Feeding two rescue dogs with different needs

Two rescue dogs with very different energy levels is actually one of the trickier feeding situations — a lean, long-striding Lurcher and a compact, busy Terrier mix rarely have the same caloric needs, and that gap gets wider if the Lurcher's age is unknown. Choosing dog food is genuinely complicated because the right answer depends on age, size, breed, and health, and the most marketed options are rarely the best fit. To point you in a useful direction: do you have any sense of how old the Lurcher might be — young adult, middled-aged, senior? And are either of them showing any digestive sensitivity, joint stiffness, or weight issues? What are you currently feeding them?

That's a helpful picture. The Lurcher's gassiness and dull coat are classic signs of a poor-quality ingredient base — cheap dry foods are often heavy on cereals and low on real meat, which upsets digestion and does nothing for skin and coat. The Terrier's weight-gain tendency means you don't want a high-fat, calorie-dense food. Those two needs actually point in the same direction: a complete wet food with a high named-meat content, no grain fillers, and a moderate fat level. Can I ask — are you open to wet food, or do you need to stick with dry for practical reasons like leaving food out?

In that case, Forthglade Complete Adult in the turkey with brown rice and vegetables variety is the one I'd point you to for both dogs. It's a proper wet food — around 60% turkey, clearly labelled ingredients, naturally low in fat, and the brown rice gives enough digestible carbohydrate without the fermentation issues you get from cheap wheat or soy. For the Lurcher, the high meat content and absence of junk fillers should calm the gas and start improving his coat within four to six weeks. For the Terrier, the low fat percentage and controlled calorie density means you can feed to her correct weight without her feeling short-changed. You'd just adjust portion sizes — the Lurcher will need more by volume given his frame. It's available in multipacks on Amazon UK and works out cheaper per tray than most supermarket 'premium' lines. The one thing to watch: transition both dogs slowly over about a week, mixing it with the current food, because the Lurcher's gut especially will need time to adjust.

Once he's settled on Forthglade I'd hold off on supplements for the first six weeks and see what the food alone does. Most coat dullness in rescues is nutritional, not a deficiency that needs separate fixing — a decent meat-based complete food often sorts it entirely. If after six weeks the coat still isn't improving, a small amount of salmon oil added to his meals is the simplest and most evidence-backed addition. But start with the food change first; adding supplements before you know what the food achieves just muddies the water.

Good. Buy a small multipack first rather than committing to a big order — make sure both dogs actually take to it before you stock up. Most dogs eat it well but the Terrier in particular may need a few days to accept the texture change if she's been on dry food for a while. If either of them refuses it outright after a week of mixing, come back and we can look at a different protein like chicken or lamb within the same range.