A guide to feeding the Beta range
Beta is built as a life-stage range rather than one recipe for every dog: small-breed puppy, standard puppy, adult in a few protein options, a working-dog formula and a senior recipe. The main job when feeding it is picking the entry that matches the dog you actually have right now, and knowing when it's time to move to the next one.
The range at a glance
Beta's puppy line splits by size, a small-breed chicken recipe for toy and small dogs and a standard puppy formula for larger breeds, because puppies of very different adult sizes grow at different rates and need different kibble sizes to match their jaws. The adult range then offers a few named proteins, including a sensitive salmon recipe and a turkey and lamb option, alongside a working-dog formula for dogs with genuinely higher activity levels and a senior recipe for older dogs.
That spread means most dogs can stay within the Beta range across their whole life, moving between entries as their stage changes, rather than switching brand entirely every few years.
Moving a dog onto Beta, or between stages
Any new food, including a switch within the same brand, is worth introducing gradually over about a week - mixing in a little more of the new food each day rather than swapping bowls overnight, which gives the gut time to adjust and makes any reaction easier to spot.
Moving from puppy to adult, or from adult to senior, is really about the dog's actual stage rather than a fixed birthday: a small breed reaches adult size and can move onto adult food notably earlier than a large breed still growing into its frame, and the senior formula suits an older dog whose activity and needs have genuinely started to change rather than being tied to one age for every dog.
Choosing between the adult proteins
The adult range's named proteins exist so a dog who does better on one particular protein, or an owner who wants to rotate what a dog eats, has more than one option within the same brand rather than needing to switch entirely elsewhere. The sensitive salmon recipe is worth trying first for a dog who's shown any sign of not agreeing with a chicken-based diet.
There's no need to pick a protein and stay on it forever - a healthy adult dog can generally move between the named options within a range like this without issue, provided any change is still made gradually rather than overnight.
From this brand
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
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
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- How do I know which Beta recipe my dog needs?
- Start with size and life stage - small-breed puppy or standard puppy, then one of the adult proteins once grown, moving to working or senior formulas only once that description genuinely fits your dog. If you're unsure where a dog sits, your vet can help you judge stage and size against the range.
- Can I switch between Beta flavours without a gradual changeover?
- It's still worth a gradual switch even within the same brand, since a dog's gut adjusts to whatever it's currently eating. Mixing the new flavour in over about a week reduces the chance of loose stools compared with changing everything in one meal.
- Is the Beta working dog formula only for working dogs?
- It's aimed at dogs with genuinely higher energy needs, which working dogs typically have, but any dog with a similarly high activity level could suit it. A dog with average exercise needs is usually better matched to a standard adult recipe instead.
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.