Staffordshire Bull Terriers are the fifth most popular dog breed in the UK, according to a 2020 survey.
Just like any other dog breed or mix, Staffies require a balanced and complete diet to keep these energetic canines fuelled for their daily adventures.
Although Staffordshire Bull Terriers are athletic, muscular and powerful dogs, they’re prone to some health concerns like a lot of pure bred dogs.
In particular, Staffies can struggle with allergies and intolerances.
So it’s important you find the right dog food for your Staffie so you won’t exacerbate or trigger any allergies your terrier may have.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at three UK dog food companies who only use natural ingredients in their recipes.
We’ll introduce Staffie owners to a fresh dog food company, an air-dried dog food company and a raw dog food company in the hope of finding the perfect dietary solution for your canine companion.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as veterinary, medical or professional advice. The content of our articles does not constitute veterinary advice. It’s always best to speak with your vet or a certified pet nutritionist before making any changes to your pet's diet or feeding routine.
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Best Dog Food For Staffies UK: The Options
| Rating | Summary | Website | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butternut Box |
|
• Rip-and-serve • Six recipes • Human grade | Buy Now | |
| Pure |
|
• Air-dried food • Backed by vets • Customised | Buy Now | |
| Poppy's Picnic |
|
• Quality raw meat • British ingredients • No nasties | Buy Now |
Staffies Diet
Happy panting Staffordshire Bullterrier (Photo: Adobe)
Obesity in dogs is a big problem.
Did you know that between 35% and 59% of dogs in the UK are overweight or obese? Worryingly, 9 out of 10 pet owners were unable to recognise their dog was overweight!
The problem of obesity increases as your Staffies gets older.
It’s no secret that Staffies can be voracious eaters so dog owners need to exact control when it comes to preparing their pet’s meals.
The American Kennel Club outline that Staffordshire Bull Terriers require high-quality dog food in their diet. The organization writes:
Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity.
As you’ll be able to tell, obesity is a theme within the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed.
If you’re worried that your Staffie is overweight, you should speak to your vet to get professional advice.
The three dog food delivery companies featured in this article all provide low calorie, low fat options for Staffie owners.
They’ll customize their meals to meet your Bull’s specific needs, so if you’ve got an old Staffie that’s piled on the pounds, they’ll tailor their meal plan accordingly to work with pet parents to reach a common goal.
Staffies Health Problems
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Staffie owners will need to be aware of obesity as a major health concern for the breed but they can also be prone to some other health issues.
The AKC outline on their website that responsible Staffie breeders should be screening for health conditions such as elbow and hip dysplasia, patellar luxation and eye anomalies.
Skin allergies are another problem that can affect these clever and tenacious dogs. This could be down to a food intolerance in their diet as your dog struggles to digest certain ingredients.
Butternut Box explain on their website that Staffordshire Bull Terriers, like a lot of dog breeds and cross breeds, have an intolerance to grain or certain types of meat that lead to farting, itchy skin or other symptoms.
If you suspect your dog might be suffering with a food intolerance or food allergy, you should speak to your local veterinarian about an allergy or intolerance test.
You can also find some dog allergy or dog intolerance tests that you can purchase online. I had great success learning about some of my Alaskan Klee Kai’s allergies, allowing me to eliminate the offending foods from their diet.
Fresh Dog Food UK: Butternut Box
Website: www.butternutbox.com
Alaskan Klee Kai Copper and Skye with their Butternut Box delivery (Photo: @lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Butternut Box provide a fresh take on dog food by creating tasty meals delivered to your door. Tailored to meet your Staffie’s needs, you won’t have to worry about popping to your local pet store or supermarket for dog food again.
Their website explains that they use human-quality meat and vegetables, gently cooked to create tasty and complete meals. They balance their meals with the right amount of minerals and vitamins for Staffies of all ages.
Butternut Box’s food doesn’t have any additives or nasties, there’s no grains and they cook their meals at low temperatures before storing your Staffie’s food in pre-portioned meal pouches.
The Pros
• Human-quality ingredients
• Low calorie, low fat for Staffies
• Six recipes (beef, chicken, fish, lamb, pork and beef)
• Pre-portioned meal pouches
• Delivered to your door
• Sustainable approach
• 50% off your first and second order for our readers – click here
The Cons
• Premium price
• You can only order from their website
What Customers Are Saying
Butternut Box get an average rating of 4.9 stars out of 5 based upon over 7,000 reviews on independent review website Trustpilot.
Lanine explained that her fussy Staffie loves his Butternut Box meals.
I have a very fussy Staffie whom we have tried multiple different foods. Butternut Box food has been the only one he gets excited about and devours it.
Sharan didn’t hesitate to recommend Butternut Box to other Staffie owners.
Our Staffie Nemo was chewing his feet, his coat was dull and we were struggling finding a food that he wasn’t reacting to. We found this great company on Facebook and read the reviews so gave it a go! And is amazing! No reaction, coat is shinny and he rattles his bowl when he has finished as wants more. The guys are really helpful and would highly recommend if you want to be sure what you are really feeding your best friend.
Rosie described Butternut Box as the best thing ever for her Staffie.
Brian our Staffie has had to have a hypoallergenic diet all his life due to allergies. Butternut Box has been the best thing ever for him. No problems at all with transitioning to the food. His coat is glossy and he is excellent health. Service is excellent, friendly and helpful, and importantly packaging is kind to the planet. Brian gets very excited when the box is delivered.I can’t recommend the food highly enough.
Our Verdict
Butternut Box recipes (Photo: helloBARK!)
I’ve been feeding my Alaskan Klee Kai their custom Butternut Box meals for the past two years. Before I found Butternut Box, my mini huskies were fussy with their food.
My female Klee Kai has suffered with a sensitive stomach but her problems have cleared up since we made the switch to Butternut Box’s balanced and complete dog food.
I love that Butternut Box use pre-portioned meal pouches so it’s quick and easy to feed my Klee Kai. I really appreciate that they’ve got an environmentally-friendly approach to their business, too,
Customised Dry Dog Food: Pure Pet Food
Website: www.purepetfood.com
Alaskan Klee Kai with their Pure Pet Food (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
If you’re currently feeding your Staffie dry food that’s bought at the store, you may prefer to stick with dry food but find a dog food company that offer a fresher approach.
Pure Pet Food use high-quality ingredients to create their air-dried dog food, gently cooked in their human-grade kitchen in Yorkshire for dogs around Great Britain.
Their air-dried cooking methods means that your Staffie’s food will retain all its nutritional goodness and flavour.
Just like Butternut Box, you can tailor Pure’s food to meet your Staffie’s specific requirements whether you’ve got a Staffordshire Bull Terrier who needs to shed some pounds.
The Pros
• Top-quality ingredients
• Tailored to meet your Staffie’s needs
• Nine recipes
• Delivered to your door
• Store in your cupboard
• Vet approved
The Cons
• Premium price
• You can only order from their website
What Customers Are Saying
Pure Pet Food get an average rating of 4.9 stars out of 5 based upon over 1,700 reviews on Trustpilot since the dog food company started.
Jacki shared a wonderful story about how Pure’s food transformed her Staffie.
Pure has been fantastic for my rescue Staffie, Dolly. She arrived with allergies and anxiety. We changed her food over to Pure and have been able to stop the numerous medications that she was on. She has been with us for two years and we were really at a loss to know how to help her – the Vet had even suggested having her put to sleep. The Support Staff at Pure helped me to introduce the food gradually and it has proved much more than we could ever have expected. No medication now at all and a much more settled girl. She is shiny of coat and disposition! Wonderful!
Ray has noticed a difference in his Staffie’s stools.
This food is excellent. My Staffie, Mutley, has had loose stools for 7years but now since he has eaten Pure, his stools are perfect . He licks every last drop in his bowl and actually gets excited when he smells it. Highly recommend this Pure food.
Hilary is delighted that her Staffie’s allergies have improved on Pure.
We have a Staffie with exceptionally bad allergies. This food has been without doubt the best food she’s ever been on. I don’t think I’ve seen her so excited for dinner before. Great range, great customer service so I would 100% recommend this product and company.
Our Verdict
Alaskan Klee Kai with Pure Pet Food (Photo: www.hellobark.com)
While I feed my Alaskan Klee Kai Butternut Box as I mentioned above, I was sent some Pure Pet Food samples to try.
I was impressed with how quickly my dogs devoured their Pure meals, licking the bowl clean.
While it does require some preparation on the part of the owner, it’s pretty quick to put the food together.
Of the 1,700-plus reviews on Trustpilot, Pure get rave reviews from Staffie owners for the positive impact the air-dried food had on their dog’s allergies.
Raw Dog Food UK – Poppy’s Picnic
Website: www.poppyspicnic.co.uk
Alaskan Klee Kai with Poppy’s Picnic (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
Poppy’s Picnic are one of the leading raw dog food companies in the UK.
They’re based in Wiltshire and create their recipes using high-quality meat from local butchers.
Editor's note: It’s important to be aware of the risks associated with raw pet food, as it can be contaminated with harmful bacteria (such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria and E. coli). The UK government website offers the following advice to pet owners: wash your hands with hot water and soap immediately after handling raw pet food or treats; clean and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that the raw pet food touches; store and defrost raw pet food away from where human food is stored. Young children should not touch or eat raw pet food, as they’re more at risk of illness because their immune system is still developing and they’re more likely to put their hands in their mouth. You can check out the UK government’s guidance in full via this link.
The Pros
• Custom
• Meat from local butchers
• Vet approved
• No artificial additives, preservatives, fillers or colourings
• 12.5% off your first order and free superfood sprinkles – click here
The Cons
• Require freezer space
• Risks of raw dog food
• Can only order from their website
What Customers Are Saying
Poppy’s Picnic have an average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 based upon over 150 reviews on Trustpilot.
Natasha gave a gushing review based upon her experience.
Poppy’s Picnic is an outstanding quality product. We took on a rescue dog with a multitude of medical issues and struggled to find a diet that gave her all the nutrients she needed, then we found Poppy’s picnic. She is thriving on this diet. The food is fresh, well packaged and of the highest quality. We would recommend it to all dog owners. Hera is a happier dog since we changed her diet, her coat is healthier, her stomach is healthier and it has been beneficial in helping to maintain her weight with her thyroid condition.
Charles was happy to recommend the raw dog food to other dog owners.
We were concerned as to Bailey’s diet and his general health and condition. We moved to a RAW diet yet still had reservations until we saw Poppy’s Picnic on Dragons Den. The aspect that really had us thinking was the quality of the meat together with the other ingredients and no bulking to make it look good or reach a weight. Making further enquiries we were able to settle on a diet plan for Bailey, we sampled the Meatballs and Bailey loved them. No more problems with encouraging meals to be finished. We noted an improvement in bailey’s health and vitality, his coat improved.
Our Verdict
Alaskan Klee Kai with Poppy’s Picnic (Photo: lifewithkleekai / Instagram)
If you’ve got a Staffie and you’re thinking about making the switch to raw food, Poppy’s Picnic could be the perfect solution for you.
However, there are a lot of things to consider with raw pet food, considering there are pros and cons depending on your circumstances.
With regards to taste, I used Poppy’s Picnic as a tasty topper and my dogs loved it, especially their meat balls.
Anything Else To Consider?
If you’re thinking about making a change to your Staffie’s diet, you’ll need to speak to your vet to get their input in the decision-making process.
They can provide guidance and whether the dog food companies mentioned in this article will be a good fit for your Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
All the dog food companies mentioned in this article are able to provide guidance on how to make a successful transition from your Staffie’s old food to their new food.
Wrapping Up
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)
We’ve reached the end of our best dog food for Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the UK.
Staffies can be prone to issues with their weight leading to obesity, while the breed are susceptible to allergies and intolerances that can lead to itchy skin and other problems.
Butternut Box is my top pick based upon my experience feeding their fresh dog food to my Alaskan Klee Kai.
But don’t take it from me, there are a host of Staffie owners who have left glowing reviews of Butternut Box on independent review website Trustpilot.
If you’d like to consider dry food, Pure could be a good fit for you and your dog. Alternatively, you may like to consider raw food by checking out Poppy’s Picnic.
