Good dog food

Qualitymark

I see people were asking about boardsies' experience of different dog foods. I was giving my dog Eukanuba for several years, and it's very good, but the pet shop people recommended a Scottish brand called Luath's, and I've changed her to this and she's thriving on it and loving it. Not cheap, but good.

muddypaws

I tried Luaths, my lot didn't really get on well on it. I believe the owner is the brother of the man that set up Burns

Qualitymark

muddypaws wrote: »

I tried Luaths, my lot didn't really get on well on it. I believe the owner is the brother of the man that set up Burns

Oh, really? They didn't thrive, or they didn't like it? How long were they on it? (I moved mine to Luath's after friends told me their Glen of Imaal terriers were thriving on it, and they've been on it a few months now. Mine's a borderline collie, as the joke goes...)

tk123

muddypaws wrote: »

I tried Luaths, my lot didn't really get on well on it. I believe the owner is the brother of the man that set up Burns

He's a bit of a character - mailed them one time and spoke to him at Pet Expo one year.
My guy was on it for about 9 months then got a very upset tummy one evening with blood and everything. The were going to take him into the vets for fluids because he wouldn't eat or drink but bounced back after they gave him injections in the vets. After that I did elmimation diet slowly introducing everything except the Luath and leaving until last and the same thing happened . I guess like most foods it suits some dogs but not others but for what's in in I think it's a bit pricey.

muddypaws

Qualitymark wrote: »

Oh, really? They didn't thrive, or they didn't like it? How long were they on it? (I moved mine to Luath's after friends told me their Glen of Imaal terriers were thriving on it, and they've been on it a few months now. Mine's a borderline collie, as the joke goes...)

We had a few big bags, so gave it a good trial, but poos weren't great, darn huskies you see :rolleyes:

DBB

I fed it here for a while too, but all of the dogs went off it pretty quickly, just as they did with Burns. It's a little low in protein and high in rice for my liking.
I also found it too expensive for what it is... it's cheaper to buy fresh food when you start getting into the price range of Robbie's or Luath's, although feeding dry is handier.

toadfly

My dog didn't do well either after a few months but if your dogs are doing well its obviously fine for them.

I agree about too much rice, same as Burns. That's why I moved the small dogs off Burns. They are on Barking Heads Salmon & Potato with raw now.

Qualitymark

Hm, maybe I'll put her back on Eukanuba after this bag - she's been on the Eukanuba for around 10 of her 12 years and (apart from a brief foray into cheap supermarket food) has done fine. Don't really like the sound of people's experience with Luath's.

DBB

Qualitymark wrote: »

Hm, maybe I'll put her back on Eukanuba after this bag - she's been on the Eukanuba for around 10 of her 12 years and (apart from a brief foray into cheap supermarket food) has done fine. Don't really like the sound of people's experience with Luath's.

I think it's a good idea to search around to see are there better options for your dog as she gets older, because they do have different nutritional needs. The wisdom is to up to protein and lower the carbs and fats. For mental health, it's hard to beat a tin of sardines, pilchards, mackerel, herring or the like a couple of times a week... those omega oils are super for ageing joints and minds, and far, far better fed in their natural packaging (the fish itself) rather than in supplements.
Have you had a look at Taste of the Wild? It's a little more expensive than Eukanuba, but not horrifically so. Of all the dry foods in that sort of price bracket, I feel that it's by far and away the most superior.. certainly of the ones I've done a bit of research into. See what you think!

Nody

Qualitymark wrote: »

I see people were asking about boardsies' experience of different dog foods. I was giving my dog Eukanuba for several years, and it's very good, but the pet shop people recommended a Scottish brand called Luath's, and I've changed her to this and she's thriving on it and loving it. Not cheap, but good.

Actually it's not very good; in fact it's at best medium quality food that's greatly overpriced.

Example content from adult medium breed:

Dried Chicken And Turkey (28%), Wheat, Maize, Animal Fat, Sorghum, Barley, Dried Beet Pulp (2.9%), Hydrolysed Animal Proteins, Dried Whole Egg, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Fructooligosaccharides (0.29%), Linseed

Compare that with a good feed like Orijen.

Boneless chicken*, chicken meal, chicken liver*, whole herring*, boneless turkey*, turkey meal, turkey liver*, whole eggs*, boneless walleye*, whole salmon*, chicken heart*, chicken cartilage*, herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, yams*, pea fiber, chickpeas, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, blueberries*, kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

Or Taste of the wild as DBB suggested.

Lamb, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, canola oil, pea protein, roasted lamb, tomato pomace, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), dried chicory root, taurine, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Notice a difference?

stusawop

Taste of the Wild seems to have a fairly good ingredient list but I would be wary of the manufacturers, Diamond, who don't seem to have a good record as regards recalls.

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/07/fda-inspection-likely-to-further-implicate-diamond-pet-foods/#.UhNVIj_WCS0

green_bow

I buy IAMS from petfood.ie , not cheap but the guy who runs the company is very helpful

snowy two

I feed my dogs Pedro Gold and they love it i find it too be a very good quality food. They have no problems on it and they have very sensitive stomachs.

Nody

snowy two wrote: »

I feed my dogs Pedro Gold and they love it i find it too be a very good quality food. They have no problems on it and they have very sensitive stomachs.

Sorry but a dog food costing 7GBP per 10kg and containing " cooked cereal to ensure a balanced diet " and not even listing their ingredients are very very unlikely to be by any definition "good food"...

*edit* Found this on another site where a poster asked if it was good and posted the ingredient list, if true (and considering the price it's likely) it's indeed a very poor quality food.

cerals, meat & animal derivatives, bakery products, dervatives of vegetables orgin, minerals, vitamins A D E

Not even meat as first ingredient? Unspecified meat? Animal derivatives? Derivatives of vegetable origin so not even specified or with food value but what was throw out? Sorry but if that's even close to the ingredients listed that's a very poor ingredient list; even RC etc. does better then that.

aonb

Is there a supplier of or shop that sells
1. Taste of the Wild
2. Barking Heads
3. Orijen
in Ireland? I dont want to buy online, as I want to try a small bag to see if my elderly gastric-problem JRT will eat it. I usually feed them home-cooked but like to have a bag of kibble for treats/emergencies.

My elderly chap has decided that he doesnt like James Wellbeloved any more so Im looking for something else.

(NOTE: tonight I cooked up a huge batch of chicken/rice/carrot and had three dogs sitting up on their haunches, and 2 actually 'singing' (howling) at me in sheer desperation - therefore I KNOW they love that dinner )

tk123

aonb wrote: »

Is there a supplier of or shop that sells
1. Taste of the Wild
2. Barking Heads
3. Orijen
in Ireland? I dont want to buy online, as I want to try a small bag to see if my elderly gastric-problem JRT will eat it. I usually feed them home-cooked but like to have a bag of kibble for treats/emergencies.

My elderly chap has decided that he doesnt like James Wellbeloved any more so Im looking for something else.

(NOTE: tonight I cooked up a huge batch of chicken/rice/carrot and had three dogs sitting up on their haunches, and 2 actually 'singing' (howling) at me in sheer desperation - therefore I KNOW they love that dinner )

Petworld set Barking Heads but you can buy the small bags online too eg on zooplus.co.uk which sells all 3

boomerang

I'm sure if you email Barking Heads they will post you out some samples.

I'm thinking of switching my lady on to it for a while soon.

http://www.barkingheads.co.uk/


Don't think you could ask Orijen or TTOW for samples because AFAIK they are both made in the USA.

tk123

Lily's kitchen looks pretty good and is low fat between 7-10% depending on the flavour you choose. My dogs are raw fed but we use kibble for training treats so got some of it to try last night on zooplus (needed 2 new ropes, ended up with food, treats and a toy lol ). They're in the UK so might give you some samples.

Nody

tk123 wrote: »

Lily's kitchen looks pretty good and is low fat between 7-10% depending on the flavour you choose. My dogs are raw fed but we use kibble for training treats so got some of it to try last night on zooplus (needed 2 new ropes, ended up with food, treats and a toy lol ). They're in the UK so might give you some samples.

I'd agree; bit low on the meat side of things for my personal taste but still no complaints really on what's in it.

Chicken & Vegetable wrote:

Organic Fresh Chicken 26%, organic rice, organic barley, organic oats, organic rice protein, organic fishmeal, organic brown lentils, organic gravy, organic flaxseed, organic whole sunflower seeds, organic sunflower oil, minerals, organic chicken oil, organic carrots, organic spinach, organic peas, organic parsnip, organic pumpkin, organic broccoli, organic honey, organic herbs (golden rod, nettles, aniseed, celery seed, rosehips, marigold petals, cleavers, milk thistle, dandelion root, burdock root).

Blazer

Orejin or Acana I find excellent and both my dogs love it.
The pom used to get cheap food (brandy) before I started reading up on foods and I switched him to Orejin and his eating dramatically improved as well as his energy and coat.
It is more expensive but they don't need to eat as much of it so it tends to even itself out.
Once the pup arrived he too was put on it and loves it.
They turn their nose up now at the cheap stuff especially the crap foods like brandy/lathams.

aonb

Ive just been on dogsfirst.ie - Dr Conor Brady - a canine nutritionist - an advocate for raw dog food. Does anyone use their 'chubs' or have any opinion on it all?

DBB

There are several threads virtually dedicated to dogsfirst here aonb, if you do a search.