frequently asked questions

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.

All our wet food recipes are made at our factory in the heart of Devon, where our team of dedicated Devonian dog lovers lovingly make each and every tray.

We work very closely with a team of like-minded dog lovers in the EU to produce our new 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. 

Our new range of grain free hand-baked treats are made by our bakery team based near Southampton in the UK.

Our pet foods are tested by a number of independent pet food authorities and independent nutritionists. We receive SALSA accreditation for our pet food manufacturing and are regularly audited by the APHA, who were previously known as DEFRA.

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.

Our pet food is more expensive than some other brands because we only use good quality meat and fish (always fit for human consumption) and other nutritionally rich premium ingredients. We’re strongly against adding any ‘junk’ or 'fillers' to our meals and never use artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

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 our ingredients page .

We only ever use good quality meat, which would be safe for you or I to eat - and although we source a large proportion of it from within the UK, we do from time-to-time source meat from overseas.

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 our cold pressed natural dry food or treats.

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.

Our foods 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.

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 our  ingredients page.

We have two specific recipes which contain heart & liver - these ingredients are categorised as animal derivatives,  but we use them because of their 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!

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 glucoasmine & chondriotin 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; which is why we will shortly be launching our UK Breeder Puppy Packs.

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.

We don’t specifically do a low fat range, however all our recipes are made using good quality ingredients and we don’t add any unnecessary oils, grease or fat. Our chicken & turkey recipes are likely to contain the lowest amount of fat as these are naturally the leanest meats.

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.

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.

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.

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 - with our chicken & turkey recipes most likely to be at the lower end of the scale as they are naturally the leanest meats.

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.

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 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. Check out our deliveries & returns page for more information.

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.

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.

We offer a standard and next day delivery service. 

Standard delivery

DPD/EVRI Free Standard Delivery (tracked service delivered 3 – 5 working days after delivery): £3.99 for orders under £30, Free for orders over £30

Next day UK delivery

Next Day Delivery (orders placed before 6pm GMT will be delivered next working day, excluding public and bank holidays): DPD/Evri £5.99 under £30, £4.99 over £30.