james wellbeloved.

an expensive 'designer' dog and cheap food...

MamaG · 02/01/2008 23:46

yep to wagg for my lab

Lauriefairycake · 02/01/2008 23:55

My vet told me to feed him bakers complete as I was buying him fancy crap and it gave him diarrhoea - 20 kilo bag in Costco (lasts 3 months) - £13

No runny stools in last year since I fed him that. Nice even brown turds that are fully clotted and easy to pick up when out on walk (no wet pavement turd for children to walk through )

MamaG · 02/01/2008 23:56

OMG Laurie

LadyOfTheFlowers · 03/01/2008 00:03

Gross, but I also take into account turd condition and shape. If it is easy to clear up and looks like a good quality turd a la Gillian McKeith, it's good in my book!

Who wants runny dog turds everywhere? All over your garden and you just know, the day your dog does have the squits, they will do it in full view of millions of peeps and you will be there, blushing, trying to scrape it up with your nappy sack over your hand.... LOL

BroccoliSpears · 03/01/2008 00:04

That really annoys me about bakers. The biscuits are coloured and made into little twee shapes. My dog is colourblind and not terribly bothered about the aesthetics of her dinner. Stupid patronising dog food manufacturers.

brimfull · 03/01/2008 00:58

I feed my dog Iams

Have tried all sorts,this suits her.

She is 12 now and gets upset runny tummy easily.

MumRum · 03/01/2008 09:32

I've just changed from JWB or weinwrights to Royal Canin as my dog just wasn't eating it! I brought a small bag of Royal Canin to try and she loves it... woofs it down straight away.
I agree with CountryGirl2007 about burns.. apparently its full of e numbers...

smartiejake · 03/01/2008 09:56

Sorry mum run did you mean Bakers was full of additives- you said Burns and I thought that was additive free. I give my pup Burns. She is fit and healthy with a lovely glossy coat.
I also avoid Bakers like the plague as it sends my dog loopy (lots of additives) and I know other people who say the same about this food.

James Wellbeloved is very good (but tended to give my pup wind)

jellyshoeswithdiamonds · 03/01/2008 11:01

Is Burns full of e numbers?

My westie is on that and he is fine, but I suppose you don't know until its too late.

My cat was fed on Whiskers and Felix and died at the age of 14 from kidney failure.

ratclare · 03/01/2008 11:13

I feed my pointer cobby dog which is apparently made at the same mill as james wellbeloved but cost a fraction of the price ,£16 for a huge sack ,its lamb and rice and suits him really well ,his poo is always nice formed lumps (too much info?)

smartiejake · 03/01/2008 11:16

Just looked on the pack of Burns food I have- no e numbers and no additives.

seeker · 03/01/2008 11:26

My cats love Aldi cat food and that is so cheap I feel guilty buying it because I'm sure somebody is being exploited by the manufacturers! But the cats are bursting with health and bounce!
They do dry and canned dog food.

FioFio · 03/01/2008 11:29

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smartiejake · 03/01/2008 11:32

Chappie is a good food but you're right it is expensive. Dienes is another good quality food but again expensive.

CountessDracula · 03/01/2008 11:36

We feed our Ridgeback on veggies and cheap mince and fish

It works out very cheap as we never waste any veg

We supplement it with kelp powder for minerals and glucosamine for hips.

Every 2-3 days we chop loads of cheap veg up and keep in a container in the fridge. One thing of mince lasts 3 meals (ie 1.5 days) and costs 69p. A big tin of pilchards at 50p ish lasts 2 meals. Plus all the veg

She is way healthier looking and seeming than she ever was on dry food. We also give her a big sploosh of oil every so often

MumRum · 03/01/2008 12:20

OPPS... sorry... Bakers is full of e numbers apparently...

FioFio · 03/01/2008 12:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

LittleB · 03/01/2008 14:14

Thanks for all the advice, I'll see what I can get locally, I did wonder about Chappie as I know that when I was a child our vet recommended it for our old dog as other richer foods gave her an upset tummy, I'll also look at the Burns and wagg, and see what i can get easily, I always have to get the royal canin specially ordered which is a pain!
Nortynamechange, I would like to point out that my dog is not a 'designer breed' he's a working breed (KC registered), they're just quite rare. we got him beacause I work part time as a Countryside Ranger so need a working dog thats fit and can jump stiles etc but also small enough for me to lift over electric fences etc (unlike labs etc.) We've had collies and mongrel rescues in the past but I have a 2 year old and was warned by collie breeders not to get a collie pup with a toddler but go for something gentler, so he was expensive but he's perfect for us. I also didn't ask for recommendations of cheap food, just something a little cheaper than Royal canin, as I stated in my post. And regradless of his cost I would be looking at the same food choices, my previous dogs were older rescues so were on the food they were on when they got them and weren't still growing, as he is. which is why i'm asking for recommendations.
thanks everyone else for the advice.

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