[Honeyec]

Hi everyone!

This may seem like a bit of a weird topic, but I'm interested to hear what brands owners in the UK & Ireland are feeding their dogs.  My 11 month old bitch is currently on Hill's Science Plan, which she seems to really like and which I thought she was doing very well on.  However, a couple of people have mentioned that they didn't think it was a great quality food, and recommended some other brands (e.g. the Whole Food list).

However, the problem I have is that practically all of these other brands are only available in the US!

Anyone from a bit closer to home (I'm in Dublin!) have any recommendations???  And is Hill's really that bad?

 

[tootsie]

Here are the ingredients in the Hill's Science Diet Adult Canine Maintenance:

Chicken, corn meal, ground grain sorghum, ground wheat, chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, soybean meal, animal fat (preserved with BHA, propyl gallate and citric acid), natural flavor, vegetable oil, dried egg product, flaxseed, preserved with BHT and BHA, beta-carotene, minerals (iodized salt, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), vitamins [choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid (a source of vitamin C) niacin, thiamine, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement].

Just by looking quickly at these ingredients, very quickly, I would not feel comfortable feeding this food to my dog. The BHT and BHA used as artificial preservatives, have been linked to cancers. Citric acid has a risk which can lead to bloat. By-products are things like eyeballs, intestines, feet, beaks, feathers, euthanized cattle, pigs, cats and dogs, etc... Some dogs can be allergic to the corn in the food.
Yes there are worse foods out there, but IMO Hill's is really that bad.  :wink:

 

[ReekosMom]

I believe I read on another forum that Burns is a good food! That came from a UKer! Try Googling "Premium Dogs foods in the UK or Ireland" Im sure itll come up with a good list.

 

[heather-mumofdaisy]

Daisy is on Wainwrights complete food which is only available in Pets At Home stores.
It's like James Wellbeloved but much better value. Daisy is doing really well on it and she has a really sensitive tummy.
To be honest I've heard that Hills Science Plan isn't actually a very good food. At work(I work at Pets At Home!) Hills is one of the most expensive foods and you can definitely get a better food for a lot less money!

Heather

 

[Zhanna]

I've heard of Hills reverred to as "Science Death"  because it's just awful!

Zhanna

 

[samsonsmom]

I had both Buck and Tia on Nutro Natural before we went to Ireland. That wasn't available there and the kennel where they were quarantined fed them Eukanuba Lamb and Rice, so I just kept feeding them that.....Ok, I know, not the greatest, but I didn't know any better back then  

 

[Sarmon]

Hi there!!

I am in Dundalk so as close as you can get

There are many good foods I would recommend. Burns, James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange or Red Mills.

I have fed all of them to dogs in the past, it all depends on the dog themselves to what they prefer or what agrees with them more.

Try any of those four and your dog will be getting good quality ingrediants and will be in great shape.

 

[Honeyec]

OK, I might give Red Mills a go.  I've never seen any of the others being sold, but we live in Tullow and Red Mills is everywhere!

 

[Sarmon]

Arden Grange deliver http://www.ardengrange.ie if you wanted to try them as well

 

[Honeyec]

How does this ingredients list sound?  Nano and Tootsie I'm particularly interested to hear your opinion, you seem to be very knowledgable food-wise!

Fresh Chicken (min 19%), Chicken Meal* (min 19%), Whole Grain Rice, Whole Grain Maize, Chicken Fat*, Beet Pulp, Egg Powder, Fish Meal*, Dried Brewers Yeast, Linseed, Fish Oil*, Minerals, Vitamins, Nucleotides, Prebiotic FOS, Prebiotic MOS, Cranberry Extract, Chondroitin Sulphate, Glucosamine Sulphate, MSM, Yucca Extract. * Preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract.

 

[tootsie]

Much , Much better than the hill

 

[tootsie]

I also wanted to add that I think the protein amount in this food is rather high. Is this a puppy formula?  The reason I ask is that too much protein in puppy food has been linked to growth and developmental problems in puppies, specifically skeletal disorders like hip dysplasia, and other joint problems. They really don't need all that protein. I would look at the amount of protein in the adult food. I would stay somewhere between 20% and 30%.

 

[Sarmon]

If this is puppy Arden Grange which I think it is then the protein amount is only 26%, the percentage on the ingrediats are the amount of that certain ingrediant in the food

 

[tootsie]

If this is puppy Arden Grange which I think it is then the protein amount is only 26%, the percentage on the ingrediats are the amount of that certain ingrediant in the food

Ok, thanks. That would be perfect then! I was just looking at the chicken meal, fresh chicken, fish meal and the egg....it looks like a lot of protein in there, but if it totals 26% that sounds great.

 

[Honeyec]

I've actually ordered the Adult Arden Grange for her - she's 11 months on April 1st, so I'll start mixing her last bag of puppy food with it to wean her on to it.

I'm looking forward to getting it now (should be arriving today) and seeing what (if any!) difference it makes to her.