Frequently Asked Questions

You’ve heard it before, ‘you are what you eat’ - and this is just as relevant for your pet as it is to you. A good diet is crucial to your pet’s overall health and wellbeing.

At Forthglade our aim has remained the same since we opened our doors in 1971; to produce simple, wholesome & natural meals for dogs which provide them with the nourishment they deserve. You only need to see and smell our food to appreciate the quality.

Forthglade recipes are natural (with added vitamins & minerals in our complete ranges). Each & every recipe is completely free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

We live by a ‘free from junk and fillers’ promise - so you can be confident your four-legged friend is getting the best possible nutrition from their meal.

Our pet food is more expensive than some other brands because we only use good quality meat, fish and other nutritionally rich premium ingredients.

We strongly believe against adding any ‘junk’ or 'fillers' to our meals, to produce the best quality products we can.

Our pet foods are tested by a number of independent pet food authorities and independent nutritionists to ensure food safety and quality. We are regularly audited by BRC and APHA (previously known as DEFRA) accreditation for our pet food manufacturing.

Ingredient percentages are given as a minimum percentage. There are no additional ingredients other than those stated on pack.

Like human foods, herbs & botanicals are used because of their natural benefits. For details of all our ingredients and their benefits to our pet’s health please refer to the ingredients page.

We only ever use good quality meat and fish, and although we source a large proportion of it from within the UK, we do from time-to-time source meat from overseas.

We have specific recipes which contain liver - this ingredient is categorised as an animal derivative, but we use it because of it's rich nutritional value and therefore we're happy to state it on the front of our pack.

We don't use any animal derivatives that offer little or no nutritional value to your dog.

Our honesty promise means that what you see is what you get - if it says chicken, then it's chicken we use in the recipe!

In our Just products, the only mineral we add is seaweed extract - all other minerals contained in the product are those that are naturally occurring.

We’ve used Sweet Potato as a delicious and nutritious complex carbohydrate (that most dogs love!), in place of things like grains to ensure that each meal is nutritionally balanced for your dog(s).

Sweet potato is also a great source of Vitamin A and energy within your dog’s diet.

Our lightly baked range contains 50% protein

Yes!

Each bottle contains 95.5% Salmon Oil along with 0.5% Antioxidants (Natural Tocopherois).

Natural Tocopherois (part of the vitamin E family of compounds) is a powerful antioxidant and natural preservative derived from vegetable oil.

Liver is rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals than can support your dog’s overall health & wellbeing.

When changing a pet’s diet it’s crucial to do it gradually in order to be gentle on their digestive system.

Ideally the new diet should be added to their current food in very small portions over a 5 day period, increasing this small amount each day until eventually you are feeding your pet 100% Forthglade.

Here is some advice from Dr James Greenwood, Media Vet and Forthglade Ambassador:

"When transitioning your dog onto a new diet, it is particularly important to do this gradually and to avoid any sudden changes. This allows your dog’s digestive system to adapt with the switch and remain in balance. As a minimum, allow 5 full days to gradually reduce their current diet whilst simultaneously increasing their new food with each meal. For dogs with sensitive tummies, go even slower and transition over 1-2 weeks"

All Forthglade meals are natural, full of wholesome goodness and gentle enough for all dogs from 2 months+.

We do specifically produce complete wet meals for puppies which contain additional glucosamine & chondroitin to support the growth and development of your dog.

Elderly pets have specific dietary requirements as they have smaller appetites, burn less energy and benefit from highly digestible foods.

All Forthglade meals are natural and full of wholesome goodness and gentle enough for all ages. We produce complete wet meals specifically designed for senior dogs (7 years+) which contain additional glucosamine & chondroitin to support their joints & bones.

All our recipes are wonderfully nutritious, so ideal for nourishing pregnant or nursing pets. Many breeders across the UK are proud to both use and recommend Forthglade.

Our Forthglade meals for senior dogs are a lighter meal that can be fed to all dogs no matter their age.

A Forthglade diet may be able to aid weight loss if appropriate portion controls are followed. Speak to your vet to be confident what amount of food is most suitable for your individual pet, alongside an appropriate exercise routine.

Our Forthglade meals for senior dogs are a lighter meal that can be fed to all dogs no matter their age. Each tray contains 60% protein and are made using good quality ingredients and we don’t add any unnecessary oils, grease or fat.

The lighter calorie content can help support your dog in maintaining a healthy weight.

Pets are great at keeping themselves properly hydrated, so you should ensure that they have access to clean fresh water 24 hours a day.

Sadly, many pet foods use colourings and flavourings which can massively effect animal behaviour and concentration.

Following a healthy, natural diet can have a positive impact on your pet’s behaviour, making them happier, healthier and calmer. We our proud that our wet food range contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

You can safely store your opened trays of Forthglade wet meals in the fridge for up to two days after opening, without any compromise to quality or flavour.

Forthglade wet meals can be frozen, but we recommend transferring the contents into a freezer-safe container and using within three months.

Each pack whilst unopened has a shelf life of 18 months from the date it was made, and you can find the use by date printed on the short side of each individual tray.

We don't recommend freezing any of our other products.

You can check the use-by date on the box, trays and bags of food. On average, our dog food lasts 18 months from the date of manufacture.

Yes!

We do not store any payment card information and our staff do not have access to your card number or any other payment details. Our payment partner, Stripe, is a very large specialist ecommerce payments processor who must adhere to strict rules around data security.

Once you've added items to your basket, you'll need to register your details with us in order to complete your purchase - we'll save your details to speed up the ordering process for you next time around. 

We won't send you any marketing e-mails unless you request to be opted in, but we will send you e-mails relating to any purchases e.g. receipt & delivery details.

We hope that you and your pet will be very happy with our foods, however if for any reason you are not satisfied, we are happy for you to return the goods to us.

Please see our Delivery & Returns page for more information.

Orders with standard delivery can take up to 5 business days to arrive, but will usually arrive much faster.

If you need your Forthglade feast fast, place your order with Next Day delivery before 6pm (Mon-Thurs).

Orders placed on Friday will be dispatched same-day for delivery on the next working day (usually Monday, unless it's a Bank Holiday).

We'll send our delicious dinners with DHL or Evri, depending on how big your order is. It's not possible to select which courier your order is sent with, so small orders will be sent with Evri, and larger orders will be sent with DHL.

Our packing team are super efficient, so it's usually not possible for us to cancel or change an order once it's been processed. Be sure to double-check your order before placing it! If you need any assistance, however, our Customer Service are on hand on info@forthglade.com

It’s easy, simply browse the Forthglade website for your favourite recipes. Then on the product page, select ‘subscribe and save’ and choose how often you would like your delivery. Checkout as normal and your subscription will be in place.

Once you have subscribed you will receive an email confirming your subscription order. The email will include a link to your account which is where you can manage your subscription.

Your first order will be placed and arrive as normal. All future orders will be placed automatically based on your selected delivery frequency. We will take payment at the time each order is processed and will deliver using our express delivery service. 

We’ll email you before each delivery so that you know it is coming soon and you can change or skip if required.

You are free to cancel your subscription at any time.

To cancel your subscription, visit the subscription section within your account and select the active subscription you would like to cancel.

Click cancel and you’ll be prompted to give your reason for cancellation. Once you’ve selected a reason, click next, then cancel and your subscription will be cancelled and no future orders will be placed. You will receive an email confirming this.

This can be done easily within the subscription section of your Forthglade account.

Select the active subscription and there you’ll be able to manage your order dates, the frequency of your deliveries, the quantity and you can skip your next order.

If you would like to send your order straight away rather than wait for your next subscription date, you can do so by selecting deliver now.

Billing or delivery information can also be managed in the subscription section of your Forthglade account.

Yes, this can be done easily within the subscription section of your Forthglade account. Select the order you would like to skip and click the 'skip this order' button.

If you would like to send your order straight away rather than wait for your next subscription date, you can do so by selecting deliver now.

You can choose to schedule your orders every 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks.

Free delivery is available for all subscription orders over £30.

Orders that are less than £30 will include a delivery cost of £3.99.

You can view your upcoming deliveries within the subscription section of your Forthglade account.

Once you’ve set up your subscription it will run indefinitely based on the delivery frequency you have chosen.

You can change, skip or cancel in the subscription section of your Forthglade account.

You can order most recipes from our range of wet food, dry food and treats however our starter pack, taster packs, birthday box and limited edition recipes are excluded.

Simply look for the subscribe and save option on the product page to begin creating your subscription.

Our subscription service gives you 10% off all products which will be automatically added. No further discount codes or offer codes can be used against a subscription order.

On-going payments will reflect the full price as listed on the website minus the 10% subscriber discount. Any discrepancy to these prices can be changed at any time.

If a subscription is taken out during a promotional period and an additional discount is applied, the price will automatically revert to the 10% subscriber discount on full price products.

Once you have an active subscription with us, you’re automatically part of our rewards program! That means you’ll get access to exclusive benefits, like credits based on your order value, surprise free gifts in your orders, special competitions, and even discounts!

Learn more about Subscription Rewards

Each order is unique! We like to keep things exciting, so what reward you get will vary depending on your subscription streak. We want to surprise and delight you with something different every order.

To earn and keep your rewards, you’ll need an active subscription. An active subscription is ordering at least once every 6 months. If you cancel all your subscription items, any saved credits or rewards will be cleared. If you decide to restart your subscription later, you’ll be eligible for to earn new rewards again.

Subscription credits are like little bonuses you earn as you continue with your subscription. You can track and manage them in your subscription portal, and use them to save on future subscription orders. Credits can only be used on subscription orders and not elsewhere on Forthglade.com

We want to surprise our subscribers with a range of different free gifts and maybe encourage you to try something new!

If your dog isn’t able to enjoy the free gift, we’d love for you to pass it along! we kindly ask that you donate it to a local shelter or gift it to another dog owner.

We've got clear T&Cs for our Subscription Rewards Program available here. If you have any more questions or need assistance, our friendly customer service team is here to help. Learn More

Every now and then, we'll treat our subscribers with special voucher codes or gift cards. These can be used for one-off purchases, but please note, they can't be applied to your subscription. We know it might seem a bit unusual for a subscription reward, but we love offering our loyal subscribers the chance to enjoy exclusive discounts on special products—like our limited edition items and saver bundles—that aren't included in your subscription plan!

Don’t worry— as long as you have at least one product on our subscription plan, your rewards are safe! If you ever need to take a break, we recommend swapping products instead of cancelling them completely, or simply pausing your subscription. Just a quick reminder, to keep your subscription active, make sure you place an subscription order at least once every 6 months!

No, your account is set up so that the discount will automatically apply once you order reaches the minimum order value.

All orders over £30 are free however if placing a sizeable order, we may contact you to arrange pallet delivery for maximum efficiency and to avoid items getting damaged in transit.

No, because this applies further discount and you are already benefitting from a large discount we don't allow our trade customers to have subscriptions.

The trade discount applies to all full priced goods on Forthglade.com only. It is not transferrable across other online retailers or to any of our stockists.

On average the calorie content of our complete wet recipes is 150-160 Kcal per 100g. The calorie content varies depending on the meat used in the recipe.

Our white fish recipes are at the lowest end of the calorie scale. Each recipe will contain detailed nutritional information both on the product page and product when sent.

On average, the calorie content of our Just 90% complementary food is 120-140 Kcal per 100g - slightly less than our complete meals because it's only part of the meal

A complete meal contains everything your dog needs to stay happy & healthy - so it simply means that you don't need to mix it with anything else for your four-legged friend to get all the nutrition they need from their dinner. Most of our recipes are complete, with the only exception being our 'Just 90%' range which is a complementary food.

A complementary food is designed to be fed alongside something else for a balanced diet. Feeding a complementary food alone will not give your dog the balanced meal and nourishment they need - so you have to add either your own selection of carbohydrate and fibre filled vegetables or a good quality mixer.

Grains aren't something to be worried about unless your dog has an allergy or intolerance to them.

The natural fibre found in our wholegrains are easily digestible promoting healthy digestion.

Some of our customers like to mix and match between grain free and wholegrain recipes, opting for wholegrain before particularly long walks or intensive exercise. Or they simply feed just to keep their dog topped up.

All of our wet recipes are hypoallergenic. This means we carefully select our ingredients to ensure that our recipes are of the best quality for your four legged friend. We use simple, quality ingredients with no junk or nasties. This means delicious and nutritious recipes that are kind and gentle to your dogs tummy.

Oats are a great alternative source of carbohydrates for dogs that may be sensitive to wheat, as well as being a great source of protein, fibre and a range of vitamins that can contribute to your dog’s overall health and wellbeing.

Wholegrain Brown Rice is a great, natural source of carbohydrate which is rich in fibre, antioxidants, manganese, magnesium & selenium which can all contribute to your dog’s digestive and overall health.

Our senior recipes contain a tailored mix of vitamins & minerals designed to support your older dog. Senior recipes contain higher levels of Glucosamine & Chondroitin as well as Salmon Oil, rich in Omega-3, to support your dog's joints & bones during their senior years.

In addition, our senior recipes are 15% lower in fat than our equivalent adult recipes in order to help support your dog to maintain a healthy weight as they move into their (usually a little slower) senior years.

In order to provide your senior dog with the best possible nutrition for their life stage, we’ve increased the amount of lower calorie vegetables alongside wholegrain brown rice contained within each recipe - as well as having reduced the meat content to 60%.

This change helps to keep the calorie content of the food where it needs to be for older dogs who typically have slower metabolisms whilst still delivering them the expert nutrition they need to support their overall health & wellbeing.

In the short term, you can of course feed a Senior recipe to your adult dog, however we would recommend moving to an adult recipe when it is convenient to do so to ensure that your dog is getting the tailored nutrition they need for their current life stage and to avoid any unwanted weight loss.

In the short term, you can of course feed an Adult recipe to your Senior dog, however we would recommend moving to a Senior recipe when it is convenient to do so to ensure that your dog is getting the tailored nutrition they need for their current life stage and to avoid any unwanted weight gain.

Much like us, as dogs get older, they tend to slow down a little and become less active – so it’s important to provide a calorie controlled diet to maintain a healthy weight during their senior years.

Our new recipes are designed to be lighter than adult recipes so that portion size doesn’t need to reduce for senior dogs.

Our puppy recipes contain a tailored mix of vitamins & minerals specifically designed for puppies, and include Salmon Oil which is rich in Omega-3 and widely recognised to support your puppy’s growing joints and cognitive development. We carefully selected proteins to match your bouncy puppy's needs.

In the short term, you can of course feed a puppy recipe to your adult dog, however we would recommend moving to an adult recipe when it is convenient to do so to ensure that your dog is getting the tailored nutrition they need for their current life stage, which is a little different to young dogs in their first 12 months.

In the short term, you can of course feed an adult recipe to your puppy, however we would recommend moving to a puppy recipe when it is convenient to do so to ensure that your dog is getting the tailored nutrition, they need for their current life stage.

It can seem a little odd to imagine that you’d feed a larger amount of food to a smaller dog than a fully grown one, but this is entirely normal.

Puppies go through a significant period of growth & development during the first 12 months of their life, and they require a larger amount of food to help support this.

As your dog moves from the puppy to adult phase of their life, you should expect to decrease the amount of food you feed to help them maintain a healthy weight as an adult dog.

We recently made some changes to help make sure our food gets to you in perfect condition. While we wanted to make sure your dog's dinner arrived safe and sound, we certainly didn't mean for you to need sheer determination to peel the tray open.

Our team is busy working on tweaking our plastic film, and our mission is to find the perfect balance - secure enough to protect the food, but easy enough to open by hand.

We really appreciate your patience while we get this right and if you have any other questions on this please get in touch.

Our Lightly Baked dry food recipes are not recommended for puppies (or dogs under 1 year old) due to the fact that puppies require quite specific nutritional support during this important stage in their development.

We don’t yet have a Lightly Baked recipe designed for puppies specifically but won’t rule it out for the future!

We do have a range of complete puppy recipes that provide the best possible nutrition to your growing puppy during their first 12 months of life. You can check out the range here

We work very closely with a team of like-minded dog lovers to produce our range of lightly baked natural dry food for dogs.

We're very lucky to have found a team who are both experts, who share our belief in nourishing the relationship you have with your dog through a good quality natural diet.

We work very closely with a team of like-minded dog lovers in the EU to produce our range of cold pressed natural dry food for dogs.

We're very lucky to have found a team who are both experts in the technique of cold-pressing – and who share our belief in nourishing the relationship you have with your dog through a good quality natural diet.

Cold-pressed dog food stands out for its ability to preserve the most nutrients compared to extruded food. While extrusion uses high heat and pressure to cook the food, cold pressing uses a much gentler approach. By cold pressing the ingredients it helps preserve natural flavours, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, making it an excellent choice for dogs who need highly nutritious food.
Read Our Blog on Baked vs extruded vs cold pressed dog food: what's the difference & what's best?

Absolutely.

Most of our customers like to mix wet & dry food together at mealtimes, so you’re not alone!

You can use whichever split of wet vs dry food suits your dog best, but as a start point if you’d like to feed a 50:50 mix of Wet and Dry food – simply feed 50% of the daily recommended allowance of Wet Food alongside 50% of the recommended daily allowance of Dry Food over the course of the day.  

We’ve used Sweet Potato as a delicious and nutritious complex carbohydrate (that most dogs love!), in place of things like grains to ensure that each meal is nutritionally balanced for your dog(s).

Sweet potato is also a great source of Vitamin A and energy within your dog’s diet.

Our ‘Small Dog’ cold pressed recipe has been specifically developed to provide the right amount of nutrition to small dogs and puppies.

In addition, the individual ‘pellets’ are smaller than in our other Cold Pressed recipes, making them perfect for smaller mouths. 

All our food and treats have a shelf life of 18 months from the date they were made - you can find the use by date printed on the short side of each individual tray for our wet food, or on the back of the pack for our dry food & treats. Once you have opened them they are best enjoyed within the following timeline:

• Wet food: consume within 2 days
• Natural Dry (Cold Pressed): consume within 4 months
• Natural Dry (Lightly Baked): consume within 2 months
• Dental Sticks: consume within 10-15 days
• Treats: consume within 3 months
• Treats (Meaty only): consume within 14 days
• Salmon Oil: consume within 6 months

Our treats can be enjoyed from 2 months + making them perfect for dogs or puppies. Our dental sticks are suitable for dogs aged 1 year+.

Treats are for special occasions, and should only play a small part in your dog’s balanced diet. Calorie information across all of our treats can be found on the individual product page and we wouldn't recommend feeding more than 10% of your dogs total daily calories on treats. Unfortunately we can't make a recommendation around how many calories your dog should have, this will need to be checked with your vet.

Even if they use their most convincing ‘puppy eyes’ to try to persuade you otherwise. For small dogs or puppies over 2 months old, we recommend breaking the treat in half for the perfect bite. You can view more information about how much to feed my dog here.

Make sure fresh drinking water is always available.

The bags are now 185g each, whilst they used to be 170g, so there's actually more value for money with the new recipe. We've used less packaging for the new dental sticks which may give the impression that they're smaller, but this isn't the case. We're conscious about our carbon pawprint and are actively trying to reduce our waste, including packaging.

Our new recipe now produces a denser stick, meaning your four-legged friend will have more to chew on for a more stimulating and engaging treat.

No, our dental sticks should only be consumed by dogs aged 1 year+.

Yes, our dental sticks are suitable for smaller dogs. For dogs up to 15kg, we recommend up to half a stick per day.

Yes - you can recycle these with bags at larger stores.

Our new dental stick recipe now contains sweet potato, and we now use dried mint instead of peppermint oil.

Dental sticks should only play a small part in your dog's balanced diet. For smaller dogs (up to 15kg) we recommend half a stick per day. For dogs larger than this, we recommend up to 1 stick per day.

The white flecks are sweet potato flakes, which are a fantastic source of potassium, calcium and iron for your dog.

Our dental sticks help remove plaque and tartar, and have been vet approved for their ability to help maintain healthy and strong teeth. Combining these with daily brushing will aid in keeping your dog's oral hygiene in tip top shape!

Our dental sticks are 263 kcal per 100g.

Your dog should realise the benefits of adding Salmon Oil to your dog’s diet within around 6 weeks

Our Salmon oil is suitable for dogs from 4 months+.

Please see the salmon oil product page on the website or back of the bottle that shows the recommended feeding guide.

No.

Your senior dog should primarily be getting a tailored mix of vitamins & minerals to support their specific lifestage through the food you’re feeding them at mealtimes, so Salmon Oil can be added to complement this but shouldn’t be used in excess.

Please see the salmon oil product page on the website that shows the recommended feeding guide.

No.

Your puppy should primarily be getting a tailored mix of vitamins & minerals to support their specific lifestage through the food you’re feeding them at mealtimes, so Salmon Oil can be added to complement this but shouldn’t be used in excess.

Please see the salmon oil product page on the website that shows the recommended feeding guide.