Good value dry dog food

[stillchasingdereksheppard]

Like lots of people I am trying to make savings across the board due to cost of living. Working in public sector my wages aren't keeping up with rent increases, energy and fuel increases etc so having to cut back.

2 small mixed breed dogs (rescues) they are terrier ISH. Both eat dry kibble which I want to continue with. I know there's lots of other options and I've considered and tried lots but kibble works for me & them.

At the moment they have tails.com dry food which comes in just over £50 for 30 days supply. Historically they've had harringtons, pooch & mutt, fourthglade etc.

I am looking for recommendations of good value dry food that is still decent ISH quality food. Obviously it's all compromise / balance.

If you're watching the pennies at the moment, what are you feeding and how's it going?

If you use cheap dog food it will cost you more in the end because they will end up with health issues

I think you'll be able to find kibble that's both cheaper and better quality than tails.

Does it need to be something you can buy in a pet shop or supermarket or are you happy to order online? Is it a cashflow issue, or are you able to make savings buying in bulk (obviously once you are confident something is suitable).

What was the reason you moved from the other brands you mention? We feed some forthglade and generally I can find it on offer somewhere so we pay far leas than list price.

My foster dog was on James Wellbeloved for 18 months and did well on it.

I've recently switched her to Harringtons, because it's available locally, and I haven't noticed any change in condition.

Have a look at the AllAboutDogFood site

https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/

You can put your budget, other details etc in and it shows you the best quality foods for that price.

The problem with doing this, if you are on a budget, is it makes you feel like a crap owner for feeding alleged, poorer quality food.

I've spent many hours down rabbit holes, looking into dog foods. Feeling guilty for dropping from a 95% rated food to a 61% one was an added pressure I could have done without.

Millies Wolfheart.
Its very good quality for the price.

My elderly schnauzer mix is very fussy- he quite likes Nood (Nz brand available at Tesco) but now all he wants is the bakers meaty meals - he’s nearly 13 so he’s done very well. He doesn’t get any extra scraps etc just occasional dental bone. TBH I couldn’t afford £50 month in dog food. There is a lot of emotional manipulation out there- I’ve used that website mentioned above and thought it’s pretty good.
Pooch seems happy and is in perfect health.

Mine are on Harringtons jus 6. It's a 12kg bag that last around 4 weeks at 50.- . 3 dogs, small- medium sized.

That kind of reinforces my point about the site.

Your dog is happy and healthy on a food that is rated at 25%.
I fed my puppy an 85% rated food and she had awful dandruff on it. Switched to a 63% one and she has a lovely, shiny coat.

So their idea of good doesn't mean it's the best for your dog. Or for your purse.

Look at Millie’s Wolfhart, great quality food

Mine have working dog food, which is generally either higher than, or has a similar percentage, of protein to the very expensive brands of dog food. It's also cheaper. It used to be £16 for a 15kg bag, but has now gone up to (I think) £22. DDog1 doesn't have any skin complaints with it, and happily eats it (she'll leave other types of kibble). DDog2 is a canine dustbin and will demolish anything. So far, all of the dogs that I know on it are doing well, and they're not all working dogs.

I am happy to buy online.
I usually buy in bulk bags - so 15kg or so.
I wouldn't mind buying up to 30kg at a time but wouldn't want to store much more than that.
Stopped feeding fouthglade because it made both dogs poo & drink a lot more than usual and my one with sensitive skin didn't suit it so well.
Thanks to all those recommending brands - appreciate it and will look at them
Thanks to the poster who is saying about 'buying cheap food will cost more in the long run' - not the kind of comment I needed.
Clearly I care and trying to get the best value at an affordable price.
I have and do use the all about dogs website which is useful but was just looking for recommendations as there are so many options out there it can be hard to make a choice

@TheeNotoriousPIGthats interesting - I hadn't considered a working food.
What brand do you use?

We feed our Cocker Spaniel a working dog food. The girls in the local pet shop we get it from tell us that the working food is VAT free so it’s cheaper… it is cheaper on the shelf per kg than the non-working branded foods in that store

Like other PPs we feed Millie’s wolfheart.
we pay £58 a month for a Weimaraner.
Brilliant for quality and value for money

https://www.petsathome.com/product/beta-sensitive-dry-adult-dog-food-salmon-and-rice/P3671?productId=7106667&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&cm_mmc=Google--CPC--+google_shopping-_-google_shopping&ita=1976&ito=google_shopping&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=21092311641&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_plt=gp&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21099180473&gbraid=0AAAAAD7tV9oEhvbjh4ludWX0EHA0vF_Np&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8ofWBhCHARIsANBj4Luw1gfmwnmt8W8_hQFtkyF9IcTnNi-nDo4Qioyi8qGmxIu9VgHP0lwaAilpEALw_wcB&purchaseType=easy-repeat

This stuff is great

Sort of agree but I'd replace "cheap" with "crap".

Tails is £££ but actually it's not very high quality and has a lot of crap ingredients and fillers.

My dog is on Purizon 80/20 grain free kibble which costs me £90 for 24kg. How does that compare, cost wise?

Platinum dog food- 70 percent meat, FSG so not too dry and hard, quick delivery, very good customer
service and with 2 small dogs myself it doesn’t break the bank. Been using for around 4 years and very pleased with it.

"Working" food is just normal dog food. The only difference is that because it's sold in bulk bags it's cheaper as there's no VAT charged. But it's not special food!

Thanks for this post. I find it both interesting and helpful. We feed our dachshund what would be considered by some 'lower value' wet and dry food (pedigree wet pouches, bakers small dog dry and others of similar price) but also add enrichment from our own food such as meat, fish and vegetables. He is the correct weight and people often stop to say hello and pet him, then coment that he has a lovely shiny coat. He is a very happy (now) rescue dog, 3 years old.
I wanted to comment to reassure the OP that although I would like to feed a higher protein and more expensive food, he is doing well and this post has helped me see we are not the only ones to feel guilt about the quality/price of food for our pets.

Out of interest, do people think it really is a marketing ploy?

I feed Millie’s Wolfheart and CI dog food.
I do think it varies as to what suits each dog. I had a greyhound who looked rubbish on expensive brands but blossomed on Pets at Home Step Up to Naturals which was half the price.
CI do different ranges and a variety of flavours.

My 2 friends who I regularly walk with feed their dogs Bakers I know it’s hated on here. Neither are over weight they have shiny coats (the dogs not the friends) loads of energy and frankly look fantastic. Neither have heard of the website all about dog food. They buy it in Tesco it’s what they are prepared to spend on their pets and it’s readily available.

We had a working lab that lived to 14, her last happy and healthy years on her preferred dry dog food from Lidl.
Before you poo poo the idea, compare the ingredients with others two/three times the price.