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Best and worst dog food brands

There are hundreds of dog food options available, from dry to grain-free to raw, but which ones will have your furry friend licking the bowl clean?

We surveyed 2,304 dog owners about the pet food they buy to uncover the brands that customers (and their dogs) love and which offer the best value for money.

See how brands such as Burns, Harringtons and Royal Canin are rated by customers, as well as supermarket options from the likes of Aldi and Lidl.

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Dog food brands rated

Our top-scoring dog food brand achieved an impressive customer score of 82%, and five-star ratings for how much pets liked it, as well as their wellbeing when eating it.

At the other end of the scale, two brands scored less than 60%, with just two stars out of five each for how healthy the dog seemed when eating food from that brand.

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How to choose the best dog food for your pet

Deciphering all the pet nutrition information on the internet can seem like an impossible task. It can range from confusing to completely contradictory.

We spoke to real pet nutrition researchers to understand what actually matters. Good news: it isnt as complicated as it seems.

The most important part of choosing a food is actually monitoring your pet, said Dr Teresa Hollands, senior lecturer in veterinary nutrition at the University of Surrey. If you're feeding your pet a particular brand of food, and they have plenty of energy and seem well in themselves, then you are on the right track.

Dr Nigel Kendall, lecturer in nutrition at the University of Nottingham, agreed: If your pet is on completely the wrong diet, then there will be physical signs.

Signs that your pet is eating a nutritious diet, and the right food for their needs, include:

• good overall health
• plenty of energy
• good sleeping habits
• regularly passing firm stools
• maintaining a healthy weight.

Also a cat owner? See our guide to thebest and worst cat food brands

How to feed your dog the best and healthiest diet

As well as choosing the right food, you can also maximise the nutritional value of your pets diet by feeding them in the right way.

We spoke with Dr David Gardner, professor of physiology at the University of Nottingham, to find out more:

Choosing a complete food

Start by making sure you are feeding your pet a complete food, he said. Thats really important, but it isnt always clearly labelled.

Complete foods are designed to give your pet all the nutrients they need, so you can feed them the same thing every day without causing a nutritional imbalance or deficit.

Weighing your pet food

David also highlighted the importance of weighing your pets food every time you feed them.

Remember, you may not notice that you're overfeeding your pet if you increase the size of their feed very slightly each day.

Varying your pet food

If you want to take additional steps to ensure your pet is getting the best nutrition, David also suggested varying the food you give them, provided that this doesnt upset their stomach.

These changes could be as small as varying the flavour of food that you give to your pet.

If you buy a bag of lamb dog food one month, try the chicken next time, David suggested.

If you do want to try changing the type or brand of your pet food, remember to do so gradually. Your pet's meal should be no more than 25% new food for the first couple of days, increasing over the course of a week.

Dogs can be fussy, so know that varying your pet food is not essential. The main thing is that they eat and enjoy their food and that it's nutritionally complete.

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Is wet or dry dog food better?

Both wet and dry foods can be nutritionally complete, meaning that they should contain all the nutrients your pet needs. That means there is no significant advantage to either food type.

David recommended feeding your pet a mixture of wet and dry food.

Evidence suggests that there are slight differences in the nutritional composition of wet and dry food. That means you are going to cover more nutrients if you mix them together.

If you want to feed your dog exclusively one type of food, then wet food does tend to be more appealing. However, it is often more expensive and it can predispose pets to dental disease.

In contrast, dry food is beneficial to dogs teeth and gums, and it is usually easier and cheaper to use and store. Just make sure that your dog has access to plenty of fresh water, as they will not be getting hydration from their food.

Best food and drinkwe've rated the tastiest food for humans too. Discover our top picks, from chicken soup to red wine

Can dogs be vegan?

Yes, provided you are careful about the type of food you give them.

There are commercial dog foods available that are vegetarian or vegan and nutritionally complete.

Some people may want to prepare homemade vegetarian or vegan meals for their dog, which is not typically recommended by experts.

This is because evidence suggests that homemade food (including meat-based diets) is typically not nutritionally complete even when people follow recipes labelled as such.

Is raw food good for dogs?

Raw pet food has become more popular over the past few years, especially for dogs, but experts don't generally recommend it.

I would not recommend a raw food diet due to the risk to human health, says Dr Heather Bacon, dean of veterinary medicine at the University of Central Lancashire.

Bacteria present in raw meat can include salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and E-coli. These cause significant illness in humans and animals, particularly young, old and immune-compromised individuals.

These can be spread around the house during food preparation and eating. They can also be passed from animals to humans if your pet kisses your face after eating.

All of these bacteria are destroyed when meat is correctly cooked.

How much should my dog weigh?

According to a 2022 survey by UK Pet Food, 50% of dogs (and 43% of cats) are overweight or obese.

Your pet being overweight can have a huge impact on its quality of life, including limiting their ability to exercise or sleep properly. According to the RSPCA, it also predisposes them to illness including:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• cancer.

How to if tell your dog is overweight

Dr Teresa Hollands recommends an easy method for checking your pets weight.

Create a fist with your hand, and feel your knuckles with your fingers, she said. If your pets ribs feel like that, they are underweight.

Then lay your hand flat, and feel your knuckles again. If their ribs feel like that, they are the perfect weight.

Finally, keep your hand flat, turn your hand over, and run your fingers over the pads on your palm at the base of your fingers. If their ribs feel like that, they are overweight.

Physical signs that your dog is overweight

• Very thin(more than 20% below ideal body weight) Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen (in short-haired pets), obvious loss of muscle bulk, no fat can be felt under the skin.
• Underweight (10-20% below ideal body weight)Ribs, spine and hip bones easily seen, obvious waist and abdominal tuck, very little fat can be felt under the skin.
• IdealRibs, spine and hip bones easily felt, visible waist and abdominal tuck, small amount of fat can be felt.
• Overweight(10-15% above ideal body weight): Ribs, spine and hip bones are hard to feel, waist barely visible, broad back, layer of fat on belly and at base of tail.
• Obese (more than 15% above ideal body weight)Ribs, spine and hip bones extremely difficult to feel under a thick layer of fat, no waist can be seen and belly may droop significantly, heavy fat pads on lower back and at base of the tail.

How we rated dog food brands

To uncover the best and worst dog food brands, in July 2023 we surveyed 2,304 Which? members who had bought dog food recently, and asked all about their experiences with their chosen brand.

We asked them to rate the brand on various attributes including value for money, how their dog responded to the food, and its perceived wellbeing on the food.

Overall customer scores are based on how satisfied customers were with the brand overall and whether or not they would recommend it.

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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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