Which food would be best for this dog?

Hi all

Me and my partner got told about a springer spaniel that had been locked in a shed for approx 2 years he has once been a loved family dog he was house trained shakes a paw sits comes back off lead etc. We couldn't keep him due to already having to dogs and one of our friends offered to take him in he has approx 2-3 hours off walk lead a day plus other on lead walks but seems rather thin he is currently fed twice a day on bakers complete but seems under weight when he is off lead he does do the headless chicken impression and never stops running. I was wondering if a working dog food might be better for him to help build him up any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hi

Bakers is rather terrible...probably one of the worst money can buy, because it is full of sugars, fillers (lots of cereal, virtually no meat) and colourings. A dog won't be getting much in the way of good nutrition from Bakers, so it isn't surprising an active dog getting a lot of exercise will struggle to maintain weight on it.

Any decent quality food should be fine for your friends dog. It doesn't necessarily have to be a working dog food...often the only difference between a 'maintenance' food and a 'working' dog food is slightly increased fat and protein levels. That said, I know my dogs do better on a working food as the increased fat/protein seems to help them maintain better coat and skin condition.

Some good dry brands are:

Arden Grange
Skinners
James Wellbeloved
Wainwrights
Fish4Dogs
Applaws
Orijen
Autarky
Burns

...and good wet foods:

Natures Menu
Naturediet
Natures Harvest
Burns tins
Arden Grange tins
Butchers tins
James Wellbeloved pouches
Applaws tins
Bozita

cheers i will pass this onto her she just wants the best for him after the past terrible 2 years he's had

There are some key points to remember if you wish to put weight on a dog.

1 feed little and often, ie feed your dog maybe up to six times a day, as if it has been starved the stomach will have shrunk.

2 Feed a calorifically dense food, this is difficult as by law, the calorie per 100g does not have to be put on, but some companies do, but if you ring up they will let you know. Basically you are looking for a food that has a high oil content and after than a high protein content.

3 Remember if this dog is from a working strain and is constantly on the go, they will appear racier than a couch potato.

4 check with vet re weight