Wanting to change pups food

[Megsro]

Hi! first time puppy owner, I have a miniature dachshund, 14 weeks, currently on pedigree puppy wet food. I’m wanting to change him to dry food. Suggestions? I’ve seen 3 different brands that I thought looked good? Please send me options on what works for your pup best.

Use this website https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk to look at ratings and nutritional values of dog food - some are just full of grains and bulking agents.

And when you do change do it really gradually, don’t just switch from one to another; you need to mix a small amount of the new food in with the old food and gradually over 7-10 days increase the proportion of the new food.

I can’t help with what I use as I have working spaniels, which have different needs to yours!

I won't recommend a specific brand but, as a rule, not something you would find in a supermarket.

Whatever you decide switch it slowly, mixing old and new food together, when my border collie puppy came home we kept him on the same food which was pedigree puppy wet food mixed with Skinners dry food, I swapped the wet to Butchers. He’s never liked dry food on its own, he’s now on Butternut Box mixed with Wainwrights dry food. I wouldn’t touch Baker’s the review are very bad.

The better dry foods tend to be the ones that are sold direct like Millies Wolfheart and Essentials.
Of the store brands, the Jollyes Lifestage range is surprisingly good quality, with a high meat content, added superfoods and fewer fillers than the supermarket brands.
Ingredients lists are important - many foods are very high in grains.

Of those three, Harringtons is the best. The other two are extremely poor quality.

Do you have a budget in mind, as that will affect recommendations?

Hi OP - hope you don’t mind me place marking on your thread. My pup is the same age as yours and I was advised by the breeder to carry on giving the food she started them off on - Burns Puppy Chicken & Rice but looking at it on the website that @ScoobyDoesnt linked, it doesn’t seem to score very high!

BTW - there is a puppy thread running on this forum if you wanted to join

@VanGoSunflowers Personally, I avoid foods with added grains as they are pointless fillers.

The All About Dog Food website can be a useful tool, but it can make people feel incredibly guilty about the food they can afford to feed their dogs. Generally the higher rated foods are the more expensive ones.
Also, just because the food gets a high score, it doesn't mean it will suit your dog.
I started my puppy on a food that was rated as 85%. Due to budget restrictions, I dropped to a 68% food. She's actually doing much better on it and her dandruffy skin has cleared up.

Do you need to change to dry food? We’ve used butternut box (fresh frozen delivered) since puppy stages and our dogs health and wellness has been so far touch wood excellent. Shiny soft coat etc. For your pup it’d be smallish amounts too, so not so high prices.

We were told not to mix wet and dry so the only dry stuff he has are treats.

@SpanielsGalore thank you, that makes a lot of sense! It’s the same with us humans, I guess. What’s a good diet for one isn’t a good diet for another!
I have quite a lot of that kibble left so won’t be changing anything any time soon, but will have a look in to it further. He doesn’t seem to have any issues with it as far as I can tell. He does seem get pretty smelly wind occasionally 😂 but as this isn’t every day, I don’t think it’s his kibble that causes it!

Be careful not to go down a rabbit hole. 😂 I say that as someone who spent hours looking into different foods, costs and ratings. I even had a bloody spreadsheet!
I spent weeks stressing over the decision and feeling guilty that I was moving them on to an inferior food. And actually they are all doing much better on it. P has finally gained weight. K's dandruff has cleared up. And N's poo output has quartered. 😂

@SpanielsGalore
That was me too. It does become an obsession once you start looking at ingredients listings.
There are some surprisingly good foods at an affordable price but it does take time to sort the wheat from the chaff as it were. I agree that the right food makes a huge difference.

Thanks for your input @SpanielsGalore I don’t have a price budget as such but of course not extortion lol! I’m the same, I’m down a rabbit hole and don’t want to make the wrong choice on foods. I’d just love someone to say ‘take this use it this amount and he’ll be grand’ 😂

Thanks @VanGoSunflowers! where would I find the puppy chat? So new to MN lol!

Are we liking this one?

Id feed literally anything in preference to Bakers. It’s full of additives, very low quality and makes many dogs hyperactive

I'm using the lamb version of that @Megsro
I believe it is the same food as Country Kibble, Naturo, Austonley and HPR amongst others. The ingredients listings look the same as far as I can tell.
I think @SpanielsGalore feeds Country Kibble so she can possibly confirm if it does look to be the same.

My girl is 15 months but is good on this. Nice firm poo.

Here it is: 😊

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/5369191-summer-25-pups?page=12&reply=145823966

@SpanielsGalore that sounds like something I would do, I have a spreadsheet for everything!

Our pup came home on AVA. I checked it on the all about dog food site and it’s comes out pretty well. Pup likes it and I sometimes pop an egg on top or some fish.

i used Burns then switched to gluten free trout and potato senior (local provider) later in life. Honestly, he preferred Bakers! Just remember they tend to eat less if it’s higher quality, check the recommended portion size, they vary!

This article is helpful OP

We use Arden Grange. Wet food would be chappie or tinned mackerel

he came from re-homing on wainwrights which I think is pets at home own brand.

would not use bakers/ pedigree etc but send him with a box to kennels! He prefers chickens feet

Yes we are liking that one. 😁 We are definitely liking the price. As @CoubousAndTourmalet said, I feed Country Kibble which is very similar, but more expensive. Might be about to go down another rabbit hole. 😂

Brie is having the lamb & mint one. The meat trays in this range are excellent also - she prefers them to the Forthglade ones.

I’d not buy pedigree or bakers, I’ve bought Harringtons in an emergency.
I’ve used skinners dry food for years. I’d go to a pet food store and have a look, speak to someone. Wouldn’t buy any from a supermarket.

You basically want high meat content. Look for an 80/20 dry food. (80% meat, 20% fruit and veg.)

Some good ones are

Wild Pet Food
Coya
Eden
Millies Wolfheart

you want to avoid fillers like grain, rice, peas, lentils and white potato

dont be put off by the price of some of the higher quality ones, you have to feed a lot less compared to cheaper brands.

Millies has a fantastic team you can actually call and they advise you on which food to try, how much to feed etc. it’s all on their website