# Dog food are SOOOOO expensive, what do you do?



## guccigucci (Mar 3, 2009)

Hey guys thanks for checking out my thread, we all want to feed our golden the best food possible, so do I. The food my poouch is on right now is Acana and orijen which as we all know are top of the line and filled with fish formula due to their coat's need. Anyways, they are at like $64.99 to $70, SO EXPENSIVE, so what do you do, and how can regular treats be saved but you want them to keep them happy and healthy, some healthy treats range from $10 to $20 when we see purebites dried livers at $19.99 per bag.

Please give me some advice.


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## Nath (May 12, 2011)

guccigucci said:


> Hey guys thanks for checking out my thread, we all want to feed our golden the best food possible, so do I. The food my poouch is on right now is Acana and orijen which as we all know are top of the line and filled with fish formula due to their coat's need. Anyways, they are at like $64.99 to $70, SO EXPENSIVE, so what do you do, and how can regular treats be saved but you want them to keep them happy and healthy, some healthy treats range from $10 to $20 when we see purebites dried livers at $19.99 per bag.
> 
> Please give me some advice.


I know it seems expensive when you compare the $19.00 at a regular store. Think about it in terms of how many meals you get out of that bag. It compares to what you might eat...fast food for $5.00 or a good home cooked meal at $10.00. 

You might also want to look into a store that has a customer program which gives discounts. The grain free diets are not only helpful for their coats, but perhaps for a lengthy life. And I just bought $11.00 treats too, but it's worth it for their health. Proud you are treating your pup to a great diet.


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## Photosbykev (Jun 12, 2011)

Buying in bulk is the obvious way to reduce costs. By buying 12kg bags instead of 3kg bags I can reduce the cost from £4.70/kg down to £3.00/kg.


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## Sammy's Dad (May 20, 2011)

It may be expensive, but it is about your dog's health and well being. The cheapest food I have seen for dogs is in my local store, about $6 for a 30lb pound bag (just look at the ingredients, full of crap). Think about it. Unless you have a very very very low income, who would give that dog food to their friend and companion? Would you give your own kids crap? No offense. But you want the best for your dog. You could easily eliminate/reduce many health problems just by providing your dog with a high quality dog food/proper supplementation. It is the same with us. You eat crap, and down the road, you will suffer the consequences.

I pay $60 for Wellness Core (26lb bag). And it is worth every penny. Sammy does so well on it, and it contains wholesome ingredients. And it does last a long time (close to a month) so if you come to think about it, I am paying $2 per day for Sammy's food. Not bad, considering the ingredients in wellness core compare to other inferior dogs food.

As far as treats, I buy Wellness brand and freeze dried beef liver, tripe, etc. They do cost a lot, but again, I want to give the best to my dog. And it is not like I give him tons of treats either, so they do last a long time.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I cut back in other areas... 

So basically this is entered into my budget:

Every 50 days = $30 for bag of dog food #1 (Nutro Ultra 17# bag)

Every 15 days = $13 for bag of dog food #2 (Merrick Wilderness 5# bag)

Every 60 days = $44 for bag of glucosamine supplement (this time I went with Glycoflex soft chewies - which REAK of crabmeat :yuck: )

Every 3 weeks = $3 for bag of training treats (I just buy cheap easy to break apart treats from the grocery store - we just use them at class)

Every 3 weeks = $12 for carton of every day treats (Wellness biscuit/crunchies is our favorite right now)

Uhm - the $44 is always paid via credit card, and I give myself 2 paychecks to clear up that debit on my card. 

Everything else - if my timing is good, usually just comes from the spare cash that I allow myself out of each pay period (the bulk of my paychecks go to pay bills or sit as padding). Meaning $30-40 here or there.

In general, even if my timing is pretty bad on a month, I'm really only stuck paying like $70 for everything. 

Since I'm budgeting, I usually take something else out so I have $70 extra to spend on my dog.

I cut my coffee habit. That was adding up to $112 per month. 

ETA - About treats - my mom buys milkbones for my guy. I'm not happy about it, but I'm not about to ask her to spend more money than she wants to. 

If I'm in a pinch for training treats, I usually cut up a ziplock bag full of cheese cubes for my guy. Or I buy a bag of cheese cubes from the store for $2-3 bucks.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm not convinced that the most expensive foods are actually any better than some of the well-designed, well-researched foods of more moderate cost. ProPlan and Eukanuba come to mind. We feed Eukanuba PP 30/20, and it's not because we can't afford something more expensive. It's because I believe it's the best food available for my dogs.


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

I don't know where you live, but have you tried finding a distributor in your area? They usually sell foods cheaper than you pay in the store.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Yes, expensive, but visits to the vet, more expensive, and when you figure, cost per meal, reasonable, i figure my dogs are worth it, so i do the best i can for them.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

At first I thought $70 - $80 a bag for dog food was pretty outrageous but...for the first year and a half of my dogs lives they were constantly plagued with infections - one with ear infections the other -UTIs. Aside from the many many dollars I spent at the vet, they was a lot of needless suffering going on. I switched them to a high quality food (Orijen) and they have not had to suffer with an infection since (both are over 3). I may be paying a little more for food, but my dogs are way healthier and happier and I am not becoming a 'regular' at the vets office. For treats, other than specifically for training, I use their kibble alot.


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## vcm5 (Apr 20, 2011)

I feed the Costco brand dog food - Kirklands. Its less expensive but the ingredients are actually pretty decent. Check it out!


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## olik (Apr 13, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> I'm not convinced that the most expensive foods are actually any better than some of the well-designed, well-researched foods of more moderate cost. ProPlan and Eukanuba come to mind. We feed Eukanuba PP 30/20, and it's not because we can't afford something more expensive. It's because I believe it's the best food available for my dogs.


 I switch between this two every 6 mounth or so.My kids look great,healthy ,shiny coat.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

olik said:


> I switch between this two every 6 mounth or so.My kids look great,healthy ,shiny coat.


My guys are bright-eyed, shiny, lean-muscled, and totally inexhaustible. Nothing like running for a few miles with them, feeling totally exhausted yourself, and then watching them get the zoomies with the extra energy they still have.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

tippykayak said:


> My guys are bright-eyed, shiny, lean-muscled, and totally inexhaustible. Nothing like running for a few miles with them, feeling totally exhausted yourself, and then watching them get the zoomies with the extra energy they still have.


 Tippykayak-what are your thoughts on the Eukanuba Naturally wild Lamb/rice? or ProPlan Selects Turkey/Barley? Just curious


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

oakleysmommy said:


> Tippykayak-what are your thoughts on the Eukanuba Naturally wild Lamb/rice? or ProPlan Selects Turkey/Barley? Just curious


I dunno. I worry that the "Naturally Wild" line is just an attempt to cash in on the current trend of "holistic" or "natural" foods (I use those two terms because they have no legal or formal definition when it comes to kibble). I'm sure it's a totally decent food, but I have no idea how coats, eyes, and muscles look on it, since I don't know anybody who feeds it.

Is the ProPlan Selects line the one with the "shredded" soft pieces? I've heard some very experienced folks on the forum suggesting that that line isn't ideal and to stay with the non-shredded ProPlan foods. EDIT: I looked it up, and I see that the "selects" is a similar like to the Euk "Naturally Wild." I have no personal experience with it, but I do trust the reputation of the ProPlan line. For my dogs, I'd probably pick the ProPlan Performance Formula, because they're very active.

We feed Eukanuba Premium Performance 30/20, and the dogs look great on it. It has corn and byproducts in it, so it's not for you if you feel it's important to avoid those things. Having looked at a lot of evidence, I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing wrong with either of those ingredients if they're in the right proportion in a well-designed food, as the Euk PP appears to be (based on Eukanuba's long history of researching how dogs do on their food, the number of competition professionals who feed their dogs it, and my own experience with my pups).

I worry sometimes that in an attempt to get the word "corn" off the bag because of its reputation (which I consider undeserved), manufacturers sometimes put in ingredients for starch and bulk that aren't as well-studied. I don't think it's at all clear that rice, barley, or potato is a better starch than corn in a dog food.

EDIT: One more thing I forgot that I like to mention when I bring up what my dogs eat. We're very active with them, running and hiking at least twice a week or more, so they burn a ton of calories. PP 30/20 is relatively calorie-dense, so three cups a day might make some dogs quite fat quite quickly. Be careful when you put your dog on a performance food. Don't be afraid to feed an amount that keeps your dog at a healthy weight, even if the amount seems small. Your dog's weight is the guide of the calories he needs, not the volume of kibble (cal/vol. varies a great deal between kibbles).


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

The ProPlan Selects is not the shredded formula. i have read to stay awayfrom the shredded blends..the Selects is just turkey/barley. I think youre right about the Euk Naturally Wild tho.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

You have options. As Tippy said, foods like ProPlan and Eukanuba IMO are not necessarily bad. They are cheaper and from established companies. If your dog does well on them, then you can let it be!

That said I am looking at switching from my ProPlan Performance 30/20 only because I want to put a few pounds on my girl and she doesn't like this food enough to scarf it done. She does like the taste better of the pricier, no grains foods. And even there if you want to go inexpensive but no grains you have options. Look into Taste of the Wild, Native, Healthwise, Dog Lover's Gold, etc. Visit a food store and have some one go over food options and prices with you.


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

If you belong to Costco there Kirkland dog foods are suppose to be good and much less expensive. And you can make your own liver treats. I am sure if you look under search their is a recipe.


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## Jige (Mar 17, 2011)

We feed Native Dog Food. Native Performance Dog Food | Review and Rating.

I believe we paid 60$ for the big bag the last time we bought. It lasts a long time about 5wks for 5 dogs. Less stool and gas issues the dogs all look great and maintain a good weight.


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

I'm not convinced that "expensive" = "better", either.
I'm sure that many dogs do very well on the expensive, 'premium' foods and if their owners like the results and feel good about what they're feeding, great! But a high price tag doesn't guarantee that every dog is going to thrive on that type of food.

In Riley's case, we tried just about every 'premium' food on the market over the course of almost-4 years, trying to find one that he truly thrived on. Well, we finally found a food: Eukanuba. 
We went away from it the first time we tried it because I thought that something in it might be making him itchy. Went back to it a second time and he's done incredibly well. The itchies turned out to be environmental (I assume.) His coat has never looked better and he's never had so much energy. (And he's not even on the Performance formula - just the Adult Maintenance.) 

Many people swear by Purina Pro Plan, too. I've never fed it myself, but I figure there's a reason why that food is so popular among knowledgeable, reputable breeders and so many show dog owners.


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## oakleysmommy (Feb 20, 2011)

Did Riley have an tummy upset when you put him on Eukanuba??


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

oakleysmommy said:


> Did Riley have an tummy upset when you put him on Eukanuba??


No, not at all. We went pretty slow, switching over the course of about four weeks, and he didn't have any problems at all. I figured he might, since we were switching from Core grain-free, but he handled it fine.


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## kathi127 (Sep 17, 2009)

I feed 4 of mine ProPlan Sensitive Skin & Stomach (not shredded) and they've done very well on it, their coats are beautiful, so soft and shiny, and they have a lot of energy. I tried the Pro Plan Selects for my Sammy since he has such severe skin issues but he still was itching a lot. I switched him to Wellness Super 5 Mix Limited Ingredient and he did much better but still some itching so he's now on their new Simple Solutions Lamb & Rice. I don't think the itching has gotten much better on it and he recently had a severe yeast infection which we are treating. But if he could have tolerated Pro Plan that is my food of choice for all of them.


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## guccigucci (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks for all the inputs guys, and I TOTALLY AGREE that preimum dog foods such as the Orijen will bring a better health to our Goldens but will they get bored of eating the same old bag for like 6 months straight? Should be switch here and there or should be just not play with our goldens' stomach??


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## olik (Apr 13, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> My guys are bright-eyed, shiny, lean-muscled, and totally inexhaustible. Nothing like running for a few miles with them, feeling totally exhausted yourself, and then watching them get the zoomies with the extra energy they still have.


I wish i had there energy!!!! 
Just want to add: Pro plan not shredded formula. Eukanuba regular adult maintenance for large breeds(has bigger peaces) I have one who vacuums food and chokes on small peaces.
They look so good i might need to start eating there food !


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## guccigucci (Mar 3, 2009)

olik said:


> I wish i had there energy!!!!
> Just want to add: Pro plan not shredded formula. Eukanuba regular adult maintenance for large breeds(has bigger peaces) I have one who vacuums food and chokes on small peaces.
> They look so good i might need to start eating there food !



HAHHAHA...the last part of your comment was real funny, yea when i smell their fish food i wanna have a bite of of them as well, anyways, there are some experts here that buys Kirkland (costco) food, what do you guys think. I know it will be easier on my wallet but how bout their health issues...


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

General V said:


> We feed Native Dog Food. Native Performance Dog Food | Review and Rating.
> 
> I believe we paid 60$ for the big bag the last time we bought. It lasts a long time about 5wks for 5 dogs. Less stool and gas issues the dogs all look great and maintain a good weight.


How big of a bag, what level, and how much are you feeding? I've been seriously considering switching to that (level 3).


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

I second the Costco food. It costs 24.99 per 40 lb bag. Its not the junk you can buy at the supermarket....but not "top of the line" either.


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## guccigucci (Mar 3, 2009)

Jax's Mom said:


> I second the Costco food. It costs 24.99 per 40 lb bag. Its not the junk you can buy at the supermarket....but not "top of the line" either.


Is that the Costco Lamb and Rice food you are talking about? Even though it is not top of the line but the price is sounds really good, now if i start on that food i may add half a can of fish formula wet food for my dog.


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## Launi (Nov 27, 2010)

Personally, I'm not really a fan of Pro Plan and my Golden did poorly on it. I know plenty of people whose dogs do very well on it, though. I also do agree that corn does not deserve its bad reputation. 

I now feed Orijen/Evo kibble with 95% meat canned food and raw meals 2-3 times a week. My dog is now doing very well and I feed much less. 

Kirkland is a decent food, a little grain heavy for my taste, but good for the price. I think it would be more effective to add salmon/sardine/anchovy oil to your dog's food daily (a few squirts of bottled oil or one 1500 mg gel capsule). Omega fatty acids are pretty fragile and are easily destroyed when cooked. Pet food manufacturers are not required to add them back in since they are not deemed as essential nutrients by the AAFCO. I just feed fish based food for variety, not coat maintenance. Canned food or cooked meat is good to add, too, though, to get some extra meat in.


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## akgolden (Jun 18, 2011)

LifeOfRiley said:


> I'm not convinced that "expensive" = "better", either.
> I'm sure that many dogs do very well on the expensive, 'premium' foods and if their owners like the results and feel good about what they're feeding, great! But a high price tag doesn't guarantee that every dog is going to thrive on that type of food.
> 
> In Riley's case, we tried just about every 'premium' food on the market over the course of almost-4 years, trying to find one that he truly thrived on. Well, we finally found a food: Eukanuba.
> ...


I have a year old chocolate lab that we just switched from Eukanuba puppy large breed to the adult large breed. She loves it and we constantly get compliments about her coat. 

Bailey my Golden who we just got a few days ago is slowly weening off of some low grade formula to the Eukanuba Pure puppy formula. This is my first time buying the pure line but so far she is liking it and doing well on it. 

I have been very happy with Eukanuba. Both me and my parents feed it to our dogs ranging from 4 months to 10 years old and they all do great on it.


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

we add Chopped beef to the Kirkland food, not alot, with human grade salmon oil, also some beef stock.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

It depends on your dog and what food he does well on. I don't happen to feed it myself, but ProPlan has a wonderful reputation for keeping champion Golden Retrievers in good form (check out threads on it), and I think it would only cost about 50 cents a day to feed if you feed 2 cups per day.
As for treats, you can buy whole chickens for about .99 lb on sale, cook one up in a pot of water and make chicken stock for yourself and feed pieces of cooked chicken (no bones) as treats. If you want to feed cooked carrots as treats, throw in some of those baby cut carrots as you cook the chicken and feed them as training treats.


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

lgnutah said:


> It depends on your dog and what food he does well on. I don't happen to feed it myself, but ProPlan has a wonderful reputation for keeping champion Golden Retrievers in good form (check out threads on it), and I think it would only cost about 50 cents a day to feed if you feed 2 cups per day.
> As for treats, you can buy whole chickens for about .99 lb on sale, cook one up in a pot of water and make chicken stock for yourself and feed pieces of cooked chicken (no bones) as treats. If you want to feed cooked carrots as treats, throw in some of those baby cut carrots as you cook the chicken and feed them as training treats.


All such awesome ideas for saving money! Especially turning the chicken into treats. Treats are sooo expensive, especially very healthy ones. Now....If I could only get past messin with that slimey chicken I'd be all set


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## Bkhollan (Aug 18, 2009)

I feed Bella Blue Buffalo for a while when she was a puppy, but she simply hated eating it. I tried a few other more expensive brands, but still had trouble getting her to eat it. I switched to ProPlan, and she would eat it all right away with no stomach issues. 

She has been doing really well for two years now with no visits to the vet besides her annual checkup/shots. Shes always up for going walking or jogging with me. I'm not worried about switching to anything else. After going for a 30 minute jog I'm usually pretty tired, but when we return she grabs her softball wanting to play fetch. It seems to be working well for her and that's all that matters to me.


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## guccigucci (Mar 3, 2009)

All are really good points at saving money on treats and food especailly due to inflation our money value is decreasing and food prices are increasing, thank you everyone and lets expand this thread...

Liver treats HOMEMADE steps:

1) You will need a bag of liver, prefer liver from organic store

2) boil for 15 min

3) rinse and dry 

4) put into toaster Oven at 200F for 15min

5) Rinse again and air dry

6) store in room temp

7) feed it to your beloved GOLDEN for a GOLDEN SMILE!!


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## kridgway (Jun 1, 2009)

I make liver treats also. I buy beef liver that is already sliced and spread slices out on pan. Cook in 200 degree oven for about 6 hours. I turn every hour or 2 when I think about it. Before the liver is get completely cooked and dried, I cut into small treat-size pieces then turn off oven and leave until cool. Store at room temp. Cody, Ginger and Cinnie will do anything for their "cookies". 2 lbs makes a baggie full of treats for less than $5 and not much trouble.


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## Sensei (Jun 26, 2011)

Our girl is Sammie. 1 1/2 yrs old. Sweetest thing going. I am a nutritionist and also work with DVM's. I found Darwin's Natural Pet Products. They sell to the public with no distributors. They have fresh frozen foods that are either organic or commercial grade. Buffalo, chicken, turkey, beef. Also have frozen jerky and bones. Their prices are the same as a commercial stores with better quality. They ship to your door with auto ship based on dogs consumption. I love it and Sammie looks and acts great. I mix with a grain free kibble to add variety. Their food is no more than ours and they deserve high quality. Darwin's food is made fresh.
206-324-7387. or website. Tell them Steven Nadell, MS, CNS referred you. I think you can try a sample pack. Remember the food is raw which is the way dogs eat in the wild.


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