Dog food prices and quality

[Gadgetmonster]

I have had a dog or two in my home forever it seems. I miss the ones that have gone on and have done my best to care for all of them properly, like good food and proper veterinarian care. But the prices of dog food has gone way up in the last few years.

We have two miniature schnauzers now and we fed them Taste of the Wild Salmon but switched to Zignature Wild Trout because the ingredient list was a tad better. But when I go to the Pet Supplies Plus where we get the food, I cringe at the prices. I used to be able to buy good dog food for about $39 for a 40 lb bag. The biggest bag now is 27 lb and the cost is $59. I have been trying to convince myself to buy a lower cost food but then that voice says "you get what you pay for".
Still, I would like to think there is a good well balanced dog food out there that is reasonably priced. Any ideas on this?

 

[ScouT6a]

A guy that I do a lot of work for raises champion bird dogs. He buys dog food by the pallet. It is one item that you definitely get what you pay for.
We have always had inside and outside dogs and have fed the cheap stuff to the good stuff. We now avoid dog foods that have grain as the first ingredient, as it looks like you do.
You feed less with quality food. Their coats are healthier. Less itching and scratching. It's not cheap for good food but our animals are worth it.

 

[findingZzero]

I use Kirkland super premium (Costco). The first 2 ingredients are chicken in some form. Brown rice is the grain. It has a lot of good stuff in it besides that. 40lbs $27. There is also a lamb version.

 

[bobbittle]

I get Taste of the Wild at Big R for $41 for 30 pounds. I just switched to it from Earthborn Holisitic Grain Free ($52/28#).

I've heard Menards carries a decent grain free food for a decent price, but I avoid them like the plague so I can't verify. If you want to step down a bit in quality to a food with grain, check Nutrisource or Diamond Naturals. Avoid Iams/Eukanuba/Purina/anything from Walmart/Kroger.

 

[bobbittle]

We now avoid dog foods that have grain as the first ingredient, as it looks like you do..

Depending on the main protein ingredient this can be pointless. If it has a whole protein (ie: chicken, beef, etc) listed as the main ingredient, after the cooking process wipes out most of the water it moves significantly down the ingredient list, leaving grain(s) as the primary protein. Look for quality protein MEAL, which is cooked before being put in (ie: Chicken Meal, Lamb Meal, etc). Avoid by products and vague protein sources (Meat, Meat Meal).

 

[Harleyrider_50]

ALL ya need ta know......rite here....

Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor


An' le'me just say now......if anybody give'n they dogs 'Ol Roy' (or sum them other cheapazz foods.....)......yer POISON'n yer dogs.............'at sh*t ain' fit ta slop hogs with.....

 

[mom45]

I used to feed my cats (not dogs I know but subject matter applies to both) Purina or other brands found in any store. They were always barfing and one of my house cats was so thin and her coat was rough. We were sure she was on the verge of being put down. We switched to Taste of the Wild foods on the advice of our vet when one of our young male cats had urinary stones. We had no way to feed that cat individually so all the cats got switched to the better food. The barfing cat is still here 5 years later and is as sleek as ever and healthy. She arrived as a very malnourished kitten 14 years ago and is doing great.

I have started getting Taste of the Wild delivered to me from Pet Flow.com due to a boycott on my part of the local store where I always bought it. The boycott is related to a different item we bought there and how they handled the sale/return of said item. Petflow.com has reasonable prices and free delivery if it is set up on an auto shipment schedule. You can adjust the schedule as needed and that can be cancelled at any time. Fed Ex brings it to me and I never have to worry about the store not having it when I need it! You might check out some of the online sources.

I agree...you definitely get what you pay for. My cats are far healthier than they were before we switched and I was not buying generic or off brand foods. I was using Nine Lives, Purina, etc.

 

[IndyGal65]

ALL ya need ta know......rite here....


Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor


An' le'me just say now......if anybody give'n they dogs 'Ol Roy' (or sum them other cheapazz foods.....)......yer POISON'n yer dogs.............'at sh*t ain' fit ta slop hogs with.....

Ol' Roy is terrible. My wife's father was visiting us years ago and he brought his dog, as well as a large bag of Ol' Roy, with him. Long story short, our dog got into the bag and stuffed herself. She became very ill with vomiting and diarrhea. She was even having trouble breathing. We rushed her to the vet and they showed us an x-ray of her stomach. The food had expanded so much that it was pressing against her diaphragm causing breathing difficulties. She had a massive diarrhea episode while at the vet's office and they ended up keeping her overnight. Poor thing. The companies who make this crap should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[mellowwetto]

I have a miniature schnauzer & a giant schnauzer. I feed them Blue Buffalo grain free. I'm w/ ya on the prices. But the pooches are a lot cheaper than my daughters' college.

 

[MTN]

Blue buffalo for my 2 little rascals. I think $31 for 11 lbs bag.

 

[Stschil]

One of our mutts is pretty sensitive and we have been through the gamut of all the supposed 'best' dog foods. (we have the partial bags stacked in the garage to prove it) What we've finally settled on is the Purina Beyond. It's not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. Walmart carries 30# bags for IIRC about $30.
Be careful though, If you decide to change their diet, do it slowly, substituting only a portion of their regular food for the new stuff, gradually increasing the mix over a period of time. Sudden changes can cause problems for some animals, even if the new food is high quality.

 

[bocefus78]

Tsc has a store brand called 4 health that offers a grain free kibble for 37$ (30lbs). My vet turned me on to it and I can not complain. It's occasionally on sale for $32.

 

[CHCRandy]

I always wondered who bought that outrageous stuff. I am a Retriever guy(TSC).....use to use Black bag Diamond when I had 20-30 beagles. My wife puts hamburger, steak, turkey, ham, biscuits & gravy and other stuff in the dogs mix now that we are down to 5 beagles. It must work......my youngest beagle is about 12-13 years old now and they were all raised from pups.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

My dog also has a somewhat sensitive constitution and after trying several premium brands, we settled on Diamond Naturals. It mid line on price but has worked well for us. He apparently likes the taste, his skin, coat and body shape are fantastic and it came highly recommended from the best Vet that I've ever known.

 

[bobbittle]

My dog also has a somewhat sensitive constitution and after trying several premium brands, we settled on Diamond Naturals. It mid line on price but has worked well for us. He apparently likes the taste, his skin, coat and body shape are fantastic and it came highly recommended from the best Vet that I've ever known.

Surprising, most vets only recommend Science Diet (since Science Diet pays them to recommend it). Good for him.

 

[Harleyrider_50]

My dog also has a somewhat sensitive constitution and after trying several premium brands, we settled on Diamond Naturals. It mid line on price but has worked well for us. He apparently likes the taste, his skin, coat and body shape are fantastic and it came highly recommended from the best Vet that I've ever known.

...At's whut these git......it a 4-star rated kibble.....

Surprising, most vets only recommend Science Diet (since Science Diet pays them to recommend it). Good for him.

At cuzz most vets ....is in bed with ScienceDiet......it ain'a terrible food.....but it ain' great, neither.....

 

[MadMan66]

Mine gets the Diamond Naturals LBP. Her coat is beautiful and soft and consistently has healthy bowel movements. I get it at Menards.

 

[IrishSon of Liberty]

I've been using the Blue Buffalo Wilderness varieties. He seems to really like the Wild Boar & Rabbit, but as the temperatures drop and it becomes dry in the winter months, I've switched him over to some of the fish varieties.

Seems to run roughly $60/22lb., but I consistently get $5 off coupons.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

my lady bought our last bag and i don't recall the exact price, but somewhere near $30-$35 for a 40lb bag. I will admit that when the cold/dry weather changes, about once a week or so, i squirt a fish oil capsule over his bowl. Its the same capsule that i take daily, and it also help keep his coat shiny, smooth and gorgeous.

as for my vet, his name is Dr. Jerry at Vale Park Animal hospital in Valparaiso and all of mine and my entire families pets have gone there for about 15 years, he is fantastic and we would never go anywhere else.

 

[findingZzero]

ALL ya need ta know......rite here....

Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor


*****snip*****

I've used this rating system. It seems well reasoned, informative, and impartial. Kirkland's (Costco) product rates 4 stars here. And thats 40lbs/$27. Reasonable for the quality. Dogs are omnivorus.