How to compare dog food
Comparing dog food properly means reading the same figures on every pack — protein, fat and calorie content — rather than trusting marketing words like "premium" or "natural", which carry no legal definition. Once you know what the numbers mean, working out whether one food is genuinely more suited to your dog than another becomes a much shorter job.
Protein and fat percentages
The percentages on a pack are analytical constituents — the proportion of the finished food, by weight, that is protein, fat, fibre and ash. A higher protein percentage is not automatically "better"; it needs to suit your dog's size, age and activity level, and a highly active working dog has different needs from an elderly, less active one.
It is also worth remembering that percentage is measured against the food as sold, so a wet food's protein percentage will look much lower than a dry food's purely because wet food contains far more water. Comparing a wet food's protein percentage directly against a dry food's is comparing two different things unless you first adjust for moisture.
What kcal actually tells you
Calorie content, usually shown as kcal per 100g, tells you how energy-dense a food is rather than how good it is. A more energy-dense food means smaller daily portions for the same calorie intake, which matters for portion control and for working out true cost per day rather than cost per bag.
Feeding guidelines on the back of the pack are a starting point based on average dogs, not a fixed rule for your dog specifically. Bodyweight, condition and activity level all shift the right amount up or down, and your vet is the right person to help you settle on a target if your dog is over or under a healthy weight.
Reading the ingredients list beyond the percentages
Ingredients on a UK pack are listed by weight, so the first few items make up the bulk of the food. A named meat listed first, such as "chicken" rather than "meat and animal derivatives", tells you more about what is actually in the bag than the marketing on the front does.
Look at how ingredients are named rather than how many there are — a shorter list is not automatically healthier, and a longer one is not automatically worse. What matters is whether the named ingredients match what you are looking for, whether that is a single named protein, a particular format, or a food built for a specific life stage.
Turning it into a shortlist
Once you have checked protein and fat against your dog's needs, worked out true energy density, and read the ingredients list properly, you are comparing like with like rather than comparing marketing claims. From there, the product grid below is grouped by format and life stage so you can narrow it down by what your dog actually needs rather than by pack design.
It is worth writing down what actually matters for your own dog — age, activity level, any known sensitivity, and whether you feed wet, dry or a mix — before comparing packs side by side. A shortlist built on those specifics will hold up far better than one built on which bag looked most convincing on the shelf.
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
- Is higher protein always better for dogs?
- No. The right protein level depends on your dog's age, size and activity — a working or very active dog typically needs more than a small, sedentary older dog. Choosing purely on the highest percentage on the shelf ignores whether that level actually suits the dog eating it.
- Why do wet and dry food protein percentages look so different?
- Wet food contains far more water than dry food, so its protein percentage is measured against a much wetter total weight and looks lower as a result. To compare them fairly you need to look at the figures on a dry-matter basis rather than as printed on the pack.
- Does a shorter ingredients list mean a better food?
- Not automatically. What matters more is how clearly the ingredients are named and whether they suit what you are looking for, rather than simply counting how many items are on the list. A well-named, well-balanced longer list can be a perfectly good choice.
- How do I know how much to feed?
- Start from the feeding guide on the pack as a rough baseline, then adjust based on your dog's actual body condition over a few weeks. If you are unsure whether your dog is at a healthy weight, your vet can check and help you settle on the right daily amount.
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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.