Dog Food

So dog food... you've got 2 main groups - raw and not-raw! We are in camp not-raw for a few reasons although have seen plenty of dogs thrive and do well with raw. If you're firmly #teamraw then this post isn't going to be very helpful for you! 
There are a lot of choices for cooked dog foods; kibbles, cold-pressed, home-cooked etc and ultimately you're going to find good and bad options in each section. Every dog is unique and so finding what works best for them and your lifestyle is the most important thing. 

I will hold my hand up and say that I really didn't look at or research dog foods when I first got Hugo. I had grown up with rescue dogs in the middle east who could eat pretty much anything and thrive, so applying the same principle, we went for cheap and easy (Bakers meaty bites) for Hugo. This was a mistake. Like many spaniels, Hugo has a sensitive stomach! His poops were never consistently solid, he was always bloated and my god don't get me started on the farts. I would try and explain it away or solidify things with psyllium but I knew we needed to look at another diet for him. 

I tried a few of the other 'main brand' foods over the next couple of months but it was a similar story - very bloated and an easily upset stomach. Looking back, the thing that all of these brands had in common was that they are heat extruded nuggets which of course explains the bloating. 

When Hugo was just over 1 year old we went to a photoshoot organized by Caitlynn Neil (who is an amazing Edinburgh-based pet photographer btw!) in aid of PDSA and afterwards they gave us all a lovely goodiebag. In the goodie bag was a pouch of treats from a dog brand called Forthglade and when I posted a photo of them on our story, they reached out to ask if we would like a taster of their range! We gave the selection a go and WOW. The difference I saw in Hugo was incredible. Solid poops!!! No bloating!!! Bliss. 

After our trial, Forthglade offered us a formal ambassador role and we have been proudly working with them ever since. 

Why do we love Forthglade? 

1 - Variety

You have the core cold-pressed dry foods then a HUGE variety of wet food toppers and completes. 'Complete' is a food that provides all essential nutrients so can be fed on its own, whereas a topper might be missing one so should be mixed. Toppers are great if your dog is a bit fussy with food or gets bored!

The boys absolutely love all of the food options with their favourite being the salmon & sardines - but I warn you, with 75% fish, it is stinky!!

2 - Quality and transparency

Forthglade are very transparent with their ingredients in every single product so you know exactly what you are feeding your dog! 

3 - Cold Pressed 

For me, this is the major key in what has made such a huge difference for Hugo. Traditional kibble has been heat extruded and dried out, meaning that when it hits water (eg in your dog's stomach) it swells up. Cold pressed just starts to break down and disintegrate, meaning no uncomfortable bloat for your pup. 

4 - It works for us 

For me, this is the most important thing. There is no point in starting your dog on a diet if you will not be able to sustain it and/or it doesn't fit your lifestyle. I love to be on the go and Forthglade is brilliant for taking away on trips with us.