What do you feed your dog apart from tinned food?

Sublime_2

Mines a staffie. i don't give hime many biscuits, but he ahas a bad habit of pinching the kids sweets.

I feed him James well beloved dry food, with either a tray of cesar on top, or some chopped chicken, or mince.

For treats, he has pigs ears, or dried sausages, with the odd Bonio.

ladymarmalade222

My five year old terrier cross has had skin problems for years, vet has struggled to diagnose and used various shampoo's etc. A number of months ago her belly was very inflamed and I decided enough was enough and decided to research for myself. The first thing I noticed when reading up on skin issues (especially flaky skin, inflamed patches) with dogs is the food has a great deal to do with it. I had been feeding her Bakers (I know but I was unaware how bad it actually was) but then realised what stuff they actually put in this food, I felt awful that I had been watching these adverts with all the cute dogs and potentially poisoning my dog.

I read that I should switch to either burns/skinners which help with the skin issues. I contacted the online help for skinners and they sent out some sample bags for her to try. Now I will say she is quite a fussy eater, even leaving the green bits of Bakers all the time (we used to joke she hasn't eaten her peas) so I expected her to turn up her nose at this new bland looking food. She did infact absolutely love it.

I decided to pick up a couple of small bags online in different flavours and I can't begin to tell you what a different dog she is. Her skin has completely cleared up after 5 years of vet bills. She doesn't urinate half as much. She has lost weight and all her poos are firm. She looks and is a completely different dog after about 6 months.

Please if you are feeding Bakers to your dog just have a look online at the ingredients and what harm they can do to your dog.

I honestly think changing her diet to skinners has increased her life expectancy a great deal and I wish I had done it sooner.

hethmar

Bakers are full of colours and sugar - check out the contents. Pedigree much the same Im afraid and some awful write ups on them both.

I dont know if you wanted cheapest or best though? One tin of wet food for a strong growing girl doesnt sound enough to me? Does it say that on the label?

I give mine Orijen dry food plus Royal Canin dry skin support food and I usually buy something like Natures menu and add that for a bit of interest or a bit of our own food. I also feed them twice a day - about a third of the total in the morning and the rest early evening.

tbourner

We also use CSJ in the rescue, seems to be the easiest for a large range of dogs to digest and not have issues. We use the 'Champ' version but that's cos we rescue Huskies.

tango

Rev wrote: »

Bakers is pretty much the Macdonalds of dog food. Full o crap and very, very little nutrition.

Decent dry food brands are Arden Grange, Simpsons, Skinners (either the duck and rice or salmon and rice), Wainwrights (pets at homes own brand - so can only buy there), orijen, arcana, taste of the wild, barking heads, fish4dogs.

Alot of people will say burns, but at almost £50 per bag for a food containing 60% rice - I can't recommend it, not when the skinners I mentioned have pretty much the same ingredients but are £20 per bag.

Rule of thumb is, if you can buy it in the super market - it's pants. Although I believe waitrose sell Arden Grange.

Tried Burns but my dog didn't do well became very hyper and naughty..she is back on Whites dried with Penplan moist and a bone at lunch.

Rev

Kinski wrote: »

The reason I mentioned Burns is that it was the only food my last sheltie could tolerate as she had bad colitis, I also know of a few dogs who had bad skin conditions who were helped by it.

Sorry. Please don't take my comment the wrong way. I know a few dogs who do very well on Burns. It's just my personal issue.

Rev

Igottawii!! wrote: »

Thank you everyone for all the advice - can't believe I've been a dog owner for 25 years (OMG!) and only with the new one really thought about what I'm feeding!

So next question, where's the best place to buy any of these better brands?

Thank you again

Everyone has been there. You don't know until you ask/look into it/happen upon a forum thread. People believe the hype. I know I did till I got my new dow and the trainer mentioned nutrition at puppy classes.

I always buy online, or you could grab wainwright at pets at home. Or pick a food you like the look of and ask your local pet shop if they can get it in.

amyjay_2

Thanks very much for all your help.

I'm looking in to it as we speak!

Igottawii!!

Me too!

viktory

Kinski wrote: »

The reason I mentioned Burns is that it was the only food my last sheltie could tolerate as she had bad colitis, I also know of a few dogs who had bad skin conditions who were helped by it.

My two are on this - it has done their coats the world of good.