Is Skinner’s good enough to feed to your furry friend? Read on to find out everything you need to know in this Skinner’s dog food review.
The Skinner’s dog food brand has been in existence since the 1970s. Although the mill that belongs to the Skinner family has been around since 1688, serving seven generations of this Suffolk-based family.
Originally, the Skinner brand focused on animal feed compounds, but when Roger Skinner, the Chairman, decided to branch into dry complete dog foods it was to take advantage of a gap in the market.
Over the past four decades, Skinner’s dog food has earned a strong reputation in the marketplace thanks to its high quality and competitive pricing.
What Products are in the Skinner’s Range?
The Skinner’s range encompasses a wide variety of products to suit the needs of all kinds of dogs.
Buyers can choose from specialist Skinner’s puppy foods, foods for adult dogs, working dogs and for less active dogs as well as specific foods tailored to the needs of dogs with allergies and sensitivities.
There are grain-free varieties, low-fat options, and complete dry foods tailored to the needs of senior pets.
Recommended Article: Many dog owners are switching to grain-free dog foods because of the supposed health benefits. But should you do the same?
What are the Health Benefits?
All dog owners want to be sure that they’re buying high-quality food that will keep their beloved pet healthy.
Skinner’s food ranges contain many beneficial ingredients while leaving out some ingredients that are known to cause medical issues in dogs.
Skinner’s dog foods are free of both wheat and gluten. Although these ingredients are bad for all dogs, they do cause some pets to develop digestive problems and allergic reactions.
Therefore, leaving these ingredients out of dry food is a good way to protect dogs’ health.
There are no artificial colors in these food products. Since artificial colors can be harmful to your pet’s health, it’s well worth looking for a pet food that contains none.
No preservatives like BHT or BHA are used in the production of Skinners products. Preservatives are bad for humans and they’re bad for dogs too.
Over time, they can result in behavioral changes, digestive problems or even cancer, but Skinners foods have none of these harmful ingredients.
Sunflower oil is an ingredient in these foods for healthier, shinier fur. The health of your pet can be judged easily by their stool quality and their coat’s glossiness.
Skinners foods help with both, ensuring your pet’s digestive system functions properly and their coat looks beautiful and shiny.
No dairy or maize. While maize won’t harm your pet, it won’t promote good well-being either.
It is simply a filler ingredient that could better be replaced with other higher-quality ingredients, and Skinners have done just that. Dairy may cause health issues too since some dogs have lactose intolerance.
The ingredients used in many Skinners products are safe for sensitive pets that suffer from allergies.
They guard against stomach pains, flatulence and bad odors and cater for the needs of pets who experience reactions when eating certain types of food like wheat.
Is Skinners Food Good Value For Money?
Although Skinners food products aren’t the cheapest on the market, they are good quality and therefore you would expect to pay a little more for a premium brand. This brand caters for a wide range of budgets.
Their standard food comes in at a very competitive price while the specialist dietary ranges are more costly, but those types of foods are more expensive across the industry.
If you compare Skinners’ standard dog food with comparative brands like Wainwrights, you’ll find that Skinners is more affordable and yet offers a similar level of nutrition for your pet.
Essentially, you are getting what you’re paying for, and in the case of this brand, your pet will enjoy good quality nutrition at a competitive price.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
Although Skinners products are good quality dog foods, and certainly offer better nutritional value than many of its competitors on the market, meat still isn’t always the main ingredient.
For example, in one of its products, there is only 20% duck meat, with brown rice being listed as the primary ingredient.Also, if you examine the nutrients list, you’ll see that there is a relatively low crude ash content.
Crude ash, although it sounds like something you don’t really want to have in your dog food, is actually the amount of energy that comes from minerals and vitamins in the food. Therefore, you want a higher percentage of it.
The recommended percentage is 8% or higher, and Skinners dog food only contains around 5% crude ash.
Recommended Reading: Wondering which dog food is right for your pet? Here, Forthglade dog food is reviewed so you can decide whether it’s a good option for your furry friend.
Should I Buy Skinners Dog Foods?
The main purpose of reading Skinners dog food reviews like this one is to determine whether or not it’s a good choice for your pet, so should you take the plunge and make a purchase from this brand?
If you’re looking for a reliable dog food that is a cut above the standard supermarket brands, you should definitely consider the Skinners brand.
Its foods contain more protein than many rival brands and don’t have any unwanted preservatives or potentially harmful ingredients that could make your pet unwell. Therefore, you can be confident that you’re doing the right thing for your four-legged companion.
When it comes to value for money, you can enjoy competitive pricing on this brand.
It certainly isn’t one of the cheapest options, so if you’re on a very low budget it might not be the right choice for you, however, it’s more affordable than some similar products that are comparable in the quality of the nutrition they offer, so you’re definitely going to enjoy good value for money.
If you’ve decided that Skinners isn’t the best choice for your pet, there are a few suitable alternatives that you might want to consider.
Wainwrights is one brand that compares will with Skinners, offering premium quality nutrition for dogs will all kinds of nutritional requirements, however, it comes in at a higher price so you’ll need to bear this in mind when making your decision.
