Just a few thoughts based on past and current experience.
There are always questions being asked about what is the best food to feed your dogs on and, quite rightly, there is no correct answer. It will always come down to personal preference, available budget and how the dog 'does' on it.
I was brought up with dogs being fed on cooked meat, table scraps and Carter Carna (sp?) meal. The dogs did ok and died when you would have expected from old-age related conditions.
When I was a teenager and was given my first gundog, I was introduced to dry food. Tried a few types but stuck with Valumix supplemented with table scraps. Again the dog did fine and died at slightly above the average age. My second lab was a hooligan - basically fed on dried food but supplemented with crisps, beer, table scraps, curry, etc, etc, - whatever she could get her paws on. Back legs went when she was 13 (no testing, no papers, no history) and the decision was taken.
Subsequent dogs have been fed on increasingly more 'natural' (and more expensive
)dried food until Kiwi's allergies (and Arwesa's post 
) introduced us to raw feeding. I was so pleased with the results all the dogs were moved onto raw - either done ourselves with help from the butcher or by purchasing Natural Instinct. It was like a lightbulb coming on - dogs don't choose cereal naturally so why had I been feeding them it?Back in January the old terrier had to be catheterised and needed emergency surgery to remove masses of bladder stones, some of which had to be back flushed into the bladder as they were blocking his urethra. The vet said they had never seen so many stones and the x-rays looked horrendous. The stones went off for testing and back came the answer that he needed a special (high cereal) vet diet to prevent stones forming. We have followed this diet until last weekend when we had to rush him to the vet again. He just wasn't right - shaking, moaning, reluctant to move, I thought this was it. He was tested, x-rayed and examined. The x-rays showed more small bladder stones had formed in the last 7 months, despite the special diet.
However, this was not the problem - bloods revealed pancreatitis and he is now off his special diet and needs a low-fat diet. And this low fat diet? Chappie original! Yes, that's the one you get cheap in the supermarket with no identifiable meat, fish or cereal content. I am in no way blaming any of the food for Kipper's problems. Everyone else is doing great - it's just obviously him and how he metabolises his food. Just makes me laugh really - you can end up recommending and feeding the best that money can buy but at the end of the day, if it doesn't suit, that's it......
The moral is feed what suits regardless of the cost.
Sarah xx
