My dogs were originally fed on Burns and to be fair, it was a really brilliant food. Kept my dogs in good condition; nice teeth and glossy coat (as glossy as a husky's coat could get :D) but I was having trouble getting them to eat it. Byron would eat it quite alot but Alpha struggled and he would only eat it when he was absolutely starving!

I've decided to try my dogs on Pascoes Original Complete diet. This was recommended to me by a number of people and it will be arriving tomorrow. I was just wondering what other people thought of this brand and what good/bad experiences you've had with it!

Thanks,
Keira and the huskies!

Hi Keira,

My dogs don't like Burns either. 

Pascoes Complete is not a food I would feed.  I stay away from any food with mystery ingredients such as, "meat and animal derivatives" and "derivatives of vegetable origin."   If I don't know what's in the food - I don't feed it to my dogs.  I also will not feed any food that has colourants - dogs don't care about the colour of their food and why should I load them up with a chemical for no reason?

Stacey

Pascoes:Ingredients

Cereals - (rice min, 4%, barley min.4%, wheat min. 4%, maize min. 4%), meat and animal derivatives - (beef min. 4%, (min. 4% chicken in the chicken variety)), derivatives of vegetable origin, vegetables - (peas min. 4%), oils and fats, minerals, fish and fish erivatives, contains EEC permitted colourants.

Ditto Cairnmania.

Have a look at the ingredients for goodness sakes!   You have a bag on the way,right keira? Please donate it to the shelter.

My dogs do very well on Pascoes. My two previous dogs led long and active lives on it too.

Ok, I've looked at the ingredients on it and to be perfectly honest I don't have much of a problem with it (please don't take that in an argumentative way!). However, the colourants they do use are supposedly from natural ingredients although I have never been one for feeding my dogs pretty coloured food because as someone said - they don't give a damn what colour their food is.

It's nice to hear that ange's dogs have done well on Pascoes as the three dogs that I met also look very healthy on Pascoes aswell.

Needless to say, I'm currently working the dog food situation in my house on a "trial and error" basis as my youngest dog is the most fussiest eater.

And while I'm on that note of fussy eating - I was looking at Supa Dog Fussy and personally believed it was a scam saying that fussy dogs are guaranteed to eat this dry food therefore I did not buy it but I was wondering if anyone knows whether this statement is true?

OK lets break this down,say i was going to feed my dogs a bowl of this food tonight,here is what they would be getting.A bowl of- rice,barley,wheat and maize (my dogs dont need meat), with perhaps a smattering of bits and pieces from different animals,dont know which ones as they are classed as derivatives and can change from batch to batch,and as they are classed as derivatives are guaranteed to be the worst cuts of the worst quality,remember,by-products/derivatives are those cuts of animal carcasses other than the cuts of meat the animal was slaughtered for,lets throw in some veg derivatives,NOT vegetables mind you,but their derivatives,could be the pulp,may be the seeds or the cores,anything BUT the actual vegetable,they may get lucky and get a whole 4% of peas,lets throw in some oils and fats,oils and fats from what,you may ask,who knows??? Is it motor oil,is it the lard from the derivative of an animal,your guess is as good as mine.I wonder why the ingredient list doesnt tell me where these oils and fats come from???? Fish and fish derivatives,see derivatives,above. Lets throw in some colourants too,lets face it,the pretty colours helped me to pick this food apart from the many others on the shelf,and the green and red bits make me think this food contained vegetables and meat ;) And the EEC permitted them,so they must be necessary AND healthy :D

Keira did you look at the ingredients on supa dog? If i had a fussy dog and the food had good ingredients,eg none of the above and they guarantedd the dog would eat it then i wouldnt hesitate in buying it.However if they are guaranteeing this food i can say with almost certainty that this food has a lot of flavourings,salt etc smothered on to entice dogs to eat it,these things are often used to make poor quality foods more palatable.

There have been several threads lately highlighting foods that some of us consider yumming and others consider the "throw away bits"  :)  I think your take on derivatives is rather extreme, just because some of us humans hadn't required it doesn't mean it is not perfectly good nutrition that our dogs will not only benefit from but enjoy. Again why would a dog be picky about which oil was suitable as low as it is tasty and suits their digestion you are never going to find motor oil in UK foods.  Mostly what I am looking for in the veg department is fibre so as long as it is there and the vitamins will measure up to their requirments I'm not bothered if its peas or asparagus.  And yes, for stored foods, preservatives are necessary and although being neutral in the healthy department they certainly ensure the rest of the food remains so.
These are just general points though I take note of HGs comments about the particular needs of these dogs.

>I think your take on derivatives is rather extreme,<

I would be quite happy to be wrong,but until someone can show me otherwise and tell me why companies use the term derivatives instead of stating the actual source i shall stand by my opinion.

>Again why would a dog be picky about which oil was suitable as low as it is tasty and suits their digestion<

I wouldnt expect a dog to be picky about which oils are used in its food,but i would expect his carer to be though.

>Mostly what I am looking for in the veg department is fibre <

Obviously fibre is the only reason veg derivatives are added to this food as the derivatives of veggies are good for nothing else.Ofcourse there is nothing stopping them from putting whole veggies in the food which would provide both fibre AND vitamins.

>preservatives are necessary<

Yes they are,however there are healthy preservatives which also provide health benefits and then there are the others which have proven health hazards attached to them.This food doesnt even list the preservatives it uses,but i would bet its not the healthful kind!

From the list of ingredients i can not find ONE healthy ingredient in this food,not a one!Why anyone would want to feed this product to their dog on a daily basis is beyond me.Because he will eat it is not a valid reason :rolleyes:

There are no unhealthy perservatives permitted in the UK.

Isabel,

If you are not concerned about the quality of the ingredients or even what they are than it is true than any complete food sold in the U.K. will do for any dog.  For my dogs, I am concerned.  The same as I care about the food I buy for human consumption.  I'm not a fanatic about it, I don't believe half (75%?) of what I read about the supposed horrors of pet food industry, and I try to take a balanced view. 

The bottom-line is for me, however, is that when it comes to the main source of nutrition for canine or human household members the quality of the ingredients matters a lot.  I would no sooner buy a package of mince labeled "various meats and meat derivatives" for my family than I would buy a dog food which cannot even label the animal (lamb, beef, pork ... ) from whence it originated.  Yes, once in a while I buy sausage, and gosh knows what goes into that - but its not a regular feature on the menu.  So I don't think my dogs are going to drop dead from consuming a schmacko or some other doggie junk food item - but its the occassional treat for them too.

So it's fine to defend the pet food industry by saying that there's nothing harmful in the food and by and large its probably true. Just like there's nothing harmful about the ingredients in all the prepackaged microwaved meals in the supermarket - but I don't know a single nutrionist that would recommend that people eat a diet consisting totally of microwave meals.  So in my view if someone chooses to feed their dogs almost nothing else for their entire lives but dried food poured out of bag - it better be the best possible quality available.

And no, microwave meals cannot be directly compared to dried dog food.  Dried dog food is a lot worse - it's been sitting on the shelf for months and you might have to use carbon-dating to figure out the last time some of the ingredients were living plants or animals. 

The reason I am not concerned about the actual ingredients used is because I have gone to the trouble of looking at how the pet food industry is regulated in the UK.  Not even satisfied with that I then confirmed to myself that the regulations were indeed working and that the manufacturers were putting the knowledge of the nutritionists to good use by looking at the studies which showed that dog life expectancy is as good now as it has ever been.  The majority of these dogs will be eating the foods that the "ingredient reader" often condemns as inferior.  There are more ways of caring about what you dog eats that getting wound up about one ingredient rather than another.
Human convenience food is no comparison really.  It was never designed to be fed exclusively and consequently is not correctly balanced for that.  Some of the ingredients would be harmfull if eaten to excess.  Complete foods are formulated for every day use, consequently all the ingredients are well within any safe limits that need to be met.
Dehydrated food is also designed to be kept in good condition assisted by the best preservatives that science has devised.

<<The reason I am not concerned about the actual ingredients used is because I have gone to the trouble of looking at how the pet food industry is regulated in the UK.  Not even satisfied with that I then confirmed to myself that the regulations were indeed working>>

ROFPML

Isabel, that statement is the biggest load of rubbish you have ever said on this board. LOL:rolleyes: I have to add, it has also given me the biggest laugh in what has been a pretty awful week :-(

Leaving aside the TOS :rolleyes: perhaps you could put some substance behind why you think that is not a perfectly sensible way of approaching the issue?

ROFLOL

Isabel, how exactly did you determine that the regulations were working? I worked in the food industry in this country for 11 years and have friends that worked with the petfood industry. I have yet to see ANY evidence that the regulations are even applied beyond the minumum that they can get away with let alone that they are working:rolleyes: If you are niaeve (sp) enough to believe what you are told then that is up to you, there certainly isn't any proof beyond what those companies provide that the regulations are "working" LOL I get the impression that you have absolute faith in whatever you are told by "those that know" You must have a very stress free life. I do not buy anything pre-packed for myself as I know what sort of things happen in food factories, I have been there and seen them and FINALLY after some time of trying my dogs are on a raw diet and doing much better for it, this is something my vet approves of 100% after seeing the difference it has made to them. Vegetables in this country that are pre-packed and labelled "washed and ready to eat" (and this includes bagged salad products as they are considered to be a high risk food) are in fact washed in a substance that is carcinogenic and will take a layer of your skin off if it comes into contact with it. I know that this stuff is used in excess of recommended amounts. If this is what happens to our food then what on earth do you think goes on with petfood? It is a sensible approach if the people concerned are 100% honest about what goes on but I very  much doubt that they are and the only way you can possibly know what happens with ANY food in this country is to work in the factories that produce it and see for yourself. I have done just that and although I don't believe half of the stories I hear about pet food manufacturers I do think that anything is possible regardless of how many "regulations"are in place to prevent it.

As I said in my post above you can confirm the regulations are working by the life expectancy studies. 
Salads are washed in Chlorine, we are also happy to use this in swimming pools on the understanding that the concentration if the safe one to use.  Lots of otherwise harmless chemicals, many of which people regard as "natural" would be highly dangerous in the incorrect proportions.
If you have seen this abused in factories you have no excuse for not reporting it but on the other hand we would be seeing it reflected in the health statistics anyway.
Personally I'm far more inclined to believe the goverment reports than the web sites and message boards of people with an axe to grind or who are clarly whacky, call that naive if you like :)

Just wanted to 'flag up' something (as a search on Huskies will throw this topic up to perhaps a newbie looking for info)

Siberians are not big eaters (look at their heritage . The 'husky' breeds of dog evolved on produce that also sustained their masters in the harshest of environments - seldom fed every day)Males more especially than the females may go a day or two without eating and this is not a cause for immediate concern.Its quite common also for Male sibes to lose appettite when an in season bitch is in the area( and can continue for some time). (we know the keen nose of the Sibe!!)
   excercise levels, working or sedentary dogs,temperature (weathers getting warmer now!) and age will all play a part in appetite.
   >You can judge your dogs weight and condition by running your hands over the backbone and ribs to check they are well covered but with no sign of fat.You should be able to feel the bones clearly but without 'dipping' between the ribs< Quote from Caroline Kisko (PolarKnights) a Championship show Judge (Judged at Crufts) for Siberians. :)
     Cheaper Flake foods (Meusli style) are the only type I'd definately shy away from for Siberians.Also any thing with wheat.The digestive system of the Sibe is unable to digest raw starch and these foods have it in abundance. (see the undigested flakes and cereals that appear on the lawn, if your an avid poo inspector like me ;) )
HTH and clarifys :D

Yeah I know they're not big eaters and all that information I have read before. I just PMed Ktee about Pascoes (it didn't arrive so I cancelled the order).

However, there is a difference between a husky not being a big eater and a husky not being an eater at all :D. I don't think it helps that my youngest is a rescue boy and his previous owners really didn't have much time for him therefore I very much doubt they took time in buying certain foods for him or his sister :rolleyes:. Judging by his condition of when I first met him my guess was that he had been living on dinner scraps. Then again, I can't post pictures on this site of what he was like and what he is like now!

Glad the Pascoes been ditched then ;) even more reason to get it right.
If its that serious and you have cause for concern I'd go high protien wet, Natures Menu (esp the chicken which smells a little like cat food and is verrrry tempting to a waining appetite) We' had  this before Xmas when there was a similar post to yours, the OP had great success with this.Or Natures diet. You can gradually wean back onto kibble once condition and health resume. :)

This I have tried before but he suffered badly from diarrhoea soon after eating it. Like I said, he did extremely well on Burns until he got bored of it and I'm finding I'm having to constantly change food to keep him eating. I prefer keeping him on dry food as it's alot easier and his teeth are prone to plaque and tartar!

Thanks anyway!

Keira i had a look at the supa dog fussy.  It would be which is the lesser of two evils!

Keira have you had a look at techni cal sensitive+easy to digest ?  Their other formulas arent very good,but this one doesnt look too bad.

<a class='url' href='http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk'>http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk</a>

What about JWB or Arden Grange.? Someone started a post on Eaglepack dog food the other day,apparantly the dog sledders use this food with great success.

>it didnt arrive so i cancelled the order<

Is that fate,or what!!! :D If there is a doggy higher being,he didnt want you to feed this food to your pooches either ;)

>his teeth are prone to plaque and tartar<

This is easily remedied by providing a big knuckle bone or the like a few times a week,or you could brush his teeth :p Did you know High grain dry foods are more prone to stick on dogs teeth causing tartar than the higher quality wet foods?

Keira i wish you the very best of luck,and i hope you find a healthy, high quality food that your dogs will enjoy and thrive on.

Thanks Ktee - just the thought of a dog food made for fussy dog eaters is enough to raise eyebrows in my opinion!

I wasn't too keen on using techni-cal sensitive because as you said the other formulas aren't too good and there are definitely better formulas around :D

I have thought about using Arden Grange as they're BUAV approved (something important to me - not to everyone but it's down to personal opinion) and I think this may be the next buy for my dogs. JWB has it's fair share of animal testing but I did try my dogs on it and neither liked it! By the way, this thread is not to start off an animal-testing argument!

Luckily, the plaque and tartar is kept down because I do brush both of their teeth daily and they have bones commonly but it was interesting to know about the high grain dry foods being just as bad for dog's teeth as high quality wet food! So thanks for that piece of info - I guess you really do learn something new everyday!

I'm going to look a bit more into Eaglepack as I haven't really looked at that one before but at the moment in time I think I'm edging towards Arden Grange!

My personal experience is grain foods do not cause teeth problems  I can't think of any instances in the human world either where high grain eating peoples are known as sufferers of tooth problems either except in the wearing down of teeth that our ancestors apparently suffered from.  Chewing bones of course can lead to the same problems but dogs, of course, don't live as long as we do.

oh poor you! He's got you well trained ;)
Good Luck...this may repeat itself again!

i feed both my pointers on it(10 and 12 yrs old they love it they have nice coats clean teeth and the love it i always add water they keep a nice weight

Hiya Keira
Glad to see you're up and running again. Have you thought about feeding raw? As you know, I'm not a husky 'knowledgeable' person, but I would have thought it would suit them particularly.
Kat