Dog Food Questions - merged

astonsmummy

pboae wrote: »

I feed Royal Canin for giant breeds. I feed it because it's supposed to be the best food for reducing the likliehood of bloat, which is a big killer in my breed. Also my dog has a very delicate stomach and I have to be very careful what he eats, so I wouldn't change it unless I actually had to.

The thing to remember with good quality food is that you feed much less of it, (and get a lot less out the other end as well!). Cheap foods are padded out with junk and filler so you have to feed a lot more of them.

I buy a 15 kg sack which costs around £35 it lasts him about 3 weeks. He ought to have around 3 pints a day, but it currently on a diet so he gets 2 1/2 pints and 2 carrots (split into 2 meals).

If I fed him (for example) Pedigree Chum, he'd need 11 cans a day, or 5 1/2 cans and an equal amount of dry complete. Which would be an insane amount of food, over 90kg in 3 weeks, 6 times what he gets now.

If I wasn't feeding him RC I'd like to try raw feeding, but I don't think I am organised enough for it, so it would probably be James Well Beloved or Burns.

So how would I know how much of say JWB a day? I think I'd keep her on a mix of wet and dry, if thats ok.

getcarter

I've got a GSD x collie(?) and of course a staffie x puppy. Both on Skinners working dog food - VAT free, it's only the maintenence version so for off season or dogs not working hard. £15 for 15 kg, lasts the GSD about 3/4 weeks.

http://www.skinnerspetfoods.co.uk/products/field-and-trial/field-and-trial-maintenance.html

He has quite a delicate tummy and seems to work well for him. Puppy on the puppy version!

You might have to search for it a bit as it's not very well known.

pboae

astonsmummy wrote: »

So how would I know how much of say JWB a day? I think I'd keep her on a mix of wet and dry, if thats ok.

What does she weigh? There is a feeding guide here
http://www.wellbeloved.com/products/dog_food/feeding_guidelines.aspx

If she weighs 20kg, she'd have 300g a day.

Most of these foods are dry complete foods, you don't normally need to feed wet with them as well. But if you want to JWB does pouches of wet as well, but it's much more expensive that way. For each pouch you add you'd reduce the kibble by 40g.

astonsmummy

pboae wrote: »

What does she weigh? There is a feeding guide here
http://www.wellbeloved.com/products/dog_food/feeding_guidelines.aspx

If she weighs 20kg, she'd have 300g a day.

Most of these foods are dry complete foods, you don't normally need to feed wet with them as well. But if you want to JWB does pouches of wet as well, but it's much more expensive that way. For each pouch you add you'd reduce the kibble by 40g.

Thanks, well I was trying to wean her off the cans, but wasnt sure if she would be ok to eat just the biscuits, but if they are complete food then thats good.
By that chart it's 260g a day.

suki1964

I feed Arden Grange as Burns doesnt suit my lad (cant keep the weight on him and his coat dulls)

A 15kg bag is £30 and lasts over 3 months. He thrives on it.

He does also get the meat trimmings and left over veggies added - perhaps a tablespoon at a time and the only treats ofther then the odd chicken wing or livercake is a early morning and bedtime bonio

janeys

we used to feed our cairn terrier a complete dry food from ASDA own brand which worked for him fine until he was diagnosed diabetic and the vet recommended chappie. I was amazed when he told me it was the cheapest and one of the best. Our dog absolutely loves it (helps that he is starving, with the diabetes) but he really enjoys it, and his general health and stools have improved. We use tinned chappie with a handful of dry through it. The large tins 2kg are about £1.10 in Tesco and a large 15kg bag of dry is about £13.00 from pet shop. Until the vet told me otherwise I always thought chappie was rubbish.

astonsmummy

janeys wrote: »

we used to feed our cairn terrier a complete dry food from ASDA own brand which worked for him fine until he was diagnosed diabetic and the vet recommended chappie. I was amazed when he told me it was the cheapest and one of the best. Our dog absolutely loves it (helps that he is starving, with the diabetes) but he really enjoys it, and his general health and stools have improved. We use tinned chappie with a handful of dry through it. The large tins 2kg are about £1.10 in Tesco and a large 15kg bag of dry is about £13.00 from pet shop. Until the vet told me otherwise I always thought chappie was rubbish.

I've been told by a couple of people that Chappie is quite good.

pboae

Of the cheap foods, and certainly the cheaper canned foods, Chappie is the only one I'd feed to a dog of mine. It's good quality and good for them, without all the fat and sugar of some of the other brands. Because it's fishy most dogs love it, but the smell is too much for me.

MrsE_2

pboae wrote: »

I feed Royal Canin for giant breeds. I feed it because it's supposed to be the best food for reducing the likliehood of bloat, which is a big killer in my breed. Also my dog has a very delicate stomach and I have to be very careful what he eats, so I wouldn't change it unless I actually had to.

The thing to remember with good quality food is that you feed much less of it, (and get a lot less out the other end as well!). Cheap foods are padded out with junk and filler so you have to feed a lot more of them.

.

I got a cat, but I feed him Royal Canin too (for cats:rolleyes: ).

Its susposed to be about the best & one of the nost expensive, but because its so concentrated they don't need so much.

Good dried food is better quality & better for their teeth & general health.

When you buy canned pet food, its 70% water, do you like carrying home all that water:mad:

Dried food will seem more expensive, but last so much longer, so for top notch dried food it will probably be cheaper than Chum & about the same as Chappie.

If you must use supermarket dried food, I think iams is the best they do IMHO.

The pet shop in Crawley (near M&S) often has offers on bags of good dried food (Hills is also good) & so do Pets at Home.

His poos will smell better & hopefully he will fart less.
The food won't smell nasty, get crusty in the bowl or attrack flies.

Do you need any more convincing?:D

astonsmummy

MrsE wrote: »

I got a cat, but I feed him Royal Canin too (for cats:rolleyes: ).

Its susposed to be about the best & one of the nost expensive, but because its so concentrated they don't need so much.

Good dried food is better quality & better for their teeth & general health.

When you buy canned pet food, its 70% water, do you like carrying home all that water:mad:

Dried food will seem more expensive, but last so much longer, so for top notch dried food it will probably be cheaper than Chum & about the same as Chappie.

If you must use supermarket dried food, I think iams is the best they do IMHO.

The pet shop in Crawley (near M&S) often has offers on bags of good dried food (Hills is also good) & so do Pets at Home.

His poos will smell better & hopefully he will fart less.
The food won't smell nasty, get crusty in the bowl or attrack flies.

Do you need any more convincing?:D

No, I dont need anymore convincing!
Now do you have any tips on getting my sons aris to stop smelling like something has crawled up it and died? :rotfl: