What is a good food for dogs at our rescue centre?

[Anna23]

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Hi all,
I recently became a trustee at a local dog rescue charity. We collect dogs from the stray kennels or they are surrendered to us by members of the public. They usually stay between a few days to 3 months, occasionally one stays longer.

I have been tasked with finding a new brand of dog food, as they are currently fed Chappie.
I’m finding it a bit of a minefield, the vet says royal canin but I do feel that’s possibly because they are a stockist.

I’m looking at wet food as my starting point but all reccomendations welcome. Budget is £1.50 or lower per 400/390g tin or tray.

 

[JudyN]

Hi Anna, and welcome to the forum. Have you come across this website? All About Dog Food: The UK's Best Dog Food Reviews & Comparisons Site

You can specify the type of dog food (i.e. wet) and budget (you might need to convert your budget to 'cost per dog per day'). You could also specify, for example, food good for sensitive stomachs so it's more likely to work for all.

Royal Canin really isn't a great food. Chappie also isn't, on paper, but I know of at least one rescue that uses it because it tends to be well tolerated most dogs. So if you do decide on another food you might want to keep some Chappie in stock for those dogs it doesn't agree with.

 

[Anna23]

Thankyou that’s super helpful. I will take on board your point about what is well tolerated, this is the problem with trying to choose a food for such a variety of dogs. The rescue is spending a lot on Chappie, in fact Harringtons comes out slightly cheaper and seems to be recommended, or Nature diet which says it’s for sensitive tummy’s and does have better ingredients.

Every dog food seems to have articles about how fantastic it is but also articles about how awful it is.
I’ll present everything I’ve looked at to the group next week so they can discuss.
Thanks again for your help

 

[JoanneF]

Chappie (original, with the red label) is a real anomaly in dog food. On paper, it looks poor but as @JudyN says, it's very gentle on upset tummies as well as being appetising due to the strong smell.

Even if you choose to change, I'd recommend having a few tins on hand for emergencies; I always do.

 

[Anna23]

Thankyou that’s great to know, glad I made the post