Pedigree is not JUST for pedigrees (Pedigree Better By Nature Beef Rice & Veg)

Member Name: goosey

Product:	Pedigree Better By Nature Beef Rice & Veg
Date:	13/07/09 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A reliable, healthy, alternative brand

Disadvantages: The yellow kibble does not appeal to my dog's taste buds, and contains only 4% meat

Normally, I feed my little wards , Moses and Mollie, mainly on JamesWellBeloved complete dry foods, with a small amount of Cesar meat mixed in - just to add a bit of excitement to their taste buds.
But I always reckon that dogs, just like us, appreciate a bit of variety in their diets.

I am quite choosey when it comes to purchasing dog foods, more so, perhaps, than when choosing food for myself - but then we dog/cat lovers are all a like in that respect.

Pedigree, I was informed - rightly or wrongly, are trustworthy manufacturers of dog products, so when this comparatively new dog food, 'Pedigree, Better by Nature,' reached the supermarket shelves, I decided to give it a go, and let my darling pooches do the testing. I began by mixing a small amount at first, with their usual meals, increasing the amounts slightly each day, but never completely swapped the usual complete mix so that they always had some of each brand.

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'BETTER by NATURE' BEEF RICE AND VEG:
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There are, in fact two 'flavours' of 'Better by Nature,' available. The Beef rice and Veg or the Chicken, rice and veg. The only real difference between the two is the meat content.

I was attracted to this particular brand because of the claim that is made with, (and I quote) ".... selected natural and wholesome ingredients: Meaty chunks, balanced with garden vegetables and fruit, flaxseeds, wholegrain cereals and just the right amount of vitamins and minerals."

But here is the really important bit - No artificial colours and no artificial flavours. I am a bit of a health freak when it comes to my pets, as you may well have guessed by now.

I loved the little quip on the back of the bag, saying that the food is "Guaranteed to taste significantly better than slippers, socks, pot-plants and the postman. - Wish I had known that when I first had Moses, he sampled three out of the four listed items., plus a few others.

Pedigree claim that the sunflower oil and flaxseeds, rich in omega 3 and 6 combined with zinc, nourishes the dog's skin and coat.

The carrots, apple and corn and a selection of minerals plus vitamin E are rich in antioxidants, which support the animal's natural defence mechanisms.

The wholegrain cereals and sugar beet pulp are rich in prebiotic fibre and are thus, easily digested - ( no burps then)

The claim that the texture of the kibble (biscuit bits) help to prevent build up of plaque, by massaging the gums, I reserve judgement on that. Although they were harder than the usual brands of kibble.

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COST
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I buy my Pedigree food stuffs from our local pet shop or the market pet stall, and pay £6.49 for a 2.75kg bag.
It is cheaper than the Jameswellbeloved brand, which is about £7.00 for a 2 kg bag, one good reason for mixing the two brands.

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RESULTS OF THE VIGOROUS TESTING BY MOSES et al
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I have fed Moses and Mollie both flavours - Chicken and beef. They certainly enjoyed the extra addition to their dishes.
However, it was interesting to see that the Cesar meat was the first to disappear from their dishes, followed closely by the Jameswellbeloved kibble, and finally, the Better by Nature kibble.

Both dogs, would often spit out the yellow (Pedigree) kibble, which contained the maize, carrots and apple, and ate them last of all, and then only if still hungry. The yellow kibble was definately not a favourite.

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CONCLUSION
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From my observations, and because they left the Pedigree kibble to last, it would seem that both my dogs prefer their normal diet of Jameswellbeloved and Cesar, to Pedigree's Better by Nature Beef, Rice and Veg.
It must also be stressed that the Better by Nature kibble is not gluten free, so if your dog suffers yeast infections or react to gluten then, this is not the food for them.

It has also come to my notice that the Pedigree Better by Nature mix, contains approximately 16% less meat than the Jameswellbeloved kibble, and therefore perhaps not as healthy a complete food as I had first thought.

I feed my dogs mainly on JamesWellBeloved and Cesar, and just add small amounts of Better by Nature.
My vacuum collects any leftover yellow kibble, so perhaps the saving is not as good as I had imagined it to be.

The only time I change their diet to boiled rice and (expensive) chicken breast or fish is when they are poorly.

Summary: I wish my menus were as healthy as my dog's