Hi all,

Haven't been on this (or any) board for ages, but I was wondering, in view of the fact that I am soon to become a single parent of two children and two golden retrievers if anyone could recommend a dog food which is good enough to feed to my gorgeous dogs but cheap enough to suit a meagre budget.

Thanks
Paula

We had 3 Golden retrievers over the last 18 years approx and fed ours "Wilsons Extra choice" all in one dry food with great results. We even showed the Goldens and knew other Golden breeders that used the same food.
Since the goldens I've now down sized to a rescue Tibetan terrier and feed him the Wilsons original VAT free working dog mix. It costs £5.79 for a 10kg bag and lasts me about 4 months!! TT's need low protein diets so the Wilsons original is 18% protein whereas the Wilsons Extra choice is 20%. The only difference between them is the Extra choice has red dried meaty chunks and the original is the feeding Wilson's sell VAT free.
It's a really easy food and the dogs poops are good!! I also know someone who feeds their field spaniels on it. I think it's one of the plainer foods available now but as I say we've always had good results. I usually add a little mince/chicken/fish or a little taste of whatevers left over from my meal into it. It was a Golden breeder who started us of on the Wilsons because previously we were feeding mixer and a lot of meat/chicken/fish etc and our oldest Golden(we only had one at the time) took a problem where the lining of her pancreas starting coming away. The vet said it was too much rich feeding and she'd need to be on tablets the rest of her life(she was only 2 at the time). Instead of the tablets the breeder suggested Wilsons and we never had a problem with her again and we took one litter from her and she lived till nearly 14. Her son and daughter that we kept also lived to 13 and 14 with no feeding problems.
I buy the feeding from Pets at Home if you've any of those near you. If I remember right the 20kg bag lasted nearly 2 months when we only had one Golden to feed. I hope this helps. I do still miss the Goldens but I don't miss the hairs. After the Goldens I thought I'd get a TT so it could sit on my knee and I thought I'd also get another Golden but now I've been totally converted to Tibetan Terriers and would love another TT instead. I don't think I'd go back to a larger breed again. TT's are definitely big dogs in little coats and I've never known a breed like them.

Hi Dot

As an owner of 4 tts I can fully understand how you feel about them. I would never have anything else.

Carol
P.S. Sorry Paula to butt in on your thread :D

Giulpa kennel seems popular among some of the folk at Obedience class, as it is VAT free!

dodson and horrell do a really good one-not too expensive either,

Glad to find another TT owner. Do you show them?

VAT Free = no taxes on the dog food????
toodles

Yep, if food is for Working dogs, then it carries no VAT, same as Livestock feed, but Pet food does!

Never could work out how the VAT man could work out if you just admire your rabbits or were going to eat them. Hope the rabbits can't work it out either but they may do if they see the food bill, so better hide it. Jackie

A pet shop owner told me that every pet food manufacturer is allowed to sell one dog food from their range as "suitable for working dogs" and since it's classed as working dogs food it's VAT free.

Interesting..... and here I thought that you all were going to tell me that VAT was some type of contaminant in the food ;) :) :)

Supa valu.....15kg lamb or chicken........£8.99........keeps good condition on my working hounds when no flesh available.( like last year in FMD)

Is Chappie (dry) any good, does anyone know? Two of my friends have recommended it but I am still using Beta at the moment.

My neighbours use it for their ridgebacks and they look great on it.

That's good to know, I think I might try it, it's pretty cheap and it's really widely available, they do a Vat-free working version now too apparently. I rang Pedigree careline and asked about it and they said that the formula was nutritionally very similar to their other lines, just made with cheaper ingredients e.g. cuts of meat. Apparently their most expensive wet food, Cesar, contains chicken breast fillets - I don't even buy them for myself!!

My vet recommends Chappie:) If you do a search on here you'll find everything that's been said before:)

Stacey x x x

Not sure what it is like but Countrywide do their own make of complete dog food that is dirt cheap. Not sure though about the quality etc but it might be worth looking into ?

Lucy

Carrie Hoover eats Skinners Field and Trial £11 for 15 kilos. Dodson & Horrell Chudleys Supreme is good too, I think that was about £10 for 15 kilos.

Bigger bags work out cheaper and you can get different prices from different suppliers. Our local petrol station is cheapest for Chudleys :p

I fed Chudleys' for ages on my lot and it is fantastic stuff. I only switched because my local supplier didn't always have it in. I now feed Dr John which my dogs love and are doing really well on. Three of them have just finished a months hard work on the grouse moor and it's kept them in good condition. We feed it all year round as well. It's about £7.99 for 15 Kg.

Helen

I used to feed my JRT and BC the Omega dry food, can't remember the exact cost but I remember it being quite cheap and I still see it in the shops. Both my dogs looked great on it and my JRT lived until she was nearly 19 years old so the food must have been doing something right :-)

Never looked at the ingredients though so have no idea what's in it and what's not.

Thanks everyone

I'm determined not to have to lose either of the dogs, but obviously have to keep costs to a minimum. Bad enough losing my current home and marriage, but will NOT lose my dogs and children!!!

Thanks again

paula

Hi Paula
Try Gilbertson & Paige's *Dr John Gold*. Very similar to their *Kennel* in make up but only £6.99 for 15kg. I switched over from *Kennel* to feed my adults on it and they are doing very well. It also has no VAT!
Nicky :)

Hello Paula- have you decided on one yet:) Keep your chin up- and the fighting spirit going- you'll get through it;)

Stacey x x x

Thanks Stacey

I think I'll try the Chappie, I know it's not the cheapest but it's probably the easiest to get round here.

Thanks again everyone

Paula

my pup usually eats purina puppy chow--we get different formulas each time---to enhance differnent vitals.

I feed my hounds on Highlex Greyhound food - £8.99 per sack delivered.
They also sell Lamb & Rice and Chicken & Rice.

Pam

I used to feed Chudleys too.

value for money wise skinners field and trial is good (no vat as all working and racing feed).it comes in flake and fully extruded the latter i feel is the better.