Can anyone recommend best food mix for a puppy cockapoo

[ccit]

@Frets - first of all, there isn't a best food for dogs because they are all different. What suits one might not suit another. Variety is good; for kibble fed dogs, pet nutrition blogger Rodney Habib recommends adding human food to your dog's diet.

 

Choosing a good dog food seems to be a minefield but it's simplified on the All About Dog Food Directory. Most products can be checked out. They also have a Facebook page and forum. From the latter there is a thread here that helps to explain how to choose a good dog food. When asking people for recommendations, also ask them why they feel it is a good dog food and in particular what it contains. If you take up the advice about CSJ, first read up the review of one of their products here. It pays dividends to learn a little bit about nutrition, especially for owners of puppies and to make your own decision having given some thought to it.

 

Someone mentioned Pets at Home. They sell sell some high quality food products. Their own brand, Wainwright's is a good one, particularly the grain free line which scores over 4 stars on AADF. Evolution is another of their own products and is very good. Wainwright's 'with rice' has a similar formula to James Wellbeloved but may be cheaper.

 

@skink - of those three choices, Burns tends to be high in cereal so if you use that maybe consider substituting protein and cooked vegetables to give a bit of balance. Acana scores well on AADF. Markus Muhle is cold pressed and is also a good choice. It is a quality product at an economical price. IMO that, and Black Angus are both real bargains. It is the same company that makes the UK Gentle and Guru brands. Contact Gentle if you want more info about MM. Cold pressed food retains more of the nutrients and is easily digested - link. Lukullus is another cold pressed product that is sold by Zooplus. My experience of cold pressed food is very positive. The one in use now is Guru Surf and Turf. It has a nice balance of meat, fish, carbohydrate and vegetables/fruit. Fat and protein levels are suitable for my pet dogs and (most importantly) it is not extruded at high temperatures.

 

You also asked about Landywoods who are raw food suppliers. I cannot comment on them but if they are DEFRA approved then they should be OK. Unless using raw complete, the owner needs to understand how to get the balance right. Freezer space is needed and the food taken out to thaw before serving. Scrupulous attention to hygiene is paramount. If it is kept in the refrigerator in a thawed state, place it at the bottom in a covered container. Some authorities say not to feed raw to dogs that live with children, elderly or immunosuppressed people. I don't know whether there is a risk but I come into two of those categories and as it is not necessary to feed raw I err on the side of caution. I did feed raw for a while but I saw no benefit to the dogs and in fact it actually didn't suit them or me for a number of reasons. As has been said, if you plan to feed your dog raw food then do some work on the subject. Join a Facebook group and read up about it on the Internet. If you decide to go with Landywoods then they should give you plenty of advice.

Edited June 11, 2016 by ccit

[kazbar]

raw diet i personally dont think you can go wrong

[ami_j]

I would take AADF with a pinch of salt tbh. They slate That'll do yet rate Eden which made my dog ill.

 

Its all well saying what looks good on paper but it needs to suit your dog aswell

[ccit]

ami - have a look at this page, particularly the top paragraph 'Do I need to change dog food?' might be of interest i.e. if your dog is fit and well there is no need to change food. The website is not slating products - they are reviewed factually by a computer programme that analyses ingredients and analysis of the products.

 

The raison d'être of the website is to educate owners so that they understand about pet food and can make the best decision for their dog. Some pet food products are truly awful. Surely it is right for people to know about this? If sites like AADF didn't exist then all this would be hidden. It is a well respected website that is useful for people like the OP and skink who are wanting to give a good diet to their new puppies, and for owners whose pets have health problems.

 

Your experience with Eden is valid and not unusual. However, high quality food such as Eden sometimes needs a slow transition to allow the dog's digestive tract to adjust, particularly if it has been on a much lower quality food. Also, this type of product should be carefully weighed and can often be fed in lower quantities than some foods. Overfeeding can cause digestive problems, particularly with this type of food. Your account of Eden is a good example of why pet owners should not be too swayed by what other people tell them to feed. Your dog tolerates the large amount, and different types of cereal that is in the food that you use but some would not. As you have found out, all dogs are different.

Edited June 12, 2016 by ccit

[jzstumpy]

“The website is not slating products - they are reviewed by a computer programme that analyses ingredients and analysis of the products (as displayed on the labels)”. FTFY

 

Here in lies the problem with the AADF website, if a bad ingredient is not listed on the label then the computer program does not pick it up and the product does not get marked down.

 

A quick look at some of the 5 star products shows that many fall short of adding up to 100% when you look at their listed ingredients and typical analysis.

 

So what is missing that they are not listing?

 

Are more honest manufacturers being penalised by this computer analysis because they list all ingredients, including the ones deemed to be bad?

 

I guess that’s up to the dog owner to decide when they look at the site and then go away and compare products themselves. (I wouldn’t suggest “taking the website with a pinch of salt” as that will obviously reduce its rating!  )

 

Also;

The review of the Eden product actually states that it does not suit all dogs and in fact, it causes more digestion problems than similar brands.

I do not think I would risk feeding my dogs a product that has been known to cause more digestion problems than other brands, even if it is 5 star rated by AADF.

[vwkittie]

We've used Wainwrights from Pets at Home for years. Not too expensive or full of rubbish and suits our dog better than anything else we tried. She's very fit and healthy with a lovely shiny coat.