My dog eats a lot and it’s killing my wallet. I’ve been buying Taste of the Wild puppy. I’d like to use something a little cheaper but still good. At least until he is an adult. Then I may switch back to some kind of adult grain free food. And ideas?
What a pleasant way for you to join us! In general, people on DFA are a bit more pleasant than other forums, but thanks for the comment.
Sorry, but I didn’t notice I hit submit enter without the rest of the information. Fromm Gold Puppy is about 50 calories more per cup, so while the bag may be more expensive, you would be feeding less than you would Taste of the Wild, which is a crap food anyway. All of these things are figured out via basic research. Since you say it’s breaking your wallet and he eats a lot of food, I assume its a large breed, so make sure you are feeding a large breed puppy appropriate food. There is a huge thread on this forum about appropriate large and giant breed puppy foods, as well as a list on page 36 from a very informed on the subject member that has a simple list of approved foods for growth in LGP
Fromm grain inclusive is cheaper in my area than TOTW. So, if you would like suggestions from DFA posters not sure your last reply will help with your original question. How about posting what your budget is, size or breed and age of your dog, where you shop, on-line or in stores or both. This will help someone who might take the time to help you.
Taste of the Wild is already cheaper for me. So it comes out to around the same. I’m not saving hardly any money. I need to save more than just a buck or two. I shop at Tractor supply and Amazon. I can get a 30lb bag of TOTW for around $45.
This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Zane H.
Feeding 1/2 cup a day less would add up quite a bit-and around here, the 30lb bag of Fromm Gold is cheaper than TotW, from a far superior company. If you’re looking to save more than a buck or two, I’m not sure there is anything most would recommend to get to under $40 for a large bag of food
Is 4Health available at Tractor Supply? How does that price compare? Try chewy.com, they have good prices and free shipping with minimum purchase ($49 I think).
Wow. If Fromm Gold is too expensive for you, there aren’t going to be alot of good options. Lets get something straight first: are you looking for a good food or only a cheap food?
Your subject line says you’re looking for the “best non grain free dog food”. Grainfree doesn’t automatically mean good. There are foods with grains that I’d feed over some grainfrees. The TOTW you’re feeding is one of the cheapest out there.
TOTW is the cheapest of the somewhat-acceptable foods out there. It’s good you have enough love for your dog to purchase that. TOTW is what I started my three dogs (6 lbs, 24 lbs, & 68 lbs) on.
I’ve had to economize in OTHER AREAS OF MY LIFE in order to feed these 3 hounds properly.
TOTW is BARELY acceptable. On this site, you’ll see the owner/moderator mention Steve Brown of “The Canine Ancestral Diet”; Steve Brown was an MIT graduate who started studying this as a sideline and eventually veered off into the topic of “pet nutrition” full-time.
Holistic Veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker had two YouTube interviews with Steve Brown… I am somewhat RETICENT about asking you to ACTUALLY SPEND MORE MONEY but you quite obviously have already MADE THE COMMITMENT to ensuring that your puppy gets “quality nutrition”.
So…..
You need to add one of the pre-mixes to supplement TOTW (I use Sojos Green… 8lb bag is $62)… the 6 lb Chihuahua gets one tsp. per meal. the 24 lb spaniel bred to look like a mini-Rottweiler gets 1 1/2 tblsp per meal, the 68 lb American Bulldog gets 3 tblsp. per meal. Dr. Becker provided the rationale that the diet of canids (dogs, wolves, etc.) in the wild is 70% moisture and greens from the stomachs of their vegetarian prey (rabbits, squirrels, chicken, etc.) The best that even the higher-quality grain-free dry dog foods can do is 12% moisture.
Do not OVERFEED your puppy; this resulted in a “mini-rebellion” bordering on “insurrection” by the 3 dogs in my household teaming up on me to complain when I instituted “measuring cup” proportional feedings. You’ll find that WITHOUT the “fillers/excipients” in the grocery-store brands, the recommended TOTW and Champion Dog Food (Orijen and Acana) Guidelines seem rather “stingy.” I compromise since a part of the rebellion staged by these 3 was to begin eating cheetohs and french fries that the truckers drop where I walk my dogs by the Walmart.
I measure each dogs recommended portion per day and SPACE OUT the meals to four servings which sates their initial hunger pangs; the COMPROMISE is that I don’t count the calories from the pre-mixes towards their daily caloric intake; the rationale being that these are HIGH-ROUGHAGE FOODS and since dogs have very short intestinal tracts, I’m getting the INTERNAL CLEANSING of the INTESTINAL WALLS that I desire; there is ALSO water-soluble fiber from the apples, etc CLEANSING THEIR BLOODSTREAM and keeping their RENAL SYSTEM (Kidneys) healthy.
This “may” or “may not” another TOUGH PILL for some to swallow; Steve Brown pointed out in the Karen Becker YouTube interview that THE FATS in even the best of the dry foods are intact in the air-sealed environment before the bag is opened but that these same fats degrade once opened. You need to go to a dollar store and buy $1 tupperware storage containers and refrigerate/freeze the balance of the bag once opened. Humans, dogs and all mammals need a variety of high-quality fats (which are EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT as proteins).
Going to what I call “minimally-appropriate quality” dog foods does involve some “financial sticker shock”; you came here because you got a great puppy dog, Zane H and you were clever enough to sniff out the necessity of going “grain free”; Blue Buffalo is to be credited with instituting a national advertising campaign and there has been an understandable backlash against Purina and other brand providers to where they sheepishly and quietly have begun acknowledging that “corn,” “soy” and “wheat” are poisoning your pets.
You came here because you love your dog, Zane H and you were faced with some tough choices; I too don’t make a lot of money at my job as a CNC Lathe Operator.
You’ve got a puppy so you have a chance to have a healthy dog.. I’d recommend going to YouTube and search for Dr. Karen Becker and Mercola Healthy pets. Here is the link to her two-part series on Best-to-worst dog foods.
This the dry I feed my dogs; Orijen is 75%/80% whole prey protein to 20%/25% fruit and vegetables (found in the stomachs of the prey that dogs/wolves eat in the wild). Princess is 68 lbs and closer to “wolf size” than either Shadow (24 lbs) or Mary (6 lbs) so she gets the higher-protein + 3 tblsps. of the sojos green per meal.
I like the LESS EXPENSIVE Acana for Shadow and Mary since it is what is contained in the other 50% that I like (The DHA and EPA). I’m thinking of switching Princess over to Acana as she ages into her 13th year of life. She and Shadow are the same age and they have been active, healthy dogs who have the puppy chihuahua to entertain them.
Dogs REALLY NEED “fresh water” every day EITHER filtered through your tap with Britta or purchased in gallon bottles (“drinking” or “spring” only not “distilled”) from Walmart.
I also use the Honest Kitchen “Preference” pre-mix and sparingly add in the Grandma Lucy’s PureFormance pre-mix to get in some of those low-glycemic chickpeas.
Acana and Orijen have won numeorus awards for their low-glycemic qualities which keeps your pets healthy in the first place so that they don’t get system failures from having bodies with their pH-levels out of whack.
You need to change your dogs water daily and also add in a Tropicana breath freshener liquid to keep their teeth clean.
It is somewhat DEFLATING to come here and discover that it don’t get any cheaper than what you’re already doing…
…but you are here and you obviously love your dog.
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