# Best & Worst dog foods...what's your opinion?



## Emmily

I had to laugh at this is another thread (no offence intended sid&kira )



> He's also fed on the cheapest, crappiest tinned food, tesco own brand


The subject of that thread was too serious for me to flippantly say "hey, I feed my dog and puppy Tesco's own brand", so I thought I'd get some opinions on best and worst dog food.

For more years than I can remember Jena (10 yrs old) had been fed a mix of Tesco own brand (TOB) chunks in jelly wet food and TOB dry food...she's doing fine, has no health problems :thumbup:

Rosie, (14 weeks old) has been fed TOB dry puppy food from day one (at 6 weeks old), and has thrived on it  when we got Rosie she was pot-bellied with worms, we took her to vet 1st day we had her, she weighed 2lb 2oz, she double that in a fortnight :thumbup:

We also have two 12 year old cats (had from 6 weeks old) that are fed on TOB wet and dry cat food, they are both fine too. :thumbup:

The worst dog food in my opinion is Chappie.


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## MissBexi

I think it really depends on the food your dog likes and what agrees with him. When I was younger I think our dogs were feed on Pedigree mixer with meat. I was young so don't really remember. I however feed my dog on Burns food, I think it's a fantastic dog food and my dog loves it. It's definitely a higher brand food but it doesn't agree with all dogs. One of our clients used Chappie because that's what he rescue dog was given, but she thinks it's the worse food around as well.


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## sid&kira

Haha no offence taken 

Best food: Raw :thumbup:

Worst food: anything with cereals in the top 3, anything with artifical flavours, colours and preservatives, anything with a low meat content


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## Genie

this is a good thread. There's that many dog foods in the shops that its impossible to know what to choose! you'd think the more expensive the better, but not necessarily.


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## LostGirl

chappie's better then TOB by far, its brilliant for sensitive tums. 

Any own brand is seriously lacking anything for the dog imo, pedigree and bakers so pretty much anything thats has more fillers and no meat in it. 

Raw or high quailty dry and wet foods like Natures diet, arden grange, burns, orijin e.t.c


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## Tigerneko

This is something which I find quite interesting.

Ours used to be fed on Bakers... took a couple of months but I finally convinced my parents that it was one of the worst foods out there (I dont think theres many who'd disagree with that) and that they should change because one of our dogs is very hyperactive and very exciteable and I didn't think the Bakers was doing much to help it! So, I convinced them to change in the hope they'd switch to something with a little less crap in it to send him up the wall.

So, when the time came for a new bag.... they went out and bought Wagg Worker... which says something on the bag like 'packed with energy to keep your dog going all day'....which is the LAST thing we need for him. He is packed to the rafters with energy as it is! However, the bag was only £6.99 for a 15kg bag so therefore it was a brilliant food to them 

It was like going through hell on earth trying to get them to change from Bakers so I don't dare address the subject again but I don't think Wagg is a very good food either. And of course, because they're feeding him a high-energy food, they said that changing food hasn't made a difference because he's still hyperactive.... but they clearly haven't read or understood the ingredients of the food they've bought, and have just changed from one unsuitable food to another, just because it was the next cheapest.

So, if you don't mind me asking - how much do you all spend on these 'fancy' brands of food? I'd like to see them change to JWB or Arden Grange but I don't think they will because they are so much more expensive, I mean - why change to a doubly expensive brand if it keeps them alive


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## JSR

I sometimes think we worry too much about it, I mean honestly dogs are not designed to eat 'complete' food anyway so if we really want to feed our dogs the best possible its a combination of raw, veg's and cereals. My pack are fed raw but they also get a sprinkle of complete over the meat, they get whatever complete is on offer at the feed place and if not it's the bog standard £5.99 for 15kilo working dog food and they are fit as flea's and eat their dinner with relish. I chop and change and they never have upset tummies or leave their food. 

My old vet had working spaniels and if swore by Chappie, my parents fed their dogs Chappie (god I remember feeding all the dogs and the stink of that meat!!!:lol and I've always thought it a good cheap food. 

I think if you dog enjoys his food and he's looking fit, healthy and full of beans on it..does it really matter what brand it is? We can all give stories of dogs living a ripe old age on one food or another, my oldiest is 17 in a couple of months...he's been fed every possible sort of food in the world!! :lol:


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## Emmily

sid&kira said:


> Worst food: anything with cereals in the top 3, anything with artifical flavours, colours and preservatives, anything with a low meat content


I've never actually looked at the ingredients of the food, but out of curiosity, I'll have a read later, though won't be changing they all seem happy on what they're being fed. 



> chappie's better then TOB by far, its brilliant for sensitive tums.


I think years ago Chappie had a reputation for having too much cereal in their wet food, they have improved it since then, but personally, I still wouldn't feed it to mine.


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## LostGirl

Its also got alot of fish I think it was 17% which is fab for tummies that and butchers is the only wet bear can tollerate. Natures diet went through him like a rocket lol!

My child hood dog used to eat tesco mixer (the biscuits ones arent to bad, i used to eat the as a kid :lol: ) and he used to have the wet and he was fine, if it isnt broken dont fix it! 

Verbatim I pay £27.99 for a 15kg sack of Arden grange lasts my two a month and they are over 30kg each so its defo value for money Works out to be around 80p a day for both of them


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## Tigerneko

Daynna said:


> Verbatim I pay £27.99 for a 15kg sack of Arden grange lasts my two a month and they are over 30kg each so its defo value for money Works out to be around 80p a day for both of them


That's not bad then! My two are little Terriers so it would last them a bit longer still. I might reccommend it if it comes up in conversation in my house but I still don't think they'd be willing to pay that when they're used to only paying £6.99 for the same amount of food.


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## RAINYBOW

Having tried all the "better" dry foods my spaniels on wet Chappie and is tip top. It's one of the few things that doesn't upset his stomach :lol: He does get some raw but mostly as a treat.


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## babycham2002

Knowing what I know now about dog food I would not want to feed this

Chunks in Gravy with Turkey, Lamb and Green VegetablesMEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% TURKEY, MINIMUM 4% LAMB), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% GREEN VEGETABLES), MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVES

Chunks in Gravy with Beef and Poultry MEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% BEEF, MINIMUM 4% POULTRY), CEREALS, MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVESChunks in Gravy with Pork, Liver and Vegetables MEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% PORK, MINIMUM 4% LIVER), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% VEGETABLES), MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVES

Chunks in Gravy with Game, Chicken and CarrotsMEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% GAME, MINIMUM 4% CHICKEN), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% CARROTS), MINERALS, VARIOUS SUGARS

Only 8% actual meat? All those additives. Now I'm not saying it will kill every dog that eats it but I blame myself for Red's leukemia, maybe if I had known more about food I wouldnt have been fooled by advertising and fed him the well known crappy brands for years thinking I was doing the best for him all that crap wouldnt have built up in his body and he might still be with me now.

I actually remember looking in my shopping basket and seeing all the blue stripe stuff for myself and thinking its ok cos Red's getting pedigree, butchers etc. How little did I know.


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## ArwenLune

Label reading is an eye-opening skill... Once you know that 'cellulose' on the ingredients list means you're feeding your dog sawdust...

Dry dog food alphabetical index - kibble starting by A (American site but most big brands are on there)

http://www.best-dog-food-review.com/ (UK site)

Natural Health Corner: Learning to Read Dog Food Labels -- Canine University
Canine Cuisine, Part One: Name that Food | Pawcurious Vet Blog: Pet help, stories, and information with Dr. V | eat. play. love.
Canine (and feline!) Cuisine, Part Two: Name that ingredient | Pawcurious Vet Blog: Pet help, stories, and information with Dr. V | eat. play. love.
Canine Cuisine, Part Three: So, what should I feed my dog? | Pawcurious Vet Blog: Pet help, stories, and information with Dr. V | eat. play. love.

But wait! There's more!

You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food? Part 2: Carbohydrates
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food? Part 3: Fats
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food? Part 4: Fiber
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food? Part 5: Fruits and Vegetables
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food? Part 6: Preservatives
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food, part 7: Flavorings - Yum or Yuck?
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food, part 8: Sweeteners
You're feeding me what?: Just what IS in my dog's food, part 9: Dyes


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## ArwenLune

babycham2002 said:


> Knowing what I know now about dog food I would not want to feed this
> 
> Chunks in Gravy with Turkey, Lamb and Green VegetablesMEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% TURKEY, MINIMUM 4% LAMB), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% GREEN VEGETABLES), MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVES
> 
> Only 8% actual meat?


Considering they're derivatives, more likely they're feet, heads and guts. I'm not sure I'd even really call that meat.


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## Tanya1989

babycham2002 said:


> Knowing what I know now about dog food I would not want to feed this
> 
> Chunks in Gravy with Turkey, Lamb and Green VegetablesMEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% TURKEY, MINIMUM 4% LAMB), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% GREEN VEGETABLES), MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVES
> 
> Chunks in Gravy with Beef and Poultry MEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% BEEF, MINIMUM 4% POULTRY), CEREALS, MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVESChunks in Gravy with Pork, Liver and Vegetables MEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% PORK, MINIMUM 4% LIVER), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% VEGETABLES), MINERALS. COLOURED WITH EC ADDITIVES
> 
> Chunks in Gravy with Game, Chicken and CarrotsMEAT AND ANIMAL DERIVATIVES (MINIMUM 4% GAME, MINIMUM 4% CHICKEN), CEREALS, VEGETABLES (MINIMUM 4% CARROTS), MINERALS, VARIOUS SUGARS
> 
> Only 8% actual meat? All those additives. Now I'm not saying it will kill every dog that eats it but I blame myself for Red's leukemia, maybe if I had known more about food I wouldnt have been fooled by advertising and fed him the well known crappy brands for years thinking I was doing the best for him all that crap wouldnt have built up in his body and he might still be with me now.
> 
> I actually remember looking in my shopping basket and seeing all the blue stripe stuff for myself and thinking its ok cos Red's getting pedigree, butchers etc. How little did I know.


What food is this babycham??? I wouldn't feed that to pigs!!! With regards to the best and worst kibble on the market: orijen best kibble, bakers worst kibble, closely followed by pedigree, eukanuba, and whatever that is above 

best wet food: nature diet, natures menu,
worst wet food: pedigree, bakers (think they do wet food) most supermarket brand.

Chappie although quite cheap is one of the best foods on the market for those with digestive problems and allergies. I would feed chappie over ANY "sensitivity diet" from the vet.

With regards to "my dog does well on it so it obviously suits him and must be a good food" I can partly agree with this, if it IS a good food  but its like with people. My brother can eat out a McDonalds every day and still have shiny hair, firm poos (not that I inspect  ), not fat not thin etc.... but does that mean that McDonalds is good and should be eaten everyday..?

Someone made a really good analogy to me that I've never forgotten regarding why my dog won't eat this food)

Its like putting a plate of sweets and plate of salad infront of a child, they will more than likely eat the plate of sweets rather than salad, although, naturally the salad would be much better for them


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## babycham2002

ArwenLune said:


> Considering they're derivatives, more likely they're feet, heads and guts. I'm not sure I'd even really call that meat.


No its disgusting, I wasnt sure if the 4% meant 4% derivatives or 4% of all of rubbish is actually real meat?


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## xNatashax

well i havent a clue as long as my alfie is ok thats all that matters to me his currently on asda's own dry food and winalot wet food he isnt getting on that good so im getting some pets 4 homes dry food this week as i have heard good things about this but i am keeping him on the winalot as he likes this but before this i had him on pedigree and wagg and bakers and liked it for a while then went off it so i think as long as he likes it it doesnt matter then again i wouldnt know what to look for on a label anyhow


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## RAINYBOW

Tanya1989 said:


> What food is this babycham??? I wouldn't feed that to pigs!!! With regards to the best and worst kibble on the market: orijen best kibble, bakers worst kibble, closely followed by pedigree, eukanuba, and whatever that is above
> 
> best wet food: nature diet, natures menu,
> worst wet food: pedigree, bakers (think they do wet food) most supermarket brand.
> 
> Chappie although quite cheap is one of the best foods on the market for those with digestive problems and allergies. I would feed chappie over ANY "sensitivity diet" from the vet.
> 
> With regards to "my dog does well on it so it obviously suits him and must be a good food" I can partly agree with this, if it IS a good food  but its like with people. My brother can eat out a McDonalds every day and still have shiny hair, firm poos (not that I inspect  ), not fat not thin etc.... but does that mean that McDonalds is good and should be eaten everyday..?
> 
> Someone made a really good analogy to me that I've never forgotten regarding why my dog won't eat this food)
> 
> Its like putting a plate of sweets and plate of salad infront of a child, they will more than likely eat the plate of sweets rather than salad, although, naturally the salad would be much better for them


I was offered Hills Science by the Vet and refused it. Chappie has very few ingredients i think. It doesn't appear to contain alot of the additives and i think maybe being fish based is what helps with the digestion 

I did try Nature Diet first but it just didn't agree with him.


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## babycham2002

Tanya1989 said:


> What food is this babycham??? I wouldn't feed that to pigs!!! With regards to the best and worst kibble on the market: orijen best kibble, bakers worst kibble, closely followed by pedigree, eukanuba, and whatever that is above
> 
> best wet food: nature diet, natures menu,
> worst wet food: pedigree, bakers (think they do wet food) most supermarket brand.
> 
> Chappie although quite cheap is one of the best foods on the market for those with digestive problems and allergies. I would feed chappie over ANY "sensitivity diet" from the vet.
> 
> With regards to "my dog does well on it so it obviously suits him and must be a good food" I can partly agree with this, if it IS a good food  but its like with people. My brother can eat out a McDonalds every day and still have shiny hair, firm poos (not that I inspect  ), not fat not thin etc.... but does that mean that McDonalds is good and should be eaten everyday..?
> 
> Someone made a really good analogy to me that I've never forgotten regarding why my dog won't eat this food)
> 
> Its like putting a plate of sweets and plate of salad infront of a child, they will more than likely eat the plate of sweets rather than salad, although, naturally the salad would be much better for them


Its Tescos premium own brand food.
I really like your anologys above Tanya, they are very helpful.
And in answer to you the OPs questions I agree totally with whats in Tanyas post and I also have an emergency tin of chappie in the cupboard if needed.

Already Willow has a partly raw diet but I am hoping to take the plunge to totally raw soon. (thanks for your help katie franke)


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## KateandCasper

I dont really understand this dog food analysis! We use Tesco wet food mixed with Harringtons Compete. I get that most people think Tesco food isnt great but can someone tell me if Harringtons is any good - I read somewhere it shouldnt be too high in protein - this has 21% - here are the ingredients
Turkey meat meal 14%
Rice
Porridge Oats
Meat meal
Peas
Beet Pulp
Fat
Digest
Vitamins and Minerals
Linseed
Kelp
Citrus
Yeast 
Yucca
It all seems quite natural ingredients but what do you guys think?
Thanks


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## Emmily

Emmily said:


> The worst dog food in my opinion is Chappie.





> I think years ago Chappie had a reputation for having too much cereal in their wet food, they have improved it since then, but personally, I still wouldn't feed it to mine.


Hmm...after reading all the positive opinions on Chappie, I might give it a try for my two. Shows how negative reputations can have an affect years later; I think it was in the late 1970s when Chappie was being heavily criticised for being bad food for dogs, and the idea that it's bad has just stuck. 

(I know to change food over gradually so as not to cause stomach upsets in dogs  )


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## paddyjulie

Best food in my opinion i suppose is JWB..


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## Mum2Heidi

I dont think Harringtons is too bad as supermarket brands go. Not a huge meat content but you could always supplement some extra.

For me the best feeds would be those that dont contain artificial colours or preservatives, no derivatives and I would prefer hypoallergenic or v little cereal.

The worst feeds would be those that contain all of the above.


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## RAINYBOW

Emmily said:


> Hmm...after reading all the positive opinions on Chappie, I might give it a try for my two. Shows how negative reputations can have an affect years later; I think it was in the late 1970s when Chappie was being heavily criticised for being bad food for dogs, and the idea that it's bad has just stuck.
> 
> (I know to change food over gradually so as not to cause stomach upsets in dogs  )


I think alot of wet foods got a bad press as they were supposedly bad for dogs teeth. I don't think there is an issue if they get some decent raw bones to chew on every now and then and there is some people who will say dry is worse for their teeth because it stays stuck in them for longer  no idea who is wrong or right you just have to do the what you feel is right for your dog


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## Plabebob

I have only tried 2 different foods. When I got Tron he was on [email protected] own brand puppy food & I have since changed him to James Wellbeloved, soon to be on Burns!

I have to say that the difference in him since changing to JWB is marked. He's waaaaay more focused (important in a boxer!) & his coat is shiny shiny! People comment on him at the park! I would definitely recommend JWB except it's rather expensive, hence the change to Burns which I've heard is of a similar standard but slightly cheaper, although for the sake of a 5er I'm not sure if it's really worth it - I thought he could do with a change of flavour too!


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## Emmily

RAINYBOW said:


> I think alot of wet foods got a bad press as they were supposedly bad for dogs teeth. I don't think there is an issue if they get some decent raw bones to chew on every now and then and there is some people who will say dry is worse for their teeth because it stays stuck in them for longer  no idea who is wrong or right you just have to do the what you feel is right for your dog


Raw bones is another issue...I read recently that it's not safe to give dogs raw bones, even marrow bones, which I always thought were safe. :confused1:

My OH keeps saying I should wet our dogs dry food, and as I keep telling him, it wouldn't be dry food then, would it (D'oh). Puppy's dry food was given moist up until about a week to 10 days ago, as per vets advice, when she was more able to manage it dry.

I was led to believe (including advice from vet) that dry food was better for dog's teeth, I give wet as dry seems a bit boring, I think the wet food adds that little extra to it.:thumbup:


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## PoisonGirl

Best tinned food IMO is chappie, fantastic for dogs with sensitive tums and the worse tinned food Winalot because it STINKS, anything that smells that fould seriously cannot be good it even smells the same out the other end :laugh:

Dry food well the WORST is got to be bakers. I wish they would stop selling the stuf. Best would probably be JWB or something but I go a happy medium (I simply annot afford JWB) I feed skinners hypoallergenic.


Cooked bones are a NO and raw weight bearing bones shouldn't be given either.


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## xNatashax

PoisonGirl said:


> Best tinned food IMO is chappie, fantastic for dogs with sensitive tums and the worse tinned food Winalot because it STINKS, anything that smells that fould seriously cannot be good it even smells the same out the other end :laugh:
> 
> Dry food well the WORST is got to be bakers. I wish they would stop selling the stuf. Best would probably be JWB or something but I go a happy medium (I simply annot afford JWB) I feed skinners hypoallergenic.
> 
> Cooked bones are a NO and raw weight bearing bones shouldn't be given either.


oh no i feed alfie winalot  i thought it smelled nice ha hmm all this chappie talk has got me thinking i might try him on this when i change his dry food

what do you guys think on pets for homes dry food ive been told its good ??


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## hobo99

My 2 dogs are fed on raw (mostly tripe) and Skinners complete (no added nasties) , both fairly inexpensive to feed, the only tinned i ever use in an emergency is butchers. 
Both dogs are in excellent health and one of them won best condition out of a class of 25 dogs.


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## Ducky

worst food in my opinion - bakers obv. also pedigree, and most supermarket brands

best foods - arden grange, burns, orijen, jwb

iv only ever fed AG and Burns to all my dogs and they all loved it and have thrived on it.


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## Mama Sass

Basil has a sensitive tummy (he is 18 weeks old) and also seems to be very fussy about what he eats. He is currently on Wagg puppy complete and it's not ideal I know, but at the moment it's the only one we have tried that he likes and will eat regularly, but his poos are still a bit runny. He has only been on it a week though so will wait a bit longer and see if things change at all.

Can anyone tell me if Chappie is OK for puppies?


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## LostGirl

Mama Sass said:


> Basil has a sensitive tummy (he is 18 weeks old) and also seems to be very fussy about what he eats. He is currently on Wagg puppy complete and it's not ideal I know, but at the moment it's the only one we have tried that he likes and will eat regularly, but his poos are still a bit runny. He has only been on it a week though so will wait a bit longer and see if things change at all.
> 
> Can anyone tell me if Chappie is OK for puppies?


I've used it on mine when they were little its pretty gently on tummies


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## RAINYBOW

Mama Sass said:


> Basil has a sensitive tummy (he is 18 weeks old) and also seems to be very fussy about what he eats. He is currently on Wagg puppy complete and it's not ideal I know, but at the moment it's the only one we have tried that he likes and will eat regularly, but his poos are still a bit runny. He has only been on it a week though so will wait a bit longer and see if things change at all.
> 
> Can anyone tell me if Chappie is OK for puppies?


It is an adult food. I am not aware they do a puppy version, just did a quick google and nothing came up.


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## GillyR

my mom used to feed our family dog cat food  

i remember her saying she wont eat dog food - so she had whiskers every day lol.....she lived til a grand old age too.

Best - Arden Grange (which they dont really like)
Worst - Bakers. (which they love)


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## Guest

Feed both my dogs Skinners Field&Trial and they thrive on it, good food and not too expensive either.


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## sketch

Mine are fed Burns.
But a couple of times a week they have pro biotic yogurt, with bran put into it.
They also have fish and rice steamed, with some veg and a little olive oil 
xx


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## raindog

The two best food we have used are Techni-Cal (a Canadian food - really good, but very expensive to buy in the UK) and the food our dogs are on now, Best Choice (a German food made by the IPH Group distributed in the UK by Lionslord Pet Nutrition - http://iphpetsworld.com/uploads/media/BC_DOG_englisch_28.06.06.pdf)

The worst was a food introduced by Spillers (now Purina) some 13/14 years ago - *Suprium* - it turned all our dogs' pooh a dark, swamplike and extraordinarily smelly green. We had actually won a years supply in a competition and after a month gracefully declined any further instalments of our prize.

Mick


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## kirstyS

raindog said:


> The two best food we have used are Techni-Cal (a Canadian food - really good, but very expensive to buy in the UK) and the food our dogs are on now, Best Choice (a German food made by the IPH Group distributed in the UK by Lionslord Pet Nutrition - http://iphpetsworld.com/uploads/media/BC_DOG_englisch_28.06.06.pdf)
> 
> The worst was a food introduced by Spillers (now Purina) some 13/14 years ago - *Suprium* - it turned all our dogs' pooh a dark, swamplike and extraordinarily smelly green. We had actually won a years supply in a competition and after a month gracefully declined any further instalments of our prize.
> 
> Mick


Fedsig has Techni-Cal and looks really well on it


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## nicola12

my 3 dogs(2 staffies and a boxer x collie puppy) all eat chappie meat with mixer and do great on it,nice shiny coats and no runny poo'sthe puppy is 13 weeks old and he has been on chappie since he was 7 weeks old and we have had no problems


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## dimkaz

i don;t really go for brand....spend ages reading the ingredients and the price tag that goes with it...
i'd be broke if i fed all the fancy feed i see on here...5 mastiffs of which 4 are on triple ration as they are growing and eat like locusts.

at the moment (and for quite some time now, probably a couple of years) i use Sneyd's Wonderdog, with fresh chicken from the supermarkets (tonight i helped myself to a few quarters roasted with potatoes and rosemary....yummy) and when it happens some bones with meat and fat from the butchers.....(not recently though as they have increased the price from £.45 to £.85 and it's no more convenient than chicken at £1.67kg for wings and £1.98 quartered) or some left over from the canteen (but i now rarely collect anything as work load is pretty bad).
worst food ever has to be the one i bought from LIDL, looked good on the outside but the stench of the dogs' poo was so bad i threw up (and i have a very strong stomach)....similar experience with to hills and purina and the like that are supposed to be good quality...


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## Mollydoodle

best is Naturediet or JWB and worst I thingk is Bakers and Pedigree


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## Guest

Its so annoying the amount of foods on the market!! Why can't they just sell 2 or 3 good food brands instead of like 50 good and bad foods?? lol!! Confusing stuff, mine are on Skinners and fine on it so I'm not going to think about changing it as it took me ages to figure out a good food for them, first JWB, then Arden Grange, then Burns so I am happy with Skinners!! lol x


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## GoldenShadow

Depends on what needs your dog has. For us, so far, best food = Fish4Dogs Complete, worst = Applaws Dry Complete.

In terms of wet Natures Menu is proving good too.


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## xNatashax

well i have been to pets at homes today and got this chappie which smells nice and the guy said its great for senstive tums and i also got the pets at home own food which isnt extactly cheap but isnt extactly expensive which also says its good for senstive tums and also doesnt have that high of protein in etc so i am trying it on him tonight he seemed to eat it all so will see when he poops if this is anybetter


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## RAINYBOW

xNatashax said:


> well i have been to pets at homes today and got this chappie which smells nice and the guy said its great for senstive tums and i also got the pets at home own food which isnt extactly cheap but isnt extactly expensive which also says its good for senstive tums and also doesnt have that high of protein in etc so i am trying it on him tonight he seemed to eat it all so will see when he poops if this is anybetter


If you have made a sudden full on swap just bear in mind that generally it's considered better to introduce a new food gradually  You might find a negative "reaction" to a sudden all out change


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## happysaz133

Mine are on *Supadog Greyhound and Lurcher* and do well on it, so for MY dogs, I would say that was the best. They have it mixed with Butchers, Winalot or Pedigree, whatever the shop has in!

Maddy can't have too much protein, it makes her ill.

So for MY dogs, I have found *James Wellbeloved* and *Orijen* the worst. Although she can handle the treats, just not the food.


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## Cockerpoo lover

If you go onto website Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble they do all the label reading for you and give you the pros and cons and recommendations.

Best: Barking Heads, Arden Grange lamb, Orijen

Worst: Pedigree brands, Iams, Royal Canin, Beta, Bakers


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## Oblada

Cockerpoo lover said:


> If you go onto website Dog Food Analysis - Reviews of kibble they do all the label reading for you and give you the pros and cons and recommendations.
> 
> Best: Barking Heads, Arden Grange lamb, Orijen
> 
> Worst: Pedigree brands, Iams, Royal Canin, Beta, Bakers


Seconded!

Its a question of reading the label and remembering that commercial food is not natural for our dogs anyway so at the very least we should be careful and read the labels properly before selecting a brand as our dogs cannot really tell us what they want and most ailments are hidden until the last moment anyway so the look of a dog can be highly deceiving. It is up to us to do our homework I think!
If no good commercial food can be found then I am all for feeding scraps from the table which can often be better than a lot of commercial "complete" food.
Raw diet is obviously ideal.


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## Inca's Mum

We feed Inca on Royal Canin and are always given compliments about her coat, how beautiful she is and how well off she looks which is great! She seems to go well with RC, and that's all we're bothered about (she hasn't been on any other though LOL). 5 or so years ago, think my mum fed our GSP on Eukanuba and my grandma feeds her old dog Techni-Cal.


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## slbrown2108

can i just say maisie is on bakers complete and it has done her the world of good. she was severely anorexic(2kg) when i got her due to her having worms and her condition was terrible her hair was horrible and very dull. The vets told us to move her onto hills puppy development but it never done her much justice. I decided to try bakers complete and she has come on leaps and bounds. She is an ideal weight of 10kg her hair is amazing and gleaming her teeth are pearly white and she is absolutely fantastic. So for every one that slates bakers then i disagree because maisie is fantastic.


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## slbrown2108

kate and casper can i ask why u are feeding a wet diet and a complete diet. A complete diet is fed on its own therefore u are over feeding ur pet. A complimentry diet is one that is fed kibble and wet food. You need to chose either one or the other food as ur deffo feeding too much. My OHs mum done this with her lab and it has become obese because she didnt understand there are two types of diet for her dog. Now she feeds a complete kibble diet and the dog is rapidly loosing weight. So for future reference i hope this helps.


ps a complete diet is for example Bakers Complete(hence the name)
or Pedigree Complete. It will state on the food bag is it is a complete or complimentary diet


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## Mama Sass

As posted before, Basil has a sensitive tummy and we have just had his poo tested at the vets which has come back all clear which is good.

The vets advice was to not chop and change their food too much as it can take at least six weeks for inflammation to go down after an upset. She said to give any new food at least that long in order to find out for sure whether it upsets the dogs tummy or not. She also said pups can grow out of having a sensitive tummy so we shall see.

So, we will be sticking with Wagg Puppy Complete for a while - his tummy has settled down quite a bit and it is the only one he has eaten regularly. He isn't starving himself like he was with JWB and Nature Diet. Having looked at the ingredients it's not too bad - there are far worse foods available - and as long as Basil is OK that's all that matters. 

I do agree though that what to feed your dog has become a bit of a minefield - it's difficult to know what to do for the best!


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## Nonnie

slbrown2108 said:


> kate and casper can i ask why u are feeding a wet diet and a complete diet. A complete diet is fed on its own therefore u are over feeding ur pet. A complimentry diet is one that is fed kibble and wet food. You need to chose either one or the other food as ur deffo feeding too much. My OHs mum done this with her lab and it has become obese because she didnt understand there are two types of diet for her dog. Now she feeds a complete kibble diet and the dog is rapidly loosing weight. So for future reference i hope this helps.
> 
> ps a complete diet is for example Bakers Complete(hence the name)
> or Pedigree Complete. It will state on the food bag is it is a complete or complimentary diet


I feed both wet (Naturediet) and dry (Arden Grange) and neither of my dogs are remotely overweight.

As long as the amounts are adjusted accordingly, there's no reason a dog cant live quite happily and healthily on both. If a dog is fat, it's being over fed, simple as that. The combination of foods makes no difference, just the fat and calorie intake.

Id never feed just a dry diet, its boring, and lets face it, completely un-natural.


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## Nicky10

Best foods: raw, naturediet, arden grange, applaws, orijin
Worst: Bakers, pedigree, anything with cereals as the main food and 4% meat at best


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## Guest

slbrown2108 said:


> kate and casper can i ask why u are feeding a wet diet and a complete diet. A complete diet is fed on its own therefore u are over feeding ur pet. A complimentry diet is one that is fed kibble and wet food. You need to chose either one or the other food as ur deffo feeding too much. My OHs mum done this with her lab and it has become obese because she didnt understand there are two types of diet for her dog. Now she feeds a complete kibble diet and the dog is rapidly loosing weight. So for future reference i hope this helps.
> 
> ps a complete diet is for example Bakers Complete(hence the name)
> or Pedigree Complete. It will state on the food bag is it is a complete or complimentary diet


You can feed both aslong as you reduce the amounts accordingly fo your dog.

My Jack Russell should have 100g a day, but I give her 90g with like 1/2-1 tin of applaws (she should be having 3 tins according to her weight)
My Greyhound should have 400g but I give 390g with 1 tin of applaws and a sardine - I only add the meat as she will only eat it with meat, and I buy the top of the range stuff, which is pure meat anyway!!

They are both at a steady weight, not loosing or gaining, and doing great, lovely coats!

What suits one dog may not suit another, so stick with what suits your dog best x


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## Happy Paws2

Plabebob said:


> I have only tried 2 different foods. When I got Tron he was on *[email protected] own brand puppy food* & I have since changed him to James Wellbeloved, soon to be on Burns!
> 
> I have to say that the difference in him since changing to JWB is marked. He's waaaaay more focused (important in a boxer!) & his coat is shiny shiny! People comment on him at the park! I would definitely recommend JWB except it's rather expensive, hence the change to Burns which I've heard is of a similar standard but slightly cheaper, although for the sake of a 5er I'm not sure if it's really worth it - I thought he could do with a change of flavour too!


Can you tell me why you stopped using Pets at home puppy.



xNatashax said:


> well i have been to pets at homes today and got this chappie which smells nice and the guy said its great for senstive tums and i also got the *pets at home own food* which isnt extactly cheap but isnt extactly expensive which also says its good for senstive tums and also doesnt have that high of protein in etc so i am trying it on him tonight he seemed to eat it all so will see when he poops if this is anybetter


Will you let me know how you get on with Pets at Home food

Dillon is 10 weeks old and I was thinking of getting Pets at Home large puppy. I've looked at the ingredients and it seems as good as most of the others, but it's all so confusing.


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## xNatashax

Happy Paws said:


> Can you tell me why you stopped using Pets at home puppy.
> 
> Will you let me know how you get on with Pets at Home food
> 
> Dillon is 10 weeks old and I was thinking of getting Pets at Home large puppy. I've looked at the ingredients and it seems as good as most of the others, but it's all so confusing.


its been 2 days so far and he is getting on very well with both pets for own dry and chappie wet he doesnt seem to stink the place out and his poops are alot better will keep you posted but the ingredients do look as good as the expensive stuff tbh at the end of the day its for senstive tums so aslong as alfie gets on good with it thats all that matters to me as he cant be any worse then what he was on


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## Jackie99

I am not sure which is the worst dog food, my dog seems to turn his nose up at any kind of loaf wet food in a tin, so that has ruled out a lot of options.

I have ordered a batch of Nature Diet for him and am hoping it will help with his stomach issues. At the moment he is on Naturalise Tripe and Rice wet food. Which I have to say he seems okay on and which I will keep in his diet along side Natue Diet if that works out.


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## james1

Emmily said:


> I've never actually looked at the ingredients of the food, but out of curiosity, I'll have a read later, though won't be changing they all seem happy on what they're being fed.


what is its ingredients? I cant find them


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## Emmily

james1 said:


> what is its ingredients? I cant find them


Hmm  I wish I hadn't read it now...:eek6:

*Tesco Premium Chunks in jelly with Tuna* (wet food) ( the one I happen to be using at the moment)

Ingredients
Meat and animal derivatives, fish and fish derivatives (minimum 4% Tuna), minerals. with colourants: EC additives.

Typical analysis
Moisture 80%, protein 8.5%, oils & fats 5.0%, ash 2.5%. Vitamin A 100iu/kg, vitamin D3 100iu/kg, vitamin E 10mg/kg, copper (as Cupric Sulphate) 0.8mg/kg.

*Tesco premium Puppy complete dog food with beef and vegatables.*

Ingredients
Cereals, meat and animal derivatives (minimum 4% in the component with beef) vegetable protein extracts derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, minerals, various sugars, yeast. With colourants, antioxidants and preservatives: EC additives.

Typical analysis
Protein 28%, oils and fats 12.0%, ash 7.5%, fibre 2.5%. Vitamins/minerals - vitamin A 1500iu/kg, vitamin D3 100iu/kg, vitamin E 75mg/kg, copper (as Cupric Sulphate) 19mg/kg.

*Tesco premium complete dog food with chicken & vegetables*

Ingredients
Cereals, meat and animal derivatives (minimum 4% chicken in the chicken components and minimum 4% fresh meat in the semi moist component), vegetable protein extracts, derivatives of vegetable origin (minimum 1% charcoal in the heart shaped component), oils and fats, minerals, various sugars, minerals yeasts, vegetables (minimum 4% vegetables in the vegetable component). With antioxidants (BHA BHT), colourants, and preservatives: EC additives (E153, E171, E155, E142, E172, E124, E202).

Typical analysis

Protein 23%, oils and fats 10%, ash 6.5%, fibre 3.0%. Vitamins/minerals - vitamin A 12000iu/kg, vitamin D3 1200iu/kg, vitamin E 60mg/kg, copper (as Cupric Sulphate) 15mg/kg.

 jeez, I didn't realise just how bad this food is :eek6:


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## james1

I wouldnt be feeding that no matter how cheap it was lol Gald you had a look over it

colourants in every variety and preservatives in some too - E numbers galore in the last one and if this is their premium I expect it would be also in their lower value ones.

Animal derivatives means any animal can be used as a meat source and also it doesnt have to be meat. Derivatives are the worst to see on any ingredients list as it literally could be any part of the animal. If meat is used it is a named source not just "meat".


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## lovaspringer

the worst dog food i know is that dreaded,DOG BRAWN,yak,i mean yust what the heks in that stuff and who invented it????.mine after trying diffrent brands seem to like pedigree complete,it suites them,so if its not broke dont fix it,as they say.xx


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## RachyBobs

Skinners Duck and Rice

Anything thats not cereal based for me or is meat derevatives, addatives, preservatives etc


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## luvmydogs

Rice is a cereal 

I use Fish4Dogs. Used to feed Vitalin Adult Maintenance.


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## RachyBobs

luvmydogs said:


> Rice is a cereal
> 
> I use Fish4Dogs. Used to feed Vitalin Adult Maintenance.


I mean Maize and crap rice is better than that


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## luvmydogs

Yes rice is more digestible. I guess I look for as little carbs as possible. (the foods I use hae potato in them, I'd rather they had no carb really) I think Orijen has the least, but the price is prohibitive.


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## debtherat

interesting thread. currently feed my 3 dogs on wainwrights/ wellbeloved/ burns- bit of a mixture, whatever happens to be on offer- none of them are cheap- and mix them- oh harringtons too- i look for the stuff thats colourant/ preservative free etc. plus they get chicken, sardines, tuna, carrots, rice, pasta.
Previously fed my Jess on a variety of foods; tesco,pedigree, bakers, etc - the only food that disagreed with her was Pal.
She was blessed with a fabulously healthy life- suffered a couple of torn ligaments, nothing else - but at age 10 developed an aggressive cancer of the liver- once diagnosed it took her from me within 5 weeks. At the time I began researching the link between the rise of cancers of the liver in dogs and the development of colourant rich/ preservative rich dog food.
I will never know if what I gave Jess to eat contributed to her illness, but I feed my wicked three now food that I would eat myself, and food that is as natural as can be.
Bless Jess X


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## fizzog

I feed Benji RC and JWB mixed together as the pet @ home woman recommended RC and the vet gave us JWB.

I was wondering if he should have wet food or is kibble the best?


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## Emmily

Okay, I'm going to eat my words and change from Tesco premium dry dog food.:thumbup:

Now I just need to work out which of two choices is better.


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## Burrowzig

slbrown2108 said:


> kate and casper can i ask why u are feeding a wet diet and a complete diet. A complete diet is fed on its own therefore u are over feeding ur pet. A complimentry diet is one that is fed kibble and wet food. You need to chose either one or the other food as ur deffo feeding too much. My OHs mum done this with her lab and it has become obese because she didnt understand there are two types of diet for her dog. Now she feeds a complete kibble diet and the dog is rapidly loosing weight. So for future reference i hope this helps.
> 
> ps a complete diet is for example Bakers Complete(hence the name)
> or Pedigree Complete. It will state on the food bag is it is a complete or complimentary diet


There's nothing wrong with feeding both, as long as you adjust the amounts so the dog keeps at its correct weight. One of my dogs has supplements in her diet because of digestive problems, both have herbs added as flea and tick repellents. I mix these into mashed up wet food (either complete or complementary) and coat the mixture onto kibble (complete). Result? Two slim healthy dogs.

One of mine, the digestive problems dog, is now on Orijen as we're trying cereal free. Other is on Skinners hypoallergenic salmon and rice - I had just got a new bag when the first one's colitis flared up again - someone's got to eat it, and she was coming off puppy food at the time. Both these are good foods, as is Burns. Worst foods - Bakers, anything else with different coloured bits in, anything listing 'cereals' without specifying which.


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## ToddyxxMillie

I feed mine both on Butchers tinned and then biscuits from b+m i dont know what they are called it just just says for working dogs on but they love it. I have tried them both on chappie, jwb, natures diet everything but liked it for a day then never ate it gain but they love butchers poos are nice and hard and right colour where as everything else gives them the runs. I think it all depends on breed it i had larger dogs i would feed them on a raw diet.


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## TheDutchess

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on lily's kitchen?


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## Lexiedhb

Raw = best
anything containing colourants, preservatives, loads of cereal/ potato/rice/fillers with a low or dubious meat content, and carcinogens ( yes bakers). = worst


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## Gemmaa

I just read the entire thread, and _then _looked at the 2010 date .


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## Lexiedhb

Gemmaa said:


> I just read the entire thread, and _then _looked at the 2010 date .


I replied...... then did the same lol  thought I'd fallen into a time warp!


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## El Cid

ToddyxxMillie said:


> I feed mine both on Butchers tinned and then biscuits from b+m.


I feed that tinned food, and then a dry food with 60% meat. It i just judging how much to feed that I feed difficult.


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## Buzzard

Gemmaa said:


> I just read the entire thread, and _then _looked at the 2010 date .


Me too lol!


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## babycham2002

TheDutchess said:


> Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on lily's kitchen?


Lily's kitchen is a good food 

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-and-nutrition/305410-updated-wet-dog-food-index.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-and-nutrition/255727-updated-dry-dog-food-index.html


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## fernlady

Canagan (which not many people have heard of) dry food grain free & Symply wet trays


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## Goblin

One of the forum members did a fairly comprehensive guide to food in two separate threads, one for wet, one for dry..

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-and-nutrition/305410-updated-wet-dog-food-index.html

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-and-nutrition/255727-updated-dry-dog-food-index.html


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## WiggleButt

allaboutdogfood.co.uk is a pretty good site regarding foods and budget. Recommended it to a lot of people I've met/worked with.


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## lilythepink

Have fed tripe and mixer biscuits for the past 35 years since my husband and I got our first puppy and that was all he would eat.

If I have run out of tripe, have occasionally bought Chappie. It stinks but the dogs love it and before vets went all expensive and fancy, they used to recommend Chappie all the time.

We are lucky enough to come across plenty roadkill, especially at this time of year so the dogs get plenty of that too...its even better than tripe and biscuits cos its free.


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## Sleeping_Lion

lilythepink said:


> Have fed tripe and mixer biscuits for the past 35 years *since my husband and I got our first puppy and that was all he would eat.*
> 
> If I have run out of tripe, have occasionally bought Chappie. It stinks but the dogs love it and before vets went all expensive and fancy, they used to recommend Chappie all the time.
> 
> We are lucky enough to come across plenty roadkill, especially at this time of year so the dogs get plenty of that too...its even better than tripe and biscuits cos its free.


I do hope you're talking about the puppy!

Raw is best in my books, and a bonus that I manage to source it or nothing. Worst oods would be bakers and pedigree chum, and also royal canin. I actually usually have a tin o chappie in or upset tums, or some reason, even though the ingredients aren't the best quality, it seems to steady an upset tum, and in act it's what my vets give to help ater coming round rom an operation, even though they also sell Hills.


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## lilythepink

Sleeping_Lion said:


> I do hope you're talking about the puppy!
> 
> Raw is best in my books, and a bonus that I manage to source it or nothing. Worst oods would be bakers and pedigree chum, and also royal canin. I actually usually have a tin o chappie in or upset tums, or some reason, even though the ingredients aren't the best quality, it seems to steady an upset tum, and in act it's what my vets give to help ater coming round rom an operation, even though they also sell Hills.


Aaaaaaaaaarrrrghhhhhh......lol. been a long day, time I was in bed I think.lol


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## Picklelily

Worst food:- Bakers

I fed this rubbish to my collie believing it was good stuff (what a moron) I blame myself everyday for his cancer.

I was also told dry food was good for teeth which is rubbish, it depends on the dry food and how much carbohydrate is in it. Many are like bathing your teeth in sugar.

Fairly bad:- Hills Science plan, Royal canin, pedigree.
The number of recalls for pedigree food in the USA over the last 2 years has been shocking. Each time the food has been contaminated.

Best food:- A home prepared raw food diet. I love raw feeding its fantastic and once you get into it so easy. My dog loves it and is the picture of health and her teeth. Well last dental check my vet said she had the best teeth she had seen on a terrier in years.



When we got her she was fed on supermarket own brand by her previous owner, she had bad ears, was itchy and had no concentration.


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## NBee

Have kept my almost 2 year old on Tesco dry puppy food having read puppy food has a quality control not required for adult food. That said it's used as a base and supplemented by home cooked food for him. He's the picture of health, a glorious collie and it allows variety, he seems a happy boy and as I cook in batches its easy for me too.


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## tabelmabel

This is a really old but interesting thread. I can't imagine tesco puppy food is that great though - given their dog food:
https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/dog-food-reviews/0141/tesco-complete-dry-dog-food

Your dog is probably looking great due to the home cooked additions!


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## tabelmabel

https://www.thedogdigest.com/dog-food-review/top-10-worst-uk-dry-dog-food-brands-2017/4/

This is interesting too - and also mentions Tesco food


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## niamh123

Looking at the worst Orlando made by Lidle was No 1 of the worst,we have a Lidle in walking distance from where I live,quite a lot of people around here must feed it by the state of the pavements around here.


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## CliffC

NBee said:


> Have kept my almost 2 year old on Tesco dry puppy food having read puppy food has a quality control not required for adult food. That said it's used as a base and supplemented by home cooked food for him. He's the picture of health, a glorious collie and it allows variety, he seems a happy boy and as I cook in batches its easy for me too.


Well, NBee. I admire the fact that you use your cooking skills to supplement the 'ready meal' he gets as standard fare. I don't know whether I'd have the same dedication for my own mutt! He's been fed on raw food since we've had him and is - at a quite advanced age now - a picture of health and with the "teeth of a much younger dog" according to our vet. One argument against the raw regime is the time it takes to weigh out the elements (butcher's waste/mince/offal/raw bones), but I'm sure others, just like yourself, spend an equal amount of time in nins prep. It's the old story really; what suits one dog and its owner aren't necessarily the panacea for all.


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