Feb
8
2010
What is a healthy, affordable dog food?
I want to feed my German shepherd healthy food, and I’ve done a lot of reading and concluded that most of the major commercial brands are not good bets. However, all of the foods that I have found that are considered to be very healthy are also quite expensive (Orijen, Innova, Candidae, etc). Does anyone know of an affordable, healthy option that won’t break the bank?
February 8th, 2010 at 9:20 am
I like Natural balance It’s really good food but it runs about 50.00 for a 30lbs bag
February 8th, 2010 at 9:48 am
What about feeding raw food? You can get offcuts from the butcher quite inexpensively. Why not do some research on raw feeding? You will find many mixed opinions on this, but in the end it is 100% your choice. At least if you make the food yourself and feed it raw you know exactly what your dog is eating…
February 8th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover’s Soul- http://chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
February 8th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Petco and Petsmart are too pricey for me, but I refuse to go to a cheap brand of food for my dogs.
Look up feed supply stores in your area (google or yellow pages) and call them up to see what brands of Dog Foods they carry.
I feed my dogs Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, a holistic, well-balanced food and both of them love it. It’s $35 here for a 30 lb bag, which feeds both of them for a month (50lb puppy and 70 lb. adult). The same Feed Supply also carries Taste of the Wild for $40, which has no grain whatsoever so is pound for pound a better dog food, but my dogs didn’t care for it much.
Other brand names you’ll come across that traditional feed supply stores carry is Diamond and of course Purina, neither of these foods meet my standards, although when we are pressed for $$ I do get a bag of one type of Diamond food to mix in, it has no wheat or corn. But still has other fillers. Shop around, compare prices!
I use dogfoodanalysis.com to break down the foods I’m considering. It’s the best guide I’ve found for ranking foods.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:31 am
* Give your dog healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables: apple slices, carrot sticks, orange segments, banana slices, and frozen vegetables are all canine favorites.
* Make sure what you buy is high in protein, not grain-based, and that it’s AAFCO-tested. The AAFCO, the American Association of Feed Control Officials, is a watchdog group that sets food-testing and labeling standards.
Here’s more info.
http://lnk.nu/dogtime.com/rxg.html
February 8th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Go to your local livestock feed store. They carry many of the premium brands for less than a premium price. The one that I go to carries taste of the wild, chicken soup…, merricks, natural balance as well as diamond naturals, exclusive, and proplan.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I use something by Nutro Natural Choice. Just check the label if the first few ingredients, avoid corn and wheat these are mostly fillers for a dog. Try to find something with some meat as the first ingredient. Just compare a few different brands for the best price.