[Carl L]

Hi all, this is my first post. Great place to hang out!

We have a new dog (1 1/2 year Lab) and need to settle on a quality commercial food. Commercial raw and 5-star canned food is out of our price range. Most kibble is not.

I have been reading in many places that aside from cost and convenience, all things being equal, a quality canned food is probably slightly better for a dog than a quality kibble.

In Canada, there are not many 5-star canned foods in our range. Kirkland Cuts in Gravy is one. We can feed our 60 lb. Lab for under $100.

My question is, aside from convenience (not an issue in our case), does it make sense to go exclusive Kirkland canned versus a 5-star kibble since it is in our price range? What are the points against feeding this particular canned vs. any 5-star kibble? (We are leading towards Acana Regionals).

Of course we can go kibble and canned combined, but aside from price, I am not sure why we would do it?

Anyone willing to offer opinions?

Thanks in advance

[crazy4cats]

Hi Carl-
Welcome to the forum! I have two 2 1/2 year old lab mix dogs that are about 80 pounds each. I love, love, love Kirkland cuts in Gravy! It is a great value. And I don’t only say that because I work at Costco. LOL! I have learned from “hanging out” on this site for about a year now that it is best to feed a variety of food. I wish I had a bigger budget so I could get a little more variety in their diet, but I do the best that I can. So, whether you decide to go with kibble or canned, it is best to feed a variety of kibble or canned or a combination of both. There is an article about diet rotation on the review side of this site in the FAQ tab. Now, that being said, I will tell you that I have chosen to go with a combination of the two. I feed about 75% to 25% kibble to canned. Currently I am feeding Victor grain free kibble with either Kirkland cuts in gravy canned, Pure Balance canned, or whole earth farms canned. In the evening a couple times a week, I add eggs or sardines to their kibble instead of canned. These are all considered budget 5 star foods. Don’t be afraid to try something and change it up if it doesn’t work. Good luck!

[Giddyupb]

I always look at the feeding guidelines and if the company makes it themselves or co-pack (pay someone to make for them). I believe can mixed in dry is great as many pets do not get enough moisture in their diet. But for a great quality and value product in Canada is the company I work for and proud to say for many years now is Saskatchewan family business Horizon Pet Nutrition. Pulsar is a grain free that is great price and has 3 protein meat options.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Giddyupb. Reason: did not like my wording

[theBCnut]

I would agree with C4C. Canned is great, but more expensive, so to feed variety, I would go with dry and rotate foods often, and use canned as a topper.

[Carl L]

Thanks for the replies. So many angles to think of.

Not too many feed 100% canned I am gathering. The beauty of the Kirkland, I thought, was that it was 5-star and still within the budget even at 100%. But the point about food rotation is a good one. I could likely never feed another 5-star canned to work in the rotation and meet the budget, as the BCnut points out. I am trying to find out if I can get Whole Earth Farms canned here in SW Ontario (if it is truly a budget-friendly option).

By combining with kibble, however, I can accomplish food rotation easier. Most 5-star kibbles would fit the budget. So I like that.

Giddyupb, I just discovered Pulsar yesterday! I was at our local Pet Planet and the manager suggested Pulsar as a great food, even at least as a transition to Acana from the junk our guy is on now. I like the price!

I appreciate the responses.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Carl-
I think 100% canned would be fine if you could afford it, but just not the exact same canned everyday, every meal forever! The difference between the chicken and beef varieties of the Kirkland is very small. I think I paid $1.69 per can for the WEF and $1.00 per can for the Pure Balance that can be found at Walmart. If you do decide to go with kibble, adding canned, dehydrated, eggs and/or sardines is a great way to add moisture and more protein. If your lab is anything like mine, they will eat just about anything! Good luck. 🙂

[Carl L]

So much to learn, crazy4cats, about our guy. And not just about food. We adopted him in November, and he came with “issues”. 🙂

Canadian Walmart does not seem to carry Pure Balance. So, so far, only Kirkland Cuts In Gravy at around $1 can.

As you say, good thing about Labs is they are not finicky eaters. My wife has Arrow chewing kale stems, for goodness sake. As long as we don’t discover allergies or GI problems, we should have a wide open field.

I think when we feel more confident, we will try to transition to homemade food. That will be the next research project. Ha.

Great people here.

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