As long as your dog is fit and healthy and you’re both happy with the food then there’s no reason to change. Different dogs do better with different foods and while the ingredients list allows us to predict which foods are likely to be better for the majority of dogs, there will always be cases where an individual dog is better suited to some of the lower-rated foods than some higher-rated ones.

Ekopet pet food’s aim is to help you to find food that keeps your dog healthy and happy. We would certainly recommend sticking with one food rather than changing it.

On the other hand, if your dog is showing signs of illness, even occasionally, then a change may be the best option. Early signs of dietary problems include:

• Digestive upsets: loose motions (often getting looser over the course of the day), excessive or very smelly wind, regular vomiting (particularly after meals).
• Skin/coat problems: itching, bald patches, scurfiness, excessive dandruff, constant moulting, greasy and/or smelly coat.
• Hyperactivity
• Runny eyes
• Bad breath
• Regular build up of plaque
• Regular anal gland problems
• Low on energy

Logically, when a manufacturer changes their recipes, the nutritional values would have to be recalculated. In such cases, you will see an ‘updated’ banner on the food’s ingredients and nutritional listing.

Every once and a while,we update our nutritional values on the site so if your food’s nutritional value has changed but you don’t see the ‘updated’ banner, then the change is at our end and not with the food itself.

Our profile symbols are intended to let you easily know if a food or treat might be suitable for your dog or not.

1. You will only see our natural logo on foods that do not have any added artificial preservatives, antioxidants, colourings and flavourings. The logo is also not awarded to foods containing other controversial synthetic ingredients.
2. The meat logo means that the finished food contains meat ingredients on a dry matter basis (once all of the water has been removed).
3. For a food to be hypoallergenic it must have a low chance of causing reactions. We only give the hypoallergenic logo to foods that are free from ingredients that often cause allergic reactions and intolerances in dogs, like wheat, maize, dairy products, soya products and artificial additives.

As long as your dog is fit and well and doesn’t have any history of health problems, then chances are the macro-nutrient levels of your dog food won’t even need to cross your mind. However, on the other hand, if your dog belongs to one of the below groups, the nutrient levels may need to be altered accordingly.

1. Overweight dogs: If your dog needs to lose weight, look for a food with below average fat levels.
2. Hungry dogs: For food-lover dogs, a high fibre diet can really help by slowing down digestion and making him feel fuller for longer.
3. Highly active dogs: The best sources of energy for a dog are fat and protein so if your dog is engaged in extensive activity on a daily basis, he may benefit from a food with above average fat and protein levels.
4. Puppies: To maintain healthy growth, puppies need plenty of protein and fat.
5. Health problems: Many health problems can be cured with dietary changes so if your dog is suffering from anything from itchy skin to cancer, please ask your vet what macro-nutrient levels would be best for them.