# Uk feed



## Bellababy

Hi, I'm just curious, what are you all feeding your dogs in the uk? and any recommendations, helpful tips etc. Thanks


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## Nelly

Hi Bellababy! 

We are in Scotland and pre-order the 6.8kg bags of Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula. Can be a bit of a pain what with it not being readily available but it is an excellent food (for adult dogs as well) and so far it is the only one our girl will finish a bowl of.

Before that she was on Wainwrights puppy food and while that is a decent food it just wasn't right for our V in particular. 

We decided to go for a grain-free food (taste of the wild) due to V's being known for having allergies and from information that I had gained on the forum.

I realise that ordering huge bags every month or so isn't convenient! It is a pain that we don't seem to have all these great foods available in the UK. 

There are lots of great threads on here about diet, you could use the search function for 'taste of the wild, kibble, diet' etc. 

What are you feeding just now?


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## cooperman

Hi we feed our two on csj adult champ. They are fab healthy on it. Couldnt recommend it more.


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## hotmischief

I feed Natural Instinct, Raw diet as my boy has minor allergies and even the grain free kibbles aggravated the allergies. He loves his raw food and allergies are all under control now.

Kibbles I tried before moving to raw were Burns, Orijen and then Acana - the later was probably the best.


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## Bellababy

My 3 year old is on Iams, and has been since the day we got her as the breeder was feeding her this, she is so well on it, she is very healthy. My pup is 7 months old and been on puppy Iams but has had runny stools and is sometimes sick, my vet has just recommended a food they are providing that is an equivalent of James Wellbeloved but slightly cheaper, and is more for a dog with sensitive tummy etc. I am starting to add a little of it to her food with a view to slowly introducing it.....its a salmon and potato based food and all the ingredients look good in it, just think there is so much controversy over dog food, I am mixed up! 
I also didn't really want to have two dogs on two different foods, but I it needs to be that way I will do it. I am wary of changing Bella's food after 3 years as I don't want to tempt fate when she has been so well on the Iams.
I appreciate there are some people on here who will think I am feeding my dogs rubbish, but I love them and am paying what I can afford.


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## Bellababy

Cooperman, never heard of csj, just been having a look at it, its very reasonable and looks good ingredients, seems to have good reviews too.
Thanks


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## Nelly

Bellababy, I found it very hard also to find the right balance between affordable and not feeding her what others view as 'rubbish'. There is a good amount of dog food snobbery everywhere, I even had a taste of it at our last vet. You love them and are doing all you can to find something better suited to your pup, that's all that matters.

After doing research I bit the bullet and just went for TOTW but with two dogs I can imagine much more difficult and would certainly not be economically possible for us. You are doing right by her with her sensitive tummy at the vet's recommendation.

I actually had no idea you just buy a raw diet hotmischief! I'm just on the website now and it looks great. Do you feed him the working dog kind? Is it all raw?


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## Darcy1311

Darcy has BURNS alert....comes in lamb or chicken, she gets about 200 grammes per day depending on her level of exercise that day....... .....


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## Vida

Raw 
I'm in somerset ,Uk


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## hotmischief

Nelly,

Yes Natural Instinct is all raw - but it is a balance diet, with bone, fruit, vegetables and vitamins added in. I feed working duck and turkey as my boy has allergies and these are the lowest in allergens.

Yes I feed the working duck and turkey it is cheaper as if they use the word "Working" it is VAT free. The Pure duck, beef etc has no vegetables and fruit in and I think less fat. 

They do next day delivery and it is beautifully packed in plastic cartons so I just take one out of the freezer at night and then I store it in the fridge as it is in a sealed container. Easy Peasy.

I do add flax oil to add omega 3 & 6. I have also just started to adding garlic tablets in preparation for the summer which I hope will be keep flees and ticks to a minimum instead of using a chemical repellant.


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## Nelly

That is brilliant hotmischief, and here's me thinking that feeding Nel raw would involve as much preparation and expense as our own food - the expense is actually becoming similar with the kibble! 

I think a raw diet is not only healthier but so much 'cleaner'. Despite me being happy with the ingredients in TOTW there are one or two that are on the 'controversial list of ingredients for dogs' like tomato pomace - not sure why, I've been too scared to research that as yet!

Thanks for the info  did you just start your boy off on raw straight away because of his allergies or did you still do a gradual with a little of his kibble in?


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## born36

Mac is on the natural instinct too! 

Hey Nelly if you do switch mention Heather to them as you and her will get £10 off your next order.


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## hotmischief

First off I would say I have always fed kibble to puppies as with danes (which is what I have always had) I have thought it might be a better balance diet for a giant breed that grow very rapidly. We always added things like raw tripe, tuna pilchards, vegetables etc. Then at about 1 they go over entirely to raw. My current Dane had a lot of issues with kibble - mutiple Mr Whippy stools a day, and as a result he was very thin. In the end we had to move him over to a complete raw diet.

Similar story with the Vizsla. He came home on a organic kibblle called Happy Paws and I bought a big bag and we just could't stop the very loose stools and loss of weight. Moved him to Burns on our vets recommendation and tried that for several weeks. Just as bad. Then we tried Orijen which was awful - very runny stools, so moved to Acana, that was a lot better. Then we added in the Natural Instinct and things really started to improve except the red eyes and small amount of itching. At 5 months we moved to a complete raw diet and the weight went back on, his stools were normal and a lot less of them. It took several months to find out which meats he was allergic to and since then he has been very healthy.


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## hotmischief

Yes, but it is top quality human grade tripe with bone, fruit and vegetable mixed in.

Sometimes I am quite glad that Boris can only eat the duck and turkey as that is a lot cheaper. 

There are a lot of cheaper raw products around, but without the vegetables and bone, general in rolls wrapped in polythene - very high fat content, not human grade meat. You get what you pay for I think.

I don't mind paying for the convenience as I really wouldn't like the hassle of mincing and grinding up meat every day - would cost me more in my time.

Having said that - good on you if you do it yourself. Raw isn't for everybody and it is not always the most convenient or cheapest method of feeding your dog - every owner has to feed the best they can afford, it has to fit your life style and pocket.


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## pippylongstocking

At a year old, Ester has tried a few brands of kibble. She was put on Royal Canin by her breeder, then I switched her to pro plan, which she didn't like. She has just spent most of her first year on TOTW sierra mountain, then TOTW roasted fowl. She has still been picky at times, and does at least 5 poos a day ( one of these in the middle of the night). She has also lost a bit of weight and is a bit too ribby now. The problem is trying to feed her enough to put weight on, but not to do more poops! Thought TOTW may be too high in protein and too rich. ???Tried reducing kibble and adding things like minced turkey, tuna, cheese, peanut butter, sweet potato etc, to try to bulk her feed up. Would have liked to try her on natures instinct, just to try and get her passing fewer poops, but don't have a big enough freezer! Anyway, going back to basics now. Just in the process of switching to Burns, which she seems to be enjoying, with no added extras, but its early days so we'll see. Think I was panicking a bit re weight loss, hence feeding her extras. She is still very happy and full of life!  think next option would be talking to the vet, but don't want them just to advise giving Ester their current favourite or on promotion feed, as read on here that they get little training in nutrition, surprisingly. ???


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## Nelly

Thanks for reminding me born! I forgot I had seen that on their website. Heather if we do change over I will PM you to let you know and mention you so we can all getta little extra! 

Pippy, so unfortunate but I find this too with Vets - the nutritional advice you're getting from them is really only whatever food they have to push at the time. 

Our doggy daycare is a qualified canine nutritionalist and works for herself so no biased views. She is very good and gives us little snippets here and there without actually charging us for any consults. Will let you know all if I hear of any little nutrition gems!


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