Has the way you feed your dog changed?

[Click]

0ver the years that I have had dogs the way they are fed has changed considerably.

My first dog was fed on ox cheek or coley made into a stew with fresh vegetables and served with Winalot Biscuit Meal. There were fairly few commercial dog foods available and considered by my mother to be over priced and less good than a home cooked diet.

Many years later, when I joined my first online Terrier Forum mainstream advice was to use a ‘complete’ dry food as it was the only way your dog could receive a nutritionally balanced diet, and I tried a number of these ending up with one that really suited my terrier.

Within a year or two BARF (bones and raw food) was beginning to become popular followed by a number of other diets with what I considered to have varying degrees of nutritional balance.

I currently feed a combination of home and dry food and I’m wondering if other members of the group have changed the way you feed and with what benefit, or otherwise?

[RosiePosie]

When we first got Rosie my parents usually bought Pedigree or Winalot tins and mixer, I think the breeder had her on Hills originally. When I realised she had allergies I convinced my parents to switch to James Wellbeloved. Then on to Wainwrights grain free when I took financial responsibility lol. For a while I tried Nature's Menu raw then Nutriment, but she didn't do great on it, so I switched back to dry food plus whatever wet food (usually Naturo or Wainwrights) Rosie loved her fruit and veg too, my current two won't touch them 😂

Bran was on Wainwrights or James Wellbeloved until a couple of years ago, then I tried Red Mills Leader for a while then back to those again. I think they must have changed something in Wainwrights as he wasn't keeping weight on. AVA or Royal Canin is for some reason what he does best on, even if the meat content isn't the best. I do some raw on and off because I think a variety of food is a good thing. Basil has the same as Bran generally, but he doesn't like most fish based stuff.

I'm thinking of trying Arden Grange next, it has a good protein/fat content but better ingredients imo. I think dog food is more confusing now that it ever was. WSAVA this, grain free that, idk what's going on anymore lol

[Click]

Your food journey rather reflected ours, my mother simmered ox cheek or coley with vegetables and mixed it with Winalot - I think Winalot must have been pretty universal back then.

Over the years I have fed raw then James Wellbeloved - very much the most recommended when I joined JRTUK - and Lillies Kitchen but now I use Arden Grange with the addition of a little fish, vegetable and herbal mix as a side order 😄

[RosiePosie]

I think JRTUK is probably where I got the suggestion to try James Wellbeloved too. I get Lily's Kitchen wet food on occasion, but usually Wainwrights or Butchers. Or the Applaws toppers to mix it up a bit.

I've just ordered a sample of Years, it looks really good but way out of budget for regular feeding. I would like to add more fresh or raw back into their diet, but dry and tinned stuff is a lot more convenient and easier to store (unless you have a big chest freezer or American fridge-freezer). The fact that Years apparently can be kept in the cupboard until it's open is what drew me to it.

[Click]

There was a time when JWB was very popular among JRTUK members, but Arnie and George didn't really do well on it, especially George, who tended to get rather loose stools on it. Arden Grange suited him better than anything else I tried.

For a while I had Arnie on Skinners Working Dog but eventually changed him to Arden Grange too.

I wanted Alice to have a better quality food and tried her on Lily's Kitchen but she wanted George's food!

I haven't come across Years - have just googled it - looks interesting - let me know how you get on