Expensive versus cheap dog food.

with my gsd's when the two oldest were pups they were on Purina large breed puppy.  It wasn't super cheap and they ate between 8-10 C each per day!  My backyard also had enormous piles in it...looked like I was running horses.  Now, only ONE of my dogs gets a full two cups of Blue Buffalo PER DAY.  The Blue large breed is around $49 now, for a 30 lb bag.  A bag lasts around 8 days, and that's feeding SIX very large dogs.

It isn't the nutrient balance so much as what they can actually USE from the food.  The nights my dogs eat raw, they leave teeny, tiny piles.  With kibble, it's a bit more, but nothing like when I was feeding the cheaper foods.  The waste is in direct correlation with the amount of food that their bodies cannot use.

I've done the cost analysis MANY times, on a variety of foods, and it's actually CHEAPER for me to feed the "good stuff", just in terms of food costs.  Factor in that we have NO fleas, zilch zero, and I live in Florida.  Vet visits are extremely rare, and we've only had ONE in recent years, other than the annual check up, blood work exam, and that was for an injury, not an illness.

Overall, I find it WAY cheaper in all respects to feed the more expensive foods.

glenmar

...I've done the cost analysis MANY times, on a variety of foods, and it's actually CHEAPER for me to feed the "good stuff", just in terms of food costs.  Factor in that we have NO fleas, zilch zero, and I live in Florida.  Vet visits are extremely rare, and we've only had ONE in recent years, other than the annual check up, blood work exam, and that was for an injury, not an illness.

Overall, I find it WAY cheaper in all respects to feed the more expensive foods.

That's the weird thing, Glenda- Mick was getting the same amount of Natural Balance, Nature's Variety and Canidae as he was the Pro Plan.  The only difference was on the NB and NV he started getting hot spots and ear infections agian (he had them when he was young until we figured out what was causing them)  and he looked just plain skanky on the Canidae. 

But, just because Purina worked best for Mick doesn't mean it will for every dog.  Just look at what I posted earlier about Caleb.    Our Siberian/GSD lived to be 17.  Most of the time we had him, he was eating Gaines Cycle.

glenmar

Overall, I find it WAY cheaper in all respects to feed the more expensive foods.

One other reason for that is that, typically, foods such as Innova have more k/Cal per cup than foods like Iams, so you actually feed less for the same result.

It's funny because I was looking at Wellness for cats yesterday.  Their CORE has kcals per cup listed.  Their regular line does NOT.  Now since I know that manufacturers way over recommend feeding amounts, without a kcal per cup listing, how the heck am I going to know how much to feed???

Proplan isn't one of the cheaper Purina foods, but I have no idea what the kcals are on it.  I know that Canidae isn't real high in kcals, so that may account for why he could get away with the same amount on both of those foods.

We have been using food like Canidea, and Eagle Pack holistic for the Great Danes for several years now.

Gibby has a touchy tummy, and I have no clue if Eagle is good for him or not...he has been on bland home cooked food on and off since I got him because of issues here and there.  Lately he has been doing okay...not too many flare ups but he is thin and I think he had a growth spurt...so he is looking thinner. I upped his food ( Eagle Pack ) and he took one more dump a day, at least 3.  Thats not doing him a bit of good.  The last few weeks he is on BilJac frozen....that would be considered a cheap food not to give to your dog. I can tell you one thing.....he goes mostly one time a day...and if he does go the second time its quite small.   Now....I don't like all the ingredients in BilJac frozen.....and I am not sure how long I will keep him on it....but reading about the piles in your back yard from cheap food is not always true.

For me...... the more and more I think and read...its kibble that I don't want to feed. Any kibble. But can't afford canned.  Today I priced Fresh Pet....its in the refrigerated section of our grocery store, we bought it for Bubblegum before she died...when she wasn't eating anything. I can't afford it either.  Its $9.99 for 6 lbs....but for his size...it would only last a little over 2 days.

My husband is getting mad....and said " all the dogs we had and they were fine and healthy...and you keep telling me how you have to get this food with this ingredient or that...and not food with another ingredient.....and what good is it doing Gibby?  Go to the darn store and get him some cheap food and try that and maybe he will be fine!"   And you know,,,,,he just might be right.  But most likely I will start home cooking for him..... he is doing well with the BilJac...but yet....I'm just not sure.

One thing I do believe about the holistic formulas....the dogs don't need blueberries and all those kind of things they put in to make us buy it.

Just for the record...a lot of Dane owners on the dane forums feed Purina Pro Plan.....and swear by it.

I don't think it's the blueberries they need so much as the good stuff IN the blueberries.

glenmar

It's funny because I was looking at Wellness for cats yesterday.  Their CORE has kcals per cup listed.  Their regular line does NOT.  Now since I know that manufacturers way over recommend feeding amounts, without a kcal per cup listing, how the heck am I going to know how much to feed???

Proplan isn't one of the cheaper Purina foods, but I have no idea what the kcals are on it.  I know that Canidae isn't real high in kcals, so that may account for why he could get away with the same amount on both of those foods.

You shouldn't have to search that hard, I agree.  Just went to ProPlan site and they list ingredients and percentages, no kCal that I could find.

Wellness Core - 430 kCal/cup (From their website - I did a dog food because this is a dog forum, but they list calories on all foods at the site, I believe)

Iams Proactive Health Large Breed - 374 kCal/cup

Canidae - 468 kCal/cup, so actually higher than Wellness

BUT, I don't carry a computer when I go shopping and I don't ever want one of those phones that does everything but the laundry for me......

Information like that, belongs ON the bag.

http://www.petobesityprevention.com/images/Dog_Dry_Foods.pdf

 Kord gets 4 cups of food daily. 2 in the morning and 2 at night. I decrease that usually by a cup when feeding scraps and other foods.

 I am not a fan of the preservatives and chemicals found in cheaper foods, plus I find I need to feed less of California Natural than I would with others. I'm a fan of a simple ingredient list, including things I can actually pronounce However, I'm also a fan of keeping with what works and what others are comfortable with. I personally couldn't feed Ari a cheaper diet. I want her to have a diet that consists of quality ingredients and few chemicals added to it to make it balanced and/or to keep it preserved.

glenmar

I don't think it's the blueberries they need so much as the good stuff IN the blueberries.

For sure Glenda....but I think you will get the vitamins and minerals in most approved dog food...its just all the other junk that is in them that we might not want.

 There is also a difference in the quality of vitamins and minerals in cheaper kibbles vs more expensive ones. Ferrous Sulfate disagrees with MY stomach, and it didn't work for Emma. Iron Proteinate is much easier to digest.

Yes, Dyan, but I'd rather have vitamins, minerals and antioxidents come from NATURAL sources instead of sythetic stuff.

glenmar

Yes, Dyan, but I'd rather have vitamins, minerals and antioxidents come from NATURAL sources instead of sythetic stuff.

I hear ya Glenda....I've been feeding holistic for quite a long time.

But honestly.... have to wonder how the nutrients of the blueberries, cranberries etc can withstand the cooking and drying and all that they have to do to make kibble.