Articles > Balanced Living > Puppy Health

Having just adopted a dear fluffy ball of canine energy, I wanted to do the very best for her in terms of health and nutrition. Puppies grow so fast in the first 12 to 18 months that I decided to find the best quality food for her during that period.

There are quite a number of (relatively expensive) complete puppy foods that claim to be absolutely the BEST for your growing dog. However, when I started to read the ingredients and the source of those ingredients in each one, I realised that many of them did not contain what I was looking for:-

• Natural ingredients

• Meat, especially poultry, sourced from responsible farms that didn't feed their animals with growth hormones and antibiotics

• Meat and poultry that were free range or at least raised with care and respect

• Excellent balance of nutrients and vitamins

• Long and respectable record of the maker in terms of a great and ethical product

I read about nearly 40 foods from over 20 manufacturers. The research was quite a challenge, because in many instances the companies simply neglected to mention the less than great stuff they put in their foods. However I persevered, and here are the results.

NUMBER ONE - Burns Canine Puppy Mini Bites

This is definitely my first choice, and it is free delivering if I order a 15k bag, so that is a nice little added incentive. But, what I love so much about it is the ethics of the company, the care they have taken to source all their ingredients, and the fabulous amount of info that comes to you with your first order. I believe that they really care and I'm pretty difficult to con.

Blurb from Burns:-

Burns Mini Bites has been developed for all Puppies from Weaning, and Small Breed Adults.
It is well established that high intake of protein and fat during puppy hood leads to health problems in the adult; for example obesity and skeletal disorders, especially hip dysplasia.
Rapid growth can produce heavy muscle mass which puts undue strain on immature bones. It is naturally preserved and contains no wheat, Soya, beef or dairy products, added colourings, artificial flavourings or preservatives, and no genetically modified ingredients.
We guarantee that no battery raised chicken are used in our products.

Analysis:
Protein 21%, Oil 11%, Fibre 2%
Contains: Brown rice, chicken, oats, peas, sunflower oil, chicken oil,
ocean fish, seaweed, minerals and vitamins

All Burns products have been developed by John Burns BVMS MRCVS using holistic principles to ensure excellent health.

Say 'No!' to animal and cereal by-products, colours, flavourings and EU permitted preservatives!....and 'Yes!' to free range duck, battery free chicken meat, ocean fish and the goodness of brown rice!

Burns Real Food will naturally maintain a healthy immune system, coat and skin, digestive tract, skeletal, respiratory and nervous system. It is also suitable for use where holistic veterinary treatment is being used in the nutritional management of disease

Website http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk

£36 - 15k

EQUAL FIRST CHOICE - Pascoes Natural Chicken

I absolutely love that all of Pascoes products are completely organic, and in truth the only reason that I tried Burns first was because I got it free delivery from their website, and Pascoes seems only to offer small bags on their website - so I'll need to source big bags elsewhere. However, I will be ordering Pascoes next, to give my beloved (and very indulged) Dana a change. Pascoes is a wonderfully ethical firm and I have no hesitation in recommending them!

Blurb from Pascoes -

Pascoes Natural Chicken 15kg Natural Range - the natural choice for healthy pets

Our range of Natural Complete dog and cat foods include the finest quality natural ingredients, blended together to produce pure, highly palatable nutritionally balanced foods containing the optimum level of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals to help keep your pet in peak condition.

Nothing artificial is added - no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours: everything is as nature intended. And what's more, we source all our raw materials from accredited organic farmers and growers, thus ensuring that Pascoe's Natural Completes are 100% organic too

A highly palatable, nutritious hypoallergenic wheat gluten free food for dogs of all ages, made with fresh organic chicken, vegetables and added herbs.

• chicken - provides the protein needed for growth and muscle development. Highly digestible and palatable
• cereals - provides the carbohydrates essential in maintaining energy levels
• Omega 3 and 6 balanced fatty acids - for general health and well being
• sunflower oil - to help maintain a glossy coat and vitality
• vegetables - a source of essential vitamins
• seaweed meal - a rich source of naturally occurring trace minerals such as iodine, manganese, zinc, copper and cobalt
• selenium yeast - improves the immune function and helps improve skin and coat condition
• herbs - parsley for fresh breath and healthy digestion, rosemary - a natural healer and antioxidant
• vitamins and minerals - an optimum balance of vitamins and minerals to help maintain the immune system, and to preserve the food - naturally
• hypoallergenic
• NO wheat gluten
• NON GM

Ingredients

organic maize (non GM), fish meal approved by OCL as a certified product, organic oats, organic barley, organic whole Soya beans (non GM), organic peas (min 4%), organic chicken and chicken derivatives (including min 4% fresh chicken), organic sunflower seeds, minerals and vitamins, organic yeasts, organic sunflower oil, organic seaweed meal, organic herbs (rosemary and parsley). Contains no artificial colours, preservatives or antioxidants.

All the ingredients are organically produced and Pascoe's Natural Complete follows the Organic Certification Limited and UKROFS standards for food production

Typical analysis

protein 21% oil 9%, fibre 4%, ash 7%, vitamin A 15,000 iu/kg, vitamin D3 1,500 iu/kg, vitamin E (a tocopherol as acetate) 150 mg/kg, copper (as cupric sulphate) 15 mg/kg

Website http://www.pascoes.co.uk

£34-15k

A couple of Lessons learned

I feel it is essential to point out some of the less than good practice that I came across in my research.

In general, most companies are pretty straight-forward in their advertising. Presumably most people are not particularly fussy about what they feed their pets, so the information on the web is an accurate reflection of what is on the labels (legally this must be accurate and detailed).

However, if you are like me and want to be sure that your small pup turns into a healthy dog, there are two things to study carefully (if you cannot find Burns or Pascoes) - the list of ingredients and the source of those ingredients.

Sourcing is important:

For instance, Arden Grange Puppy/Junior Food appeared to be very good. UNTIL I read that they source their chicken from the same places that supermarkets source theirs. This is not necessarily a good recommendation, as most supermarkets sell battery farmed chicken, and most battery farmed chicken is stuffed full of growth hormones and antibiotics. And these poor birds often have a very questionable diet. Of course they do have to abide by regulations, however in some instances these regulations do not ensure that the food in healthy and toxin free.

Fame Does NOT guarantee good ethics

Iams Pet food is sold at Veterinary Surgeries throughout Britain. One would naturally assume that their products are wonderful. However two major problems have come to light. Iams did extensive testing on pets to prove how wonderful their food is. It seems that the people at the company felt that invasive testing, unnecessary operations and other unacceptable practices were fine in order to market their product. I think that they simply have no ethics at all.

And, they are yet another company that appear to source the chicken from battery farms. Needless to say, I hope that all ethical Vets will stop selling Iams in their surgeries.