Hi everyone,

I know the topic of one food vs another are always doing the rounds, but its always interesting to hear other peoples view.

I'm looking at changing my dog Harvey's food from Iams and have looked at ingredients on both products and they both seem to be very good re: nutrition, vitamins, 100% natural etc, etc. 

Look forward to hearing from you

My vote's for JWB.  :)

I've used Autarky (buy from Costco, Cheap!) with my BCs, but have found Skinners Rough and ready even better. My girls are thriving on it, everyone remarks on how good their coats are.

JWB.  This suits mine- although Autarky might suit yours better :-)

Stacey x

Autarky voters here!

Thanks for all your replies, will try Autarky I think, have to look for a supplier as I don't think I have a Costco nearby.

Thanks again.

I went this weekend to buy my usual Autarky from Costco - and they don't have it - I am hoping it was a one off as I have been buying it there for 6 months now - I will be so mad if they stop selling.  That IAMs is disgusting and they sell that!

Do you have to be a member to buy from Costco as I understand its a wholesale business? and if this is the case how do I go about becoming a member or not as the case may be??  Thanks in anticipation.

You do have to be a member. It's like any cash and carry really, need to have a company! or be in a profession like police, Dr, Judge! etc. Check out their web site for better info.  I've had a membership for 5/6 yrs and visit Reading regularly, lots of bargains. not just dog food!

Hi S, the food my dogs have been the healthiest on is raw :)

Autarky here too!!! Apart from Nutro...it's the only thing I have seen put 'real' condition on a doggie!

Can someone who feeds Autarkey list the ingredients?  Their website is down.

My dog was tried on 3 different brands earlier in her life and JWB suited her the best.  Actually made a mistake last week and picked up bag of large kibble.  Hadn't even noticed it before but she seems to really enjoy chomping through it.

Autarkey: Maize, chicken meal, rice, chicken fat, green veg & carrots (min 4%) whole linseed, prairie meal, yeast, herbs & spices (min 0.25%), seaweed, yucca extract, also contains natural antioxidents, lecithin, mixed tocopherols & Vitamin C......

I've been feeding it for about 8 weeks, for financial & supply reasons, switched from Nature Diet, whilst I've found it adequate, I shall be going back to ND once they have sorted their supply chain....

It doesn't look too bad - my main concern would be the Maize, because I try to avoid foods which have any grains apart from rice and possibly oats in.

I'm also not sure what prairie meal is?  Anyone?

I'd imagine herbage.

Prairie Meal is otherwise known as Maize Gluten Meal.  It is a by-product from the milling of maize.

Once the starch has been removed it goes through several processes to leave the manufacturer with a high protein meal used in a number of animal feeds.

Maize is around 20% protein, Prairie Meal is around 68%  protein.

It is just another way of manufacturer's renaming products or, as in this case, splitting them so that it appears that the brand is not predominantly maize with a few other things thrown in! ;)

On the front of the bag it says minimum 28% chicken combined with Beneficial Herbs.

The main grain is Maize, so no good if your dog is not OK with maize (though many foods contain it, even those that claim to be chiken/Lamb etc and Rice).

Ingredients: (Adult, Summer Years)
Maize, Chicken Meat Meal, Rice, Chicken Fat, Green Vegetables and Carrots (minimum 4%), Whole Linseed, Prairie Meal,Yeast, Herbs and Spices(min. 0.25%), Seaweed, Yucca Extract, Contains natural antioxidants, Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols and Vitamin C.

"[...]Autarky - 100% natural, super premium, working dog food.

The Working Dog Food Company who make Autarky has formulated three different life stage rations to the exact requirement of working dog breed."

So Autarky is formulated for working dogs not your 'average pet' :)

well it does my pet dogs just fine, but then I suppose they are far from "average" :D

If it's marketed for 'working dogs', then no VAT is payable, so it's 12.5% cheaper. ;) My dogs 'work' very hard at being good pets ... ;) :D :D

Sssssshhhh! Gordon might be listening ;)

Wouldn't a 'less active dog' (in comparison to "a working breed") be getting too high quantities of all the ingrediants?

Not necessarily, I've been advised that there are 3 different levels of feeding advice on the Autarky bags, resting, build-up and working.  Obviously if your dog is a pet you would use resting, if it was a little on the lean side build-up and then working for the working dog.

In my mind all dogs are working dogs whether they be a true field dog, a guide dog or just a companion dog they each have their own particular roles to play.

It states on the bag differing amounts depending on what the dog is doing on my bag "summer years" it has amounts for resting dog, buildup dog and working dog :)

Hey San we posted at the same time :D :D

My boy is dead thin so he has working dog amounts with tripe :D :D

My dogs work very hard at being pains in the backside :rolleyes:   I also use tripe etc which is VAT free.

I wonder if they will ever bring in VAT free cat food for "working" cats ? my Delilah does a great job at keeping down the local rat population :D :D

I use Chudleys choice for the adult bc's. The new pup is on Burns mini bites at the moment but hope to change him to chudleys when he is older.

Dodson & Horrell (sp), who have the chudley range actually now own Autarky.

If you have trouble getting the Autarky, I can let you have a web address for a company that stock it and deliver upto 30kgs for £5.50

I take it you are talking about the csjk9 website?  I've looked into that one and its a possible if I can't get to a Costco.  Thanks for that.

Yep, that's the one!

Is that the Autarky, or the cheaper and lower quality Gusto?

I am currently paying £12.50 which is going up to £13.

Sorry Barbara, I don't know who your question is for??

I posted undr the £5.50  a bag post.  I notice there is a useful little arrow thing on the right hand top corner of a post, it takes you to the  the post replied to.

Sorry, didn't know that!! The £5.50 is the DELIVERY cost, per 30kgs...not the price of the food! The Summer one I get is I think about £14.50??? (can't remember exactly!!) Sorry for any confusion!

This message is for anyone who buys Autarky from Costco, how do you get membership for this place as I understand its a wholesale business and only lets in people with membership cards.

you have to work in a particular type of business, I work in finance industry which gets me in.  I expect they have a website where you could look up if your profession applies :)

Thanks for that  In the meantime I've ordered from CSJ - thanks to those who advised this supplier too

If you have a business you can get business membership (which enables you to go earlier in the mornings) but lots of big companies offer it as a 'perk'

Aah now its all becoming a little clearer  Will get hubby to have a word with his bosses at work and try and convince them what a good idea it would be to become members (whilst not letting on how beneficial it will be to us, hee, hee)

San2022...here is the link for the UK

<a class='url' href='http://www.costco.co.uk/'>http://www.costco.co.uk/</a>

All the best, Dawn

PS I think you can 'purchase' your card to use?? If you have a bit of help from someone that owns a business. You have to weigh up whether you will spend enough there to justify the outlay?

I always wondered what that little arrow did!!
Learning all the time :D

I found it by accident when I happened to hover over it with my pointer.