Gundog feeds: 6 of the best

A roundup of the six most nutritious, beneficial mixes that you can feed your working gundog to keep him happy and healthy.

Chudleys Performance

Best for active dogs

This new recipe combines traditional working dog ingredients; beef and tripe, with modern nutritional concepts to sustain the demands of active adult working dogs. This fully extruded complete food can be fed dry or moistened with water.

Chudleys Performance is a wheat and gluten free recipe. It contains glucosamine, green lipped mussel, mobility herbs and omega three fatty acids to nutritionally support the musculoskeletal system, and includes added carnitine to assist muscle metabolism. Enhanced levels of key vitamins, amino acids and trace nutrients support healthy skin condition and the addition of QLC (Quality Life Care), Chudleys unique natural blend, improves antioxidant status in active dogs.

Incorporating wholesome ingredients and competitively priced, this quality food delivers optimum levels of performance, stamina and recovery to the working dog and a premium product to its owner, ensuring active dogs look and feel their best.

RRP: £6.49 (2.5kg) and £25.99 (15kg)

Tel: 0845 345 2627

Skinners Field & Trial Turkey & Rice

Best for added value

Skinner’s Field & Trial Turkey & Rice is a hypoallergenic food and has been exclusively formulated to include joint aid for dogs at a daily maintenance level. joint aid for dogs provides complementary nutritional support for all dogs and can help maintain healthy digestion and freedom of movement in one complete feed. Field & Trial Turkey & Rice is completely hypoallergenic and has been specially formulated to be sensitive on your dog’s digestion and to reduce the likelihood of skin, coat and digestive conditions associated with sensitivities to wheat, maize, barley, soya and dairy products. It contains British turkey meat meal and has been formulated to give an excellent balance of Omega 3:6 fatty acids, which can help support the dog’s immune system. The food is coated in sunflower oil as a valuable source of energy and to maintain a healthy coat condition.

RRP: £8.89 (2.5kg); £35.69 (15kg)

www.skinnerspetfoods.co.uk

Kronch Pemmikan bars

Best for feeding in the field

Shooters have always liked to share their lunch with their working dogs but there are now snacks designed just for the

Kronch Pemmikan is comprised mainly of fat, protein and sugar and provides almost instant usable energy in dogs. It has also proved successful in overcoming and preventing the effects of Hypoglycemia in dogs worked under extreme conditions. Kronch Pemmikan allows you to give your dog large amounts of easily digestible energy from a small volume of feed, without overfilling the dog’s stomach and has proved useful in helping dogs recover from bouts of illness and operations. It is also very good in building up bitches after a litter of puppies.

Vet Vicky Payne says: “Pemmikan bars offer a fat and protein boost in a very concentrated form and are popular with agility competitors. The traditional Mars Bar should be avoided, both as chocolate is toxic in excess and because it’s energy is mostly carbohydrates.”

RRP: £6.95

www.kronch.co.uk

Pernamax Canine

Best for supplementary feeding

Pernamax Canine is a fast acting, natural joint care solution for dogs that suffer from mobility problems. It is ideal for all hardworking dogs including gundogs, sheep dogs and agility dogs.

Pernamax Canine Tablets contain high strength Green Lipped Mussel which can help to quickly soothe stiff joints. Optimum levels of Glucosamine, MSM, Vitamin D and Calcium help to maintain the long term health of canine joints. Pernamax Canine Tablets are suitable for dogs of all ages.

Results can be seen in as little as 7-10 days and Maxavita provide a free loading dose inside every pot of Pernamax Canine.

For 20% off simply enter the discount code GUNDOG15 at the online checkout.

RRP: 60 tablets - £19.95, 180 tablets - £49.85

For more information visit www.maxavita.com/canine or call 08450 752754.

Sneyd’s Wonderdog No1 Resting Mix

Best for older dogs

A highly palatable high oil content food made with real meat and especially formulated for older dogs. This food is dust free and the high oil content improves coat condition. With a crude protein content of 19% and fat at 10.5% this food is suitable for older dogs or those with lower energy requirements. It offers exceptional value for money at £12.99 per 15kg bag.

Nature’s Menu

Best for easy raw feeding

There’s no denying that a raw diet is one of the best ways to feed your gundog, but it is not always practical and can be messy. Nature’s Menu takes the mess and the hassle out of feeding raw. The raw food is packed in convenient pouches that you can just keep in the freezer – all you have to do is remember to take it out to thaw in time for feeding. The raw foods come in a wide range of flavours, from the exotic options such as venison and blueberry to more basics such as chicken and tripe, beef or chicken and fish. Choose from nuggets, minces or chunks.

RRP: Prices start at around £3.25 per pack

www.naturesmenu.co.uk

With so many options now on the market, knowing what’s right for you dog and – crucially – your budget can be a real minefield. Our gundog guru Ryan Kay recommends the website www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk to help you decide on the best option. You can do a simple search based on your dog’s age, weight and your daily budget, or a more advanced one. It’s a really comprehensive search.