Bakers complete

[saffysmum]

Well, since I haven't been able to move my car in over a week, it was great timing to run out of dog food!  So off to my local shop with the sledge and I had a choice between tins of wet food or bakers complete.  I went for the bakers.  Big mistake!  Mine absolutely love it! To the point that they are stealing more out of the bag when they get the chance.  Now my impression of that food was it was terrible and full of aditives but I haven't noticed any difference yet either poo or behaviour wize.  Is it as bad as they say?  IF so, someone is going to have to tell my lot that it is available in emergencies only

[Emma xx]

Yeah i think it is pretty awful ingredients wise. Its got laods of colourings in it too to make the biscuits different colours.

I suppose it's a bit like McDonalds, tastes fab but eating it all the time would not do you any favours at all . I'd stick to the better quaility food when you can get it!

Emma xx

[Karma]

Agree with Emma - dogs love it in the same way children love sweets.... 

As an emergency, it's certainly better than starving, but it really is jammed full of unnecessaries...
As an illustration, my Dad's dog used to be on Bakers - her breath stank and her coat was dull... saw the vet many times about her breath (it was honestly eye-watering!!!) but there was nothing causing it.  I persuaded Dad to change her kibble, and he went for JWB - her breath improved within a couple of weeks, and her coat also improved.  She's now raw-fed and has normal breath (for a 10yr old dog with some broken teeth), her coat is great and her arthritis isn't as troublesome...

[mooching]

If it was me, I'd have gone for the canned food. Or probably rather gone for some "real food", eg chicken or white fish and rice/pasta, or some eggs, or canned pilchards. Anything really, other than Bakers or Beta.

The artificial colours and preservatives can lead to hyperactivity and/or allergies and gut problems, the chemical antioxidants they use are widely believed to be carcinogenic in humans, and that's quite apart from the sugar content and the fact that they use all kinds of waste products (animal waste, cereal waste, vegetable waste). Plus of course that the meat source is mostly unnamed (could feasibly be from any animal at all) and even the tiny named meat source could be from any part of the animal at all.

[Mittens]

Agree with everyone - Eddie has been on Pro Plan with a small amount of fish, mince or chicken since he was a baby, and when we got Ruby 15 months ago I quickly got her off Bakers Complete and on to the same (she was OCD and hyperactive to say the least) - well I was away two weeks ago and they ran out of food so my OH got them a box of Bakers complete, which of course they loved, and with a "want not waste not" mentality he insisted we finish the box ----- HUGE mistake as by the end of the week my usually fairly placid pupsters were climbing the walls, and the play fighting became a constant menace, getting totally out of hand (usually it's a quick box and then nap!  ). They are back on their normal food now and i've certainly seen them gradually calm down a bit 

[Holly2009]

Holly was getting quite fussy & had a spell on Bakers complete, loved it & was completely normal! Same nice coat, same Holly as usual, poops the same, no bad breath etc!
After five months, reading bits n bobs on COL about ingredients & long term effects we've moved onto JWB, she has a 'bit' softer poops & her breath smells   but long term it's better for her!    
(Dont feel bad saffysmum I dont think any worse of you   some people are just doggy food snobs & rightfully so)  

[Cockertime Blues]

I think I'd have gone for cooking porridge or rice (always available) and meat or an egg rather than Bakers. 

[Petepreston]

We were advised away from the tinned foods because the contents aren't consistent so any ingredients on the tin aren't in there in the same ratio from one tin to another. They state the batch contents. So you can go from a tin with no nasty stuff in it to one that has a concentration of them.

I looked into ProPlan and it wasn't too much better. It's worth checking who makes which foods and who owns which companies. It was shocking to see how many are ownered by the same one or two major companies. Some of them even have the nerve to claim that their food is better for your dog than other brands that they own.

I went with Burn's but accidentally advised three people to look at JWB (which I thought I'd gone with). One was a Cocker owner and she reports that her dogs are now much livelier but more even tempered (if that's the right phrase) and my in-laws switched from a dry food with ceasar added to JWB and the female Westie has lost weight without them trying anything more drastic - she was getting seriously overweight at only 1 year old.

It's the long term issues that convinced me as I can't see any other differences since stopping Proplan. Posie's coat was a little greasy and she was generally smelly but that could have been to do with her puppy habits.

[elaine.e]

I agree with Emma, that Bakers is a bit like McDonalds, but I wouldn't worry about using it for a few days or so if I was snowed in. The worst that's going to happen is they may be a bit hyper and may have slightly runny poos

The tricky bit might be persuading them back on their usual food. Maybe you could keep a bit of Bakers to mix half and half with their normal food for a couple of days to wean them back onto the healthy stuff.

There might be an added bonus though - if it makes them a bit windy it could cut down on the heating bills

[Petepreston]

Oh, I meant to say that I agree with the McDonald's analogy. I love a junk burger as much as the next slob, but I wouldn't want to eat one every day. Did you see Supersize Me? OMG 

[Mudmagnets]

Oh, I meant to say that I agree with the McDonald's analogy. I love a junk burger as much as the next slob, but I wouldn't want to eat one every day. Did you see Supersize Me? OMG  

NO missed that!! when were you on  

Re the emergencey Baker rations, can't think it would hurt for a short period, thought I was gonna have to do the same the other day, get some Butchers Tinned in as I had nearly run out of NatureDiet. Luckily N/D delivered just in time, bless 'em Had they not though I have a couple of tins in now, just in case. 

[saffysmum]

It's OK guys.  I managed out to the pet shop yesterday and got 2 bags of my usual.  I was a bit worried when I put it down last night that I used some left-over bolognase mince mixed through but they scoffed their dinner no problems.

[carolinemaltas]

Well what a totally awful dog owner I must be. Both our dogs have Bakers complete all the time- our Vet said it was fine and that there was a lot of snobbery in dog food ! Our last retirevers were all on it and the last two lived until 14 1/2 and 12 1/2...and do you know what ( shock horror!!) I even give them butchers tripe tinned food sometimes. What happened before when there was only tinned dog food available and "complete" dried foods hadn't been invented.

I am obviously an unfit mother and not a worthy cocker owner......

 

[seaangler]

Well what a totally awful dog owner I must be. Both our dogs have Bakers complete all the time- our Vet said it was fine and that there was a lot of snobbery in dog food ! Our last retirevers were all on it and the last two lived until 14 1/2 and 12 1/2...and do you know what ( shock horror!!) I even give them butchers tripe tinned food sometimes. What happened before when there was only tinned dog food available and "complete" dried foods hadn't been invented.

I am obviously an unfit mother and not a worthy cocker owner......

 

YOU ARE NOT...I totally agree with you...Its the wife ideal the food that are Dogs are on...At the moment J.W.B.L for Peggy and Veterinary food for Cindy costing a bomb...If you look on the ingredients of the Bakers you are only paying for feet and feathers a little protean and the rest of it is rubbish that goes into it as to paying twice as dear for the food we pay out for are peggy....Are dogs would pick up and eat any thing while out and about...Its only us that stops them....Including cow/horse Sh one T....

All i can say is see how they get on with BAKERS in the next week or so..And see if there is any change in them....After all Bakers is a cheap top selling dog food!!!!

[Karma]

Well what a totally awful dog owner I must be. Both our dogs have Bakers complete all the time- our Vet said it was fine and that there was a lot of snobbery in dog food ! Our last retirevers were all on it and the last two lived until 14 1/2 and 12 1/2...and do you know what ( shock horror!!) I even give them butchers tripe tinned food sometimes. What happened before when there was only tinned dog food available and "complete" dried foods hadn't been invented.

I am obviously an unfit mother and not a worthy cocker owner......

 

Nobody is saying you are an unfit mother or an unworthy cocker owner - however your vet is talking as much tripe as is in the tins of butchers.... (which I would feed above bakers any time!).
Just because some dogs live long lives on low quality food doesn't mean it's a good food... it's not snobbery - I have no objection to it being a cheap food - I object to the amount of artificial colours and other additives, and the fact that it has such a low meat content.

What happened before complete foods were available?? Dogs ate a large variety of leftovers (from proper food, rather than the convenience rubbish we eat these days) - far healthier than a lot of these complete foods... they would get the entrails out of the sunday roast, bones to chew on etc etc.  They weren't fed a diet artificially high in wheat and other cereals, they weren't fed loads of carbohydrate and they weren't fed food full of additives.

For what it's worth, my Dad's dog's vet was perfectly happy with his dog on Bakers - he was adamant her breath was nothing to do with food... but the results of changing speak for themselves...