Holly is currently being fed on Bakers Complete puppy food which she really enjoys. She's currently being fed 200gr per day although she rarely finishes it (the recommended amount is 225g - 350g). She's desperate to be fed and eats for a couple of minutes to take the edge of her hunger and then loses interest. Her coat is really great and she's in perfect condition but I'm not happy with the heavily processed nature of her food. (Lots of colourings and additives)

I'm looking for a more 'natural' less processed food that has 150g or less as the recommended daily amount for a puppy of 7kgs (expected adult weight of 13.5kgs) / 22wks old.

Is there a website anywhere that has comparison tables of all of the complete dog foods on the market?

Thanks,

Fiona
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beta, science plan and iams have a higher nutritional value so need to feed less. Science plan is the better (in my opinion) - suggested feeding allowance for 20kg adult dog is 250g i think - i feed cleo (16kg) about 150g plus a bit of wet food.. i know i'm a big softy!

Thanks, is that the Science Plan that the vets sell?

Fiona
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Yep, but you can buy it in most pet shops to. Full name: Hill's Science Plan - and if you buy some soon, you get the cutest little cuddly dog toy! I think that the cheaper dog food is false economy anyway, cos you end up having to feed much more, so have to buy more,etc.

Fiona if you go to the website I posted under the topic Food, although it only tells you the amounts that IAMS and Eukanuba recommend you feed it will at least give you a couple of brands to either rule in or rule out. :-)

Thanks Claire, I've not got much spare time to trawl the web so I was hoping other Champdoggers would be able to point me in the right direction!!

Fiona
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Okay well I don't know how to do a link to a previous topic so if you look under General, go to page 15, a thread titled Arden Grange Food by Pammy. Scroll down and Sierra listed an Independent Food Comparison website. Don't know if you will find it useful or not, I gave up trawling through it all in the end. :-)

Thanks Claire, I found it :D :D :D

Fiona

Fiona, I only use James Wellbeloved now due to various belly problems that seemed to be linked to additives. The only treats I use is the same stuff, as I got fed up with other treats that contained all sorts of stuff, and it's a devil of a job trying to pick up runny poo with the pooper-scooper (hope no-ones having their dinner).

Are you sure the kids aren't feeding her behind your back? Doesn't say much for your cooking?

Loki gets James Wellbeloved. 200g a day and she is 30+ kilos. We do supplement it with 4/5 markies a day and usually a carrot or an apple every day. She seems to be fine. I like their food and their staff are very helpful.

Have you considered Arden Grange Issymum? I am not exactly sure how much you would feed but I think its a food you gernally feed less of, if you see what I mean.

we feed all our borzoi mob on Nutro - http://www.nutro.co.uk/
I've found it to be the best food, and we've been through many brands with our fussy eaters and poor doers. They always have a bowl down all day long and each evening have an meal that has been soaked with gravy. I'ved used Iams Eukanuba, Pedigree, Beta and lots of others but I am so pleased I found Nutro as are the dogs.

I would agree on the Nutro food. Our Dobe pup loves it. Even better I found out the other day that you can order on line and have it delivered to the door! Saves lugging around a sack and next day. Try www.bluepet.co.uk They were brilliant. Nutro is completely natural and not stocked en mass by the large "petsuperstores". They say this is because most large food stores do not stock the entire range since they do so many for all stages of a dogs life.

Max used to have pedigree complete but with Nutro he put on wieght properly and everything is much better. Just my two pennies worth - good luck.

Can anyone please confirm that my maths is right?? Assuming I give Holly 150g of Nutro per day and I buy a 15kg bag, will it last her 100days????

Surely that can't be right??? that's only 38p per day?????

Please, someone put me out of my misery and tell me if this is right.

Fiona
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Oh did I mention its very reasonable ? The nice thing is that you can mix it up with gravy and other treats to make a change.

And yes - your maths is not bad. The chart on the Nutro site is very good and has worked thus far for me.

Have a good weekend.

Yes Fiona, only 38p/day. Maybe you should try the kids on it, they may like it more than your cooking.

:D Actually my friend and I were saying something similar the other day, Dave. Kids eat such rubbish these days and what they do like is often expensive. We were marvelling at how cheap it worked out to feed our dogs (and we don't choose it on price, honest:)) and it occured to us that crunchy, strong flavoured stuff (crisps, cereals etc) was right up a lot of kids alleys, well you can see where this is going...

I remember in the press a few years ago someone who wanted to cross the Altantic in a barrel or something equally peculiar and got sponsership from various people for everything except food. Eventually he got sponsership from one of the dog food companies who supplied him with several sacks ( I think it may have been vitalin!)and a water purifier. He ate only that and arrived in perfect health!! Honest, its not a wind up!

I didn't realise you'd tasted my cooking Dave :D :D :D It truely is awful and even Holly won't eat it :( :(

Still, at least it means that I never have to cook :D

Fiona
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My two are fed Nutro and they do really well on it my BC used to suffer tummy upsets was a fussy eater and never kept weight on and to date I have found Nutro to be the best for him.

Karen

www.k9natural.co.uk
www.prizechoice.co.uk or www.naturesmenu.co.uk
These web sites offer natural products. I believe its not the quantity of the protein you feed but the quality of it thats the most important thing.
Christine

Fiona
I bourght Kiera a 15 kilo sack of Wafcol Fish & Corn this week
& in the post today had a free sample of their Salmon & Potato.
Wafcol do a vast range of dog food at reasonable price.
www. wafcol.co.uk

Pam

Hi

Don't want to steel Fiona's thread! But it is connected - when can/do you change over to complete puppy/dog food? Been to the local pet shop today to have a look at some of the ones that are listed here, they do a fair range of them, I was impressed. We have a list of stuff to feed new pup but surely he won't want rice pudding forever:D

Anita

Burns have a website, I have found their products very good. The protein content is fairly low, the dogs are in lovely condition and their coats glossy. I used it last year when I bred, and raised the pups on it and have no complaints.
Lorna ;)

Hi reefer, once you have chosen the food, start by adding a very little to what the pup has already, gradually increasing the new food and decreasing the old, aiming to take about 10 days to change from one diet to the other. Young puppies often prefer the complete biscuit to be pre-soaked, but I try to get them on to eating it dry by 12-14 weeks as its better for their teeth and jaw development. Do choose a "puppy" complete as opposed to adult versions with a protein level suitable for his breed - large/giant breed puppies grow better on a lower protein (about 22%) and the small breeds usually need higher protein/fat levels as they mature many months sooner than the larger breeds. Once pups reach 6-9 months they then move on to a "junior" version and then "Adult" when mature.

Thanks westie lover. Now just the small problem of choosing which one - with so many mentioned here and so many to choose from in the shops:D

We'll just have to wait and see which one he likes:D

Anita

Hi Reefer:

I decided to go with Hill Science Brand for my sheltie (who knows when we'll get him (sigh)). It is a tough choice though.

Butter

Well, we tried the Nutro with Holly. She took to the puppy mini really well without any problems at all. We added a tablespoon to her normal food and then waited 24hrs - no ill effects at all. The nutro choice was a completely different story. She had 1 tablesppon in her normal food and it gave her really horrible slimy diahrroea :( She's feeling really sad for herself this morning and won't eat anything.

Is it right that I should stave her for 24hrs then give her bland food before I reintroduce her to her normal food?

Thanks,

Fiona
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I reared my last litter of Munsters on Nutro. Started them off on Max puppy until the kibble was too small for them, then onto Choice puppy, then when Mia (The one I kept) was 9 months old put her onto Choice Plus, as she could run for Britain and needs a higher energy food. Her condition from weaning to now is fabulous, she went through puppy and junior classes looking very mature and never went gawky. Her black is very black and shines beautifully, her white glints in the sun. My new litter will get their first taste of it this coming week.

Arden Grange, I've tried and got good results. Wouldn't go near Iams, Eukanuba (told one of their preservatives is the same one used in car tyres!), Hills or James Wellbeloved for pups.

What's wrong with James Wellbeloved's? We've used it with great success for our three previous dogs, and will probably do so again when we have our next puppy.
Cathy.

My experience with James Wellbeloved is that it does not produce the condition I want my dogs to be in. However this doesnt mean it diesnt work for everyone. Its best to find a food that works and stick with it. I use Arden Grange :D

I have found the Arden Grange gave me the hardest condition.

I have had excellent results feeding Mum and pups on Arden Grange Prestige!

I do feed one meat meal a day, and introduce another brand of food mixed with the Arden grange, before the pups leave.

this I feel gives the new owners the choice of another food, which pups are already used to,as I know the Arden Grange can seem a bit pricey at the normal retail price. also some folk like to feed more traditionally, and at least they know what meat and rtripe are!

I also use litterlac to mix with the puppy food to make the food sloppy when I first wean. I continue giving puppy milk until about 8 weeks.