Budget food recommendations..

So, as most of you know I work at a big rescue centre, and we're on a budget as to what we can afford for quality food, and what will get the dogs eating in such a stressful situation.

Currently, the main foods that we use are butchers tinned tripe for fussy dogs, chappie (tinned) or science plan for dogs with upset tummies, wafcol for dogs with skin complaints or sensitive tummies, wagg as a dry complete and unfortunately we get a whole load of pedigree donated so the rest have to make do with that and cheap mixers and fillers.

I know it's awful, but obviously we have to feed what we can, I'm trying to put together a pitch for foods that we would like to be donated as to try and keep the dogs diets as consistent as possible, that are not very expensive but of a good enough quality and aren't going to send the dogs loopy behavioural wise (bakers) or going to be too rich as to upset them. Trying to get 80% of the dogs to eat a dry complete diet is pointless, though some will!

Any recommendations?

Difficult when you rely mainly on donations, a lot of people who donate can't afford the preferred food, but help by giving what they can Xx

You are doing a great job Rachel

It seems to me, through talking with various dog owners, that most dogs do very well on whatever dog food they are given - it's just spoilt brats like my own fur baby who get picky.

I know several people who feed Waggs and their dogs are in tip top health! I use Butchers Tripe myself occasionally, mixed in with "better quality" food which my diva wouldn't eat on its own.

I've never used Pedigree as I was always led to believe (from 40 years ago now) that it was too rich for most dogs' tummies. But if that is what you get donated, well of course it's better than nothing - all the extra nutrients get pooed out! (and then the other dogs will eat the poo, horrible but true)

Oh, and although my current little gourmet won't look at Bakers, I fed my Dobes on it for years, dry and unadorned and they were NOT loopy!

different foods suit different dogs as you know yourself (and I have found out) and you can only do your best with the foods your rescue dogs get given.

Well done Rachel for doing your best for the dogs in your care.

Harringtons is available almost supermarkets now and almost certainly the best you can buy off the shelf and not expensive

I fed wagg for 9 years and then Suddenly Lexi took bad to it and it made her ill, maybe a bad batch.

Had a look at the harringtons, looks really good! I might buy it myself actually....

We tried harringtons with miley she likes it but soon gets bored. Well done on the rescue centre must be tough this time of year

You are doing a wonderful job Rachel. Well Done. do you have an abbatoir near you? not so many around now, but maybe they could donate some stuff, of course it would be raw and there is the problem of storing.

When Rocky was at the rescue centre he was being fed Burgess Sensitive which we carried on with for a while. I think it is one of the better cheaper foods.

The recipe is free from wheat gluten, maize, eggs, beef and dairy products. Rice is the main carbohydrate for energy and beet pulp aids healthy digestion. British lamb is the essential muscle building protein.

We now use vitalin active which is a fairly good food and not pricey either £10.00 for 15kg bag

Latham's is a budget food which seems to agree very well with foster (she's straight into the bowl twice a day) and has a decent enough nutritional profile.

As a bonus, it's in the major supermarkets, extending the places it can sourced.