Choosing the right food for your dog
At Wilsons, our cold pressed and raw frozen food is suitable for dogs of all ages and sizes, but within these ranges we have a whole host of different ingredients and recipes which can benefit your dog’s individual needs.
While most dogs enjoy variety, some may have a firm favourite and others may require a specific diet. Below we list the different requirements some owners may look for and our recommendations in these instances:
Pregnancy and puppies
When dogs become pregnant, they don’t require any change in their diet until around 8-6 weeks prior to their due date and while she is producing milk for her puppies, we recommend they are moved onto our Clear Water Salmon cold pressed which has higher calcium levels.
For puppies, we also recommend our Clear Water Salmon cold pressed as it has the best calcium to phosphorus levels to support bone growth. They also require a different feeding schedule compared to adult dogs to help support their growth which you can find in our puppy feeding guide. Typically you will also feed more regularly, from 4 times a day to begin with and gradually reducing to 2 a day as they get older.
Depending on their size/breed you will be able to feed our cold pressed from 2+ months, but as our dry food breaks down very easily you can also add some warm water to the bowl and stir it up as a paste for small dogs/young puppies.
Click here for our detailed puppy feeding guide >
Remember to always ensure your dogs have access to fresh water and speak to a vet over any concerns you may have regarding feeding.
Senior dogs
Dogs are typically regarded as senior from 7 years and over - all our dog food is suitable for older dogs, however depending on your dog’s health there are a wide variety of things to consider when choosing food their food.
If you are looking to support your dog’s joints, all our cold pressed food includes turmeric which is included for its health-promoting properties, and also supports their immune system. A range of our recipes also include green-lipped mussels which are a great anti-inflammatory for senior dogs' joints. Seaweed is another great ingredient for helping to boost the immune system which can be found in our Farmhouse Turkey and Duck cold pressed.
For some dogs who may have lost teeth as they got older or struggle with chewing, a great way to help is to add a little water to our cold pressed and mix it up to create a smooth paste. You could even break up some bits of the cold pressed to it to add a slight crunch.
If your dog struggles to put on weight or keep weight off, take a look at our advice below.
As always, if your dog has any specific issues it’s always best to consult your vet.
Overweight or underweight dogs
For dogs that aren’t at their correct weight, it’s always best to first ensure you are feeding the correct amount by weighing out your food and referring to our cold pressed feeding guide or raw frozen feeding guide (especially with cold pressed as the amount you feed differs greatly from other dry food), and also by consulting your vet to check there are no underlying health issues.
If your dog puts weight on easily or they are overweight, we would recommend lowering your food portion by 10% and opting for food with lower fat such as our Chicken Casserole Raw Frozen or Turkey Dinner Raw Frozen. Ensure you are also giving your dog appropriate exercise to help.
For dogs that struggle to put weight on or are underweight, you want to look for something with higher fat and calories, such as our Salmon Medley Raw Frozen or Lamb Tagine Raw Frozen. Ensure you also check their visual weight regularly.
Dogs with allergies
It’s important that if your dog has an allergy to speak to your vet first to understand what ingredients you need to avoid, then check our ingredients list carefully to ensure the food you are looking at doesn’t include these.
As part of our ranges, there are grain free and single sourced protein options available, we also have varieties with no chicken or chicken oil for dogs who may have allergies or intolerances to chicken.
Our ingredients list can be found on the 2nd tab of the product description (on your mobile, simply scroll to the bottom of the screen to change tabs).
Working or active dogs
For dogs who have a higher-than-average activity level, we recommend opting for our working dog cold pressed food.
Designed specifically for the working dog, our food contains a higher calorie content for extra energy while also containing a high meat content of 30% plus glucosamine and chondroitin to help protect active dogs’ joints.
If you have any queries on what to feed your dog or have any specifics issues you’re looking for help with, get in contact with us today on info@wilsonspetfood.co.uk or message us on social media (@WilsonsPetFood on Instagram or Facebook) and we’ll be happy to assist.