what is the best dog food ireland
Best Fresh Dog Food Ireland 2023
Last Updated on March 5, 2024 by Kieran Beckles
Are you ready to make a change to your dogs diet to benefit their health and wellbeing?
If youre a dog owner, youll want peace of mind knowing that your dog is eating the right food to ensure you have as many years as possible together.
Finding the right dog food is an important part of dog ownership, especially if you have a fussy eater like my Alaskan Klee Kai Skye and Copper.
Ive experienced firsthand the stress that comes with owning a dog who has a sensitive tummy but wont eat their food.
The result is a lot of expensive trips to the vet or the emergency vet depending on where you live in the Republic of Ireland.
Having lived in both England and Ireland, Ive been able to feed some fresh dog food brands to my dogs and see what some of the popular options are.
In this article, were going to take a deep dive into fresh dog food options available in Ireland, examining the pros and cons of the different brands.
Im hoping that this feature can help other Irish dog owners make a decision about the best fresh dog food for their canine companion.
(Cut to the chase: We recommend Butternut Box and you can save 50% on your first box and 50% on your second box by clickinghere).
Benefits Of Fresh Dog Food For Irish Dogs
As I mentioned in the introduction, my dogs Copper and Skye are fussy eaters with sensitive stomachs. So I had a hard time finding kibble that theyd consistently eat that wouldnt result in tummy issues. When I came across the concept of fresh dog food, I decided to give it a try and I havent looked back since making the change.
In fact, Id say that Ive saved a lot of money on vet bills and last-minute trips to the emergency vet that were common place before I adopted a fresh dog food diet for my dogs.
To start this article, I quickly wanted to share some of the key benefits to fresh dog food in an attempt to provide a comprehensive guide on the best fresh dog food in Ireland.
Balanced and Complete Unlike kibble in a bag or gravy in a can, fresh dog food is balanced, complete contains human-grade, whole ingredients that are cooked at low temperatures and minimally process. In doing so, your dogs fresh meals retain all the natural nutrients from the ingredients and retains all the delicious flavours.
Improved Digestion Like I touched upon already, Copper and Skye no longer have tummy issues and I believe thats down to their high-quality diet. I love that fresh dog food doesnt contain any artificial additives, nasty fillers or horrible preservatives. Therefore your dogs digestive system is better equipped to absorb the nutrients in their meals.
Tailored Meal Plan Typically, fresh dog food companies will offer personalized meal plans. By filling out their sign up questionnaire, youre able to give fresh dog food companies the opportunity to tailor their meals to meet your dogs specific needs.
Allergies If your dog has an allergy to a food, dog food delivery companies will take this into consideration. Theyre able to offer flexibility to ensure your dog can eat a human-grade diet despite being allergic to a food item, such as chicken, beef or fish.
Weight Management You may be surprised to learn theres a massive obesity crisis amongst dogs in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. By offering tailored meal plans, dog owners can avail of pre-portioned meal pouches to ensure their dog is eating just the right amount.
Butternut Box
My top pick for fellow Irish dog owners would be Butternut Box. Theyre a brand I first encountered at my lowest point in 2019. Skye was having regular issues with her tummy and I couldnt get her to eat her dry food. Id find a kibble brand but shed lose interest and wed have to pick a new option and start the transition process again. I read about Butternut Box (who coincidentally have an Irish co-founder) and signed up. At the time, they had just three options on the menu. But Copper and Skye loved their food and within a few weeks, I could see the difference. It was hardly surprising seeing as Butternut Boxs meals contain at least 60% meat and fresh fruit/vegetables. Their recipes are cooked at low temperatures to ensure the ingredients retain their nutritional integrity before being frozen and shipped to your door. Its really convenient. At the time of writing, Butternut Box offer 10 different recipes so theyre perfect for fussy eaters theres lots of different flavours to keep them excited at mealtime. Theyve got an eco-friendly approach thanks to their environmentally-friendly deliveries and recycable packaging (although the meal pouches arent which is one criticism). Butternut Box have a stellar reputation amongst dog owners with an average score of 4.9 stars based upon nearly 20,000 reviews on Trustpilot.
Our readers can save 50% on their first order and 50% on their second order of Butternut Box by clicking below.
Forthglade
Forthglade are another potential option for Irish dog owners. They offer a range of complete meals that come in a dry food or wet food format. Unlike some kibble or gravy that you find at your local supermarket or pet store, Forthglade uses real ingredients in their recipes. Forthglades recipes are balanced and complete so you can still feel good that your dog is receiving all the necessary protein, nutrients and vitamins required to keep them happy and fuelled in their day-to-day life. Their Amazon page explains that their food is bursting with goodness and made using natural ingredients, with added vitamins, minerals & botanicals, gently steamed to retain as much natural flavour and goodness as possible. Just like Butternut Box, Forthglade offer grain-free recipes in the event that your dog has an allergy to grain. Its a little bit more complicated to order their food because youll have to place an order through Amazon and wait for the delivery to arrive.
Tails
Tails provide another option for Irish dog owners who want to make a change to their dogs diet. They offer customized dog food that is balanced and complete meals. While theyre different to Butternut Box in the sense that they dont offer fresh meals, but their dry dog food and wet dog food is healthier than some traditional dog food brands. I decided to include Tails because they also offer the ability to get personalized food for your dog. So theyll tailor your dogs meals to meet your specific needs, whether youve got a puppy, adult dog with allergies or senior dog who needs to to shed some pounds. They provide a customized scooper to ensure you get the meal portions just right. Tails are a well-established dog food company so you can feel good that your dog is eating food made by a reputable dog food brand. You can check out our in-depth Butternut Box vs Tails comparison article here.
Things To Consider When Selecting Best Fresh Dog Food in Ireland
When looking at the different options for fresh dog food in Ireland, there are some things I kept in mind. I wanted to share my thought process so you can understand my criteria when it came to deciding the best fresh dog food in Ireland. Lets take a quick look.
Ingredients I only like to feed fresh meals to Skye and Copper that clearly display the ingredients on the label. So it should be labels that are clear and concise with ingredients youre able to recognize, especially seeing as most companies claim to be feeding human-grade, real ingredients.
Customized Like I mentioned in the section above, I prefer going for fresh dog meals that have the capability of being tailored to meet Copper and Skyes needs. Therefore, Id suggest signing up to a dog food delivery company who offer this feature.
Vet Approved You want peace of mind that your dog is eating a diet that is balanced and complete, formulated by experts such as veterinarians or pet nutritionists.
Convenience of Delivery What I love about dog food delivery companies is the sheer convenience of having my dogs meals shipped direct to my door. It removes the hassle of having to go to the local supermarket to collect pet food if Ive run out. Usually, youre left with limited, low quality options, too.
Sustainable Approach Personally, I like to see a dog food company adopt an environmentally friendly or sustainable approach to their business. Whether its recyclable packaging, eco-friendly deliveries or giving back to charities.
Price While you should be prepared to pay more for your dogs fresh meals than kibble or gravy bought at your local Dunnes Stores, Super Value or Tesco, it shouldnt be excessive. The cost of living crisis has tightened margins so you want to get fair value for your investment.
Wrapping Up
When deciding upon making a change to your dogs diet, you want to make the best choice to benefit your pups overall health and wellbeing.
There are so many options available in Ireland, with a lot of dog food brands making claims about their ingredients and recipes. Frankly, it can be overwhelming.
Based upon my experience feeding Copper and Skye their meals for over five years, I would recommend Butternut Box.
Their meals contains at least 60% meat and the rest is made up of fresh ingredients. You can see the real ingredients in their recipes which I really love.
Theyve recently expanded to Ireland so Im thrilled Irish dog owners will get to experience their food I loved it so much I used to bring a cooler pack of Butternut Box on the ferry from England to Ireland to ensure my dogs had balanced and complete meals during my trips home to Galway.
While I believe all the brands in this article will benefit your dog, Butternut Box is my top pick based upon my experience with their tasty food.
Our readers can save 50% on their first order and 50% on their second order of Butternut Box by clicking below.
Kieran runs Life With Klee Kai on social media and other online platforms alongside his wife Yasmin. With over 10 years of experience as a journalist and a passionate dog owner, Kieran loves to combine his passion for pets and writing to share useful insights and product reviews to help other dog owners.
How to choose the right dog food for your four-legged friend, according to vets
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As a key part of the family, chances are your dog gets a whole lot of love and attention. But, with that comes the responsibility of making sure theyre being fed the right food for them. With so many different dog food options available from dry and wet to grain-free it can be different to know which one is best.
The British Veterinary Associations advice is that any commercially manufactured pet food in the UK that meets the Pet Food Manufacturing Association guidelines has the complete nutritional requirements that your pet needs.
The best dog diets, however, will be a high-quality, complete, balanced diet designed specifically for your dogs life stage, says PDSA vet Anna Ewers-Clark. Diets that are complete contain all the nutrients that your dog needs, so will keep them healthy and happy, she adds.
When buying the right dog food for your pet, the breed, weight, body condition score, neutered status and lifestyle are all key things to consider, says BVA senior vice president Daniella Dos Santos. These factors will have an impact on their total daily calorie allowance and will determine how much they should eat, including treats, she says.
You should also look for something age-appropriate (puppy, adult or senior, for instance), says Sam Crossley, marketing director at Lilys Kitchen. Older woofers dont need as much protein in their diets as younger and more active adult dogs, and they will benefit from food that supports joint health. Puppies, on the other hand, need higher protein content to support their development while they grow into their paws.
There are a huge number of complete dog diets on the market, and there isnt one dog food that will suit all dogs. For example, some dogs like wet food, others prefer dry and often dogs will have a favourite flavour (or flavours) of food, notes Ewers-Clark. As for her advice, she suggests finding a diet that suits your dog and sticking with it, as changing your dogs food too often can lead to problems such as tummy upsets.
To help demystify the world of dog food, we asked leading veterinary practitioners to advise on what you should look out for when buying your pooch their food.
Puppy food
Its really important for puppies to be fed a food designed specifically for their age. When dogs are young, the balance of nutrients they need will be different to those of an adult dog, notes Ewers-Clark.
Its also a good idea to feed your puppy a product thats designed for their breed or size, as different dogs grow at different rates so feeding a diet thats tailored to small, medium or large breeds will make sure their nutrient needs are supported as they grow, she adds.
Continue feeding the same food that your puppy has had at their breeder initially, and when you do change, make sure you do so over a couple of weeks to avoid stomach upsets, says Ewers-Clark.
The PDSA recommends Royal Canin mini puppy food (19.49, Petsathome.com) for small, young pups. Its high in protein, which Crossley noted as being important for young dogs, and it contains probiotics so as to support digestive health.
If youre unsure of how much to feed your four-legged friend, theres a helpful table detailing how many grams you should give them based on their age and weight. The food is also available for medium (27.39, Petsathome.com), maxi (66.99, Petsathome.com) and giant (63.99, Petsathome.com) dogs.
Similarly, there are also options based on breed, be that french bulldog (from 23.29, Petsathome.com), bulldog (28.19, Petsathome.com), golden retriever, 12kg, (61.29, Petsathome.com) or german shepherd (23.19, Petsathome.com).
For another protein-rich alternative, try Barking Heads puppy days dry food (from 6.74, Barkingheads.co.uk), which is made with 100 per cent natural chicken and salmon.
If youd rather give your dog wet food, or a combination of both, the Barking Heads range also has puppy days wet food (from 18, Barkingheads.co.uk).
The age when your puppy can change onto adult food will depend on their breed and size, plus a number of other factors, for example, the timing of their neutering, says Ewers-Clark. Although its not possible to give an exact time for every dog, as a general rule small dogs will need to continue with puppy food until theyre around one, while large or giant breeds will need puppy food until around 18 months, she adds.
Dry food
Dry dog food comes in a variety of forms including kibbles, biscuits or pellets. There is no nutritional difference between wet and dry dog food, though in some cases a vet might recommend one over the other for specific reasons, such as urinary issues and specific types of allergies, says Dos Santos. But, its important to make sure the protein count is high. On this advice, there are a number of excellent options out there for dry dog food.
Ewers-Clark recommends feeding your pooch complete dog food, so turn to Harringtons, which produces all-natural scran where meat is the number one ingredient.
The kibbles (from 29, Harringtonspetfood.com) consist of 26 per cent chicken, meaning its a great source of protein and its also rich in omega 6 and omega 3. If youre looking for a subscription service, Harringtons is certainly one to know; sign up for a regular delivery and youll save money too.
For a dry dog food that has an even higher meat content, turn to Edgar Cooper its chicken dry dog food (from 7.29, Edgardcooper.com), for example, has 41 per cent chicken. While its lamb variety (from 7.29, Edgardcooper.com) is similarly rich in protein.
If youd like to trial Edgar Coopers food, it offers a try-it-now service (8, Edgardcooper.com) and youll receive a selection of its dog food, including kibble, wet food and treats, with zero commitment.
Wet food
This type of food comes in a thick gravy sauce or contains chunks of jelly, and tends to be more palatable for dogs because it's mainly made up of protein and fat. Plus, its high in moisture so can help to keep dogs hydrated, preventing the urinary issues Dos Santos noted. If your dog is partial to wet food, or you often do a mixture of both wet and dry, look out for high amounts of fresh meat, poultry and animal products.
Again wed recommend turning to Edgar Cooper for wet food thats high in meat. There are options to buy food according to your dogs age range whether thats for a puppy (from 3.09, Edgardcooper.com), adult (from 3.09, Edgardcooper.com) or senior (from 3.09, Edgardcooper.com) dog.
Whichever flavour you opt for, its high in meat and also contains a mixture of vegetables and fruit to make sure your doggo is getting the most balanced diet possible.
For a subscription-based service, its got to be Barking Heads wet dog food (from 10.99, Barkingheads.co.uk). Its pouches of wet food in lamb (from 24, Barkingheads.co.uk) contain 85 per cent grass-fed lamb and a mixture of peas, courgette and spinach. Plus, if you opt for the brands subscribe and save service, youll never be left short on dog food a real bonus.
Grain-free food
The majority of dogs dont needgrain-freedogfood, says Ewers-Clark. Dogs are omnivores, which means theyre able to eat both meat and plant-basedfood, so using a more meat-based diet which is often the appeal ofgrain-freefor owners isnt necessary to meet their nutritional requirements, and in a completelygrain-freediet, there will be carbohydrates in other forms to replace thegrain.
If you do suspect your dog is sensitive to grains, it is best to consult your vet for advice on their requirements. But its thought that cutting grain from your dogs diet could help if they suffer from allergies or intolerances.
Lots of dog food manufacturers offer both grain-free and grain-inclusive options to give pet parents the choice of what they would like to feed their furry friends. If you know your dog is sensitive to grains, wed advise turning to Lilys Kitchen, which is a certified B-corp: its a company that meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
With a huge grain-free offering, theres something for every age range,including puppy (3.70, Lilyskitchen.co.uk) and senior (3.70, Lilyskitchen.co.uk) offerings. And if youd rather not feed your pooch wet food, or prefer a mixture, there is also dry food (from 10.50, Lilyskitchen.co.uk).
Raw food
If youre looking to feed your pooch fresh food, Alison Daniel, pet nutritionist at My Pet Nutritionist, recommends commercial delivery companies such as Different Dog or raw food companies such as Naturaw and The Dogs Butcher.
Different Dog offers a personalised service where you enter key details about your four-legged friend, including whether they have been neutered or spayed, how old they are and their weight. From this, your dogs tailored plan is created, providing information on the number of calories they should be consuming and allowing you to choose your recipes, which are delivered every couple of weeks depending on your dogs plan.
If youd rather not have a tailored approach but are interested in feeding your dog high-quality raw food, Different Dog also sells its dinners separately. So, whether your pooch is partial to a chicken casserole (from 3.49, Differentdog.com) or shepherd's pie (from 3.39, Differentdog.com), there are plenty of dishes to choose from to make sure your doggo is getting all the nutrients they need.
Alternatively turn to Naturaw for fresh, natural and raw food. A great option for those who are focused on sustainability, this eco-friendly brand uses sustainable and renewable resources where possible, ethically sourced ingredients and premium cuts of British meat.
Its raw food offering is expansive, from puppy- (2.55, Naturaw.co.uk) and senior-appropriate (2.75, Naturaw.co.uk) food to starter boxes (43, Naturaw.co.uk) and large food taster boxes (75.50, Naturaw.co.uk), as well as ingredient-specific options.
Voucher codes
For the latest discounts on dog food and other pet essentials, try the links below:
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