Arden Grange dog food
When searching for good, high-quality nutrition for their pet, most owners turn to imported commercial diets. However, even among these, selection must be done carefully and the ingredients must be carefully examined, as the mere statement "made in Canada, Europe, or the USA" does not guarantee that the contents of the package are truly of the highest quality.
The subject of this review is Arden Grange, a British dog food that's easy to find in pet stores and even easier to buy online. This brand has long been known to Russian consumers for its dry food, canned food, and a series of crunchy treats for your pet.
Content
Manufacturer
All products manufactured under the Arden Grange brand are owned by Leander International Pet Foods Ltd. This company was founded by two well-known English dog breeders, Graham and Wendy Stephens, in 1981.
For 30 years, they focused on professional breeding of German Shepherds, but they decided to expand further. Initially, the company's main activity was the distribution of pet supplies, eventually becoming the largest wholesaler in the south of the UK. In 1996, they created their own brand, Arden Grange, which today produces super-premium dog food.
The manufacturer openly states that each package of their products contains a complete and detailed list of all ingredients contained within the bag. Their diets do not include potentially allergenic products, such as wheat, soy, beef, or dairy. They do not add sugar, salt, or GMO ingredients. The company is also particularly proud of their no-testing-on-animals policy, which they strictly adhere to and display a corresponding logo on every package.
Assortment
All Arden Grange dog food is divided into three main lines: adult food, puppy food, and wet food.
The dry food category for puppies consists of three nutritional items:
- for babies aged 3 to 8 weeks, can be used as the first complementary food, as well as for pregnant and lactating bitches;
- for puppies and growing dogs of small and medium breeds aged 2 to 9 months;
- for puppies and growing dogs, large and giant breeds over 8 weeks old;
The adult pet food line consists of 13 products. It features the classic menu division by dog size: toy, mini, medium, and large breeds, plus a diet for aging pets. For pets with special needs, there are Sensitive (sensitive skin and delicate digestion) and Light (overweight, tendency to gain weight) formulas.
Active dogs are also catered to, with Performance and Prestige diets available for service dogs, hunting dogs, and those with high physical activity. These include the Premium diet, which features increased protein and fat content and is corn-free, which is important for dogs with allergies or intolerances to corn.
Wet diets are available in four types of food in 395 gram jars. Three of them are hypoallergenic Adult pet food, available in a variety of flavors: chicken with vegetables and rice, lamb with vegetables and rice, and white fish with potatoes. The fourth canned dog food, Arden Grange, is a liquid diet. The official website of the Russian representative, for some reason, calls it "chicken soup," although the English-language source makes no mention of soup. This food is recommended for puppies of all breeds, as well as adult animals undergoing rehabilitation or recovering from illness.
While Arden Grange's product range isn't particularly diverse or extensive, all lines are functional and easy to understand. The manufacturer offers a variety of flavors, including chicken, fish, lamb, and pork, which are plenty to diversify your pet's diet.
Evaluation and analysis of the composition
Let's review the ingredients of Arden Grange lamb and rice food, which is recommended as a staple food for adult dogs with normal activity levels. This means that its nutritional properties should be ideal for a pet kept indoors.
Let's take a look at the guaranteed nutrient analysis:
- protein – 25%
- fat – 16%
- fiber – 2.5%
- ash – 8.9%
- humidity – 8%
Considering that carbohydrate levels are also important to know, we performed a simple calculation and arrived at 39.6%. This figure is unworthy of praise, as is the fiber level, which falls short of even the minimum.
When we began examining the ingredients, we discovered that the ingredients published on the official Russian and English websites differed significantly. Most importantly, the amount of meat components. So, here are the top five ingredients (both versions):
Ingredient number 1:
- Lamb (lamb meal 29%, fresh lamb 5%) – a variant of the original;
- Lamb meat (lamb meal 23%, fresh lamb meat 17.5%) – Russian source;
The following four components are not different:
- rice – 26%;
- corn;
- chicken fat;
- beet pulp;
Next comes dried whole egg and chicken digest, followed by yeast, flaxseed, and krill. Next comes a list of minerals, prebiotics, and supplements such as yucca extract, glucosamine, MSM, chondroitin, cranberry, and nucleotides.
Incidentally, the Russian-language version of the website doesn't list krill in the ingredients, but the origin of the fishmeal and fish oil is unknown. It's difficult to say why these inaccuracies arise; we'll chalk it up to translator oversight.
Squirrels
So, there are four protein sources. However, only lamb meal makes the top five by percentage, while raw lamb, which remains in very small amounts after cooking (about 2.5%), is likely to be ranked only after corn. Both of these ingredients are considered decent, high-quality sources of protein. Egg is seventh on the ingredient list, and krill is eleventh. Therefore, despite being rich in animal protein, their contribution to the overall formula is very small.
Fats
Fifth place is occupied by the only source of lipids in this diet: chicken fat. It is often used in prepared foods. This component is easily digested and absorbed by animals, and it is rich in linoleic acid and is very beneficial for skin and coat. A worthy component.
Carbohydrates
The second and third ingredients listed are two grains: rice and corn. This indicates they contain a lot of plant protein and carbohydrates. Essentially, these grains are used as cheap fillers, provide no nutritional benefit, and are not recommended in such quantities in dog food.
Other feed components
The list of all the ingredients in this menu isn't very extensive; it's mostly common ingredients found in most dry foods. The percentage and benefits of ingredients listed below fifth place are likely insignificant, but we'll highlight a few of the most interesting ones:
- Beet pulp acts as a beneficial fiber, promoting intestinal transit and improving digestion. It has no nutritional properties and is added in large quantities to reduce the cost of the product.
- Chicken digest is a natural flavoring obtained by boiling down chicken broth. It undergoes several processes to achieve a high flavor concentration. It serves as a flavoring additive in pet food.
- Krill is a small crustacean resembling a shrimp. It is rich in highly digestible omega-3 fatty acids, protein, choline, and a range of minerals. It helps normalize metabolism and has anti-inflammatory properties.
We also see a vitamin and mineral complex, the addition of which is necessary for the specific production of dry food, as well as prebiotics and supplements that help strengthen joints and ligaments. These are especially important in the diet of aging and large dogs.
Rosemary extract is used as an antioxidant, which can be considered a positive aspect of the product.
Arden Grange dog food reviews
Pet owners have already tried this brand's diets, so finding reviews and opinions on Arden Grange dog food wasn't difficult. Most dog owners are satisfied with this brand's products, although some have negative experiences.
Denis, owner of a Kurzhaar:
"I've been feeding him this food for six months now, and I can tell you right now – I'm happy, and so is the dog. Before, I had to frequently switch him from one food to another. I tried many hypoallergenic diets, but the result was always the same: conjunctivitis and dandruff. Now those problems are a thing of the past. High-quality food, good ingredients – I highly recommend it!"
Olga, Spitz and Dachshund:
"I decided to switch my little ones from natural food to dry food. I came across Arden Grange online. I wanted to choose a good food right away so I wouldn't have to torture myself and the dogs with long transitions. I liked the ingredients, so I went for it. I opened the package at home—it smelled pleasant, the kibble was small—and my dogs ate it right away, but by the second day they weren't even interested. It's still sitting in their bowls, untouched. It must be something they don't like, so I'll have to look elsewhere."
The price of Arden Grange food
Speaking of the material side of the issue, we went through online stores and reported that the average price of a package of dry food weighing:
- 2 kg - from 950 to 1210 rub.
- 6 kg – from 2515 to 3271 rub.
- 12 kg – from 4663 to 6233 rub.
Canned food, depending on the flavor, costs from 196 rubles to 320 rubles per can.
In conclusion, this brand's menu prices are comparable to many competitors in the super-premium dog food segment. However, Arden Grange's ingredients don't rival all other products in this category. Overall, it's a decent product, worthy of consideration and deserving of the "Good" label in its class.
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