Is Butchers in tins a good dog food,I have been feeding Annie my eldest lab on this the past few weeks,its called vitality has veg in it also,her poos are alot smaller now.

Sheila

It is not generally thought of a being a 'good food' and tinned food is usually about 70% water - however if you can afford it, your dog likes it and your dog is doing well on it then there is no problem. I know people treat the feeding of dogs as if it were some sort of religion but I think it is up to the indevidual and their dog if there is no problem then I would not worry.

What is the best food,I really dont like feeding dry when there getting older,she is 9,she does have raw marrow bones once a week and any left overs of meat and vegatables.

Sheila

Well - it's hard not to agree that Raw is the best food for a dog as that is what it has evolved to eat.  But it isn't for everyone - it needs planning, freezer space, and a bit of research.  But - despite that I would never feed anything else.   Incorporating the scraps you are already feeding is no problem.  Surprisingly I found it worked out cheaper than a kibble like Royal Canin (which is what my pup was eating when she arrived).

Well as you asked Annabella if I was going to feed tinned food I would use original Chappie. What do I feed, kibbles, Arden Grange if I can afford or something else when I can't, I don't feed raw because I do not feel competent to feed my dogs the correct diet I have enough trouble trying to get it right for the members of my family and dogs have a different dietary requirement to us although both species are omnivores.

sorry,dont want to argue,but I thought dogs are classed as carnivores?

Butchers have roughly 30 % meat in (varies slightly across the varieties) which isn't bad as far as supermarket canned foods go -compare to for instance Winalot which has just 14%. Chappie is 14 % fish and 4 % chicken. Compare that to for instance Natures Menu cans which is minimum 55 % meat or Nature Diet which is 65 %. I can't find the exact figures on the net but from memory, Pedigree Chum cans are 49 % meat these days which I would say makes them the best supermarket can. I don't see the point in paying for just a lot of cereal.

I have just switched one of mine to Nature Diet trays to see if it will help with the recurrent ear infections she suffers from periodically. She's not been on it long enough yet to judge if it's helping but if it does do the trick I shall switch all of my lot over to it.

sorry,dont want to argue,but I thought dogs are classed as carnivores?

Think they are, but in nature they are omnivorous, what you may call opportunity eaters, if it can be eaten then it will be.

I feed Chappie because I know it will not cause upset digestive systems not because of its content, it is I think made by the same concern as Pedigree. Never sure when a dog food says meat just what is meant by meat is it animal material or as many think animal muscle?

Sorry nova I am in the carnivore camp here. Appropriate teeth and shortend digestive tract unlike us who are omnivore. Yes I agree they can eat other than meat and occasional enjoy other things. Like me and chocolate but designed to eat meat :).  Cats. For example are  carnivores to but will enjoy the odd thing that isn't meat but can't survive healthily on a non meat diet ( I know we were only discussing dogs atm ).                Although I am raw feeder if that wasn't possible I would go for a non grain kibble and a meal of raw meat and fish but at separate times of day. If not yes tinned chappie for an older dog for the reasons you said nova

I believe dogs are known as facultative carnivores - they have carnivore physiology but can (and often do) survive on an omnivorous diet.
Cats are obligate carnivores :)

Yes I agree they can eat other than meat and occasional enjoy other things.

That was my point, they can and do eat an omnivore diet from choice no matter what teeth they have. A wild dog will eat anything it comes across that can be eaten and not just meat or even whole animals. It is surprising how many times when a kill is made of a herbivore it is the stomach that is eaten first and that contains even less meat than the worst of the supermarket brands.

Never sure when a dog food says meat just what is meant by meat is it animal material or as many think animal muscle?

It varies -but I don't see that it matters because it is still much better than cereal. :)

Raw diet all the way for our RR. Do a bit of research to find out the benefits of a BARF diet you will be surprised, also it is not as expensive as some say.

Thank you cutewolf for explaining what I was trying to say only badly.couldn't think what the word was to describe dogs.I knew cats. I think the key here is deigned for but can survive as omnivore unlike the cat who can't be omnivorus and be healthy. I gues we are all right depends what we are discussing :) to me my dogs are carnivores so choose to feed them as such not everyone can or agrees

> also it is not as expensive as some say.

For me it would work out more expensive than a £2 per kg kibble, especially adding in supplements.

I do give mine raw on top whenever I can source it at reasonable cost (under 40p per lb).  I do not have the freezer room or room for a dog freezer to make it economic to feed 6 dogs raw.

> Butchers have roughly 30 % meat in (varies slightly across the varieties).............from memory, Pedigree Chum cans are 49 % meat these days which I would say makes them the best supermarket can

Had a look at a can of Butchers Tripe Mix today out of curiosity, as I have fed it one to one of my dogs occasionally and found it suited him. Contents are Meat & Animal derivatives (of which 53% is tripe). No cereal, no veg, no other stuff.

So based on that, as well as no colouring or sugars, I'd say it was probably better than Pedigree. Although I feed raw it is often useful to know what else suits your dog in case of emergency (eg. holidays, kennels, vet hospital, someone else feeding your dog who can't or won't do raw).

>Had a look at a can of Butchers Tripe Mix today out of curiosity, as I have fed it one to one of my dogs occasionally and found it suited him. Contents are Meat & Animal derivatives (of which 53% is tripe). No cereal, no veg, no other stuff. <br />

I feed a very good quality kibble, but all of my dogs get the above added to the dry food.  I do know that some people say that they won't do that, as their dog picks out the meat, and spits out the dry food.  But it has never happened to me.  Perhaps, having a load of dogs, and all living in the house, they get it down them fast rather than risk it getting pinched!  :-)