Cheap dog food!

littlelily

Hi,

Completely new to the forum but thought I'd save a great money-saving tip for all those with big dogs and small budgets!

I used to work in the dog food industry and know this can help you to slash your feed bills without slashing the quality of your beloved pooch's meals!

Let me start by explaining that most dogs in the UK are now fed a complete dry food - Bakers Complete, Pedigree Complete, Beta, Omega Tasty, James Wellbeloved, that sort of thing. Pet dogs require a dry food that is around 20% protein, which most of these brands are (check out the Nutritional Analysis panel on your own bag). If the level on your brand is much higher, the chances are you are feeding a "Super Premium" (read "very expensive!") American diet like Eukanuba and Hills. These are much higher in protein (completely unnecessary for your average pet), much higher in price and, many vets feel, much more likely to knacker your dog's kidneys in the long run!


In around 1993, food for racing greyhounds became exempt from VAT. This was great for trainers who fed a high protein (28% plus) complete dry food but not so useful for the majority of trainers who fed a mixture of fresh meat and lower protein (18% to 20%) food to give an overall high protein diet.

Bear with me - I'm getting to the point, I promise! So, my company, along with many others, kicked up a fuss on behalf of our greyhound training customers and Customs and Excise agreed that a lower protein food could be offered for sale exempt from VAT providing the packaging made clear that it was for greyhounds only (as opposed to pets)

Solution - we packaged our normal 20% pet food (which trainers were mixing with meat, remember), slapped a couple of greyounds on the front of the bag, called it "Greyhound Maintenance Food" and marketed it for "Injured Greyhounds or Greyhounds not in Training"

So, our standard pet food, which retailed at around £15 for a 15kg bag was suddenly on sale (albeit well disguised!) less the VAT at around £12. Many other companies came into the market, prices became increasingly competitive and nowadays, it's possible to buy this type of food at around £8 for a 15kg bag. Next time you're in your pet shop ask if they can get you a Greyhound Maintenance food - it's EXACTLY the same nutritional content as a standard pet food just without the VAT and the fancy packaging! I have three dogs on this food, it costs me less than £8 for a 15kg bag and they are all healthy and fit as fleas!


First post done!:T

spud30

And first thanks given :beer:

Welcome to DFW LL.

I have often thought about buying the greyhound stuff for our dog. She has Beta complete at the mo.

Might have to give it a try next time :T

Smashing

If anyone is going to change their dog's food (and please be aware that it is not simply a matter of one can fits all) can I please remind them to do it gradually, by mixing some of the newer food in with the old initially, to lessen the shock to the dogs system and to help them get used to it. It's simply not the case that 'he must fancy a change by now.'

Snaggles

Great first post! Haven't got a dog at the moment (no room) but was brought up with dogs (not in the 'parents used to make me live in the kennel' sense! But you know what I mean!), and would love one. Will bear this in mind if I do, cheers xx

Raksha

Autarky is one of the better 'for working dogs' brands out there. AND it's often available in Tescos, and for those of us with Costco cards - they do it too!

BTW - most of those commercial foods have colourings and things in them to make them appeal to human eyes and 'sensibilities', they can have unwanted effects on dogs, similar to colourings in human foods....

Snaggles

How horrible, putting unwanted chemicals into animal foods to make them look better to humans........we've really gone mad haven't we .

littlelily

I have often thought about buying the greyhound stuff for our dog. She has Beta complete at the mo.

Beta Complete will be very similar in nutritional composition to a greyhound maintenance food and, since your dog is already on a complete food (as opposed to "wet" or canned food plus mixer) you should be able to switch smoothly and without problem.

Re Smashing's point - switching foods is usually only a problem if you are switching between TYPES of food (from cans to complete) - there is rarely any issue with switching between BRANDS, unless the dog is already food intolerant or the protein levels between current food and new food are wildly different.

To switch between complete diets, we used to recommend:

Day 1 - feed 3/4 current diet, 1/4 new diet
Day 2 - feed 1/2 and 1/2
Day 3 - feed 1/4 current diet, 3/4 new diet
Day 4 - feed all new diet from this point.

I have fed my three "greyhounds" (14-year old Jack Russell, 13 year-old Giant Schnauzer and ten year old Border Terrier) on greyhound maintenance foods for years and I promise you, they're all fine - and run REALLY fast!

spud30

She wont suddenly start chasing fluffy things will she?

We have 4 cats that wont be best pleased if she does :rotfl:

Snaggles

spud30 wrote:

She wont suddenly start chasing fluffy things will she?

We have 4 cats that wont be best pleased if she does :rotfl:

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Toomuchdebt

Would this be any good for a Labrador puppy(6 months old) with a sensitive stomach?

deaks_2

I got fed up with my two cocker spaniels going to be clipped at £30 each and ending up looking stupid - all feathery fancy bits no matter how many times I stressed I didn't want them looking like a pair of pratts, so I bought some Thinning Scissors off Ebay for a couple of quid - fantastic - now when I groom them I just hack away with the thinning scissors - dead forgiving - you cannot chop big chunks off, so even an amateur can use them. Result - no more £30 doggy hair cuts and my dogs look great - and I know how they are treated - cos I'm doing it.
The thinning scissors are honestly really easy to use and it keeps them maintained all the time - and you don't have to wait until they are ready for a haircut - you just do a bit each week when you normally groom/brush.
Has saved me about £120 so far.