What actually makes a dog food 'best rated'
We do not run a star-rating or review system for the dog food we stock, so rather than point you at a ranking we cannot honestly back, here is what a 'best rated' food should actually mean: a complete, correctly balanced food for your dog's life stage, with clearly named ingredients, that your individual dog digests well and thrives on. That last part varies by dog, which is exactly why a single universal rating tells you less than it appears to.
Why we don't publish star ratings
We do not currently collect or display customer reviews or star ratings on our product pages, so we are not going to hand you a 'best rated' list that implies we have data we don't. Being upfront about that matters more to us than inventing an answer that sounds more authoritative than it is.
What we can do honestly is explain what actually distinguishes a well-made complete dog food from a mediocre one, so you can judge any food on its own merits rather than relying on a score.
What genuinely separates a good food from a mediocre one
A named meat or meat meal as the first ingredient, rather than a vague 'meat and animal derivatives' listing, is one of the clearer signals of a food built with some care over its formulation.
The food should be clearly labelled 'complete' for your dog's specific life stage — puppy, adult or senior — rather than 'complementary', which is not designed to be fed alone. Checking this single word on the pack avoids more feeding mistakes than any ranking chart would.
Fit for your specific dog matters more than a label
A food that suits a large, active working dog is not automatically 'better' than one built for a small, sedentary senior — they are formulated for different needs, and the right choice depends on your dog rather than a universal hierarchy.
How your individual dog actually does on a food — firm stools, a healthy coat, steady energy and a stable weight — is the most reliable real-world signal you have, and it can genuinely differ between two dogs on the exact same food. Give any new food a proper trial of a few weeks before judging it, rather than switching again at the first minor change.
Our picks, and why
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Common questions
- Does Giddy Pets have customer reviews for dog food?
- Not currently — we don't run a review or star-rating system on our product pages. Rather than imply a rating we don't have, we would rather explain what genuinely matters when judging a food's quality so you can assess it yourself.
- How do I know if a dog food is actually good quality?
- Check that it is labelled 'complete' for your dog's life stage, that a named meat appears near the top of the ingredients list, and that the protein and fat levels suit your dog's activity level. How your own dog does on the food — coat, stools, energy and weight — tells you more than any external rating.
- Is the most expensive dog food always the best?
- Not necessarily. Price reflects ingredients, formulation and brand positioning, but the right food is the one that suits your dog's specific life stage and needs, which is not always the most expensive option on the shelf.
- Should I trust online dog food rating websites?
- Treat them with some caution, since many use their own scoring methods that are not independently verified and may not account for your individual dog's needs. Reading the actual ingredients and life-stage labelling on the pack, and watching how your own dog does on the food, is generally more reliable.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.