# My new doggy nutrition website - I'd love to hear what you think!



## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Hi everyone!

I would really like to know what you all think about a new website I've been putting together. It's been 9 long months and several pints of blood, sweat and tears in the making, but I think... I hope it's finally ready to go, and where better to ensure the site is properly tested than here!?

The site is called whichdogfood.co.uk and it is intended to be a one-stop-shop for dog food information and guidance, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

I've been working in canine nutrition for almost 10 years and I know that the world of dog food can be a daunting place, and finding the right food at the right price can become a real nightmare. I hope that Whichdogfood.co.uk will help to shed plenty of light on the subject and will take the hard work out of choosing a food.

This link will take you to the homepage: www.whichdogfood.co.uk

Please do let me know what you think, good, bad or indifferent as all feedback will really help. You can post on this thread, message me or email me on [email protected].

I really look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks,

David


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

I know there are a lot of BARFers on here, and I'm am all for home-preparing food, but this site is designed to help those dog owners that would prefer to feed a pre-prepared food.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

I'm surprised Fish4dogs is so low down on the recommendations but happy to see so many decent brands listed.


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

I really like the site 

My only issue that I've noticed so far is that you have Applaws tins as complete - I'm pretty certain that applaws wet is only complementary and needs to be fed alongside the dry.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Well spotted Colette! I've changed them to complementary. Thanks very much!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanks Cinammontoast!

Fish4dogs is certainly a good brand. Their Finest range gets 3.8, which is well above average. They have lost a couple of points because fresh fish, which is two-thirds water, is the first ingredient, while the dry fish meal is third after potato, and also because of the lack of other ingredients - no fruit or veg.


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## Terrier Fan (Oct 20, 2008)

A very useful website 

The only thing that i would change is the meat content on some of the wet foods listed.
Pedigree and cesar are listed as having a high meat content of 30% or more.
I personal don't class "meat and animal derivatives" as meat.


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## Nataliee (Jul 25, 2011)

Looks good  was suprised orijen was before ziwipeak though


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

Love your site. Well done!

One suggestion though. You have as big no-no that manufacturers declare "meat and animal-derivatives". I would strongly argue that that is too simple-minded. Manufacturers are not required to state in minutae what goes into their food and it is quite alright for them to use that umbrella term. I do agree with you that one yardstick that delineates "bad" from "good" from even "better" food is the degree to which they go beyond that which is required by law. 

However, not all "animal derivatives" are bad. As you know as someone who supports a home-made diet, other bits than muscle meat is required for a well-rounded diet. So, why shouldn't that be the same in commercially prepared wet or dry food. I would suggest that perhaps the manufacturers that declare "meat and animal derivates" but then also state what "derivatives" they use, perhaps don't get tarred with the same sort of brush as the ones that really don't provide any more info. Also, some manufacturers use more muscle meat than organ meat, which again, in my book sets them apart from those who use mostly organ/offal (for cost purposes). Not sure whether you have contacted any manufacturers in your quest for info?

Also, let's not forget that there are also those instances where "meat is declared" but that actually also contains what would be regarded as "derivatives". I believe Nature Diet is one such example. They don't just use muscle meat but also organ meat / offal. 

Another suggestion if I may. Don't just rely on the macronutrient break-down of a food to make judgements about how good they are. There are quite a few foods in the cat food world that have a good ingredient list and a good macronutrient profile but that are completely out-of-balance when it comes to the mineral content, for example.

Also, my personal pet-hate is Almo Nature. I am not sure whether they are the same as the cat tins but the cat tins most certainly do not say that they are complementary (their new "labels" range is slightly more transparent but not by much). So, if they don't mention that either then I don't think they quite deserve the green leaf for "open declaration". 

I personally would also up the yardstick for when a food is "high meat content". 

Hope I am not over-stepping my mark here with the above comments but it really is a superb site with loads of potential!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanks very much Hobbs2004! Certainly not overstepping the mark! Your help is really appreciated!

You're quite right that "meat and animal derivatives" and other umbrella terms are a tricky issue. As you mentioned, they don't necessarily indicate a low grade ingredient, but the problem is you just don't know. All of the ratings on the site are given strictly on the basis of the ingredients list and wherever it isn't clear what an ingredient refers to, I have assumed the worst and down-graded their rating. I've worked for several dog food manufacturers and from my experience, when they spend the money on a good ingredient, they are usually very keen to shout it from the rooftops, so I think it's generally a safe assumption.

Actually, virtually all forms of meat in pet foods contain a certain amount of offal, or viscera as it is known in the industry. 'Fresh meat' is often entirely viscera. 'Meat meal' also includes quite a lot of bone and connective tissue, none of which I have a problem with. Meat and animal derivatives on the other hand _can_ include certain parts of animals with very low nutritional value.

Plenty of food for thought anyway

Many thanks!


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

I think it is an excellent site and must have taken ages to build, so well done. The only thing I think you may have a problem with is the domain name?

Which Dog Food? is going to upset the Which magazine people, I think, since all their recommendations begin with Which? or What?

I have heard of people being made to change their domain names by big, well known companies who have established the name.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Trying to post replies but it says the moderator has to check them first. Watch this space!


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Oopps sounds as thou you've been rumbled:cursing:

I'm sure you'll think of another good name if need be

Congratulations, it's v good, cant wait to see it grow. 
The world of dog food is a minefield and we need all the help we can get


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## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

I'm going to be mean and cynical being as I feed raw but not BARF.

Just glanced but from what I see.. 

Why do dogs needs carbohydrates? As far as I am aware, even the pet food nutrient profiles don't list it as necessary. 

Why do dogs need vegetables? I know it is a contentious issue but dogs are carnivores.

Do you have qualifications in dog nutrition that allows you to call yourself an "expert"? I know you have a disclaimer in your terms and conditions but...


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

David WhichDogFood said:


> Thanks Cinammontoast!
> 
> Fish4dogs is certainly a good brand. Their Finest range gets 3.8, which is well above average. They have lost a couple of points because fresh fish, which is two-thirds water, is the first ingredient, while the dry fish meal is third after potato, and also because of the lack of other ingredients - no fruit or veg.


although i don't feed it i would give f4d a higher score as i like the 'no fruit or veg' part as i personally don't believe dogs need them at all

Edit: i will add i'm a raw feeder (not barf) which is why i don't believe they need fruit/veg


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## leannelatty (Aug 14, 2009)

Couldnt see ww wet on here


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## Shrap (Nov 22, 2010)

David WhichDogFood said:


> Thanks Cinammontoast!
> 
> Fish4dogs is certainly a good brand. Their Finest range gets 3.8, which is well above average. They have lost a couple of points because fresh fish, which is two-thirds water, is the first ingredient, while the dry fish meal is third after potato, and also because of the lack of other ingredients - no fruit or veg.


I think F4D should be higher. Dogs don't need fruit or veg. I've given it to my raw fed dogs a few times and he hasn't gone hyper so it gets the vote in my book - he has had the likes of James Wellbeloved before and gone absolutely mental for the day.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Wow, thanks for all of the replies! So much to respond to&#8230; I'll do my best!

Goblin, thanks very much for your feedback. Of course the site isn't for everyone. If you can home-prepare food, good for you, really, but not everyone can or will. The vast, vast majority of dogs in the UK are fed on commercial dog foods and the vast majority of those are fed on bad dog foods. My site is there to help people who prefer to feed pre-prepared foods to make sure they are doing the best by their dog.

Everyone has different ideas about what dogs should and shouldn't eat - there are hundreds of threads on here about the carbs question alone, so whatever I say I'm going to cause some controversy, but I've always found that dogs benefit enormously from certain fruits and vegetables and even some grains. There, I said it! Just my opinion of course and please don't take that as a declaration of war. I have known dogs to thrive on everything from 100% BARF to some of the vegetarian dog foods, and everything in between. To each his own I say.

As for my background, I was originally trained as a canine nutritionist by a leading dog food producer in 2002 and have provided advice and consultation to dog owners, pet food retailers, vets and pet food manufacturers ever since. I've been to countless veterinary conferences and seminars and even occasionally provide some of my own. I hope that will do.

Next up&#8230; Fish4Dogs!


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## mollymo (Oct 31, 2009)

Excellent, A lot of hard work gone into your site and I will watch it grow with interest.


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

Looks like a great site  now if you could just add the amount of purine there is in each food that would be a great help for some Spotty owners


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

It's great to see so much support for Fish4Dogs! It's certainly one of the best British foods, and it's rating of 3.8 reflects that (bear in mind that 2.5 is average).

The ratings on the site are generated by a mathematical equation that looks at 33 different criteria. Might be a bit excessive but I'm determined to keep the site as impartial as possible.

Fish4Dogs' ingredients are:

Ocean White Fish*, Potato, Fish Meal*, Salmon Oil*, Beet Fibre, Brewers Yeast , Minerals and Vitamins. *contains Over 55% Fish.

Now, I don't want to criticise F4D but I will say why it doesn't do as well as some other foods. Fresh fish is the first ingredient. A good quality ingredient but once the water is removed its weight is reduced by about 70%, so in dry content terms, it will feature much further down the list. That therefore makes potato the first ingredient, which is ok but high in starch and not particularly nutritious. Brewer's yeast is a good ingredient but other than the yeast, the fish and the vitamin/mineral supplement, the other ingredients aren't providing too many nutrients. Personally, I think it would benefit from a little more nutritional variety. A very good food but I think 3.8 out of 5 is about right.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

leannelatty said:


> Couldnt see ww wet on here


I'll soon remedy that! Please check back tomorrow.


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## Shrap (Nov 22, 2010)

Definitely have to agree with dally. If you can look into different breeds and their specific dietary requirements it would set your website above the rest


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Hi David
I see you got the posting sorted so I'm assuming you havent been challenged by "Which"

Goldenacres as you will know make a lot of dog food. Their duck and potato shown here Duck and Potato Working Dog Food 30kg isnt a bad budget food. Granted potato is still the main ingredient but the meat content isnt bad and the price, even better. Not sure if you would consider it worth a mention? Likewise their Fish and Potato with allergyX Fish and Potato with Allergy-X 24kg not sure if that would be worth including for people dealing with allergies.

I'm quite happy feeding Naturediet having done the rounds with kibble and decided wet was a more natural option.

Been missing a good old bit of non raw food banter here lately so your website is just what the Dr ordered


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

I see you have neatly side stepped the question re qualifications.

You could have been trained in X for years, but not obtained any qualifications.

What specific qualifications do you possess in canine nutrition?

Have not had time to trawl all your site but some notable omissions are:

lupins and quinoa as ingredients.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Hi Mum2Heidi! Nothing from Which yet. My lawyer tells me I'm fine but you never know.

I'll certainly get the Goldenacres foods up as soon as I can. Thanks a lot for the links!


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

We might as well continue doing your work for you.

Tapioca is missing, as is ostrich, bison,


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

You're welcome.

Just noticed you haven't got Simpsons either and their cereal free's are v good
Simpsons Premium - Complete Dry Dog Food
they get recommended a lot here.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

smokeybear said:


> I see you have neatly side stepped the question re qualifications.
> 
> You could have been trained in X for years, but not obtained any qualifications.
> 
> What specific qualifications do you possess in canine nutrition?


Quite right. Apart from a zoology degree and a whole bunch of veterinary conference attendance certificates, I am, like most good canine nutritionists, qualification-less.

I don't know if you've ever tried looking for canine nutrition courses in the UK but the few 'distance learning' programmes that are available are incredibly basic, have a very limited scope and are completely lacking in any practical work. Several are also sponsored by the likes of Royal Canin and Iams and I don't need any nutritional lessons from them. If you can suggest any qualifications that are worth getting, I am all ears.

Thank you for the ingredients suggestions - I'll get them added tomorrow!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Excellent! Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I'm taking notes and will get as many as I can done tomorrow, so please check back and let me know what you think!


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

There is no need to limit yourself to the UK.

The C & G one is no longer being taught here in the UK

Advanced Canine Nutrition (Cert.ACN) | Companion Animal Sciences Institute

Marge Chandler who teaches at the Royal Dick might be able to assist you in looking for a suitable qualification, she is one of only two vets in the UK With nutritional qualifications.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Dally Banjo said:


> Looks like a great site  now if you could just add the amount of purine there is in each food that would be a great help for some Spotty owners


Thanks Dally - a really good point. The problem is that most manufacturers don't declare their purine content and some don't even analyse for it. Wherever the data is available though, I'll make sure it's on the site.


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## Dally Banjo (Oct 22, 2009)

David WhichDogFood said:


> Thanks Dally - a really good point. The problem is that most manufacturers don't declare their purine content and some don't even analyse for it. Wherever the data is available though, I'll make sure it's on the site.


That would be brilliant  there is a list of types of high low purine food on the spot site http://www.britishdalmatianclub.org.uk/downloads/Purine Table 2003.htm but its a bit old, never found anything to do with actual dog food though  alot of people get mixed up with Protien, Purine :crazy: myself included


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Mum2Heidi said:


> Goldenacres as you will know make a lot of dog food. Their duck and potato shown here Duck and Potato Working Dog Food 30kg isnt a bad budget food. Granted potato is still the main ingredient but the meat content isnt bad and the price, even better. Not sure if you would consider it worth a mention? Likewise their Fish and Potato with allergyX Fish and Potato with Allergy-X 24kg not sure if that would be worth including for people dealing with allergies.


Done and done! Which Dog Food - Golden Acres rated 3.4 out of 5!. A bit tricky as GA provides these to shops as an 'own brand' so the packaging and pricing varies a lot, but you're right that they are very popular so it's good to have them on the site.

Thanks again for your help!


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## luvmydogs (Dec 30, 2009)

I'd like to know which foods give good breeder discount. Fish4Dogs breeder scheme is fab.


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## Tapir (Mar 20, 2010)

This is fantastic! My new rescue girl is arriving on Saturday and this has just made choosing a food so much easier. Thank you - what a fantastic website!


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I gather GA make kibble for some other big companies that we know as other popular brand names as well as the "own brand". It's also been said that the same silo's provide all the ingredients so the own brand stuff is actually up with the big guys

Had another thought and I'm sure Sixstar wont mind (as long as you do your own homework) The sticky's she put together for Wet and Dry food in this section list all the popular brands used by members here. Would probably be easier to go thro them to check what you've missed. Of course, you will have to agree Sixstar has done us proud - she feeds raw and put them together a lot better than I for one could have done!!!! hmy:


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Mum2Heidi said:


> You're welcome.
> 
> Just noticed you haven't got Simpsons either and their cereal free's are v good
> Simpsons Premium - Complete Dry Dog Food
> they get recommended a lot here.


Just finished the last of the Simpsons range. Excellent for the price.

Which Dog Food - Simpsons reviews


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

I thought the site is very good, user-friendly and the 'cereal-free' icon is very useful for me. 
Bozita cans are missing, didn't see Rinti either. Also working hprs.com Working Dog Food WorkingHPRs | Quality dog food for working gundogs - their food looks similar to Fish4Dogs at a good price. Haven't tried it yet as I have such vast stocks of Fish4Dogs!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Tapir said:


> This is fantastic! My new rescue girl is arriving on Saturday and this has just made choosing a food so much easier. Thank you - what a fantastic website!


Thanks so much Tapir! I'm really glad you like it! You are exactly the kind of person the site is made for so if there's any way I can make it better or easier for you or if there's anything that you find confusing or frustrating, please be sure to let me know!



Burrowzig said:


> I thought the site is very good, user-friendly and the 'cereal-free' icon is very useful for me.
> Bozita cans are missing, didn't see Rinti either. Also working hprs.com Working Dog Food WorkingHPRs | Quality dog food for working gundogs - their food looks similar to Fish4Dogs at a good price. Haven't tried it yet as I have such vast stocks of Fish4Dogs!


Hi Burrowzig and many thanks for the feedback and suggestions! Just getting through the Wainwrights wet range at the moment but I'll get those brands on asap!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

leannelatty said:


> Couldnt see ww wet on here


Hi Leannelatty! The full Wainwright's range is now online here!


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## Nelson (Feb 2, 2011)

Well done

It looks really good.

I will be changing their food soon and I can use this to great effect...


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2012)

I've spent the last 40 minutes on your site and although I've completed a dog nutrition course I learnt lots of new things 

Really well laid out, easy to navigate and purposefull, well done - I will be directing people to your website with confidence.


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## Redice (Dec 4, 2011)

This new website is very interesting and helpful but left me feeling confused just when I thought I had it sussed.:mad2:

I currently feed Arden Grange but have been looking into other foods that may have a higher meat content/low carb and be cereal free as so many people recommend this as the best option after raw. After alot of searching and researching and keeping my budget in mind I finally decided on Applaws but on your website Arden Grange is rated higher than Applaws which has totoally confused me now.
Can you explain why you rate Arden Grange higher than Applaws please?


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanks so much everyone for your feedback and your support, I really appreciate it!



Gopher said:


> I've spent the last 40 minutes on your site and although I've completed a dog nutrition course I learnt lots of new things
> 
> Really well laid out, easy to navigate and purposefull, well done - I will be directing people to your website with confidence.


Thank you Gopher! I've tried hard to keep the site as user-friendly as possible so I'm really glad you think that!


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

David WhichDogFood said:


> Thanks Cinammontoast!
> 
> Fish4dogs is certainly a good brand. Their Finest range gets 3.8, which is well above average. They have lost a couple of points because fresh fish, which is two-thirds water, is the first ingredient, while the dry fish meal is third after potato, and also because of the lack of other ingredients - no fruit or veg.





pogo said:


> although i don't feed it i would give f4d a higher score as i like the 'no fruit or veg' part as i personally don't believe dogs need them at all
> 
> Edit: i will add i'm a raw feeder (not barf) which is why i don't believe they need fruit/veg


I'm another who thinks carbs are unnecessary. Careful not to turn people off by rating 'pure' foods eg Fish4dogs lower because _you_ think carbs are necessary.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

cinammontoast said:


> I'm another who thinks carbs are unnecessary. Careful not to turn people off by rating 'pure' foods eg Fish4dogs lower because _you_ think carbs are necessary.


But isn't that the problem with all lists where one person or a group of people grade food according to certain yardsticks? Actually, that is why I personally don't "grade" foods but rather just provide people with information (that goes beyond that which is found on labels) and try to equip them with the certain know-how to make their own (hopefully more informed) choices.

People simply aren't going to agree on the criteria used to judge foods. For example, I personally don't mind a certain amount amount of grain or veg in my cats' food (but it shouldn't exceed say 5%), while others avoid any foods that contain grains/veg. Yet, others don't mind feeding foods that contain "sugars", whereas that is one thing that would put me right off. I personally also wouldn't say that 30% is a high "meat" content or that just because a food contains "by-products" that it is immediately downgraded. I also personally wouldn't rely on just the info that is printed on the labels but would dig a lot deeper with the manufacturers as to what exactly goes in it (in terms of "meat" vs by-products as well as the basic mineral content). That is what I would do but David and co do not do. Would my list be better? Well it would obviously be better in my eyes but realistically, no, it would just be different.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Redice said:


> This new website is very interesting and helpful but left me feeling confused just when I thought I had it sussed.:mad2:
> 
> I currently feed Arden Grange but have been looking into other foods that may have a higher meat content/low carb and be cereal free as so many people recommend this as the best option after raw. After alot of searching and researching and keeping my budget in mind I finally decided on Applaws but on your website Arden Grange is rated higher than Applaws which has totoally confused me now.
> Can you explain why you rate Arden Grange higher than Applaws please?


Great question! We can look at the two side by side.

In terms of meat content, Arden Grange contains 27% chicken meal, 5% fresh chicken and a small amount of fish meal, totalling around 30% on a dry matter basis. Applaws on the other hand contains 74% chicken, but as it's all fresh which is around two thirds water, it only works out at 27% dry matter. AG wins.

Next, the carb content. AG has whole brown rice (very good) and maize (pretty poor) while Applaws has peas (good) and potato starch (pretty poor). AG just about wins.

Applaws also loses a couple of points for cellulose - you can find out why here.

Otherwise, both foods are packed with quality ingredients, so I'm sure your dog would do excellently on either.

I hope that all makes sense, if not please let me know.


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## hobbs2004 (Mar 12, 2010)

David WhichDogFood said:


> Great question! We can look at the two side by side.
> 
> In terms of meat content, Arden Grange contains 27% chicken meal, 5% fresh chicken and a small amount of fish meal, totalling around 30% on a dry matter basis. Applaws on the other hand contains 74% chicken, but as it's all fresh which is around two thirds water, it only works out at 27% dry matter. AG wins.
> 
> ...


You may want to check this info with Applaws. I believe the first ingredient (chicken 64%) actually refers to dried chicken. This would also make sense given their next ingredient - chicken mince, which obviously refers to "fresh" chicken.

I have a hunch you will very soon need to reverse your rating. 

Also, surely you cannot just look at the ingredients per se but need to take into account quantity? I cannot see how you can rate one food as being better that contains 24% rice (say) as well as an undeclared amount of maize meal; while the other that you grade worse contains say 8% peas and 8% potato starch!

Just for your info; you are rating one food that contains nearly 48% carbs at dry matter over one that contains nearly half that (24%). Sorry but that is weird.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

I'd like to know what your 33 criteria are....?


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

Just checked the Applaws website - the adult sm / med breed chicken contains 66% dried chicken plus 8% chicken mince. 

As for the carbs debate - I have no specific qualifications in nutrition, but we did do modules on animal nutrition as part of the Animal Management course - and we were taught that dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrate. (We were not told that carbs were bad, and indeed dogs can utilise them, just that they were not actually necessary provided protein and fat levels were adequate).


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Colette said:


> Just checked the Applaws website - the adult sm / med breed chicken contains 66% dried chicken plus 8% chicken mince.


Just checked it myself and YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Apologies for that! In my defence, the site that is now up is brand new and it has much more information than their old one. It also looks like the standard 'adult' variety is being phased out in favour of small & medium, large, mature and lite versions. I will go over the range and make sure everything is in order. Thanks very much for letting me know.



Colette said:


> As for the carbs debate - I have no specific qualifications in nutrition, but we did do modules on animal nutrition as part of the Animal Management course - and we were taught that dogs have no dietary requirement for carbohydrate. (We were not told that carbs were bad, and indeed dogs can utilise them, just that they were not actually necessary provided protein and fat levels were adequate).


I knew carbs was going to cause I good old discussion!

I think it's important to distinguish between traditional carbohydrate sources like cereals and potatoes from more nutritional additions like vegetables, fruits, nutritional herbs, and so on.

Obviously, no foods are downgraded for not having cereals or potatoes - quite the opposite in fact. Where cereals are contained, whole grains are favoured over processed forms.

On the other hand, I have found vegetables and some fruits and herbs to be very beneficial to dogs. As you say, they may not be strictly required by dogs but to get 5 stars a food has to do a lot more than what is just required. For this reason, a food that contains meat, potatoes, vegetables and nutritional herbs will score a bit better than one that contains just meat and potatoes.

I'll let you know when the Applaws updates are done!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Which Dog Food - Applaws rated 4.5 out of 5!

The dry meat makes a big difference. Thanks everyone for letting me know! The adult and puppy large breed formulas are also online now. The Lite and Mature varieties will follow as soon as Applaws sends me a feeding guide.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

I will be interested to see how you keep on top of new products and tweaked recipe's David. It's certainly going to keep you busy.

I've gone back to buying British but for a while bought a few varieties from zooplus. Cant beat their wets for meat content altho it was difficult to ascertain the offal quantity. Rocco, Rinti, Lukullus, Bozita, Herrmans, Terra Canis and probably a few more. Not sure if you want to venture into that neck of the woods. 

Definitely a great site and I really hope you can keep it going


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## choclabwoody (Dec 23, 2011)

Hi David
The Rocco one from Zooplus would be great to know as I was going to buy some the other week. At the moment I'm feeding Woody on Butchers Tripe loaf and just recently their other varity Beef & Liver in Jelly.

The website is brilliant in the way it is set up, what cms are you using just out of curiosity?

Colin & Woody


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanks for the tip. I'll certainly get Rocco added this week. I'll let you know when it's ready.



choclabwoody said:


> The website is brilliant in the way it is set up, what cms are you using just out of curiosity?


I don't actually use any CMS. Somehow I've managed to design and code the whole thing from scratch single handed. Don't ask me how - it's all a bit of a blur. This time last year I didn't know the first thing about web development, but I've enjoyed learning and seeing the site up and running is incredibly rewarding, especially if it manages to help a few people. I'm really glad you like it!


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## the melster (Mar 20, 2010)

Love the site. The one thing I would like to do is on the advanced search be able to filter for just dry food and for the cherry on top also cereal free.


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## GayleC (Oct 5, 2011)

Great site, couldn't see Hermanns which is what we're feeding at the moment based on Sixstar's excellent investigative skills.

It was good to be able to search for cereal free although it took me a little while to find it.

It's given me a food to investigate though so i'm going to look into that. Thanks


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

the melster said:


> Love the site. The one thing I would like to do is on the advanced search be able to filter for just dry food and for the cherry on top also cereal free.


Hi Melster! Thanks for the message! You can go to the advanced search page and under '_what kind of foods are you looking for_' select 'complete dry foods'. To rule out foods with cereals you can click 'all cereals' under '_is your dog allergic or intolerant to..._'.

They are pretty difficult to find so I'll see if I can fix that.



GayleC said:


> Great site, couldn't see Hermanns which is what we're feeding at the moment based on Sixstar's excellent investigative skills.


Thanks for the tip GayleC, I'll add Hermanns as soon as I can. I've built up quite a to-do-list!


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

cinammontoast said:


> I'd like to know what your 33 criteria are....?


Hi Cinammontoast! I've added this section to the website to shed a bit more light on how our ratings are calculated: Which Dog Food - Frequently Asked Questions
The equation itself took a lot of work to create and fine-tune. It's also unique to my site so I'd rather not go into too much detail of it's inner workings on here.


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

The Rocco reviews are finally ready!

Which Dog Food - Search dog food reviews

They were really tough to profile as the information that is available is very patchy (and mostly in German!). They seem to use really bad terms for really good ingredients, so I have emailed them for more details. Until I hear back from them though, I have had to take their ingredients list at face value which means less than spectacular ratings.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

David WhichDogFood said:


> The Rocco reviews are finally ready!
> 
> Which Dog Food - Search dog food reviews
> 
> They were really tough to profile as the information that is available is very patchy (and mostly in German!). They seem to use really bad terms for really good ingredients, so I have emailed them for more details. Until I hear back from them though, I have had to take their ingredients list at face value which means less than spectacular ratings.


I ran aground with that as well. But the proof of the pudding in the output was excellent. One of the best foods in that respect and altho a large proportion of offal - all meat!!. Unable to satisfy myself ingredients wise, I stopped using it but may but a few occasionally for good measure - especially if you get more luck re ingredients than I did


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## choclabwoody (Dec 23, 2011)

Hi David
Would there be a way of factoring in feeding both wet and dry so I could ensure I'm feeding the right amounts?

Colin & Woody


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

choclabwoody said:


> Hi David
> Would there be a way of factoring in feeding both wet and dry so I could ensure I'm feeding the right amounts?
> 
> Colin & Woody


That's an excellent idea! I get asked about mixing wet and dry all the time and finding the right balance can be tricky. I'll certainly add it to my to-do list!

In the meantime, the easiest way would be to feed 50% of the recommended daily amount of wet with 50% of the RDA of dry.

That really is a great idea! Thanks very much!


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Will you be featuring a comparison tool such as the one that Innova does?

Natural Pet Food FAQs

You may also find their ingredient wizard useful

Pet Food Ingredient Definitions for Dog Food, Cat Food and Ferret Food

And of course the PFMA may have useful information that might help you? 

http://www.pfma.org.uk/


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

smokeybear said:


> Will you be featuring a comparison tool such as the one that Innova does?
> 
> Natural Pet Food FAQs
> 
> ...


Hi Smokeybear! Yes I will, in fact I already do!

You can compare any foods side-by-side (up to 3 at a time) by ticking the 'compare here' boxes on the Dog Food Directory page or on any search results page. Click here to see a comparison between Orijen, Arden Grange and Applaws for example.

Whichdogfood also has a fairly comprehensive ingredients database. Much of the information comes from the PFMA. I'm adding new ingredients all the time so it's growing fast.

Take a look and let me know what you think!


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## stusawop (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi David, well done on your website! 
You may have visited this website before but just wondered would Sabine's assessment of corn alter your thinking of it as a " red " ingredient after looking at the link to the table she provides?.....The Dog Food Project - Common Fallacies of Dog Food Reviews. Also may I suggest adding Cassia to your additives list as some wet foods use it.
You rate Barking Heads adult food 4.2 and give their Big Foot 4.4, yet their adult seems to have more meat ( 52% compared to 45% taking moisture content into consideration noted ) and as far as I can make out they both have roughly the same carb content so is there some other factor involved?


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

stusawop said:


> Hi David, well done on your website!
> You may have visited this website before but just wondered would Sabine's assessment of corn alter your thinking of it as a " red " ingredient after looking at the link to the table she provides?.....The Dog Food Project - Common Fallacies of Dog Food Reviews. Also may I suggest adding Cassia to your additives list as some wet foods use it.
> You rate Barking Heads adult food 4.2 and give their Big Foot 4.4, yet their adult seems to have more meat ( 52% compared to 45% taking moisture content into consideration noted ) and as far as I can make out they both have roughly the same carb content so is there some other factor involved?


Hi Stusawop and thanks for your post!

I'm certainly aware of The Dog Food Project and the great work they do, although I can't say I had read that particular article. It certainly raises some interesting questions about pet food review sites, mine included. I won't answer all of their points right now as I'll be here all day... unless you want me to.

On the maize/corn question, I agree with The Pet Food Project that "Unless an individual dog is sensitive or allergic to corn or wheat, they are no better and no worse than other cereal grains". Very true. The problem is that, from my experience, more dogs are found to be intolerant to corn and wheat than any other grains. For now, I'll be keeping it red.

On Barking Heads, you're quite right that 4.4 was excessive for Big Foot. A glitch in the code meant that on some pages it was receiving the rating for Little Big Foot. That's fixed now so it should show a rating of 4.2. This is the same as for the standard adult rating because while it doesn't score as highly on meat content, it makes up for it by having brown rice instead of white (unlike The Pet Food Project, I strongly favour nutritious brown rice to nutritionally depleted white rice).


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Burrowzig said:


> I thought the site is very good, user-friendly and the 'cereal-free' icon is very useful for me.
> Bozita cans are missing, didn't see Rinti either. Also working hprs.com Working Dog Food WorkingHPRs | Quality dog food for working gundogs - their food looks similar to Fish4Dogs at a good price. Haven't tried it yet as I have such vast stocks of Fish4Dogs!


Hi Burrowzig! Just to let you know, I've just finished profiling and rating the Bozita wet range. You can see how they get on at Which Dog Food - Search dog food reviews


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## Staffybull (Jul 23, 2010)

I think you have created a fantastic website,i am sure others will agree

There are very few UK sites like yours that offer this kind of comparison regarding food nutrition etc,this is one of the best i have seen!

Now i recommend your website to all my friends


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## David WhichDogFood (Mar 17, 2012)

Staffybull said:


> I think you have created a fantastic website,i am sure others will agree
> 
> There are very few UK sites like yours that offer this kind of comparison regarding food nutrition etc,this is one of the best i have seen!
> 
> Now i recommend your website to all my friends


Thanks so much Staffybull! It's taken a lot of work and there are still a few things that need work, not to mention a long, long list of foods to add, but feedback like yours makes it all worthwhile!


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