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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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Make sure your furry friend is covered see our guide to the best pet insurance for your dog

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.

Best dog harnesses see our pick of the best and worst as tested by dog owners

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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Get full nutrition with Nutriments Core dog food

Nutriment's Core range of raw, natural dog food provides wholesome nutrition to adult, senior, and puppy dogs in a variety of delicious recipes. Formulated by in-house canine nutritionists, whose fundamental aim is to produce the highest quality raw dog food, our Core range includes formulas dedicated to both senior dogs and puppies as well as protein-rich formulas based on various types of meat. For example, we offer flavours such as:

• Lamb
• Duck
• Tripe
• Salmon
• Turkey
• Rabbit
• Salmon
• Chicken

Our premium, high-quality raw Core dog food range is concentrated on pure meat sources, nutritious vegetables such as pumpkin and broccoli, and health-boosting superfoods such as salmon oil and spirulina, making it a natural, complete, and super healthy form of nutrition for dogs.

Core dog food benefits your dogs health

As is with humans, a healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet is one of the most important factors contributing to the well-being and vitality of dogs. At Nutriment, our raw dog food is suitable for dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes.

Rich in proteins as well as essential fats and fibre, each complete meal contains everything your dog biologically needs to live a full, active, and happy life. Nutriment's innovative, raw food products are free from the most common allergens and have a very high content of high-quality raw meat and vegetables to ensure maximum nutritional value.

At Nutriment, we are wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that our raw dog food products contain only high-quality, biologically appropriate and natural ingredients that boost the nutritional profile of our products. All of our ingredients, across all of our products, are carefully selected to ensure they are completely natural and free from any artificial additives, chemicals, flavours, colours, or bulking agents, ensuring your dogs vitality and well-being.

How is our Core dog food range different?

It can be difficult to navigate in the world of dog food. There are many different brands and variants to choose from, and which ones are the best? At Nutriment, we have found the key to high-quality, balanced nutrition for your dog. With our Core dog food, you get:

Carefully selected, high-quality raw ingredients

Nutriment pays great attention to detail when it comes to ingredients. By carefully selecting only nutritious, biologically appropriate, and natural ingredients, we ensure that every raw food product we produce is full of essential nutrition. This will maintain your dogs energy throughout the day, as well as be great-tasting and enjoyable.

Our Core dog food is specifically tailored to dogs of all ages. Our senior recipes support dogs health as they age, and our puppy formulas feature ingredients which support a dog as it grows and develops.

When it comes to your dogs diet, quality is definitely more important than quantity, seeing as a natural, raw diet can support a healthy weight as well as a host of other health benefits.

Health benefits

A dogs diet is a major contributing factor to his or her overall health. Unfortunately, in some low-quality, processed dog foods, it is not unusual to find artificial additives, chemicals, flavours, colours, and bulking agents that can be potentially harmful to your dog. Instead, our raw Core dog food promotes good overall health as every meal contains vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are essential to optimal canine health.

Various health concerns prevalent in todays dogs, such as allergies, digestive issues, and low energy levels, can be significantly reduced with a healthy and nutritious raw diet. So, if your dog experiences any of these issues, you should try our raw food at Nutriment.

Great smell and texture

Raw, natural ingredients will always smell more enticing and have a better texture than dog food products which have been heavily processed. The way food tastes matters to dogs and can have a great effect on how much they eat, or how much vigour they eat with. Offering a high-quality, raw, natural diet, rather than foods that contain artificial preservatives and unnatural ingredients, is one of the best ways to ensure that your dog can enjoy what they eat every day.

No additives and preservatives

Low-quality, highly processed dog foods often contain flavour-enhancing, artificial additives, chemicals, flavours, colours, and bulking agents, which can be potentially harmful for dogs when consumed in large quantities. Instead, our raw, natural dog food is free from nasty chemicals and artificial ingredients and made from high-quality meats, vegetables, and superfoods to ensure every meal provides an optimal source of energy and nutrition for your dog.

Higher nutrient content

At Nutriment, we have an uncompromising approach to animal nutrition. Our human-grade raw meat ingredients make up at least 85% of each of our recipes, and our supporting vegetables and superfoods are carefully selected for their nutritional profile and contribution to animal health.

Nutriments natural ingredients are digested and absorbed far more easily than synthetic and artificial ingredients meaning that our raw, natural dog food products are the best choice for optimal canine nutrition. Our grain-free food will make your four-legged companion thrive.