I Need a Cheaper Dog Food

[Copper'sMom]

I need to find Copper and Zoe some food that is still a good quality, but a little cheaper than what I'm paying now. They are currently on Performatrin Ultra - holistic. It's $52.99 for a 30lb bag which lasts me about 2 weeks for 2 dogs. I will be laid off of work shortly and other events in my life to deal with and will be short on funds for a while. Not to mention, next week is vaccination and heartworm time for 2 dogs and one cat which I will owe my vet for, for a while! I need an alternative food just in case I can't afford their Performatrin Ultra. Any suggestions??

[kaytris]

I've been feeding Nutro for years with no problems, have two very healthy dogs, with super coats, lots of energy, and small stool (one seven and the other 12 ish - the vet is always REALLY impressed with how healthy the 12 yo is.) I pay $50 for a 50 lb bag that lasts me over a month.

[Prin]

If you want much cheaper, go for the Kirkland Lamb and rice... That's like $30-something for 40lbs... It's not the best but it's the best of the not-so-holistic...

[BMDLuver]

So that works out to $1.89 per day for each dog. When you break it down that way it doesn't seem like much as according to your calculation, you are feeding 2.25 cups to each dog per day. If you go to Kirkland, you may find you have to feed more. If not, it will be $1.07 per dog per day. So a savings of .82 per day. Doesn't really seem to be particuliarly worth the change when you break it down that way does it.

[coppperbelle]

I would agree that Kirkland is a good choice. You will need a membership with Costco to get it though.

What kind of dogs do you have? I buy a 33 lb bag of Solid Gold and with two adult golden retrievers the bag will last about 3 - 3 1/2 weeks.

[Prin]

I was going to say... My wolf king lasts nearly 4 weeks with my two (60 and 87 lbs...).

[erykah1310]

Kinda thread jacking here, but where do you guys get these foods? I have never heard of them or seen them

[mafiaprincess]

Pet Valu, Ryan's Global Pet Foods.

[twodogsandacat]

Originally Posted by Copper'sMom

I need to find Copper and Zoe some food that is still a good quality, but a little cheaper than what I'm paying now. They are currently on Performatrin Ultra - holistic. It's $52.99 for a 30lb bag which lasts me about 2 weeks for 2 dogs. I will be laid off of work shortly and other events in my life to deal with and will be short on funds for a while. Not to mention, next week is vaccination and heartworm time for 2 dogs and one cat which I will owe my vet for, for a while! I need an alternative food just in case I can't afford their Performatrin Ultra. Any suggestions??

I feed Performatrin Ultra also. The Pet Valu we use allows us to pay for five bags in advance and for that I get six bags. I just stop in and pick up a bag when I need to. If that puts the Performatrin Ultra back in your price range you may want to consider it.

[phoenix]

I pay 58 for Canidae 40 lb bags, lasts about 3 to 3 1/2 weeks for my 2 dogs (labx 82 lbs; boxer puppy 40 lbs)... we're really happy with the quality. They also do a program if you buy 10 get one free, doesn't make much of a difference (about 4$ a bag...) but it has taken me a year to buy 10 bags!

[Writing4Fun]

Kirkland lamb & rice at Costco is $23. I feed my dog 1 1/2 cups per day, she's a 45lb dog. My sister feeds her 70lb dog 2 cups per day.

Global & Ryan does the program where you buy 5 bags, get one free, so that might be an option if you don't have a Costco membership or would rather stay with a higher brand of food.

[greaterdane]

I am currently feeding a 13 week old dane puppy Canidae. I purchase it in the states for $28 for a 30lb bag. He is only on 2-3cups a day, so this lasts quite a long time. Everyone else including my other dane are on Performatrin Ultra. I was impressed with it until I heard some nasty things about one of the ingredients. The one I was feeding was also Lamb, which is not a whole protein source anymore. We are switching to Canidae when we get further through the bag. It is an all life stages food, so it is perfect for my crew.

This is the ingredient in Performatrin Ultra that I would like to avoid, as well as the information on it.

Menadione.

Side effects of Menadione:
- causes cytotoxicity in liver cells
- causes formation of radicals from enzymes of leucocytes, with the consequence of cytotoxic reactions
- considerably weakens the immune system
- possible mutagenic effects
- damages the natural vitamin K cycle
- has no effect on coumarin derivatives, which are often present in commercial food due to mold contamination (toxic when ingested)
- causes hemolytic anemia and hyperbilirubine mia, not just linked to large doses
- disturbs the level of calcium ions (Ca2+) in the body, which is an important factor fibrinolysis
is directly toxic in high doses (vomiting, albuminuria), unlike natural vitamin K
- builds up in tissue and has been detected in eggs, meat and milk of animals supplemented with menadione derivatives
- causes irritation of skin and mucous membranes
- causes allergic reactions and eczema

[Beaglemom]

Greaterdane, thanks for that information. I feed Performatrin Ultra Lamb & Brown Rice to my girls as well. I've been happy with the results but I wasn't aware of this until you brought it up. I did some research after reading your post and found a great site, www.dogfoodproject.com that mentioned the concerns with menodione in pet food. Now I'm worried.

[greaterdane]

I loved performatrin and it seemed to be really good for the puppers. I belong to another forum and mentioned that I was going to be feeding it to my new dane pup, then I was bombarded with info about it. I had no idea, and didnt even notice it on the ingredient label. I hate to sound like I am bashing a food because it is actually a good one, but I was worried with all the info I found on that little ingredient. I don't know why they don't just remove it

[Prin]

Yeah, we've talked about the menadione before (synthetic vitamin K). Some of the better food companies are removing it from their foods.

Erykah, Kirkland is the costco brand, and the rest you can get at any food store that sells holistic stuff..

[Copper'sMom]

Originally Posted by twodogsandacat

I feed Performatrin Ultra also. The Pet Valu we use allows us to pay for five bags in advance and for that I get six bags. I just stop in and pick up a bag when I need to. If that puts the Performatrin Ultra back in your price range you may want to consider it.

Yes, our Pet Value does this as well - I just haven't had the funds to buy it in bulk yet! By any chance, did the price go up where you are?? Our price went up $3.00/bag!

Originally Posted by BMDLuver

according to your calculation, you are feeding 2.25 cups to each dog per day.

Actually Zoe(40ish lbs) gets 2- 3 cups/day and Copper(79lbs) gets 3-4 cups/day. Depending on their activity level, they will eat less or more and if it is more, they get about 3/4cup extra. I have tried to reduce Copper's intake as he needs to lose a few pounds and Zoe looks good to me. The vet will give me her opinion next week! Do you think I'm feeding them to much????

I did get some good news today regarding my job, so I may not have to switch afterall!

[Prin]

I'd say a bit too much... But if you're going to reduce, you have to do it so gradually, so he doesn't notice.

[Copper'sMom]

Originally Posted by Prin

I'd say a bit too much... But if you're going to reduce, you have to do it so gradually, so he doesn't notice.

Reduce it by a few kibble at a time? LOL If his dish is empty, or it's not on the floor, he'll go to the bag of food and nudge it with his nose or sit and whine or keep on licking the empty dish(this is when he'll whine after I pick it up). I have tried feeding them twice a day, but they only eat when they are hungry.
And 2.5 cups a day just doesn't seem enough for Copper! His poops look great(if there is such a thing!), they are actually smaller than Zoe's! But she gets more treats than him because she's alone in the day with her Kong and Kong ball and a bone all filled with treats and food!

[kayla]

Kirkland is a pretty good food. Actually it's the only food Kayla does well on. Bonus for me it's under $25 for 18kg

[RaYne]

Copper's mom, We shop at the same Pet Valu. lol. I did notice the increase, went from 49.99 to 52.99.

The price increase ticked me off, expecially since they have no plans to remove the Menadione. If it's banned for use in people it should NOT be in dog food.

So I switched to Eagle Pack Holistic Select and now I'm paying $77 with tax for the big bag. It lasts about 3 to 3 1/2 weeks though. I'd rather deal with beet pulp than menadione.

greaterdane, I know you. How's Cyprus doing? I'm Lyn.. you know Bubba the beast. LOL

[Melei'sMom]

Originally Posted by Copper'sMom

I need to find Copper and Zoe some food that is still a good quality, but a little cheaper than what I'm paying now. They are currently on Performatrin Ultra - holistic. It's $52.99 for a 30lb bag which lasts me about 2 weeks for 2 dogs. I will be laid off of work shortly and other events in my life to deal with and will be short on funds for a while. Not to mention, next week is vaccination and heartworm time for 2 dogs and one cat which I will owe my vet for, for a while! I need an alternative food just in case I can't afford their Performatrin Ultra. Any suggestions??

Don't know how you feel about it, but, for cheap and healthy, what about going raw? I have been using raw for almost a month now and it is way cheaper than dogfood...I was using wellness before and my costs are down drastically.

[Copper'sMom]

I have been thinking about going to RAW, but I haven't had the time to do research on it yet - too busy with the dogs and I'm on dial up at home!

[kayla]

Melei's Mom how is raw cheaper than kibble? I was thinking of going raw once I move and get a big freezer, but I though for sure I would be expecting a much larger bill. Do you get your meat straight from the source or something? I'd love to know how to do it cost effectively!

[technodoll]

most raw feeders keep it to $1/lbs MAX for meats, rmbs, etc. some trim it down to .50/lbs. dogs will eat anywhere from 1.5 to 3% of their weight in food per day. So a 100lbs adult dog eating 2% of his body weight in raw per day, would cost anywhere between $1 to $2 per day ($30 to $60 per month). by feeding such a great diet there is no need for chew toys, dental cleanings, most allergy meds, special shampoos, etc etc.

-check for sales and stock up (chicken legs for .39/lbs = stock up!).
-feed chicken backs for bone content (i get a 35lbs case of fresh backs for $8) and mix with a cheap meat source - i get beef hearts for $1/lbs.
-the dollar store has sardines 2 for $1
-eggs are always cheap
-make friends with the butcher, ethic markets, meat distributors, etc

it's a ton of fun too!!

[kayla]

Technodoll do you grind up the chicken bones or just feed them as is? Do you feed eggs raw too? I don't really buy much meat (I only recently started eating the stuff myself) so I had no idea it could be so cheap! I'm moving out near some farms pretty soon too so I was thinking it would be even cheaper to get it straight from the source. Can you recommend any good books on it?

[kayla]

*I just realized I did a complete thread hijack here. Sorry, back to the topic at hand!*

[Melei'sMom]

Originally Posted by kayla

Melei's Mom how is raw cheaper than kibble? I was thinking of going raw once I move and get a big freezer, but I though for sure I would be expecting a much larger bill. Do you get your meat straight from the source or something? I'd love to know how to do it cost effectively!

Look for deals! Melei eats chicken backs with bone in...I buy the backs with legs attached and hack the legs off for us to eat. Melei is a small dog, and I personally think that the legs are too much bone for her.
A back is 2 meals for her.

She also eats organ...I find those in pkgs at Superstore cheap and canned salmon and sardines. Make sure you get the ones packed in water and rinse to get most of the salt off. I found sardines at a dollar store priced 2/$1 and one can is a good size meal for Melei.

Check out my blog for a bit on my experiences so far and I have a couple of good links there...credit to technodoll for my starting points. I am fairly new to Raw...she is the expert here

You don't need a huge freezer. you could just buy what you need for a couple weeks at a time, less deals in smaller pkgs though. I only have an apartment size freezer and the one on the fridge. I use the fridge one for her and can fit over a month worth in there in baggies...with the cans in the cupboard beside the fridge. All depends on the size of your dog too, Melei is under 10 lbs.

If you decide to go raw, read, read, read and then take the plunge. I haven't regreted my desicion for a second

[Copper'sMom]

Originally Posted by kayla

*I just realized I did a complete thread hijack here. Sorry, back to the topic at hand!*

Hijack away!!! The more info I read here, the less research I'll have to do! lol

I thought feeding raw was getting the food straight from the butcher. ie. no frozen foods from the grocery store!!

[technodoll]

i'm afraid to get grounded for hijacking, LOL! we could start a new thread perhaps...? by the way, feeding a raw diet is as easy or as complicated as you want it to be... there are no hard and fast rules besides the basics, and even then people don't always agree on what is "right". there is no one diet in the world that will fit each and every dog. i'd say my personal style is kinda "hippie mom", in that i don't really worry about quantities, balance, bacteria, etc... i figure if animals in the wild can survive on such food source fluctuations in quantity and quality, our dogs have it made and anything i give them is a huge improvement over that. i don't worry anymore about leavinga hunk of chicken or turkey out for a couple of days, so what if it dries up and starts to smell... i just rinse off with some white vinegar, then water, and offer to the dog again until it's gone. they are never sick from "stinky meat" (well i don't let it get stinky anyways, LOL!).
for example yesterday my girl ate a pound of stewing goat meat, it had a few small bones in it. she ate some and just chewed on the others and left them there. last night she ate a bit of grass while on our evening walk, and this morning she vomited that up along with a bit of bone that was not digested - just a very small puddle, quickly picked up and that's that. Dog's digestive systems are remarkable that way! what doesn't go down comes up, it's efficient and it's been done for millenia, who am I to mess with mother nature?
ok end of hijack, how about a new thread for raw-feeding questions

[kayla]

"hippie mom" approach... i love it! I would probaby be more by the book to start though, as it's very new to me so I will have no idea what I am doing. Kinda like cooking a new dish, I usually follow the recipe at first, but once I've got it down I completely change it to the way I like it. I guess I will get a feel for what Kayla's system does best on, and how well it is at fighting off any little bugs.

Originally Posted by Melei'sMom

You don't need a huge freezer. you could just buy what you need for a couple weeks at a time, less deals in smaller pkgs though. I only have an apartment size freezer and the one on the fridge. I use the fridge one for her and can fit over a month worth in there in baggies...with the cans in the cupboard beside the fridge. All depends on the size of your dog too, Melei is under 10 lbs.

All I have is the freezer on the top of a fridge, and even at that I have to share it with two other people! Oh and Kayla weighs 70lbs I'm moving very soon though so I will finally have enough space!