What is the best budget dog food?

[hsmamato2]

Dogs are family members. Would you feed your baby or your child table scraps? no, you'd buy the best you could with what you could afford. Same with your dog.

yeah.....but my dog loves eating garbage off the ground,the heads off of live chipmunks if given an opportunity,and her own vomit from time to time,in addition to sticking her nose into other dogs butts.... in additon to whatever kibble the other dog has ...my point is this,balance in everything. If DH lost his job,we wouldn't be buying expensive dog food. If I had to choose between healthy food for my kid or my dog,my kid gets it.
However,If I'm feeding my family healthy items to feed strong bodies,then why shouldn't I make the dogs dinner in the same healthy,low cost way? If I'm concerned about cheap mac and cheese,and it's bad for my dog,I wouldn't feed it to my kid.
I don't use much dry food, never have. I think the most basic,cheapest,and healthy food I ever did for the dogs was brown rice,ground meat,canned string beans in a mixture- they loved that in a big way,and it was cheaper than kibble by far. Of course,if someone drops a cookie...

 

[norrodh]

sigh..... you all realize that for thousands of years,dogs lived alongside all of us humans,eating alongside,working,playing,etc. And around the world, millions of dogs still thrive in this 'outdated' mode. Expensive dog food was created after the big wars, directed at consumers with money to spare,since now that the depressions was over, people were looking for ways to spend well.....
You DON'T need to buy bags of dog food,of any type,to raise and keep a healthy,happy dog. There are many options that don;t involve dry premade kibbles. When a person loses their job,perspective is very important. and b/c one person might choose different dog foods for their dog than another, doesn't mean less or more caring for our dogs.
Flame away- but when a job is lost,and a person needs to cut back,I'd assume that includes all members of the house.... donning flame proof suit now.

I totally agree!! I think its wrong to say that a person doesnt care about their pet because they need to feed it cheaper food. I guess some of you are not feeling the affects of this horrible economy!! If your not, you should get on your knees and thank God that you can still get good food. I love my children but times have been hard and I am feeding them alot of pasta and carbs just cus I cant afford much more. Please get off your high horses and give this poster a little break. There is nothing worse than your spouse losing their job. Also, we had dogs our whole life and my parents never bought any of these "designer" foods and our dogs were fine!!

 

[Boymom78]

We feed our great dane Taste of the Wild. A 30lb bag costs approximately $45 and lasts him 3 1/2 weeks. He's a big boy, but because the food is higher quality, we can feed him less (6 cups/day), so it ends up being cheaper than many of the popular brand foods.

 

[Colleen27]

I totally agree!! I think its wrong to say that a person doesnt care about their pet because they need to feed it cheaper food. I guess some of you are not feeling the affects of this horrible economy!! If your not, you should get on your knees and thank God that you can still get good food. I love my children but times have been hard and I am feeding them alot of pasta and carbs just cus I cant afford much more. Please get off your high horses and give this poster a little break. There is nothing worse than your spouse losing their job. Also, we had dogs our whole life and my parents never bought any of these "designer" foods and our dogs were fine!!

Remember, this is the internet where everyone researches every aspect of their lives and no one does things like feeds their dog the grocery store brand without looking into the nutritional value. I never in my life gave more than a minute's thought to doggie junk food vs doggie health food until my lab - the 3rd dog I've owned - developed diet-related health issues. The last two lived to 16 and 14 respectively without any health problems until well into their old age, and they did it on Dad's and Alpo.

 

[xiaomingro]

We liked Dad's because it is cheap but still American made.

 

[DisneyCher]

I feed my 2 collies Canidae. The 35 lb bags are around $40 or so, and one bag usually lasts about 3 - 4 weeks. Someone else mentioned the rewards program - buy 12 bags, get one free, which helps. I'd heard that Kirkland's was a good dog food, but without a Costco near me, I've never had the opportunity to try that one out on my dogs. In general, the grocery store dog foods and/or a raw meat diet give my dogs the squirts, so I avoid those like the plague.

 

[jjsmom]

Thank you OP for bringing up this topic. I've wanted to post this question a long time. Unfortunately, during these tough economic times, everyone in the family sacrifices. I would love to eat steak once a week, but that's out of the question. I would love to say that we eat 5 servings of fresh vegtables every day, but I can't do that either. I used to buy Iams religiously. I just can't afford to do that anymore. The number one rule we have for dog food and treats is it must be made in the US. That's the best I can do.
There is not a Costco near me and the closest Tractor supply is 30 miles away. Our dogs, yellow lab and dalmation lab mix love Pro Plan. We get it at a local feed store. It's not the cheapest, $35 for a 38 lb. bag. The yellow boy just had his check up and it was perfect. The girl goes next week. She's 4 years older and has hip diplasia (no fault of food), so I'm not expecting as good a report.

 

[labdogs42]

Thank you OP for bringing up this topic. I've wanted to post this question a long time. Unfortunately, during these tough economic times, everyone in the family sacrifices. I would love to eat steak once a week, but that's out of the question. I would love to say that we eat 5 servings of fresh vegtables every day, but I can't do that either. I used to buy Iams religiously. I just can't afford to do that anymore. The number one rule we have for dog food and treats is it must be made in the US. That's the best I can do.
There is not a Costco near me and the closest Tractor supply is 30 miles away. Our dogs, yellow lab and dalmation lab mix love Pro Plan. We get it at a local feed store. It's not the cheapest, $35 for a 38 lb. bag. The yellow boy just had his check up and it was perfect. The girl goes next week. She's 4 years older and has hip diplasia (no fault of food), so I'm not expecting as good a report.

There are ways to keep dogs healthy without breaking the bank, too. You can give human glucosamine supplements (often they are checper than the ones made for dogs) to help with jont issues. Large dogs like Labs can also take an occasional aspirin (I use the enteric coated kind) for arthritis or hip pain. Also, many rescues and pet stores offer low cost vaccine clinics that cost less than shots through the vet. Ask around and you might find some other ways to cut pet care costs without having to skimp on their care. I love my dogs to death, but I don't like to pay more than necessary to keep them healthy!

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

I've been feeding Natural Balance (DVP) Lamb and Rice I purchase from PetCo to our 6 year old Lab mix since we got her as a rescue about 2 1/2 years ago. Great - no issues but price.

Just started mixing in Costco's Kirkland Lamb and Rice to try to switch. Oh yes, we have gas Since we have a huge bag of it, I may try to stick with it, we will see. She doesn't have any allergies that we know of, just when we got her, the foster was feeding her Lassie's Lamb and Rice - so I just stuck with the Lamb and Rice formula but got a better brand.

I like the info/feedback on brands here. I'll have to look for a feed store - never thought of that.

 

[jjsmom]

There are ways to keep dogs healthy without breaking the bank, too. You can give human glucosamine supplements (often they are checper than the ones made for dogs) to help with jont issues. Large dogs like Labs can also take an occasional aspirin (I use the enteric coated kind) for arthritis or hip pain. Also, many rescues and pet stores offer low cost vaccine clinics that cost less than shots through the vet. Ask around and you might find some other ways to cut pet care costs without having to skimp on their care. I love my dogs to death, but I don't like to pay more than necessary to keep them healthy!

labdogs, yes, we put Glucosomine supplements and aspirine in her food. She is due for rabies shot and we're taking her to a reduced cost clinic for that. Luckily I have a very considerate Vet office that understands my financial situation and they put pets before profits, and they're willing to work with me on a payment plan.

 

[HelenePA]

https://www.facebook.com/notes/vega...-the-12-worst-pet-food-brands/197573276968684 I thought some of you might want to read this... I have them on my facebook (due to a contest for a local shelter) and he posted this... take it for what its worth... I hope the link works!

 

[maleficentmom]

They say the first four ingrediants should be meat and grain free. I use Wellness, while it isn't budget my lab hasn't had an ear infection since we switched.
I have seen so many labs given to our local rescue because the owners can't afford them or they're moving!?! Seriously??? One is 10 yrs old...how can you give up your dog after 10 years? I would feed it anything in order to keep it, even cheap food.
Years ago I used Iams and while not the cheapest it is a 1 star food (I think they changed it when P&G bought them). I found the website dogfoodanalysis helpful in choosing a new food.

I have been checking the "dogfoodanalysis.com" site...any ,oh my...even if you feed the cheapest or the most expensive food,I would check out this site for your brand....Dad's and Ol'Roy apparently are horrible according to this site(also saw a comment of how this lady worked for a shelter that wouldn't even use the Ol' Roy that was donated!!!)...and it seems the definition of byproducts can even include euthanized cats and dogs from shelters,diseased livestock,and roadkill...eww....I am switching from Blue Buffalo to Natural Balance Limited Diet,as I think my Boston Terrier has some allergy issues,it was rated very well...I found if you use any premium type food it usually is much cheaper per pound if you get the 28lb bag(or the biggie size of that brand). I found the feed store cheaper than the pet supply,but online I could get it cheapest at Petco....on the flip side my mom had a Boston that lived oustside in the country most of his life, and ate Moist and Meaty and lived over 15 years...lol...I have a friend who swears by Purina for his long-lived critters...but after reading that site I don't think I could ever buy those again.OP blessings to you and your critters!

 

[labdogs42]

labdogs, yes, we put Glucosomine supplements and aspirine in her food. She is due for rabies shot and we're taking her to a reduced cost clinic for that. Luckily I have a very considerate Vet office that understands my financial situation and they put pets before profits, and they're willing to work with me on a payment plan.

And do you know that you can get a 3 year rabies vaccine now instead of 1 year? That's a big savings. Also, current research says that vaccines given at 1 year give lifetime immunity for most diseases. You may be overvaccinating your dog which is expensive and can cause more health issues. So, I say buy good food, but consider backing off on the shots. It is actually healthier for your dog.

 

[MAH4546]

"Budget" dog food saves you money now, but it won't in the long-run. The $10-$15 a month you might save over a grain free brand like Taste of the Wild can have long term health effects that erase the money saved.

That said, Canidae and Kirkland are more affordable and highly rated premium brands, albeit not grain free, that save money without compromising on healthy ingredients.

When you have to reduce your dog budget, their food is the last thing you should reduce. Buy them cheaper dog treats, cheaper rawhide, before you buy them cheaper food.