We are glad you have stumbled upon our site one way or another, most likely because you love your dog enough to research what it eats! We will try our best to make this as simple as possible.
We are by no means vets but have a vast knowledge in k9 nutrition and have used snippets from other online research mixed in with some of our own opinions formed over the past number of years.
Firstly, what does the term ‘hypoallergenic dog food’ even mean?
Basically, some dogs have intolerances to certain ingredients, the main culprit is usually wheat, although lots of dogs can have intolerances to dairy products, corn, eggs, soya or even beef to name a few. A hypoallergenic food should avoid these and use easier to digest ingredients.
Switching to a hypoallergenic diet will usually be your vet's first suggestion if your dog is suffering from any one of the symptoms listed below, you'll get a sympathetic head tilt and while they try to hide their joy they will lead you to their waiting area and show you one of two brands that "are the only foods on the planet that they would recommend" for around £60-80. Whilst these foods aren't awful, quite often even they are filled with cheap fillers and are poor in comparison to the more natural recipes that you will see in our range.
A few common symptoms of allergies/intolerance
General sickness
Itchy skin or paws
Digestive problems
Loose stools
Loss of appetite
Dull coat
Excessive wind
Is too much protein unhealthy or going to make my dog hyper?
In our opinion, no. The body uses protein to grow, repair and maintain muscles. Any protein that isn't needed is passed in urine (the same goes for humans), so unless your dog has been diagnosed with a liver condition then too much protein isn't going to cause a problem. Protein is not used as energy and does not make dogs fat.
Why is some of your food VAT free?
We cater for working and sporting dogs which are vat exempt.
Traditionally, working dog food is full of cheap rubbish and barely has any meat near it but we believe that diet plays such an important role in getting the most out of your dog's health, happiness and overall performance.
Tips for consistent, regular feeding
I can’t recommend enough that you stick with a strict routine for feeding your dog(s). We often hear from our new customers things like “she’s a very fussy eater” or “he’s not really into his food”, I would say then there is a fair chance your dog is either ill, or it just hasn’t been trained to eat properly. With the exception of a couple of breeds that are at risk of bloating, we think the best way to feed is as follows…Feed twice a day (three times for pups), put the food down in the morning and make sure he knows it’s there, if he doesn’t wolf it down there and then then take it away and try again that evening. Your dog will not starve or pass out with exhaustion. Do this same routine for a few days and your dog should learn to eat when the food is put out. It also is a great way to monitor the well being of your dog, regulate how much it is eating and practice the theory of being it's provider and thus earning it's respect.
I’ve always used expensive foods but my dog’s stools are loose
There are plenty of reasons that could cause your dog to produce loose stools. These can include, drinking too soon after his meal, eating things he shouldn’t be like deer, rabbit, cow, horse, dog or fox poo, drinking from puddles that could contain parasites, eating unhealthy snacks or eating grass to name a few!
What's the big fuss about grain free all of a sudden
Hypoallergenic is great and will work for most dogs to alleviate allergies and promote good health. But if you want to take it a step further, satisfy a particularly fussy dog or have tried all of the above and still don't have a dog with solid stools then grain free is definitely worth a go. It basically rules out all grains like rice, barley, maize etc and has easier to digest roots and vegetables instead. Expect to pay a bit more but from personal experience it's definitely worth it if you are the one lifting the waste!
We hope you find these quick points useful, if you have any comments or suggestions then feel free to contact us.
We are by no means vets but have a vast knowledge in k9 nutrition and have used snippets from other online research mixed in with some of our own opinions formed over the past number of years.
Firstly, what does the term ‘hypoallergenic dog food’ even mean?
Basically, some dogs have intolerances to certain ingredients, the main culprit is usually wheat, although lots of dogs can have intolerances to dairy products, corn, eggs, soya or even beef to name a few. A hypoallergenic food should avoid these and use easier to digest ingredients.
Switching to a hypoallergenic diet will usually be your vet's first suggestion if your dog is suffering from any one of the symptoms listed below, you'll get a sympathetic head tilt and while they try to hide their joy they will lead you to their waiting area and show you one of two brands that "are the only foods on the planet that they would recommend" for around £60-80. Whilst these foods aren't awful, quite often even they are filled with cheap fillers and are poor in comparison to the more natural recipes that you will see in our range.
A few common symptoms of allergies/intolerance
General sickness
Itchy skin or paws
Digestive problems
Loose stools
Loss of appetite
Dull coat
Excessive wind
Is too much protein unhealthy or going to make my dog hyper?
In our opinion, no. The body uses protein to grow, repair and maintain muscles. Any protein that isn't needed is passed in urine (the same goes for humans), so unless your dog has been diagnosed with a liver condition then too much protein isn't going to cause a problem. Protein is not used as energy and does not make dogs fat.
Why is some of your food VAT free?
We cater for working and sporting dogs which are vat exempt.
Traditionally, working dog food is full of cheap rubbish and barely has any meat near it but we believe that diet plays such an important role in getting the most out of your dog's health, happiness and overall performance.
Tips for consistent, regular feeding
I can’t recommend enough that you stick with a strict routine for feeding your dog(s). We often hear from our new customers things like “she’s a very fussy eater” or “he’s not really into his food”, I would say then there is a fair chance your dog is either ill, or it just hasn’t been trained to eat properly. With the exception of a couple of breeds that are at risk of bloating, we think the best way to feed is as follows…Feed twice a day (three times for pups), put the food down in the morning and make sure he knows it’s there, if he doesn’t wolf it down there and then then take it away and try again that evening. Your dog will not starve or pass out with exhaustion. Do this same routine for a few days and your dog should learn to eat when the food is put out. It also is a great way to monitor the well being of your dog, regulate how much it is eating and practice the theory of being it's provider and thus earning it's respect.
I’ve always used expensive foods but my dog’s stools are loose
There are plenty of reasons that could cause your dog to produce loose stools. These can include, drinking too soon after his meal, eating things he shouldn’t be like deer, rabbit, cow, horse, dog or fox poo, drinking from puddles that could contain parasites, eating unhealthy snacks or eating grass to name a few!
What's the big fuss about grain free all of a sudden
Hypoallergenic is great and will work for most dogs to alleviate allergies and promote good health. But if you want to take it a step further, satisfy a particularly fussy dog or have tried all of the above and still don't have a dog with solid stools then grain free is definitely worth a go. It basically rules out all grains like rice, barley, maize etc and has easier to digest roots and vegetables instead. Expect to pay a bit more but from personal experience it's definitely worth it if you are the one lifting the waste!
We hope you find these quick points useful, if you have any comments or suggestions then feel free to contact us.