Best dry dog food, your thoughts please

falabo

Hi reeta

I tried a few brands when my cockers were younger but was never happy with their poop ... until I tried james Wellbeloved. they never had the runs since I switched (7 months ago) and nver EVER get itchy.
Their coat is abolutely fantastic and I'm told almost every day on walks :-)

you can get it for €2.52 a kilos on special offer right now at www.zooplus.co.uk if you order 2 bags (36 kilos) and use the coupon STOCK-UP

I would svise however you start with a small bag that you buy from a pet shop but it works out arond €6 per kilo. Good luck and keep us posted please.

reeta

falabo wrote: »

Hi reeta

I tried a few brands when my cockers were younger but was never happy with their poop ... until I tried james Wellbeloved. they never had the runs since I switched (7 months ago) and nver EVER get itchy.
Their coat is abolutely fantastic and I'm told almost every day on walks :-)

you can get it for €2.52 a kilos on special offer right now at www.zooplus.co.uk if you order 2 bags (36 kilos) and use the coupon STOCK-UP

I would svise however you start with a small bag that you buy from a pet shop but it works out arond €6 per kilo. Good luck and keep us posted please.

Thanks so much for your reply. Will go with the James Wellbeloved as from all the posts this has got great reviews. Will let you know how I (well my dog actually) gets on

RubyGirl

jjmcclure wrote: »

I use Alpha adult maintenance with my 5 month old lab. 22% protein, chicken and rice. £11 Sterling for a 15kg bag. His coat is in fantastic shape and he loves the food.

Getting a bag of this today, they can do delivery to me. It will work out at cost price £10 a bag which would be great price. Have to order in bulk but I dont mind I have the space.

thebullkf

Hi |Folks, switched my two from Hill'S SciencePlan to Husse lamb and rice, Initially thought it was very good, my Terrier x loves it, coat is amazing... my Papillion x not so much....:(

I can't afford two foods..... so two small dogs 1 is approx 17kg. the other approx 9kg....any ideas..?

I heard of some food on sale in Finglas pet shop...feckin name escapes me now....

* i haven't tried it but a dog trainer recommended Aldi/Lidl food to me...said it was as good as most out there...... anyone here try it?*

**EDIT- gave Aldi one to our boxer years ago when we ran outta Hill's... seemed fine on it,but we changed back to hills cos i thought it was inferior due to the low price...''**

**Vai**

thebullkf wrote: »

Hi |Folks, switched my two from Hill'S SciencePlan to Husse lamb and rice, Initially thought it was very good, my Terrier x loves it, coat is amazing... my Papillion x not so much....:(

I can't afford two foods..... so two small dogs 1 is approx 17kg. the other approx 9kg....any ideas..?

I heard of some food on sale in Finglas pet shop...feckin name escapes me now....

* i haven't tried it but a dog trainer recommended Aldi/Lidl food to me...said it was as good as most out there...... anyone here try it?*

**EDIT- gave Aldi one to our boxer years ago when we ran outta Hill's... seemed fine on it,but we changed back to hills cos i thought it was inferior due to the low price...''**

Just been talking about this in another thread, I feed my terrier and GSD the food from Lidl and there is nothing wrong with them or it.

reeta

falabo wrote: »

Hi reeta

I tried a few brands when my cockers were younger but was never happy with their poop ... until I tried james Wellbeloved. they never had the runs since I switched (7 months ago) and nver EVER get itchy.
Their coat is abolutely fantastic and I'm told almost every day on walks :-)

you can get it for €2.52 a kilos on special offer right now at www.zooplus.co.uk if you order 2 bags (36 kilos) and use the coupon STOCK-UP

I would svise however you start with a small bag that you buy from a pet shop but it works out arond €6 per kilo. Good luck and keep us posted please.

Hia, went to Pet Store and told them all I have gone through trying to get right feed for my dog. Looked at James Wellbeloved and Royal Canin, the girl (seemed very knowledgable re dog foods) suggested Royal Canin sensitive as my dog has a very sensitive stomach but agreed James Wellbeloved is also very good. So went with Royal Canin sensitive and the difference is amazing even since Thursday night when I started giving it to her. There has been no straining and her poop seems normal in colour and consistency (cant believe I'm describing my dogs bowels ). Thanks so much for your advice it made me go to the pet shop adamant in getting this sorted, and so far so good. A bit annoyed with Maxi Zoo though as they knew what my dog was going through and never suggested that their food (Select Gold) is extremely high in protein which could have been the cause of it... 65% as opposed to 25% in Royal Canine.... Also the vet never asked me what I was feeding her, it was literally through boards.ie I realised it could have been the food. Have spent over €600 since December on this problem alone as the vet did numerous tests on her for this bug and that bug. Anyway, fingers crossed, she seems in great form and literally putting the "springer" in springer spaniel...

velvet68

I have a four year old dog who is very fussy, I use to feed her the Arden Grange which is great but she didnt really like it and would only eat when she was sharving. I tried her on that burns as it read really well, but the shine went of her coat and she started to get plaque on her teeth and her poop was wetter. I know have her on that Barking Heads fusspot for Petworld, she loves it and the shine is back no more mess or plaque, it containes salmon, the girl told me that fussy dogs prefere fish to meat. Well its working for my little girl.

are you serious

My fella went through a dodgy spot two days after i got him. then went onto of all things like reeta said, pedigree!! his stomach couldnt handle anything else a couple of days later he was bouncing back to his bold self, was wary then to change off of it but in know its not great overall for them. I have him on Select Gold Maxi now and he loves it, not problems and he's just as bold as the day i got him

Shanao

reeta wrote: »

A bit annoyed with Maxi Zoo though as they knew what my dog was going through and never suggested that their food (Select Gold) is extremely high in protein which could have been the cause of it... 65% as opposed to 25% in Royal Canine....

Just wondering what Select Gold you were feeding as I'm currently doing a mix of Select gold and Real Nature for my dogs, but the protein is 26% whereas the Royal Canin equivalent is 34%? I've never seen a food with 65% protein before, not even orijen is that high?

Steve30x

Most of the food brands you guys mention here arent available in my town and I dont have a credit card to Order it online> I have been feeding my King Charles with OptiDog from Lidl and her poo is perfectly fine , her coat is silky soft and she doesnt ever fart. I know Royal Canin is available in the Vets and pet shop but I was told that its not good at all.

velvet68

Royal canin isnt bad, but you need to be carefull when reading the ingredients,a lot of foods say meat and animal derivatives, they dont sate what meat and the derivatives are waste products like beek and feet and stuff. Also you got to remember if the meat is dried or fresh, cause when its 25% fresh by the time the kibble is cooked and all the water is cooked out of the meat the % is way less. Most dog food are owed but companies we all know. Pedigree, royal canin and james wellbeloved are all Mars, beta, bakers, pro plan are all Nestle. So most of these companies rules the lower and the higher end of the market. I think this is why I like the barking heads, it has a mix of dried and fresh meat, the meat is stated up to 54% on some types and my dog never farts so this is alway a plus lol

portgirl123

barbiegirl wrote: »

Just to say we've switched our two to Robbies, as Sindy decided that she wasn't going to eat James Well beloved anymore unless I mixed in a mixer, which as her allergies flare at this time of year I didn't want to. So I contacted Robbies and asked for a sample, which both dogs wolfed down, then I went and bought a small bag which I am currently mixing with the James wellbeloved and it is being loved.
Fargo is a great little eater, but Sindy has always been fussy and could eat only once a day for a couple of days then have a good day, then very little the next. Now we've had 5 good days in a row. It is stinky, but I assume that' what they like. :-) It also takes time to prepare as it's dehydrated but poops are fine, the list of ingredients reads like a recipe for our own dinner, nothing weird or wonderful, and they are both in great form.
Hopefully it will continue. :-)

where do u get the robbies?

barbiegirl

In Bray Vet for a small bag, online for a large one

riddler95

Steve30x wrote: »

Most of the food brands you guys mention here arent available in my town and I dont have a credit card to Order it online> I have been feeding my King Charles with OptiDog from Lidl and her poo is perfectly fine , her coat is silky soft and she doesnt ever fart. I know Royal Canin is available in the Vets and pet shop but I was told that its not good at all.

Our dog has been fed on Earls mixer and Earls tinned food, we buy it in Aldi but after reading trough this thread i think il be looking into changing his diet. Anyone else buy Aldi dog food and find problems with it? Our dog is hyper but we put it down to him being a collie.

mymo

portgirl123 wrote: »

where do u get the robbies?

I ordered from the mobile pet shop
http://www.mobilepetshop.ie/

I ordered one evening and had the stuff 2 days later, they sent it in post.
So far dogs doing great, little ones breath is better already and they've only been on it a few days.

Toulouse

http://www.dogtrainingireland.ie/shop/catalog/

I get it online from DTI.

velvet68

riddler95 wrote: »

Our dog has been fed on Earls mixer and Earls tinned food, we buy it in Aldi but after reading trough this thread i think il be looking into changing his diet. Anyone else buy Aldi dog food and find problems with it? Our dog is hyper but we put it down to him being a collie.

Most cheeper food have high content of sugars so the dog likes it, this could be the reason for his hyperness.

portgirl123

riddler95 wrote: »

Our dog has been fed on Earls mixer and Earls tinned food, we buy it in Aldi but after reading trough this thread i think il be looking into changing his diet. Anyone else buy Aldi dog food and find problems with it? Our dog is hyper but we put it down to him being a collie.

i had this prob with no credit card. a pain. what i did was i went and got a 3v card. brill. get it from any o2 shop. u just top up by what ever amount u need. also safer than a normal credit card.
Also thanks guys about the info on Robbies, going to look into it

Steve30x

riddler95 wrote: »

Our dog has been fed on Earls mixer and Earls tinned food, we buy it in Aldi but after reading trough this thread i think il be looking into changing his diet. Anyone else buy Aldi dog food and find problems with it? Our dog is hyper but we put it down to him being a collie.

There is no Aldi in this town. Also Collies arent always Hyper. I had a Border Collie and some food made him hyper , but Red Mills Star seemed to keep him calm.

Noreen1

I have a 5 month old (approx.) cross-breed. I'm sure he's part husky or norwegian elkhound, probably some German Sheperd in the mix, and very probably some other unidentified parentage.:D He's too small to be just a husky X German sheperd.

I found him abandoned at 7 am one morning.

He's friendly, healthy, and has normal bowel motions.
But he's underweight, and dislikes every brand of dried dog food available locally.
(He also refuses to eat from a bowl, and will only eat off the ground, or from your hand)

He seems to have been fed sweets, crisps, and noodles by his first owner - and begs for them if anyone has them anywhere in the vicinity - including neighbouring children:o)

I'm anxious to get him on a decent diet. Any advice gratefully recieved.

BTW, I was raised with dogs, and am well experienced with them. This little guy has me stumped, though! All efforts to date have been a dismal failure - including feeding him cooked meat, though he likes chicken! Help!

are you serious

Noreen1 wrote: »

I have a 5 month old (approx.) cross-breed. I'm sure he's part husky or norwegian elkhound, probably some German Sheperd in the mix, and very probably some other unidentified parentage.:D He's too small to be just a husky X German sheperd.

I found him abandoned at 7 am one morning.

He's friendly, healthy, and has normal bowel motions.
But he's underweight, and dislikes every brand of dried dog food available locally.
(He also refuses to eat from a bowl, and will only eat off the ground, or from your hand)

He seems to have been fed sweets, crisps, and noodles by his first owner - and begs for them if anyone has them anywhere in the vicinity - including neighbouring children:o)

I'm anxious to get him on a decent diet. Any advice gratefully recieved.

BTW, I was raised with dogs, and am well experienced with them. This little guy has me stumped, though! All efforts to date have been a dismal failure - including feeding him cooked meat, though he likes chicken! Help!

i think you'd be best off starting a new threat for this one noreen, think you'd get a better response!:D

ppink

Noreen1 did you try the usual thing of giving him the food for 15 mins in his bowl and then taking it away and not giving him any treats again until his next food?

do you have another dog or is he by himself?

to put weight on one of our rescue dogs we gave him rice and mince, small amounts every few hours.

Noreen1

ppink wrote: »

Noreen1 did you try the usual thing of giving him the food for 15 mins in his bowl and then taking it away and not giving him any treats again until his next food?

do you have another dog or is he by himself?

to put weight on one of our rescue dogs we gave him rice and mince, small amounts every few hours.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I tried the 15 minute trick.
I don't have another dog, just a cat (also abandoned by someone who moved away).

I've tried feeding the cat first, too. The dog will steal the cats food - but then he doesn't eat it!:mad:

I have a sneaking suspicion that his previous owner was a child, since he loves children, and is incredibly gentle and patient with children.
The trouble is, that child had no clue what foods to feed a dog to keep it healthy, and seems to have handfed him bits of whatever they were having themselves.

I'm not willing to feed the dog sweets, crisps, noodles, and porridge (of all things!) which is what he likes to eat - and he's not happy to eat dog food!

The other issue is that he's very wary of the feeding bowl. I suspect he's had his nose pushed in a bowl more than once, in an attempt to make him eat.
So, the dog probably has a few psychological issues regarding food, as well as badly educated tastebuds!

He was also quite aggressive toward other dogs when we got him first, hough he's becoming quite well socialised now. (It's good to know your neighbours:D, especially if they're dog lovers, too)

I'll try the mince and rice. If he eats it, I'll gradually add bits of dried dog food, and see how that works.
Thanks for the tip.

ppink

Ah I was thinking the other dog may help to rid him of his food bowl "insecurities". our rescue very much monitored our other dogs and took his cue from them about different things.
our guys favourite when he came to us was mince and rice or chicken and rice. we did have issues with the dry food and we mixed it slowly with the mince and rice and eventually he was on dry food. but he was never truly happy with it and was only "excited" to eat when he had somethign mixed through it. to be honest now due to a load of health issues with food we are back to the boiled chicken and rice and that is the way I will stay with ours.
I am thinking back and our guy was also afraid of the bowl and we had to hand feed him. I think it was because the bowl moved on the tiles and made a noise he was not comfortable with. Again he got used to this from our other dog really, he saw she could not care if there was an electric charge running through her bowl:p what you could try is only putting his favourite "good" food in that bowl ie chicken? just on its own and let him get rid of his bowl issues before dealing with the dry food issue.

it is brilliant you sorted the dog aggression! at least now you just have to deal with his junk food tendencies:)

adser53

I have another thread going on here about maxi zoo's own brand foods and long story short I did some sums that some of you may find interesting so heres my post from that thread.

adser53 wrote: »

Right well...I did some quick sums on the foods in maxi zoo and a few online ones and thought I'd post the results on here for others to see.
A few notes first, I based my calculations on the manufacturers minimum feeding guidelines for two 55kg Akitas and one 7.5kg cavalier king charles (the cav was also included in the large breed feeds for reference). The prices are from one of the following sources per food: maxi zoo, zooplus.co.uk, husse.ie and clinivet.com. Finally, the prices quoted from zooplus are from the economy offer where you save a few quid by buying two bags at once.
The purpose of this was to show the feeding costs per year for a number of mid range to high end dog foods. The quality of the foods isn't shown below but they are all respected foods and none would be classed as cheap or rubbish (I don't think anyway )
I've arranged them by price in descending order showing the food price for a 15kg bag, the daily amount of food needed altogether for the 3 dogs, the number of bags needed per year and finally the cost of that number.

1.Premiere High 5 €39.99 (maxi zoo) 1020g per day 24.83 bags per year = €992.95
2.Burns Adult (zooplus) €44.85 1000g per day 24.3 bags per year = €1089.86
3.Happydog Naturcroq (maxi zoo) €37.99 1310g per day 31.87 bags per year = €1211
4.Taste of the wild (zooplus) €48.04 1090g per day 26.52 bags per year = €1274.31
5.Husse Lamb & Rice €54.00 980g per day 23.85 bags per year = €1288.23
6.Husse Prima €45.00 1210g per day 29.2 bags per year = €1314.00
7.Husse Optimal Giant €54.00 980g per day 23.85 bags per year =€1314.00
8.Red Mills Leader (maxi zoo) €44.99 1230g per day 30.4 bags per year = €1368.45
9.Clinivet Adult Large Breed €52.03 1300g per day 31.65 bags per year = €1647.09
10.Select Gold Adult Large Breed (maxi zoo) €55.99 1220g per day 29.68 bags per year = €1662.16
11.Hills Nature's Best Adult Large Breed (maxi zoo) €52.50 1360g per day 33.09 bags per year = €1737.30
12.Select Gold Adult (maxi zoo) €54.99 1310g per day 31.87 bags per year = €1752.53
13.James Wellbeloved Adult (maxi zoo) €58.99 1370g per day 33.63 bags per year €1968.13
14.Real Nature (maxi zoo) €69.99 1420g per day 34.56 bags per year = €2419.16

So as I said earlier, ill try the premiere high 5 and see how it goes as by all accounts its far superior to red mills leader (my fall back food) and if it doesn't work out I'll put them back on burns which I know I can rely on and its 2nd best in the list above for costs. Win win IMO

Edit: there's a slight boo boo on one of the husse calcs that I'll fix tomorrow but its negligible and the standings remain the same

lorebringer

@ Noreen1 - try the 15 minute rule for a few days and see how your dog gets on. Often, you just need to drive home the fact that he is not going to get anything else and a hungry stomach is often the best thing to get them to eat.

If this doesn't work, try wetting the dry food with some warm water. It will make it much softer and easier to eat, and it will make is smell much better to him (some foods stink when wet!). Enforce the 15 minute rule with this method too. If he does eat, wait until he is finished and tell him what a good boy he is, lots of praise etc. Don't do this while he is eating or you might give him a fright. After a while you can reduce the amount of time you soak the food in until it no longer needs to be wet for him to eat.

If you do suspect he has an issue with bowls and eating out of them - try a low lying plate (he may shove some of the food off the plate so somewhere with a hard floor is prob best). Leave him alone to eat, with no distractions - step away (at least 6 feet) and have nobody else in the room (or everyone else doing the same - very quiet and no running around, keeping a distance) so that he doesn't feel threatened by you around while he is eating. Some dogs need to be in a separate room while eating, so this is also worth a go.

Mixing other, more yummy, food in with his dry kibble can also start the ball rolling - things like tuna, some chicken, mince or even some (a very little) wet dog food. This can be reduced over time and once you get him eating comfortably, he should continue.

Lastly, build up a routine around eating - do it at the same time everyday, in the same place, use the 15 minute rule and let him take it at his own pace. If he knows what is coming, and doesn't find it frightening in anyway, and he knows that he isn't going to get any more food until the next meal time, he is more likely to eat. As I said already - once he is finished eating, give him lots of gentle praise (don't get over excited or he might be a little scared) to reinforce that eating is a good thing.

Good luck!

billyhead

Officer Giggles wrote: »

I have my Newfoundland on purina pro plan puppy large breed robust and cannot fault it, the breeder recommended it and he has 6 of them, all very healthy

I was wondering would anyone have used Purina Beta dry dog food and if so would they recommend it

andreac

billyhead wrote: »

I was wondering would anyone have used Purina Beta dry dog food and if so would they recommend it

I have used it before but wouldnt really recommend it tbh. Its not great quality, but it would be better quality than Pedigree, Bakers etc but i personally would go for something a little better if you can afford it.