Buying dog food

olaola

Hey All,

We're adopting a dog from Dogs in Distress (very excited!) and she's arriving to her new home tomorrow So we're going to get her bed/leash/food etc tonight - all set for homecoming.

We've been advised to get certain dried food for her - Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved, Nutro, Arden Grange or Burns. Can anyone recommend a place to buy them? I see on www.zooplus.ie they have a good few of the brands were were told about. Is it cheaper in shops? By the way she is a 2 & 1/2 year old lab cross - about 1/2 the size of a normal lab.

We live in Dublin 8 btw.

chops1990

Cheap dog foods are often poor in nutritional value. They can also give yer dog gas . It is best to go with the recommended dog food for your dog. It may be more expensive but it is much better for your dog, they are dearer coz they are better quality.

leopardus

I couldn't advise 'Orijen' (http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/orijen/) highly enough, my dog is doing very well on it. He was started on Royal Canin and seems to prefer and have a more settled stomach/ firmer poos on Orijen. It's expensive to keep a growing young dog on it, but works out pretty reasonably for an older dog; the food is really premium quality so you feed much less. As far as I know it's only available through the Zooplus site in Ireland. Delivery can be a hassle though and if you miss it I was told the collection centre is in Knock!!! But the company is very helpful and obliging.
Check out the site dogfoodanalysis.com for reviews of different food; the best part of the site is it explains the different ingredients commonly used and helps you pick the 'best' food.
Make sure whatever the choice that you make the transission very slowly.

kazza23

Zooplus is cheaper but they stock James Wellbeloved and Royal Canin in Petstop in Blanchardstown if you want to get a small bag to keep you going.

Molberts

I had mine on Nutro for a while and they were doing great on it (they were on wellbeloved before but the last while I noticed they didnt seem as happy on it- formula change maybe?) but its too difficult to get hold of now so I went looking for an alternative.

I have them on Arden Grange now and they LOVE it! Even our terrier X with the dicky tummy is doing great on it. Ahem... theres no polite way to say this but basically his poos are solid and healthy looking now and his gas issue has pretty much disappeared.

MissyN

James Wellbeloved is an excellent food. My dog is very healthy on it and without sounding weird she does fabulous number 2s so I think its great stuff. Petstop in Blanch does stock this and you could get a 15kg bag which would last you for months so you'd only have to make the journey a few times per year. It costs around €60 for that bag which isn't too bad. From Dublin 8 you'd just go through the Pheonix Pk wouldn't you and then its very handy for the shopping centre in Blanch. Best of luck with your new doggie !!!!

cjbo32

We feed all our dogs arden grange chicken and rice and they look great because if it. Its hypoallergenic and theres no added byproducts like alot of foods have. We always buy the big bags of it 15kgs i think it is and we buy online so its delivered. Sometimes these guys do offers www.k9komforts.ie

comongethappy

Hi All,

You can get Orijen and James Well Beloved on zooplus.co.uk - it's so much cheaper than zooplus.ie, and no extra charges!

I feed my cat's Orijen as one has UTI's, one seems to be sensitive the gulten, and I couldn't be bothered getting a different food for the third, as the other two would eat hers anyway and get sick! On the zooplus.ie site, the Orijen is €60, and on zooplus.co.uk, it's £39.95, or about €45. That's a €15 difference!!!

Just having a look at James Well Beloved dog food, on zooplus.ie it's €65.23 for 15kgs of dog food, and on zooplus.co.uk it's £41.90 (€47.18)

Just a money saving tip in these tight times

mags16

I've always prided myself on the firmness of my dog's poo! I feed her Royal Canin. Last time I bought it, I rang around for the cheapest price. Wackers Pet Superstore on the Long Mile Road was the cheapest. I might buy from Zooplus in future if it is cheaper.

Munster Gal

If you're thinking of Royal Canin the vets who stock it also have free puppy packs of it to try out.

ahaaha

i was talking to my vet yesterday (my poor puppy has a irritable colon) and i was suprised to find out that pet food is not regulated.

he said basically they can say they have x,y and z on the tin, but no guarantees or tests being done and the formula changes all the time. i was shocked actually - thats why we have to pay for the good stuff i suppose.

he mentioned burns, hills and i cant remember the name of the last one, were the only three in ireland that can give you 'what it says on the tin'.

when im out of my big bag of burns for puppies, he said to maybe try another one to see if it will firm up his poos. iv seen ye mention Orijen - has anyone had any success with any dogs that have a very irritable colon with this food? i honestly dont mind what it costs once i can sort the poor little fella out

MissyN

mags16 wrote: »

I've always prided myself on the firmness of my dog's poo!

Thats so funny Mags !! Do you really find Royal Canin good cos I use James Wellbeloved and my dogs looks great on it but she has anal gland 'issues' so I'm wondering if RC makes the poo really firm, could this make a big difference to my girl. mmmm....

misssaucie

We give our crazy little pup Hills Science Plan dry food. Tried the Royal Canin and it gave him the runs. I seem to only be able to buy it in my vet's practice and it's €20 for a large bag which last over 3 weeks which I think is very good value. Good luck with your dog and beware... they will change your life...for the better!!!!! We'd be lost without our little man

olaola wrote: »

Hey All,

We're adopting a dog from Dogs in Distress (very excited!) and she's arriving to her new home tomorrow So we're going to get her bed/leash/food etc tonight - all set for homecoming.

We've been advised to get certain dried food for her - Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved, Nutro, Arden Grange or Burns. Can anyone recommend a place to buy them? I see on www.zooplus.ie they have a good few of the brands were were told about. Is it cheaper in shops? By the way she is a 2 & 1/2 year old lab cross - about 1/2 the size of a normal lab.

We live in Dublin 8 btw.

Boomtastic

Slightly off-topic but how long does dry dog food last before going off? It's currently being stored in an non-airtight container.

Skillie

anyone know anything about Hussie.ie or Wagg?

both seem to make all the right noises with regards to content etc. Wagg is available in atlantic homecare for 20 euro for a 15kg bag which is phenominal value for what they claim is a cottage industry no additives type food. father had his collie on it (and everything else he feeds her!!) and seemed decent.

My newfs on RC giant junior, hes 8months and his poo stinks and is not that solid maybe it will settle out as he grows and that.

We vary our Golden as she gets bored shes on select gold now and its fine, arden grange she didn't like, RC was good and eukanuba was good too.

good tip about using zooplus.co.uk we've used .ie a good bit great resource but if we can save a few bob how bad!!

Interceptor

Husse ftw. Free delivery, happy pooch.

'cptr

comongethappy

If you dog has no sensitivities or would do well on a salmon and rice or lamb and rice diet, then I would highly recommend husse. You can get a free sample on their website, but remember it can take your dog up to 2 weeks to adjust, so they could have diahorrea in the transition period.

If you know or suspect allergies and a rice based food doesn't agree, then I would highly recommend Orijen.

dnjoyce

just ordered a 7kg bag of the valp on husse.ie for 30 euro as lulu, our 18 week old westie, seemed to like the free sample they sent out and seems to "produce" good solid poop!

Skillie

dogfoodanalysis.com says it wouldn't recommend Orijen for a puppy due to high protein. we have an 8 month old Newf and I'd like to switch him from RC as i'm not happy with his poop and wind. Anyone know what best to move to for him till he's of age to switch to Orijen?

Rob_l

olaola wrote: »

Hey All,

We're adopting a dog from Dogs in Distress (very excited!) and she's arriving to her new home tomorrow So we're going to get her bed/leash/food etc tonight - all set for homecoming.

We've been advised to get certain dried food for her - Royal Canin, James Wellbeloved, Nutro, Arden Grange or Burns. Can anyone recommend a place to buy them? I see on www.zooplus.ie they have a good few of the brands were were told about. Is it cheaper in shops? By the way she is a 2 & 1/2 year old lab cross - about 1/2 the size of a normal lab.

We live in Dublin 8 btw.

I doubt it will be cheaper in a store than online for an even cheaper deal than www.zooplus.ie try its partner site www.zooplus.co.uk they ship from the same place in germany and with the weak exchange rate you can get things for some super prices i just saved €30 on a kennel when i checked out there .co.uk site rather than the .ie site. Plus they are doing a 10% discount for new customers as oppossed to a 5% discount on the irish site.

Perhaps i should put this in consumer issues too(but im lazy)

Beth

Skillie wrote: »

anyone know anything about Hussie.ie or Wagg?

We have raised our Papillon on Husse, until we put him on a raw diet last September. We found it great. He was on Valp when he was a puppy and then moved onto the Optimal Mini. Shiny coat, firm poop, little smell (from him - the Lamm and Ris Husse food smells strongly of lamb!). We also put our rescue rottie on it and she did well, then we changed to raw, then changed back to Husse, and now are on a prescription diet but thats because no one knows whats wrong with her!

Their customer service was great any time we had to contact them (ordering the wrong thing!), or needing an early order etc. Customer service is a must for me, so between that and the food we've been happy using them.

comongethappy

Skillie wrote: »

dogfoodanalysis.com says it wouldn't recommend Orijen for a puppy due to high protein. we have an 8 month old Newf and I'd like to switch him from RC as i'm not happy with his poop and wind. Anyone know what best to move to for him till he's of age to switch to Orijen?

Newfoundlands generally grow until they are two, so it would be hard to judge. You may want to ask your vet for their opinion. Have you ever tried husse? You can get a free sample of the Valp food to try, my friend had her's on RC, same issues with poo plus they wouldn't eat properly, and she found the valp brilliant, and it's cheaper. However, if your dog has allergies this product may not be suitable.

Beth

A friend of mine has a large breed dog and they (Husse) advised them stay away from Valp but to go with the Lamm and Ris or the fish one. Skillie, you could give them a ring and see what they say, without having to make your mind up there and then. There's also a "what food is right for your dog" selection process on their site so that might help to go through and see what comes out as recommended.

I've not used any other food bar them except for Redmills, which we got rid of pretty fast as we were not happy at all with the dogs condition on that.

Ultimately it will come down to the dog, and what suits his system in the end. You could find yourself going through a few different foods so for seeing what suits his system I'd advise buying the 7kg bags of whatever rather than the 14/15kg bags until you know its right for the dog.

Skillie

^^Thanks guys for the advice, the breeder recommends the RC so thats why we're using it and its hard to find an alternative for the junior dog. i know he's supposed to be on RC Giant Junior till he's 18 months minimum but i would really prefer to give him something better. we're switching our Golden to Orijen anyway even though shes in good sted. I don't like asking vets about food as they are usually fairly biased in their views based on what they sell. He has no allergies atm but who's to know and we just want the best for or dogs always. at €68 a bag for RC from our local maxizoo i think we're not seeing value for money either. Thanks for the tip on zooplus.co.uk purchased from them yesterday saved €31 over what it woulda cost from .ie!!

Roisinmor

Hi,
Just thought I'd let you know about my experience with dog food. I had my St. Bernard puppy on Hills, it was very expensive and I wasn't happy with his condition. He started to look thin when he was about 7 months old. Talked to an assistant in a pet shop and was told that Royal Canin is the leader in giant breed formulas. Poo should be solid and the dog should not be going to the toilet too often. I was told that some people mistakenly feed their dog too much which can then cause poo/wind problems. If this happens, reduce the amount you are feeding.
I took her advice, put him onto Royal Canin and I can't believe the difference. I also found that I could save a lot of money by buying it online from this shop (it is in Newry.) The price of Royal Canin giant junior is £45.99 for the big bag and delivery to the south is only 6.99 for 30kg. The shop is Pet Connection in Newry www.petconnection.ie and it's a brilliant shop. There is a much bigger selection of pet stuff than in my local pet shop. I go to Newry every few months for shopping anyway so I like to visit the shop but in between times, the delivery is handy.

Enii

I buy James Wellbeloved in Blanch Centre Pet shop. I feed him Senior/Light food since he was neutered as a pup.

Lemlin

I have a Cocker Spaniel and I'm feeding it Trio Bloom Gem food. I've been told its good. Is it?

I usually mix a bit of tinned pedeigree chum and one boiled egg (just one a day) in with it.

I mix in the boiled egg as I've been told that a boiled egg is great for a dog's coat.

Skillie

Roisinmor wrote: »

Hi,
Just thought I'd let you know about my experience with dog food. I had my St. Bernard puppy on Hills, it was very expensive and I wasn't happy with his condition. He started to look thin when he was about 7 months old. Talked to an assistant in a pet shop and was told that Royal Canin is the leader in giant breed formulas. Poo should be solid and the dog should not be going to the toilet too often. I was told that some people mistakenly feed their dog too much which can then cause poo/wind problems. If this happens, reduce the amount you are feeding.
I took her advice, put him onto Royal Canin and I can't believe the difference. I also found that I could save a lot of money by buying it online from this shop (it is in Newry.) The price of Royal Canin giant junior is £45.99 for the big bag and delivery to the south is only 6.99 for 30kg. The shop is Pet Connection in Newry www.petconnection.ie and it's a brilliant shop. There is a much bigger selection of pet stuff than in my local pet shop. I go to Newry every few months for shopping anyway so I like to visit the shop but in between times, the delivery is handy.

thank you for the feedback i'll check out that site and if i stick with the RC may buy from there. from reading up on the RC its not as good as i thought it should be:(

Tony H

I have my 4 month old Golden Retreiver on Husse Valp and he's doing great on it , and as Beth said the customer service is great , ordered last thursday and delivered on friday morning by courier .

Roisinmor

Hi Skillie, thanks for the reply. Just thought I'd let you know about other people's experiences on Royal Canin. As an owner of a giant breed, I regularly discuss feeding with other owners of giant breeds. It seems that the growth stage of these breeds is where people run into difficulties - dogs often losing weight/condition. Everyone I spoke to agreed that for this crucial growth stage, Royal Canin is the food that has got their dogs back on track. After the growth stage is finished, it might be possible to switch foods but there again, no other food has as much glucosamine and condriton added as Royal Canin. We all know about potential joint problems in these dogs. I do know that the regulation of labelling on dog food isnt great e.g. protein content does not have to state what percentage of the protein is digestible. Meat content isn't even reliable as a dog food that uses fresh meat will be able to put meat higher up on the list than one who uses dry meat as it weighs heavier. This does not mean that one has more meat than the other.
When all is said and done, results are what matters. Some dog foods suit some dogs but I don't think there is one dog food that can suit all dogs. This makes sense as there is such a variation in the breeds of dogs. I also have a 15 year old german shepherd, I tried her on other foods, some were ok but a lot of them weren't. I now have her on Royal Canin as well and I can see that the glucosamine in the Royal Canin German Shepherd has helped her. Pro Plan Senior Sensitive in salmon flavour was good too.

Skillie

Roisinmor wrote: »

Hi Skillie, thanks for the reply. Just thought I'd let you know about other people's experiences on Royal Canin. As an owner of a giant breed, I regularly discuss feeding with other owners of giant breeds. It seems that the growth stage of these breeds is where people run into difficulties - dogs often losing weight/condition. Everyone I spoke to agreed that for this crucial growth stage, Royal Canin is the food that has got their dogs back on track. After the growth stage is finished, it might be possible to switch foods but there again, no other food has as much glucosamine and condriton added as Royal Canin. We all know about potential joint problems in these dogs. I do know that the regulation of labelling on dog food isnt great e.g. protein content does not have to state what percentage of the protein is digestible. Meat content isn't even reliable as a dog food that uses fresh meat will be able to put meat higher up on the list than one who uses dry meat as it weighs heavier. This does not mean that one has more meat than the other.
When all is said and done, results are what matters. Some dog foods suit some dogs but I don't think there is one dog food that can suit all dogs. This makes sense as there is such a variation in the breeds of dogs. I also have a 15 year old german shepherd, I tried her on other foods, some were ok but a lot of them weren't. I now have her on Royal Canin as well and I can see that the glucosamine in the Royal Canin German Shepherd has helped her. Pro Plan Senior Sensitive in salmon flavour was good too.

thank you for the detailed response. it looks likely that RC is the best choice till he has matured physically (duno will he ever mature mentally lol!!) and maybe try some others then. all i ever want is what is best for my dogs so your info is very much appreciated. wow 15 years old for the GSD thats a good age i love GSDs and would love to own one one day. all the best