Is this good puppy food ?.

[SuzanneClark]

I went to a Horse and pet feed place today and told the lady what sort of food I was looking for. She pointed out the James Wellbeloved but they didnt have the puppy one in a large bag. Then she said that Beta was another popular puppy food that they sell a lot of. Had a look at the ingredients and it seems ok I think.

What do you lot with more knowledge think ?

Beta Puppy Large Breeds - Chicken -

Minimum content of main flavour: 4% (Chicken)

Ingredients: Cereals (Min. 4% Rice), Meat and Animal Derivatives (Min. 4% Chicken), Vegetables Protein Extracts, Oils and Fats, Derivatives Of Vegetable Origin (Min. 0.5% Beet Pulp), Minerals, Vegetables (Min. 0.5% Chicory) .Antioxidants: Bha (E320), Bht (E321), Propyl Gallate (E310). EC Additives: Antioxidants and Preservatives..Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin C

Typical Analysis: Moisture 10%, Protein 29%, Oils and Fats 13%, Fibre 20%, Ash 7%

[Andy]

Ok the thing to look for in these products is the word Derivitives.

Basically yes it comes from the product, however it's not the best part, usually the husks (in the case of rice n cereals)

or meat products usually the bits of the animal that couldn't be used for anything else.

Compare the Beta to the Barking Heads that we give ours.

BARKING HEADS BAD HAIR DAY LAMB & RICE DOG FOOD 2KG

Lamb & Rice hypo-allergenic, limited ingredient, fixed formula. Carefully formulated for all dogs, and especially those that have a sensitive skin & coat.

Ingredients:

Fresh Lamb (min 26%), White Rice (min 26%), Dried Lamb (min 26%), Ground Oats, Lamb fat, Salmon Oil, Whole Linseed, Minerals, Dried Tomato, Natural Seaweed, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Vitamins.

Typical Analysis:

Protein 22%, Fat 16%, Fibre 3%, Ash 9%, Moisture 8%,

Vit A 13,500 iu/kg, Vit D3 1,200 iu/kg, Vit E (tocopherols) 400 iu/kg,

Copper (copper sulphate)12mg/kg,

Omega 6 (Linoleic acid) 3.1%,

Omega 3 (Linolenic acid) 1.0%

so you can see the difference

Animal derivitives (min 4%)

or 26% fresh lamb

The same goes for the rest of the ingredients.

However.

The better types are more expensive.

If your puppy has a sensitive stomach then you may have to have the expensive food.

If you are lucky and your pup has an iron constitution then the cheaper varieties may do them ok.

[elenamarie]

I stay away from foods that don't have a species meat listed as the first ingredient, such as chicken or chicken meal. Also, the "meat and animal derivatives" I would totally stay away from, no telling what that is other than 4 percent of it is chicken.

Edit to add: I feed mine Taste of the Wild, it's very good and my puppy loves it.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

this is what we feed ours - wainwrights large breed puppy food

Ingredient(s):

Turkey Meat Meal (min. 20%), Rice (min. 20%), Whole Grain Barley (min. 8%), Potato Protein, Refined Poultry Oil, Whole Linseed (min. 4%), Sugar Beet Pulp (min. 4%), Low Allergen Poultry Digest as Gravy, Alfalfa, Monosodium Phosphate (min. 0.8%), Natural Seawood (min. 0.5%), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Methionine, Molluscs and Crustaceans (as a source of Glucosamine HCI), Chondroitin, Marigold Extract, Yucca Extract, L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract.

Typical Analysis:

Moisture 8%, Protein 28.5%, Oils and Fats 18%, Fibre 3.5%, Ash 6.5%, Calcium 1.1%, Phosphorus 0.8%, Vitamin A 12000iu/kg, Vitamin D3 1200iu/kg, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), 600iu/kg, Copper (Cupric Sulphate) 12mg/kg. Contains Tocopherol rich extracts of natural origin. Vitamin E and C as EC permitted antioxidant. No added colourants, flavourings or preservatives. Vitamin declaration is valid until best before date printed With batch number on back of pack.

[Marley & Lumikkis Mummy]

ive no idea what im looking at and whats good and whats not when looking at the ingredients. I was looking for wainwright puppy food but they didnt have that in so I went for the one that the ladt suggested which was the Beta. I suppose its just trial. Wheres the cheapest place online to buy wainwrights ?

[waamo]

A "good" food has a meat source as the main ingredient. On the ingredients list they are listed in content order so as "Cereals (Min. 4% Rice)" is the first on the list on the Beta food that is the main ingredient.

Dogs don't generally chose to eat a cereal as their main protein, they prefer meat so this isn't really a brilliant food. Wainwrights appears much better and is easily available from Pets at home. It does look expensive though.

I quite like CSJ click here for puppy food which is similar in quality but a lot cheaper.

[Lil Miss Bump]

we feed wainwrights, i wouldn't pick something that had cereals as the first ingredient myself. I.ve been looking at csj and am quite impressed. Am having some samples sent out for my boys to try xxx

[waamo]

I.ve been looking at csj and am quite impressed

To wander off slightly I've tried Super dooper champ and Hike On with my girl. She loved them both.

She seems to prefer Hike on and is doing well on it.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

you can get wainwrighs from pets at home - or on their site - its not bad price wise as the biggest bag they do feeds my 3 for a good few months

[Marley & Lumikkis Mummy]

Waamo thanks so much for that link, im going to order him some of that food, no idea what to do with the 15kg sack of beta puppy food I bought him now though, or would I be better just to use the Beta first then buy some of this other food.

[Sarah]

you can mix it with the new food you get and slowly introduce the new food - whatever you've got left over maybe give to a shelter or rescue?

[Marley & Lumikkis Mummy]

ahhhh yeah didnt think of that, yeah I will donate the rest to Bleakholt or Manchester dogs home.

[Marley & Lumikkis Mummy]

I rang CSJ and they are going to send me out a sample of the puppy food for me to try before I buy him a big bag.