praisefor3 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I'm not looking for Old Roy pricing...but with three dogs now this question becomes more relevant. We have always used medium grade foods but now there is so much controversy over what is good and what is not that I am lost. I am hoping to find a food in the neighborhood of $40 for a 40 pound bag. When I look at some of the "top" rated foods you are lucky to get a 20 pound bag for that price, plus I get lost in the seemingly endless list of choices out there. So...is there a medium (or higher) rated food that anyone would recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbrother Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I don't have a specific recommendation in that price range, but I just used wag.com and was very happy. They often have sales and coupons with free shipping and they list food with total price and $/lb. There is also a dog food rating site that you could google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnIslandGirl Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Our breeder (Newfoundlands) recommends a combination of Canidae and a raw diet, preferably switching fully to a raw diet after a year old. Canidae is a little over $1 a pound. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EGZ2L2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER The organic raw diet has been much more expensive, but we our puppy absolutely loves it! http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Raw-Food-Diet-for-Dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Kirkland (Costco) has a food that is decently rated and reasonably priced. We feed our dogs Canidae, which is around $55 for a 44 lb bag. The independent store we buy from is part of the Canidae frequent buyer program and we get a free bag when we return 10 UPC codes? I'm not sure on the details--DH passes the store on the way home from work so he's usually the buyer. If it's 10% off basically, the bags work out to $45 per 40 lbs. This site is a good reference: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Right now we are feeding our dog the Kirkland grain-free dry food from Costco. I believe it is typically rated medium-high. I can't remember the exact price, but I do know it was significantly less than the other food we buy (Orijen, highest rating but definitely not cheap). I've read that the other food variety with grain that Costco sells is also good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Costco has a grain free option. Roughly 35lb bags and from $30-$36 depending on flavor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Science Diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I don't really like to recommend pet foods any more, because as sure as I recommend something there will be a recall tomorrow. But having issued that disclaimer . . . If I needed a medium grade food that was easy to get and had a relatively good safety (i.e., recall) history I'd consider Purina One. Authority (Petsmart's store brand) looks good on ingredients and price. But I'm hesitant to recommend it because I can't figure out who manufacturers it. Especially since the big 2007 pet food recalls, manufacturer safety/trustworthiness is a huge issue for me, and I can't in good conscious recommend foods manufactured by some companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Science diet isn't grain free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Science diet isn't grain free The OP didn't state a need for a grain free food. And the grain-free fad is IMO pretty much a total scam, except for the relatively rare dogs who have an allergy to a specific grain. There is absolutely no need to pay extra for grain free food (particularly when cost has been cited as an issue) unless the dog has a known problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 She also didn't clarify what good meant to her. For us that means minimizing the grains. Therefore my answers came from that place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 You might consider Taste of the Wild. I don't claim any expertise on the matter, but DD, who researches such things, asked my to start buying TOTW food for the cats. I was not willing to pay a gazillion dollars for pet food, but TOTW was one of the least pricey higher-grade brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Yes, for sure. We are in South America, so I can't help you with brands, but we switched, some years ago, from Purina, to a much lower cost dog food that my SIL recommended to my wife. (Nutrecan Croquetas por Adultos made by Solla in Colombia http://perros.sollamascotas.com/perros) We had to switch from Purina for 2 reasons. First, a huge income drop and the U.S. Dollar became very weak. Secondly, our dogs would become bored with a Purina food, after a year or two and we had to switch them to a different Purina food and then eventually to a different one. We tried some different low cost foods until SIL gave us the recommendation for what we are using now. Our dogs are in good health and they like the food they are getting. I know what it costs to buy Purina, IAMS, etc., because I purchased those brands, for years... Try the different lower cost foods until you find what you and your dogs can handle. Always, when you switch from one dog food to another, do it gradually, over a week or 2, so they don't get stomach issues. GL P.S. I won my bicycle in a raffle from Purina, in 2003. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 My very sensitive little dog does best on Taste of the Wild and grain free 4 Health. I believe the only food that is better is Blue Buffalo, but we have not tried it yet. 4 Health makes her so soft and shiny, and costs so little, I plan to keep her on it as long as possible. It costs half as much at Tractor Supply as at pet stores. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/search/dry-dog-food Eta: Prices are much lower at my local store than on the website. Check for a location near you, or look for another feed store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I wish we has a Costco nearby. As the others mentioned, their grain-free store brand is good. I think it is called Nature's Domain, but I could be wrong. It is made by the same company that makes out Taste of the Wild. I remember going to a pretzel plant and watching the same conveyor belt feed multiple bagging machines, from store brand, to gourmet. It rocked my world. The ingredients are important, not the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 My very sensitive little dog does best on Taste of the Wild and grain free 4 Health. I believe the only food that is better is Blue Buffalo, but we have not tried it yet. 4 Health makes her so soft and shiny, and costs so little, I plan to keep her on it as long as possible. It costs half as much at Tractor Supply as at pet stores. http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/search/dry-dog-food Eta: Prices are much lower at my local store than on the website. Check for a location near you, or look for another feed store. Yes, i agree. That is where I get TOTW for my cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 No not science diet this review was in 2006. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 this review was in 2006. Have the ingredients changed considerably? I don't see a list on the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meena Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 this review was in 2006. This review was updated in 2013: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-dry/ Science Diet is usually never classified as a quality dog food by review sites. IMO there are many other brands that have much better nutrition for the money, more "bang for the buck" if you will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Premium Edge is rated 4 out of 5 stars by dog food advisor. My dog likes it. We get the 35 pound bag for around $40 give or take depending on where I buy. We like the skin and coat formula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 This review was updated in 2013: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-dry/ Science Diet is usually never classified as a quality dog food by review sites. IMO there are many other brands that have much better nutrition for the money, more "bang for the buck" if you will. My favorite was Innova/Evo. All others pale in comparison, lol. I tried to compare ingredients at the store where I buy my dog's food, and frankly, they all mostly looked the same to me, and none of them as good as Innova/Evo, so I just picked one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah1615 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Canidae is a high quality food that is more budget friendly. That's what we feed our dog. She loves it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 has anyone checked to see if its cheaper to make your own? My dog has so much stomach trouble, the sensitive stomach foods are so expensive, but he's fine on rice and chicken. i'm thinking of adding some stuff for more balanced nutrition and giving up on the bagged foods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 We feed Blue Buffalo, but it's not cheap. On the upside, when you switch to a higher quality food, you feed less because there are fewer fillers. (Makes the backyard cleanup easier, too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 has anyone checked to see if its cheaper to make your own? My dog has so much stomach trouble, the sensitive stomach foods are so expensive, but he's fine on rice and chicken. i'm thinking of adding some stuff for more balanced nutrition and giving up on the bagged foods We ran the numbers and found high quality dog food to be cheaper than even the poorest raw diet. I was surprised. Even blue buffalo came out cheaper than chicken leg quarters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I was using the Kirkland Lamb and Rice. However, my dogs are getting older so I have switched to the Kirkland Adult formula. I don't know what is it in, I will look. This is the first time I have purchased it. But I believe it was $32 for 40 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Tractor Supply Company has 4Health. Their grain-free option is a 3.5 star food, and the grain-inclusive is a 4 star food. Here's a review of their grain-inclusive food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/4health-dog-food-dry/ Kirkland is also a 4-star food. You can look up dog food by star rating on the site by clicking on, for example, "dry dog foods". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 has anyone checked to see if its cheaper to make your own? My dog has so much stomach trouble, the sensitive stomach foods are so expensive, but he's fine on rice and chicken. i'm thinking of adding some stuff for more balanced nutrition and giving up on the bagged foods There are books available about how to make sure a homemade diet meets your dog's nutritional needs. The trick is finding a reliable author, which entails further research than Amazon reviews. If you go on Amazon and search "homemade dog food", you'll come up with a list of them. There is also a lot of information about canine nutrition at http://www.dogforums.com/ -- there is a dog food forum. Here is a link to homemade diet book reviews: http://www.dogaware.com/diet/bookreviews.html#best All I know about the author of this website is that she writes for Whole Dog Journal, which is a publication I like. IOW, I know nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Both of my dogs (white German shepherd and white lab/shepherd mix) are sensitive to grains (corn and wheat) and most meats (chicken and beef). I feed them Tractor Supply's 4-Health. They are happy and their coats look great! I love the fact that it is inexpensive ($33 for 40 lb bag). We have also used (and loved) Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo-- but they were expensive with 2 big dogs to feed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.