“Which dog food is best?’’ is a question that gets asked a lot on this site, and for a long time I have thought we could do with a listing of dry dog foods that compares the ingredients and prices of the most popular brands all together in one place to be used as a quick reference point for those who are perhaps looking for a new food for their dog, or are simply just curious as to what different foods are available.

So, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been piecing together a list, and I’ve finally completed it!

I’ve based the below information on a 15kg adult dog, living in a home environment with moderate activity levels, and all prices are approximate and based on purchasing the largest pack size available.

I have gathered the information from packet labels, websites and by contacting the manufacturers directly, and it’s as accurate as I can possibly make it – bare in mind that prices vary depending on where the food is purchased, and ingredients do change from time to time.

I have loosely grouped the foods into three colour coded groups.

Green – these are the dry foods that I consider to be of exceptional quality. They have a very high meat content and little or no grains.

Orange - these are “middle of the road” foods. The quality varies immensely within this group, but I feel they all offer a good quality basic diet for normal healthy dogs, with a decent meat content and reasonable ingredients.

Red – these foods are the ones that I feel are extremely poor, and that should be avoided. They tend to have either an inadequate meat content, too many cheap fillers, artificial additives, harmful chemicals, added sugar – or a mixture of all of those!

I MUST STRESS THIS IS MERELY MY OPINION, of course we won't all agree on what is a good food and what isn't. I am neither a vet nor a canine nutritionist.
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ACANA (grasslands variety)

Price (13.5kg): £61.99
Suggested daily amount: 175g
Daily feeding cost: 80p

Ingredients: Fresh lamb meat, dried lamb meat, salmon, dried herring meat, russet potatoes, peas, chicken fat, sweet potato, fresh boneless walleye sun dried alfalfa, natural lamb flavor, deboned fresh duck, whole eggs, squash, turnip greens, tomatoes, carrots, apples, organic kelp, cranberries, blueberries, juniper berries, black currants, chicory root, licorice root, angelica, fenugreek, marigold flowers, fennel, peppermint leaves, chamomile flowers, lavender, summer savory, rosemary, lactobacillus acidophilus, enterococcus faecium.

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ALPHA (maintenance, beef)

Price (15kg): £12.45
Suggested daily amount: 280g
Daily feeding cost: 23p

Ingredients: Wheat, wheatfeed, beef meal, maize, fish meal, poultry fat, minerals, vitamins, preservatives.

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APPLAWS (small/medium breed, chicken)

Price (12.5kg): £44.99
Suggested daily amount: 165g
Daily feeding cost: 59p

Ingredients: Dry chicken meat, dry potato, poultry oil, fresh chicken, poultry gravy, salmon oil, beet pulp, dry whole eggs, cellulose plant fibre, brewers dried yeast, cranberry extract, yucca extract, citrus extract, rosemary oil extract, seaweed extract, chicory extract, suncured alfalfa extract, thyme extract, carrots, peppermint extract, rosehip extract, paprika extract, turmeric extract, carob extract, fennel extract, dandelion extract, oregano extract.

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ARDEN GRANGE (lamb & rice)

Price (15kg): £30.33
Suggested daily amount: 230g
Daily feeding cost: 46p

Ingredients: Lamb meat meal (min 30%), rice (min 26%), maize, chicken fat, beet pulp, dried brewers yeast, egg powder, fish meal, linseed, fish oil, minerals, vitamins, nucleotides, prebiotic FOS, prebiotic MOS, cranberry extract, chondroitin sulphate, glucosamine sulphate, MSM, yucca extract.

* * * * *

AUTARKY (chicken with rice, vegetables & herbs)

Price (15kg): £18.99
Suggested daily amount: 300g
Daily feeding cost: 37p

Ingredients: Maize, chicken meat meal (28%), rice, chicken fat, carrot and green leaf veg, (min 4%), whole linseed, beet pulp, prairie meal, mixed herbs and spices, yucca, yeast

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BAKERS COMPLETE (bacon, liver & vegetables)

Price 15kg: £28.60
Suggested daily amount: 300g
Daily feeding cost: 57p

Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives (min 4% fresh meat), vegetable protein extracts, oils and fats, derivatives of vegetable origin, various sugars, minerals, vegetables (min 4%), EC permitted additives and colourings.

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BARKING HEADS (''Bad Hair Day'', lamb & rice)

Price (12kg): £37.88
Suggested daily amount: 200g
Daily feeding cost: 63p

Ingredients: Fresh lamb (min 26%), rice (min 26%), lamb meat meal (min 26%), ground oats, lamb fat, salmon oil, whole linseed, minerals, dried tomato, seaweed, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, vitamins

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BURGESS SUPADOG (sensitive, lamb & rice)

Price (12.5kg): £24.99
Suggested daily amount: 260g
Daily feeding cost: 52p

Ingredients: Lamb meal (26%), rice (26%), beet pulp, poultry fat, salt, vitamins.

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BURNS (fish & rice)

Price (15kg): £43.99
Suggested daily amount: 200g
Daily feeding cost: 58p

Ingredients: Brown rice (min 63%), fish (min 18%), oats, peas, fish oil, sunflower oil, seaweed, minerals, vitamins.

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CHAPPIE (original)

Price (15kg): £18.79
Suggested daily amount: 250g
Daily feeding cost: 31p

Ingredients: Cereals, derivatives of vegetable origin, meat and animal derivatives, oils and fats, minerals.

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DR JOHN SILVER MEDAL (chicken)

Price (15kg): £9.50
Suggested daily amount: 290g
Daily feeding cost: 18p

Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives, minerals, oils and fats, ECC additives.

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EUKANUBA (medium breed, chicken)

Price (15kg): £48.99
Suggested daily amount: 150g
Daily feeding cost: 49p

Ingredients: Chicken (24%), maize, wheat, animal fat, sorghum, barley, poultry meal, dried beet pulp, chicken digest, dried whole egg, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, sodium hexametaphosphate, fish oil, linseed, DL-methionine, EC permitted antioxidants

* * * * *

EUROPA (chicken & rice)

Price (15kg): £38
Suggested daily amount: 275g
Daily feeding cost: 70p

Ingredients: Rice (46%), poultry meal (20%), maize, chicken fat, brewers yeast, sugar beet, linseed, seaweed, sunflower oil, vitamins, minerals, yucca extract.

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FISH 4 DOGS (finest fish)

Price (12kg): £48.50
Suggested daily amount: 205g
Daily feeding cost: 83p

Ingredients: Fresh fish (30.5%), potato (30.5%), herring meal (21%), salmon oil, beet fibre, brewers yeast, minerals, vitamins.

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HARRINGTONS (turkey & vegetables)

Price (15kg): £23.57
Suggested daily amount: 350g
Daily feeding cost: 56p

Ingredients: Maize, turkey meat meal (min 14%), oats, meat meal, rice, peas (min 4%), beet pulp, poultry fat, digest, vitamins, minerals, linseed, kelp, yeast, citrus extract, yucca extract.

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HILLS NATURES BEST (mini/medium breed, chicken)

Price (12kg): £42.99
Suggested daily amount: 220g
Daily feeding cost: 79p

Ingredients: Maize, poultry meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat, protein hydrolysate, brown rice, ground barley, wholegrain flakes, vegetable oil, dried beet pulp, dehydrated carrots, dehydrated peas, pulped tomatoes, spinach powder, fruit pulp of citrus fruits, pulped grapes, potassium citrate, linseed, l-lysine hydrochloride, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, iron oxide, l-tryptophane, vitamins, trace elements, mixed tocopherols, citric acid, rosemary extract.

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HILLS SCIENCE PLAN (medium breed, chicken)

Price (12kg): £39.99
Suggested daily amount: 200g
Daily feeding cost: 66p

Ingredients: Chicken (min 20%), turkey (min 10%), maize, chicken meal, turkey meal, soybean meal, animal fat, maize gluten meal, digest, flaxseed, vegetable oil, salt, potassium citrate, L-lysine hydrochloride, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, taurine, L-tryptophan, vitamins, citric acid, mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract, trace elements.

* * * * *

IAMS (small/medium breed, chicken)

Price (15kg): £31.99
Suggested daily amount: 150g
Daily feeding cost: 31p

Ingredients: Chicken (24%), maize, wheat, animal fat, poultry meal, sorghum, barley, dried beet pulp, chicken digest, fish meal, dried whole egg, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium hexametaphosphate, DL-methionine.

* * * * *

JAMES WELLBELOVED (turkey & rice)

Price (15kg): £39.99
Suggested daily amount: 235g
Daily feeding cost: 63p

Ingredients: Rice (26%), turkey meat meal (26%), oats (19%) whole linseed, turkey gravy, turkey fat, sugar beet pulp, alfalfa, natural seaweed, chicory extract, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate, lysine, DL-methionine, yucca extract, threonine, JWB special ingredients.

* * * * *

LILYS KITCHEN (chicken & vegetable bake)

Price (7.5kg): £49.94
Suggested daily amount: 250g
Daily feeding cost: £1.63

Ingredients: Fresh organic chicken (26%), rice, oats, barley, brown lentils, whole flaxseed, sunflower seeds, broccoli, carrot, parsnip, peas, spinach, curly kale, honey, herbs: golden rod, kelp, cleavers, nettles, rosehips, aniseed, marigold petals, milk thistle, dandelion root, burdock root, omega 3 and 6.

* * * * *

MILBURNS (chicken & rice)

Price (15kg): £32.99
Suggested daily amount: 290g
Daily feeding cost: 64p

Ingredients: Rice (min 26%), poultry meal (min 26%), barley, oats, poultry fat, beet pulp, fish meal, brewers yeast, yucca, minerals, vitamins.

* * * * *

NATURAL DOG FOOD COMPANY (salmon & rice)

Price (15kg): £42.95
Suggested daily amount: 150g
Daily feeding cost: 42p

Ingredients: Fresh salmon (min 24%), rice (24%), oats, dried salmon (min 13%), mixed vegetables (9%), herbs, barley, whole linseed, chicken oil, brewers yeast, sugar beet, seaweed.

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ORIJEN (six fish)

Price (13.5kg): £64.99
Suggested daily amount: 175g
Daily feeding cost: 84p

Ingredients: Fresh salmon, salmon meal, herring meal, russet potato, fresh whitefish, sweet potato, peas, salmon oil, fresh walleye, fresh herring, alfalfa, fresh flounder, fresh lake trout, dehydrated kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, liquorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements, mineral supplement, dried lactobacillus acidophilus product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

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OMEGA MAINTENANCE FORMULA (for working & sporting dogs)

Price (15kg): £12.99
Suggested daily amount: 300g
Daily feeding cost: 25p

Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives, vegetable protein extracts, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, minerals, BHA, BHT.

* * * * *

PEDIGREE (beef, rice & vegetables)

Price (15kg): £27.55
Suggested daily amount: 200g
Daily feeding cost: 36p

Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives (min 4% beef), oils and fats, vegetable protein extracts, derivatives of vegetable origin, vegetables (min 4% carrots, min 4% green beans), minerals.

* * * * *

PURINA BETA (lamb & rice)

Price (15kg): £27.07
Suggested daily amount: 290g
Daily feeding cost: 53p

Ingredients: Cereals (min 4% wholegrain, min 4% rice), meat and animal derivatives (min 4% lamb) vegetable protein extracts, oils and fats, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals, vegetables (min 0.5% chicory).

* * * * *

PURINA PRO PLAN (chicken & rice)

Price (14kg): £44.80
Suggested daily amount: 280g
Daily feeding cost: 89p

Ingredients: Chicken, rice, maize, dehydrated poultry protein, maize gluten, wheat, animal fat, digest, beet pulp, fish oil, dried egg, yeast, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, calcium carbonate, minerals, natural extracts.

* * * * *

ROYAL CANIN (small breed, poultry)

Price (8kg): £30.99
Suggested daily amount: 250g
Daily feeding cost: 96p

Ingredients: Rice, dehydrated poultry meat, maize flour, animal fats, vegetable protein, maize, maize gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, vegetable fibres, beet pulp, minerals, vegetable oil, fish oil, yeast, fructo-oligo-saccharides, sodium polyphosphate, hydrolysed yeast extract, green tea and grape extracts, Dl-methionine, egg powder, hydrolysed crustaceans, L-tyrosine, L-carnitine, hydrolysed cartilage.

* * * * *

SAINSBURYS (beef, duck & vegetables)

Price (3kg): £2.99
Suggested daily amount: 230g
Daily feeding cost: 23p

Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives (min 4% beef, min 4% duck) derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, minerals, various sugars, vegetable protein extracts, vegetables (min 4%), yeast, EC permitted colourings and preservatives.

* * * * *

SIMPSONS (lamb & rice)

Price (15kg): £28.30
Suggested daily amount: 245g
Daily feeding cost: 46p

Ingredients: Lamb meal (min 27%), brown rice (min 26%), maize, oats, chicken fat, beet pulp, dried egg, chicken liver digest, brewers yeast, potato protein, salmon oil, minerals, linseed, vitamins, yucca extract, cranberries, mannanoligosaccharides, fructooligosacharides, nucleotides, glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin

* * * * *

SKINNERS (field and trial, duck & rice)

Price (15kg): £19.99
Suggested daily amount: 190g
Daily feeding cost: 25p

Ingredients: Rice (40%), duck meat meal (20%), oats, peas, whole linseed, sunflower oil, sugar beet pulp, vitamins and minerals.

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TASTE OF THE WILD (high prairie)

Price (13.6kg): £47.99
Suggested daily amount: 200g
Daily feeding cost: 70p

Ingredients: Bison, venison, dried lamb meat, dried chicken meat, eggs, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, canola oil, roasted bison, roasted venison, natural flavourings, tomatoes, ocean fish meal, salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, blueberries, raspberries, yucca schidigera extract, dried fermentation products of enterococcus faecium, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, quality vitamins, minerals, potassium iodide, manganous oxide, biotin, calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, folic acid.
* * * * *

VETS KITCHEN (salmon & potato)

Price (7.5kg): £29.99
Suggested daily amount: 200g
Daily feeding cost: 81p

Ingredients: Fresh salmon (min 24%), potato (min 24%), salmon meal (min 15%), brown rice, sugar beet pulp, oats, salmon oil (3.7%), brewers yeast, poultry digest, chicken fat, pork digest, minerals, vitamins, dl-methionine, marigold flowers, carrot, apple, seaweed, nucleotides, fructooligosaccharides, mannanoligosaccharides, glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane, chondroitin sulphat, yucca schidigera extract, mixed tocopherols, rosemary, l-carnitine and beta carotene.

* * * * *

VITALIN (maintenance, cereal free)

Price (15kg): £36.49
Suggested daily amount: 250g
Daily feeding cost: 60p

Ingredients: Chicken meal meat (min 26%), potato (min 26%), refined chicken fat, sugar beet pulp, peas, carrots, yeast, fish meal, minerals, vitamins, glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, yucca, prebiotic.

* * * * *

WAFCOL (salmon & potato)

Price (15kg): £48.49
Suggested daily amount: 300g
Daily feeding cost: 96p

Ingredients: Salmon (25%), potato (20%), potato starch, lupin, linseed, vegetable oil, seaweed, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, vitamins, trace elements.

* * * * *

WAGG (chicken & vegetables)

Price (15kg): £9.99
Suggested daily amount: 400g
Daily feeding cost: 26p

Ingredients: Wheat, meat meal, wheat feed, maize, poultry fat, digest, rice, beet pulp, chicken meat meal (min 4%), linseed, peas, carrots, lucerne, minerals, yeast, citrus extract, yucca extract.

* * * * *

WAINWRIGHTS (turkey & rice)

Price (15kg): £33.49
Suggested daily amount: 250g
Daily feeding cost: 55p

Ingredients: Turkey meat meal (min 26%), rice (min 40%), whole grain barley, potato protein, refined poultry oil, whole linseed, sugar beet pulp, poultry digest, alfalfa, monosodium phosphate, natural seawood, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, methionine, marigold extract, yucca extract, rosemary extract.

* * * * *

WHITES (chicken & rice)

Price (15kg): £32.99
Suggested daily amount: 250g
Daily feeding cost: 54p

Ingredients: Chicken (26%), rice (26%), barley, poultry fat, sugar beet pulp, fish meal, brewers yeast, yucca extract, minerals, vitamins, omega 3.

* * * * *

WINALOT (beef, rice & vegetables)

Price (15kg): £22.95
Suggested daily amount: 310g
Daily feeding cost: 47p

Ingredients: Cereals, meat and animal derivatives (min 4% beef) vegetable protein extracts, derivatives of vegetable origin, oils and fats, minerals, vegetables (min 4% green vegetables, min 4% carrots), EC permitted additives and colourings.

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''Dogs are like chocolates, you can never have just one!''

Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this. Will bookmark it.

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That's very helpful and interesting to see the feeding costs. Thanks for doing that - sure it'll help a lot of people. Claire

Brilliant, well done

On a side note, bit worrying how many reds there are

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This is fabulous! Can it be made into a sticky?

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Transplanted Geordie
RIP Jake, my best dog. 10.8.10
RIP Boomerang, beautiful horse. 27.5.08

Ooh great!

I've often thought something like this would be so handy. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

Very well done,a lot of time and effort involved!

I like the colour ratings for foods,and agree with you on most"if not all"of the foods involved,there are others,but the list is endless!

This will benefit some that are unsure of what foods to choose for their dog,regarding cereals,feeding costs etc!

I think this is what the forum needs!

A good rating system,based on types of foods,including nutritional value,prices and experiences on feeding!

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Wow thats fantastic, thanks for doing that

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The New Look Willow's Place Website
http://willowsplace.weebly.com/

Well done for putting all this data together - but do you not think that the "Suggested daily amount" is meaningless - why not simply quote price per Kilo ?

That and the percentage of the main ingredients allows you compare the brands.

If you seek a 35% meat content food for £1 /Kg buy supermarket value sausages. (A third of the price of many of the biscuits.)

Looking at that list, many contain the lovely phrase meat meal and animal by-products and by-product derivatives.

A link to one of the many EU laws that define Animal By-Products.

Hmmmmmmmm tasty Category Three by-products

Baked dried blood and day old male chicks (inc feathers)