Hi guys, I am a first time owner of a large breed dog (Rhodesian Ridgeback). I don’t know what is the best dog food to feed my dog. He is currently 6 months old, and I feed him Hill’s Science Diet. But I am hearing Merrick grain-free dog food is a lot better. I hope to hear your thoughts on what is the best dog food in the market. (Budget isn’t a problem)
Recommending a dog food is difficult as what suits one dog, doesn’t necessarily suit the next. I would advise to make a decision as to what type of food you want to feed eg kibble, raw, wet etc… and then set the filters on the food pages to see which would be best. Some of the higher rated ones are not widely stocked so ordering from the manufacturer is the only option. This might not suit some people so whilst the ratings might be good, it’s not so great as it doesn’t suit your needs. What I would recommend is don’t keep changing food , especially as your dog is young. I did this when my dog was young as he wouldn’t eat & kept having a runny bum. He now has numerous food allergies and whilst there is no proof that changing his food repeatedly caused the allergies, I do often wonder if This contributed to them. I raw feed when I have room in the freezer & use compatible kibble the other times. I have found Akela is a good brand that suits my dog and I’ve never had any issues with delivery. They sell raw, wet & kibble. But as I’ve said, what’s good for one dog and owner isn’t always good for the next.
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Hello and welcome to the forum pilecarls8. It’s not possible to say what is the best dog food because different types suit different dogs. I hadn’t heard of Merricks dog food so can’t advise but if you put the ingredient list into the Instant Review Generator it will score it for you.
I am not knowledgeable about large breed dogs but I usually start my small breed puppies on good quality adult food at about seven months. Puppy food tends to be circa 30% protein and there are now some very good adult foods at that level and higher.
Have a look at this thread as it outlines what to look for when choosing dog food. There is also plenty of information on the website.
If you need any help using the filters on the Dog Food Directory, please ask. I tend to tick for no red ingredients and clearly labelled. These filter out poorer quality foods. If you see the word ‘derivatives’ in the ingredient list, it’s best to pass.
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