Until now we've been feeding the hound on Hills, but I thought I'd try some food on ebay (mymaddog.co.uk) which had very good feedback of the 'my dog loves it' variety, so I got a trialpack and she seems to like it just fine, but I was checking ingredients, and tho' the vitamin ratings seem essentially the same, I did note two big differences as against the Hills: meat @ 'min 4% chicken' (as against 20%) and ash @ 8.4% (double the Hills). Should I worry about these numbers? I don't want to even risk compromising health, needless to say. Thanks for any advice/help.

I think the problem with that is you cant be sure that the food does have the nutritional value they claim it has.
I personally think its a big risk and I myself wouldnt trust it if its not bagged and labelled by a reputable company.
Unless you have it analised yourself to make sure, it could be any cheap rubbish.

__________________
Lifes roads are for journeys, not destinations!

I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole personally.

__________________

would you eat food from e bay????

Thanks all for responding. I don't think they're lying. They could be of course, but I think it's extremely unlikely. I think it's far more likely that they are what they claim to be - a company that's been making and selling animal feed for several hundred years, and is simply seizing on a new distribution channel.

They have a massively positive feedback rating, including loads of repeat business.

The full nutritional rundown of the food is:

Cereals (rice minimum 4%), meat and animal derivatives (chicken minimum 4%), Derivatives of vegetable origin, Oils and fats, Minerals, EU Registered Antioxidant E321.

Analysis:

22% Protein, 12% Oil, 2% Fibre 8.5% Ash.

Vitamin A 12000 i.u./Kg
Vitamin D3 1200i.u./Kg
Vitamin E 120i.u./Kg

...which on the face of it seems on a par with the one we've been getting, at well over twice the price.

Going by the ingredients and the analysis, rather than the source, does this look like a reasonable option? Or is there some clear & obvious indication that it should be avoided?

Thanks again.

I would avoid like the plague.

Cereals could be anything, including maize and corn which are difficult for dogs to digest and are linked to allergies. The lack of a specific source also indicates poor quality.

Meat is again non specific and could be from any animal. Animal deriatives are often made up of by-products and once again could be from any animal.

E321 - BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) is banned in numerous countires because of its links with cancer.

__________________

Thanks - that sounds pretty sound to me. It shall be avoided.