#1
|
||||
|
||||
Decent food, reasonable price.
I was lecturing my mother today about what she feeds her cats and dog and I was telling her what all the bad ingredients are. So I wen't to my dog food bag to give her a reference of what is good, turns out I couldn't give her a reference. A year ago I thought nutram was a pretty decent food for the price, I was almost positive it didn't have any corn in it. So maybe they changed the ingredients or I couldn't read a year ago
I'm wondering what are some good foods that are not TOO expensive. I know what most of the good foods are like eagle pack, wellness, orijen (which i've only ever seen once in a store and the price was outrageous). I currently feed my cats soup for the cat lovers soul, or somthing along those lines and it's a pretty good food and isn't to crazily priced. Is the soup for the soul dog food good? Is there any other good foods around $65 for a big bag? The two good stores I have around me are pet valu and global pet foods. Thanks!
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. Last edited by Ford; October 20th, 2009 at 08:20 AM. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
check this site for ratings http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ then compare prices on at your local stores, prices very some between retailers. Orijen seems to be a current popular choice and is one of the top rated.
|
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Feeding a quality food may result in her dogs needing less food daily so it may work out in the end .
Buying Wellness, grain free in the large cans can be a real saver for cat food. Of course the cheapest is making your own raw but not sure if she would consider that.
__________________
Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
RAW IS CHEAPER? I've ALWAYS wanted to go on raw but thought it would be extremely expensive.
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I think it comes down to availability in bulk and your ability to handle bulk quantities (enough freezer space) ?
|
#6
|
||||
|
||||
I think RAW is cheaper. After buying a $74.00 bag of kibble today- RAW is cheaper
I don't buy anything over 2/lb and most meat I get at far less than that. I buy turkey necks and backs for less than 1/lb and I just bought whole chickens at that same price for my guys. RAW is time consuming, but if you enjoy shopping, or are ready to do the footwork I think it can be far less expensive (and really good for your puppy!)
__________________
My family includes: Darby Rottie Boswell Dogue de Bordeau Harvey the English Bulldog Extraordinaire |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
I've got a huge freezer so I can store a lot.
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
I have 3 dogs over 50lbs, and 2 cats that are around 16 pounds. How much would it aprox. cost me to feed them all raw, monthly. I know you just grind it all up in the blender or processor, but what do I need? Meat, obviously. But I don't know exactly what veggies and fruits I need.
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
Fruits and veggies is entirely optional. I only feed dogs, but I have 4 large breed dogs to feed. I haven't figured it out on a monthly cost scale yet I will crunch some numbers and get back to you.
We feed them any good quality meat- though I don't grind it at all- not worth the time investment for me. I feed them meat on bone, cuts without bone, and organ meat. I also add in unsweetened yogurt (optional), omega oils (hemp), eggs and the shell as well as any fruit or veg that I have in season, and in stock. They get fruit and veg maybe twice a week? I also add acidepholeus myself, and sometimes I give them fish.
__________________
My family includes: Darby Rottie Boswell Dogue de Bordeau Harvey the English Bulldog Extraordinaire |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Fruit and veggies are optional? So I can feed them solely meat, egg, and fish?
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#11
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
you want to do for cats : 80% meat/fish, 10%raw never cooked bone and 10% organ and eggwith about 1/2 of that being liver and for dogs I do the same but you can add some veggies if you want too, I personally don't. each animal will eat approx 2-3% of their ideal adult body weight each day. I have been told that dogs should be fasted 1 day/week, but I found if I did that, my little pup got thin. cats should never go more then 24hrs without eating. so...for a 16lb cat would eat .3 to .5 lbs/day and a 50lb dog would eat 1 to 1.5 lbs /day. so you would need probably a maximum of 6 lbs of food a day. That would be an extreme top end weight though for 5 very active animals, and that includes bone, meat, fish, eggs, organ and treats.
__________________
Women are angels, and when someone breaks our wings . . . We simply continue to fly . . .On a broomstick. We are flexible like that. Last edited by Melei'sMom; October 19th, 2009 at 09:50 PM. Reason: forgot to add important word! |
#12
|
||||
|
||||
As far as the cats go, it's all about the meat, no fruit or veggies required (although you could add some low-glycemic veggies like cooked zucchini or green beans for the soluble fibre if they have digestive issues transitioning from a high fibre kibble. But not more than 5%). I wouldn't feed them much fish either, if at all. The occasional nibble of sardines or salmon for a treat is okay, but there are too many problems associated with feeding fish to make it a regular menu item.
The issue of to grind or not to grind can be a little complicated. While it would certainly be easier if your cats took to a whole prey model right away and were cool with chowing down on bones and organs in the appropriate proportions, that is rarely the case with cats raised on commercial kibble. Have you ever offered them some fresh raw muscle meat before? If so, did they like it? That would the first step. Then soft bones like chicken necks and wings, along with organs. It can be a slow process to convince some cats that raw meat is actually food. Might be easier to start with a good canned food and gradually work up to a balanced raw diet. There is a little more flexibility when feeding dogs than there is with cats. It's especially important to get the calcium/phosphorus ratio correct, and to make sure there's enough taurine being consumed. Grinding helps ensure that the meals are indeed balanced, especially if you have a finicky cat who refuses to eat bones and/or organs. If you haven't seen this site, I recommend checking it out for some detailed info on making your own cat food: http://www.catinfo.org/makingcatfood.htm There are also tips here on how to transition a cat off of kibble: http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitionin...o_Canned_Food_
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#13
|
||||
|
||||
I started the dogs today, and the two boys love it. But kira is too dainty, I don't think she likes the texture, cause she'll lick it and put it in her mouth but she won't eat it. I gave them pork button and salmon steak, she didn't like either of them. I've given her raw hamburger before and she liked that, so im assuming it's the texture. Am I gonna have to cook it a little bit until she gets used to it? or..
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#14
|
||||
|
||||
No raw egg whites for cats. It has a toxin in it that is killed when partially cooked. I only add the yolks for their vit B. Egg whites are an important protein component for cats who need low phosporus, though.
I average about 50-60 cents for 5.5 oz made with bulk buying of pork chops, chicken legs with thighs attached and chicken breasts when on sale at no frills. I add chicken liver/hearts. I pay $2.30 to $2.70 for a can of Instinct (plus tax) for 5.5 oz can. I do buy lots of chicken breasts when on sale, I never pay regular price for those. Ask your local butcher for saved pieces that fall on the floor and buy at a reduced rate . I grind by hand (well DH does) and Jasper and Rose eat chicken breast bones for their teeth, Puddles will never eat the bones, and still trying to get Sweet Pea to eat them.
__________________
Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#15
|
||||
|
||||
I needed to hold the food to get my Rottie to eat it. AlIf most like hand feeding her...
If I didn't she would just lick it and move it around..
__________________
My family includes: Darby Rottie Boswell Dogue de Bordeau Harvey the English Bulldog Extraordinaire |
#16
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler Last edited by sugarcatmom; October 21st, 2009 at 01:08 PM. Reason: forgot a word |
#17
|
||||
|
||||
Holy cat food, how do you guys know all this stuff! I am impressed, and now informed.
|
#18
|
||||
|
||||
so soft boiling the eggs would be a solution. I think I am going to soft boil from now on. better safe then sorry!
That is one of the many things I love about this forum, no matter how much I think I know, there is always someone here who can teach me something new
__________________
Women are angels, and when someone breaks our wings . . . We simply continue to fly . . .On a broomstick. We are flexible like that. |
#19
|
||||
|
||||
Update!
So I did some serious searching, and found somthing awesome.
About 15 minutes from here there is a meat packing factory. They actualy sell a "dog food" It's green tripe, cow lungs, stomach. All kinds of good stuff, grinded, frozen and cut into 1lb blocks. $35 for 50lbs! I think thats a steal.
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Yes, it is a real steal.....would you share your source..it would be a drive for me but the savings would be worth it.
|
#21
|
||||
|
||||
Stayner Meat Packers. Look them up on google maps. They have lots of good stuff, no chicken though.
__________________
Do work son. Akira: Boss lady. Adam: 110 pound lapdog. Maximus: Shy guy, but will lick your face off. Kitty: "PET MEEEEE" Tig: Chillen. |
#22
|
||||
|
||||
Didnt read the whole thread but that food that cosco sells (OMG, cant remember the name for the life of me) is reasonably priced and not half bad
EDIT: Kirklands best.. yep thats it!
__________________
Keely - Yorkie Haley - German Shepherd Casey - version 2.0 - Black lab Jasper - White cat R.I.P Casey #1. Gone but never ever forgotten. Last edited by babymomma; October 25th, 2009 at 07:06 PM. |
#23
|
||||
|
||||
WoW, a lot of advice! I think doing raw for the cats would be cheaper then the wellness core, esp the cans. And better for them.
Rm |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|