Gain Puppy Food - is it good?

Lemlin

Hi folks,

I was just in a local pet shop and I saw Gain Puppy Food on the shelf. I've heard people on here before say that Skinners puppy food isn't of great quality (compared to the adult variety) so I was wondering about this as an alternative. Below are the ingredients. Could someone with more knowledge than me perhaps analyse them?

http://gainfeeds.com/pet/elite-pet-food/
• Dried Chicken & Turkey (min 27%), Rice (20%), Wholegrain Maize, Dehulled Oats, Poultry Fat, Maize Gluten, Sugar Beet Pulp, Chicken Gravy, Fish Meal, Egg, Linssed, Fish Oil, Sodium Chloride, Fructooligosaccharides (0.3%), TruCal Milk Mineral Complex, Glucosamine HCI (300mg/kg), Methylsulphonylmethane (300mg/kg MSM), Products from processing plants

It cost €22.95 for an 8kg bag or €39.95 for a 15kg bag so seems decent value when compared to Skinners puppy which is €36 or so once brought in from Amazon.

The other thing is that it's made by Glanbia so would be nice to support an Irish firm.

andreac

The Gain elite range is actually quite good so you wouldnt go too far wrong feeding it.

What are the ingredients for Skinners and how do they compare?

Nody

andreac wrote: »

What are the ingredients for Skinners and how do they compare?

Skinners puppy Field & trial:

Chicken meat meal (min 30%), maize, chicken fat, white rice, oats, maize gluten meal, sunflower meal, whole linseed, beet pulp, whole dried egg, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, yeast, MOS.

Puppy Lamb & Rice (should really be Rice & Lamb)

Whole rice (38%), lamb meat meal (19%), oats, sunflower oil, pea protein, linseed, whole peas, brewer’s yeast, beet pulp, sunflower expellers, whole dried egg, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, culinary herb mix, MOS, FOS.

Field & Trial is the go to for Skinners and the above is ok but the Lamb I'm not overly impressed with but that's my 2c.

Knine

I found it very good & is often on special offer. However I put my puppies on adult food fairly young as they grow slower & are a late maturing breed.

Lemlin

Nody wrote: »

Skinners puppy Field & trial:

Puppy Lamb & Rice (should really be Rice & Lamb)


Field & Trial is the go to for Skinners and the above is ok but the Lamb I'm not overly impressed with but that's my 2c.

So is the Gain better or as good as Skinners then? It was the Field & Trial Puppy I previously fed.

Nody

Lemlin wrote: »

So is the Gain better or as good as Skinners then? It was the Field & Trial Puppy I previously fed.

Personally I'd rate the Gain Elite (note the Elite part is key) higher simply because the maize part appears to be lower even if it's slightly less meat. It's not a case off one being outright better than the other but more a 51% vs 49% kind of decision

Another one you may want to look up is Arden Grange Puppy/Junior as it cuts out the maize completely and is around the same price point (will be a bit more expensive but not a lot).

Fresh Chicken 18%, Chicken Meal* 18%, Whole Grain Rice, Chicken Fat*, Beet Pulp, Egg Powder, Whole Grain Maize, Dried Brewers Yeast, Fish Meal*, Linseed, Fish Oil*, Minerals, Vitamins, Nucleotides, Prebiotic FOS, Prebiotic MOS, Cranberry Extract, Chondroitin Sulphate, Glucosamine Sulphate, MSM, Yucca Extract. * Preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract.

piperh

Knine wrote: »

I found it very good & is often on special offer. However I put my puppies on adult food fairly young as they grow slower & are a late maturing breed.

knine at what age would you put a puppy onto adult food? We have a 10mnth old gsd x and puppy food is doing nothing for her, she keeps trying to get the adults food.

andreac

piperh wrote: »

knine at what age would you put a puppy onto adult food? We have a 10mnth old gsd x and puppy food is doing nothing for her, she keeps trying to get the adults food.

What do you mean doing nothing for her? Is she not in good condition? What brand is she on?

piperh

andreac wrote: »

What do you mean doing nothing for her? Is she not in good condition? What brand is she on?

She's constantly hungry and although i'm not giving her more it's going through her. She's on taste of the wild and has been for 5mnths after swapping her from hills science. Her coat is fine.

andreac

Most puppies are hungry. My 4 year old Rottie bitch would eat until she burst so i wouldnt be too concerned about that side of things.

Is she in good condition weight wise etc?

Knine

piperh wrote: »

knine at what age would you put a puppy onto adult food? We have a 10mnth old gsd x and puppy food is doing nothing for her, she keeps trying to get the adults food.

At about 5/6 months however they would be doing well on the puppy food. Do you mean your puppy is underweight?

piperh

andreac wrote: »

Most puppies are hungry. My 4 year old Rottie bitch would eat until she burst so i wouldnt be too concerned about that side of things.

Is she in good condition weight wise etc?

Yeah she's a lovely weight and condition, lively and active as a puppy should be.

She was at the vets last week and he seems happy with her weight (even if i wasn't with him)

andreac

Ah well then i wouldnt be too worried then.

piperh

Thanks it was just her being hungry and it going through her i wondered if it wasn't enough for her.

Vet told me i need to let her have a litter before neuturing, i don't think so lol

Lemlin

Nody wrote: »

Personally I'd rate the Gain Elite (note the Elite part is key) higher simply because the maize part appears to be lower even if it's slightly less meat. It's not a case off one being outright better than the other but more a 51% vs 49% kind of decision

Another one you may want to look up is Arden Grange Puppy/Junior as it cuts out the maize completely and is around the same price point (will be a bit more expensive but not a lot).

The thing I like about the Gain is that this local store is stocking it so it'll be easy to pick up bags. I feed raw and only use nuts sparingly (two or three times a week) so it'd be handy to know that when I need a bag I can just nip ten minutes down the road rather than needing to order online.

I also like the idea of supporting a local company (Glanbia have a big plant here in Cavan) rather than Arden Grange or Skinners which are UK companies.

Another question for the people know their food. If you are feeding raw which would be high in protein I'd imagine, would a pup be fine on adult food? I understand puppy food has extra protein in it but surely the dog will be getting that through the fresh meat it is eating anyway.

Knine

piperh wrote: »

Thanks it was just her being hungry and it going through her i wondered if it wasn't enough for her.

Vet told me i need to let her have a litter before neuturing, i don't think so lol

If she is having runny motions the food may not agree with her. All my dogs apart from my Spinone would sell their souls for food!

She does not need to have a litter but I always let them have a heat cycle if possible.

Knine

Lemlin wrote: »

The thing I like about the Gain is that this local store is stocking it so it'll be easy to pick up bags. I feed raw and only use nuts sparingly (two or three times a week) so it'd be handy to know that when I need a bag I can just nip ten minutes down the road rather than needing to order online.

I also like the idea of supporting a local company (Glanbia have a big plant here in Cavan) rather than Arden Grange or Skinners which are UK companies.

Another question for the people know their food. If you are feeding raw which would be high in protein I'd imagine, would a pup be fine on adult food? I understand puppy food has extra protein in it but surely the dog will be getting that through the fresh meat it is eating anyway.

My puppies are fed on adult & they grow slowly but mature lovely. I've seen Spinoni grow very tall & lanky when fed on high protein puppy foods. Not a good look!

piperh

Knine wrote: »

If she is having runny motions the food may not agree with her. All my dogs apart from my Spinone would sell their souls for food!

She does not need to have a litter but I always let them have a heat cycle if possible.

Well lets just say it's not the easiest to pick up. Maybe it's time to look for another puppy food.

She's just finished that's why i went in to book her in. There's enough dogs needing homes without me adding to the list

andreac

piperh wrote: »

Thanks it was just her being hungry and it going through her i wondered if it wasn't enough for her.

Vet told me i need to let her have a litter before neuturing, i don't think so lol

Sorry but if thats the opinion of your vet, i would highly consider changing them. :mad:

Lemlin

Knine wrote: »

My puppies are fed on adult & they grow slowly but mature lovely. I've seen Spinoni grow very tall & lanky when fed on high protein puppy foods. Not a good look!

Do you feed puppy food at all then? If so, for what age range?

piperh

andreac wrote: »

Sorry but if thats the opinion of your vet, i would highly consider changing them. :mad:

She's booked in for next friday at the other vets in town. Am most definately not letting her have puppies.

Knine

Lemlin wrote: »

Do you feed puppy food at all then? If so, for what age range?

Yes when they start solids along with some raw food. Then about 5/6 months I put them on the same as the adults. The Borders are hungry savages! I have a 13 mth old here & he is just as he should be - a teenager! I don't like them to grow or mature too quick

Lemlin

Gain Dog Foods have a breeder's scheme where you can get 2 x 15kg bags of Elite for €59.95 every three months.

That's a saving of about €16 as my local shop is €38 for each 15kg bag.

The deliveries are completed by Dogfooddirect.

http://gainfeeds.com/pet/special-offer-gain-breeder-club/

Knine

Lemlin wrote: »

Gain Dog Foods have a breeder's scheme where you can get 2 x 15kg bags of Elite for €59.95 every three months.

That's a saving of about €16 as my local shop is €38 for each 15kg bag.

The deliveries are completed by Dogfooddirect.

http://gainfeeds.com/pet/special-offer-gain-breeder-club/

I don't know where you live so might be no good to you but Pet Mania or Dogfoodirect regularly have deals on it. At the moment it is €29 euro for a 15kg bag in Pet Mania in Santry.

muddypaws

Lemlin wrote: »

Gain Dog Foods have a breeder's scheme where you can get 2 x 15kg bags of Elite for €59.95 every three months.

That's a saving of about €16 as my local shop is €38 for each 15kg bag.

The deliveries are completed by Dogfooddirect.

http://gainfeeds.com/pet/special-offer-gain-breeder-club/

You have to have at least 2 breeding bitches, and be a registered breeder to be part of that scheme.

Lemlin

muddypaws wrote: »

You have to have at least 2 breeding bitches, and be a registered breeder to be part of that scheme.

I have one breeding bitch and was never asked a question about breeding when they took my order this evening. I only had to give the IKC reg code for one dog. That is all the form asks for.

Knine wrote: »

I don't know where you live so might be no good to you but Pet Mania or Dogfoodirect regularly have deals on it. At the moment it is €29 euro for a 15kg bag in Pet Mania in Santry.

I'm in Cavan. The deliveries come through Dogfooddirect. Gain told me they run the scheme for them.