Please tell me about different dog foods.

[KatharineClifton]

I've had my pups on Burns so far and it's ok, but are beginning to seem hungrier than I'd expect really. I know they are growing and all but it's really expensive and not doing what I want it too.

I'm looking on allaboutdogfoods and have no idea what I need. Harringtons for example has a higher protein content but lower ratings. Can you clever people give me an idea what I need and don't need please?

(I can't afford the likes of Millie's but want to spend more than the Wagg kinda level until they are fully grown.)

They are Collie x if it makes any difference. I can't seem to find what an ideal puppy food should have in it anywhere on the net :/

Can you afford raw feeding? Buy frozen minced meat, mix with 25% rice/pasta or cooked potatoes and 25% ground vegetables/fruit. Its cheaper than you think. Especially with puppies who don't eat much. Google raw feeding or BARF.

What do you mean about the food not doing what you want it too?

Dog food is expensive (and I don't class wagg as dog food tbh- please don't feed that when they have grown).

I'm not sure what the aldi food rates as quality wise on that website? I think I've read here that it's reasonable. My small dogs are ok Canagan and Markus muhle which is really good quality and quite cheap in comparison to other quality dog foods.

You can pick up dog food cheaper online as well.

Sorry about typos on the train on my phone! Hope you get the gist.

If you're a Costco member, they sell Autarky food in there for £13 odd a sack and it's really quite good. Their own brand (Kirkland) stuff scores pretty high as well and is good value. You need a food with decent protein and fat levels, but the highest meat content you can find, otherwise it'll be just full of rubbish to bulk it out.

I've not long got a puppy and was recommended to feed him on purina pro plan by a friend who works in the veterinary field. Apparently it's very high meat content and good for coats etc.

Can't advise on commercial dog food as mine are raw fed but just wanted to point out that some dogs always appear hungry. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the food as long as they're growing and poos are normal.

My dog was started on Burns as a pup by her breeder, she started to lose weight rapidly at Christmas aged 18 months (ribs showing, lethargic, we were worried sick). We doubled the amount we were giving her, still no joy. We swapped her to Eden Holistic food, it did the trick, she has gained a kilo and is full of energy now. Its £5 for 3 sample packs of the three flavours. Its got a more meaty smell and is a lot denser than Burns, which now in comparison doesn't seem a substantial dinner for a busy pup.

Eden was recommended by my dog trainer, she uses the working dog version for her dogs (agility/crufts type dogs, walking adverts for her business.

Mine's doing well on Wainwright's from Pets at Home, its £42 for 15kg. I'm going to put her back on Kirkland when we've finished this bag though - they discontinued their puppy food a while ago and didn't have anything for pups until a couple of weeks ago and they've relaunched a 2 months+ food which is pretty much the same but is for adults too. Costco membership is £30 per year and the food is about £23 for 15kg I think.

What's wrong with Wagg? Our Vet recommended Wagg as an easily available supermarket option? Is it really that bad? (Would never use Bakers, Pedigree or any of the other stuff).

i feed aldi food my fussy ester has turned down raw food and expensive stuff its ok food im not happy feeding her it though its all she's eating

Thanks all, we don't have a Costco or an Aldi or anything really here so using Amazon Subscribe & Save at the moment. Unfornuately Eden and Purina look good but out of my price range. I know it seems a little impossible to get a great food for growth but not spend so much - but am looking for that exception.

mrskeegs thanks for that. Mine are all legs obviously as they are only 4 months, but as I've not had pups before, only adults it's hard to tell what they should look like tbh. The vet did said to keep popping in to weigh them for both having a nice time at the vets and to keep an eye on weight - so I really should start doing that.

Wagg is ok, one of my previous dogs really liked it. But I would like a higher quality food until fully grown at least.

I am interested in raw feeding, but being vegy it seems a step too far at the moment, but that seems very easy kissed - would the mince contain everything a pup needs (seems like a stupid question but don't pup foods have added things ). How do you grind veg and fruit?

If you go raw do lots of research first and don't believe everything you read. They don't need pasta, rice vegetables or fruit. You need to feed bones as well as meat, and green tripe is amazing for them but it really stinks (best fed outdoors!)

Wagg is absolutely awful it shouldn't even be called food. "easily available" doesn't come into it when choosing a dog food i learnt that the hard way.

You could try skinners i got some of the muesli one a few weeks ago dog doesn't want it anymore so she's back on aldi and its sat in the kitchen clumped together in a solid block so i wouldn't recommend that one but they do one with duck and rice and a salmon one no more than £25 a bag for 15kg what's your price range for monthly feed

£25 for a month would be great. The last bag of Burns only lasted 3 weeks, but it is for two. £40 a month is absolute max for both of them.

look at the skinners range on amazon but steer clear of the muesli as it clumps into one big solid rock as soon as it's opened

My spaniel is on skinners, took a few different ones before we got there, as he tends to be very loose on other food.

I never knew hat about wagg, my Labrador has had it for years! Might wean her over onto skinners.

Zooplus is brilliant, I order from them online and delivery is good. You can "buy" a discount which lasts 6 months I think, but by "buying" the discount you save on all orders including the first one

Yy to research. Thats why I use the combinations I do. Mine is different from throwing lumps of raw meat and bones at the dog, which would be fine but not what I decided to go for (and my dog won't eat it or the bones ). I didn't like the idea of dealing with raw meat at first but buy frozen, pre minced meat specifically for dogs. I bought a small food processor (£25 amazon) to grind the veg. I quite enjoy preparing her food now. Tonight she had raw carrot, banana and lettuce. Cooked, peeled sweet potato mashed in and natural yoghurt. I vary veg/fruit depending on what we are having. Sometimes I mix egg or oily fish instead of yoghurt. I don't add supplements. I enjoy making the food much more than I thought. I'm pretty lazy and didn't think I would get on with it. My dog is definitely healthier and she poos a lot less!

Work out the food on cost per day rather than how much the sack of food costs!
Eden/ Millie's often work out cheaper because the dogs need less per meal as the quality is so much better.
Have a look on 'all about dog food' and put in the dogs weight etc, it will calculate it for you.
Have a look at wagg whilst you're on the site, you'll see why it's so bad.

You could try csj.co.uk. Good food very reasonably priced, they don't sell in any shops etc, just through them and their suppliers so they keep the costs down.

Another vote for csj, their website isn't the easiest to use but basically they have 3 ranges - cheap, mid and higher end. The most expensive puppy food they do is £36, mid is £20, cheap is £15, all 15kg bags.

I raw feed also, my pup is now 10 months. Her coat and health are fantastic. Costs me £30 per month.
There are online suppliers that offer frozen complete raw meals, however do your research and dogs on raw do not need any vegetables and definitely no pasta or rice.