Raw vs kibble for Greyhound puppies: real costs

Raw feeding versus premium kibble is one of the most common cost questions I get — and the honest answer is more nuanced than most people expect. Puppy nutrition is one of the most important investments you'll make in the first year; the right food sets the foundation for long-term health, and the differences between puppy foods are genuinely more significant than most people realise. So let's actually work through the numbers for your situation. You mentioned a 7-month-old Greyhound — what are they currently eating, and roughly how much are you spending per month? That'll give me something real to compare against.

You're right that Greyhounds naturally look skinny — they're supposed to, you should be able to see the last two or three ribs. So don't panic about that. Now, to your raw question: for a 7-month-old Greyhound who's probably around 20–25kg by now, you'd be feeding roughly 2–2.5% of body weight daily in raw, so somewhere around 450–550g per day. Good quality raw — something like Nutriment or Natures Menu — runs about £3.50–£4.50 per kg. That puts you at roughly £50–£75 a month. So raw is almost certainly more expensive than what you're spending now, not cheaper. The people saying it's cheaper are usually comparing it to very premium kibble at £80+ a month. What matters more for me here — keeping costs around that £35 mark, or are you open to spending a bit more if the nutritional case is strong?

That's a fair and sensible position. Skinners Field and Trial is an honest working-dog food — it's not bad, but it's formulated for high-activity adult dogs and the puppy version is quite basic. For a Greyhound puppy at 7 months you've still got a few months of growth left, and the joint and lean-muscle development in this breed specifically benefits from better protein quality and omega fatty acid levels than Skinners delivers. For your budget and your goals — coat improvement, proper growth support, no marketing fluff — I'd point you to Forthglade Complete Puppy with Freshly Prepared Chicken. It's a proper named-meat, grain-free kibble designed for puppies, with good omega-3 levels that will visibly improve coat condition within 6–8 weeks. A 6kg bag is around £30–£32 on Amazon, and at the amount a Greyhound puppy needs, you're looking at roughly £45–£50 a month. That's a meaningful nutritional upgrade for almost no extra spend.

Good question, and the warnings are worth knowing about. The grain-free and DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) link was flagged by the FDA in the US a few years ago, but it's been heavily scrutinised since and the current evidence doesn't show a clear causal link — it was largely associated with boutique brands using exotic proteins and legume-heavy recipes, not mainstream grain-free kibbles like Forthglade. Greyhounds specifically aren't flagged as a high-risk breed for DCM. That said, if you'd rather avoid the grain-free debate entirely, Forthglade also do a Complete Puppy with Brown Rice version — same quality meat, similar price, and it sidesteps the concern completely. Either version will be a solid upgrade from what she's on. The coat improvement alone usually convinces people within two months.

Realistically, 4–6 weeks before you notice the coat starting to look shinier and less dry, and 8–10 weeks for the full effect once the omega fatty acids have had time to work through the skin. Do a slow transition over 7–10 days — start with about 25% new food mixed with the old Skinners and increase gradually. Greyhound digestive systems can be a bit sensitive, so don't rush it. If you notice loose stools just slow the transition down. You're making a good call — proper puppy nutrition in months 7 through 12 really does pay off in how they develop. Forthglade Complete Puppy with Brown Rice, 6kg bags on Amazon, is where I'd start.