Complete foods come in two styles, a museli-like product and an extruded biscuit-like product. The former was the original one and must be soaked before feeding.

The extruded biscuit-like product is newer but still has been around for over 30 years and could be made from exactly the same ingredients as the first although the ingredients have been finely ground, cooked to a greater degree and extruded and expanded to produce the final crunchy nuggets. They are not usually soaked prior to feeding. All the premium products are of this style, indeed the extruded style dominates the market at every price level.

What is the difference between a cheap Extruded food and an expensive one, do you get what you pay for or is there more to it? Opinions vary, but broadly speaking we think that you do get what you pay for and if you change to a more expensive product you can usually see the difference in the dog. Also, it is worth bearing in mind that if you compare the manufacturer's recommended feeding levels you will find that you use much less of the more expensive products.

To put cost into perspective, we have a customer to whom we have been delivering for several years. She has a golden retriever which is fed on Nutro's Choice Lamb, our biggest selling complete food. A 15 Kg sack costs her £37.50 and it lasts the dog exactly six weeks. That is £6.25 a week or 89p a day. Bearing in mind that the dog gets that and water and nothing else, I think that this compares very favourably with any other form of feeding especially when you look at the excellent condition of the dog.

In summary, if you choose not to use raw meat, the best alternative is a complete food and it is worth paying extra for a premium brand. It is the most convenient method, is less environmentally wasteful, and including veterinary fees the cost of ownership of the dog is likely to be the lowest since we have cured countless dogs of chronic conditions simply by finding the right feeding regime.

Many dry foods are offered in life stages and the senior products often contain additives that are of positive benefit to arthritic conditions.