Good and reasonably priced canned?

I make my own topper with beef heart, liver, and whatever veggies are in the bin. It takes a couple of hours monthly, but it's WAY cheaper ($.40 US per day) than canned unless you're into Pedigree. Plus it's a good way to get extra vitamins and joint supplements into my dog without pills. 

Before I did this, I was using Avoderm puppy at $1.60 per can.

I like innova 95% canned. They have venison, rabbit, and umm...i know there's another one but i can't remember. The big cans are like $1.39. There are smaller cans of innova evo, and i know they're pretty cheap.

I give the following to my lab (and other stuff like eggs, sardines, and etc.):

• Evanger's Duck and Sweet Potato or Canine Caviar Duck and Sweet Potato
• Cal Nat Lamb and Brown Rice (much much better than Canidae Lamb and Rice, in my opinion after trying both)
• Cal Nat Salmon and Sweet Potato (my lab loves this one).
• Innova EVO 95% Beef and Venison

They are all reasonably priced (Innova EVO 95% Venison being the most expensive).

P.S. I tried Canine Caviar Venison Tripe (I think that is the name)...gosh, I can't stand the smell of it.  To me, it smells like something is rusting.  My lab loves it but I am not buying that anymore.

I'm a big fan of Wellness canned varieties.  As long as your dog doesn't have an allergy to barley, they are great (decently priced) and very palatable.  I usually use the Duck or Venison & Sweet Potato.

 I've also used Cal. Nat. Lamb & Rice in the past, which both dogs liked alot, but I had a "bad" experience with one can I opened had mold growing in it (and it was well w/in date w/ no dents, etc on the exterior) so I stopped getting that. 

I've never tried Canidae Lamb & Rice (or the others) but I know they are very reasonably priced (I think you can get like 24 cans for around $30 

 If you're just using it for a kibble topper, I'd go find whatever's on sale at the local grocery store, and throw it in the crock pot. I've never seen a dog not go nuts for that, and it's super cheap.

jennie_c_d

 If you're just using it for a kibble topper, I'd go find whatever's on sale at the local grocery store, and throw it in the crock pot. I've never seen a dog not go nuts for that, and it's super cheap.

And there's more yummy broth in each serving - honestly, I think the dogs like the broth the best.  Cord will sit and lick and lick and lick and lick his bowl when it's empty, his eyes closed in utter contentment.  This is a dog whose picture is next to the word "anxiety" in the dcitionary.
 

Ginger eats Natural Balance Venison and Potato. She has megaesophagus and can't eat solids. It's not too horridly expensive, though she eats it as a full meal. She's 8 lbs and eats only half a can per day, so that factors in as well.

For the other dogs, I just add meats and such

I always mix canned food with kibble.  The most reasonable priced canned food that I've found was Evanger's 100% meat.  It's about $1.10 per can.  I also use EVO and Merrick's BG, but I mostly use Evanger's.

Ours like Chicken Soup canned dog food or Pro Plan Selects canned chicken.  I think the Chicken Soup is more reasonable in price than the Pro Plan, though

Taste of the Wild is coming out with canned food soon.  I'm not sure what the price will be since it's not out yet but it should be comparable to some of the other premium brands.

I'm with the crockpot group. Much cheaper than canned plus no recall worries and better for the environment than throwing out endless numbers of cans.

Can someone elaborate more on the crockpot thing? What do you recommend putting in it that would make a good topper for a dog that is on weight management food?..and do you freeze portions of it? How long can the food be kept safe in the fridge? I'm getting tired of buying cans. Thanks!!

caveninit

Can someone elaborate more on the crockpot thing?

Sure.  I crockpot toppers every week for my crew.  It comes out to just a few ounces per meal, and in fact it's mostly juice.  It's the gravy that makes them lick them bowls! 

What do you recommend putting in it that would make a good topper for a dog that is on weight management food?

Fish, skinless chicken, skinless turkey, lean pork trimmed.   I'd only use enough of this to flavor the broth, then make the bulk of the recipe fruits and veggies, staying away from the starchy stuff like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.  I like to do stuff with themes but it really doesn't matter what you put in, as long as it's healthy for the dog to eat (no onion, raisins, grapes, or salty stuff, for instance).  In every recipe I include a pectin fruit and a tropical fruit for digestion and immune health, and a berry of some kind for antioxidants.  But as I say it really doesn't matter all that much.  Cook everything until it's nearly unrecognizable, then you are ready to store.

..and do you freeze portions of it?

Yes, I freeze everything but the day's portion.  I have silicone muffin forms that are about a  hundred years old.  I place these on large cookie sheets, then fill them with the stew.  I freeze them solid, then bag them in gallon bags.  Each day I get one out after I've used the one for the day before.  If there's a lot of dogs eating kibble, I get two out (but I've reduced my kibble dogs in half since the first of the year).  I pop the one that's thawing, into a gladware container and stick it in the fridge so it will be thawed by the next day.

How long can the food be kept safe in the fridge? I'm getting tired of buying cans. Thanks!!

It only keeps a few days.  Really forty eight hours is safest.  Dogs are pretty tough, but you don't want to expose your family.  Hence the system I developed of keeping stuff frozen till the last minute.

Try it!  You'll never go back to $2 cans again!

 

This has been a huge help....I am definately going shopping this weekend! Thanks so much for the advice...my pups are gonna love you for that lol