[Mike Sagman]

Have you discovered a great dog food you believe offers especially good value to pet owners? Please feel free to share the name of that product with other members of our community.

• This topic was modified 11 years ago by Mike Sagman.

[moxie]

Simply Nourish Dog Food Canned

[DogFoodie]

Two brands I think are great that didn’t make the list of budget friendly foods are NutriSource and Earthborn Holistics.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Moxie and Betsy –

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Betsy –

Earthborn is included on the Budget Friendly list.

[DogFoodie]

Doh! Indeed it is! : )

I went back to look and see if NutriSource was on the list, but my brain skipped right over the Earthborn when I did. To me, for some reason, NutriSource and Earthborn always go hand in hand.

[Naturella]

Would Victor be a good budget-friendly food? In my area, the 4-star grain-inclusive varieties go for less than $1/pound.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Naturella –

Victor is included on the Budget-Friendly Dog Foods list.

[Naturella]

Gah, where are my eyes? Not only do I have glasses, and still I didn’t see it.

Thanks, Hound Dog Mom! 🙂

[Lilypeppers]

I have been buying Evolve Grain Free Salmon and Sweet Potato Recipe. It says it is made in the USA. Of course, nothing about the source. I am able to buy it in my regular grocery store so it is convenient and very well-priced. Would love to see your review of it.

[DogFoodie]

Lilypeppers,

Evolve has been reviewed here: /dog-food-reviews/evolve-dog-food-dry/

[anne a]

How about Nutrisca dry Salmon & chickpea? I do a rotation of Acana Pacifica/Orijen 6 fish & Nutrisca -great ingredients dont know about the manufacturing?

[Diane H]

Hi, Still waiting for a review of Earth’s Pride (BJ’s) dry. The duck claims 30% protein.
Thank you!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Diane H –

Thanks for the suggestion. Does Earth’s Pride have a website with ingredient information and a general analysis? I can’t seem to locate one.

[jakes mom]

Berkley and Jensen’s dry got 4 stars on the DFA list. Earth’s pride just a different name? I looked at the bag at BJ’s last night , ingred. look the same but don’t know about the source.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
I see that By Nature is on the budget friendly list, but not the By Nature grain free. Is that on purpose, or has it just not been rated? Their prices seem pretty good. Thanks.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Crazy4Cats –

I’ll check out the grain-free prices. Thanks for the tip!

[clynne s]

Anyone know a company that my no have organic line, but test for peticides-(0tolerance pesticides) quality dry grainfree kibble?

[aquariangt]

Check out the Editor’s Choice April 2014 listing, and read about those companies. They have a little more in depth about what sourcing and chemicals are used in the food. Off the top of my head, The Honest Kitchen would probably be safe to use-it’s not a kibble though.

[crazy4cats]

I don’t consider the Earthborn moist tubs a budget friendly choice. I think they are kind of expensive especially considering their small size.

[Rabbinator]

I’m personally a big fan of Tiki Dog Canned. Do you think we could do a section specifically for canned food (since Tiki doesn’t make dry food, and I’m sure others don’t as well)?

[moxie]

I don’t think anyone can consider Tiki dog food to be budget-friendly. On Chewy.com, the cheapest case of 14 oz. cans is 41.99.

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
I might be being a little nitpicky, but it would be nice to have the list in two groups with canned and dry separate. Thanks.

[Tina]

What about Nutro Natural Choice?

[Ximena T]

I’m a bit surprised to read Horizon’s review and yet there is no mention of the budget friendly line.
Complete starts at $39.99 for 11.4 kg and it’s rated 4.5 stars
Amicus starts at $22.99 for 2.5 kg – 5 stars
Pulsar starts at $19.99 for 4 kg and at $46.99 for 11.4 kg – 4.5 stars
Legacy stars at $24.99 for 4 kg and at $66.99 for 11.4kg

I was also comparing that review against champion pet food review, and it seems that there is a lot more enthusiasm in the writing than Horizon… is there a particular reason for the difference in reviews?
Lastly, what’s the difference between 80% meat inclusion and 80% animal protein?

[crazy4cats]

Actually, Horizon is listed under the Editor’s choice budget friendly foods. The budget friendly page is divided in two separate lists.

[Joseph E]

It seems like PetWay would be listed as Budget-Friendly and it is delivered to your door.
It has a very good rating and the price isn’t bad. I’ve been using it for my 2 German Shepherds and one cat for five years now and they all love it. My Vet highly recommended it and said that he feeds it to his two Labs. Joe Everett South Mills, NC.

[Eva L]

I just joined (and I may be stepping in it here), but I’ve had many discussions (with family and friends) about the expense of our dog food…we feed Orijen and Acana. Frankly, I would prefer Orijen alone but one (14 year old “pound puppy”) does better with Acana.

At any rate, I’ve tried explaining that, yes, these foods are definitely expensive…if you ONLY consider the price per bag. However, since our dogs require substantially less food per serving than would be necessary with cheaper brands, the food lasts longer and the cost starts to even out over time.

For reference, our (nearly 9 years old) Pyrenees eats 4 cups of food a day in the winter and 3 cups a day in the summer…has done so for 5 years, since we got him from rescue. I start cutting back when he starts leaving food in the bowl. He’s 120 lbs of muscle. Blood work comes back perfect every year and the vet said he’s at optimal weight and condition for his size and age.

Worth mentioning, he’s our second Pyrenees, from the same rescue, and neither could tolerate grains. (Not sure if it’s breed-related or just happened to be the case with our guys.) I know this because they provided a bag of whatever the dogs had been eating at their foster homes and both had bowel/stool problems which cleared up as soon as I transitioned them to grain-free kibble. On the other hand, buying grain free does limit our options.

I know I sound like I’m beating the drum for Champion Foods, but I simply offered their foods as examples because that’s what we feed. Dog Food Advisor has a number of excellent brands listed that you could try instead. Though, I promise you, all of the highly rated foods will cost more per bag.

In the end, factoring in cost-over-time and lack of food related medical problems…with the attendant vet bills…I don’t think the best foods are actually more of an expense.

Just my 2 cents.

[pugmomsandy]

If you have a Nature’s Select distributor, they have a grain free formula and their High-Pro/Puppy grain formula has 33% protein dry matter and they deliver and they may offer discounts. Mine offers a 10% discount for buying over $75 and they also have military, rescue, unemployed and other discounts up to 20%. It’s made at Mid-America Pet Food in Tx.

[Marti E]

Why is the honest kitchen dog food not discussed or rated here?

[theBCnut]

Because this is not the dog food reviews. It’s rated here. /dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-dog-food/

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
Shouldn’t the Fromm’s Family Classics be listed on the budget friendly list?

[Deb B]

What about Nature’s Variety Instinct Frozen Raw Food??

[Darryl C]

I was just wondering what constitutes to a dog food being considered budget friendly, everywhere I have checked for Pulsar, it seems like it’s around $2 per lb.. Is there some sort of guideline as to $ per lb that allows a brand to be considered budget friendly?
Does anyone have recommendations as to which online retailer would offer the best prices?
I am also looking to buy in large quantities (pallet) since I am going to be shipping overseas.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Darryl –

Because prices will vary from retailer to retail there is no set guideline as to a price that qualifies a food as budget friendly. I generally just take the prices found on several online retailers into account, prices I see in stores in my area, as well as prices that users report in their areas.

When it comes to online retailers sometimes it pays to take the time to shop around. I’ve noticed times where one brand may be more expensive at one retailer but they may carry another brand for a cheaper price than other retailers. It really just depends. I do think Chewy.com tends to have good deals though – they also have fast/free shipping, a great selection and wonderful customer service.

Not sure about where you could purchase food in bulk.

[Stephanie S]

I found Diamond Naturals High Endurance at Tractor Supply. It is rated 5 Stars on this site and it is $39.99 for 40lb bag. It is not grain free though.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Stephanie S –

Thanks for the suggestion!

Just so there isn’t any confusion – a food doesn’t have to be grain-free to be considered for inclusion on the budget-friendly list, it just has to be rated at least 4 stars.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Jennifer H]

Fromm Family Classics is very affordable, and a good food. I feel it should be added to the budget-friendly list!

[Barbara D]

Does anyone use/know much about the Tractor Supply Brand 4-Helth?

[Barbara D]

Sorry for the typo that should read 4-Health.

[aquariangt]

Jennifer- Fromm’s Classic is only rated 3.5 stars I believe, so it’s not eligible for that list.

Barbara-it’s a pretty common food for budget conscious people, It is made by diamond which is a bit concerning. We don’t have TS here, so I’ve never tried it myself, but a lot of people like it

[Cindy T]

I’m not sure if this is considered “budget friendly”—in my area it runs about $60 for a 32# bag, but what are your thoughts on Natural Balance? I was feeding sweet potato and fish formula.

[Dee I]

Nature’s Select

[Mike G]

I would like to share my experience with Diamond Naturals Beef & Rice. Somebody lost or dumped a Basset Hound out here in rural Illinois where I live. My wife and I had no success finding the owner via local radio, newspaper and vets in the area. We decided to keep him. My other dog a Golden Retriever/Basset Hound mix, loved each other immediately! About every two weeks the Basset would have a seizure. I did some research and found a pattern of a possible culprit(s); food preservatives BHA, BHT and rosemary extract used in some dog foods. I switched to Diamond Naturals Beef & Rice and the dog hasn’t had a seizure since. He also lost a limp in his left rear leg/hip. That plagued him until I made that switch also. I can’t explain that but it went away. The vet estimated his age at the time being 5-7 yrs old. That was in 2008. The dog is non-stop with his nose to the ground every chance he gets. He’s like the Energizer Bunny! My other one is 7 yrs old now and is the same. The Vet is amazed at the health of these two dogs and told me to keep doing what I’m doing.
I can highly recommend Diamond Naturals Beef & Rice for sure. I get it at the local Farm & Home store (Buchheits) for $29.99 for a 40lb bag.

[Debra M]

I have used the earths pride duck and veg also from BJ’s Club, bags are small for the amount of dogs I am feeding. I have been buying the natures Domain at Costco comes in three different types Salmon, and sweet potato or Chicken and also Beef I buy mostly the salmon but mix it up occasionally to change it up for my dogs… please let me know what your thoughts are on this food I feed 7 dogs, twice a day and want to feed them a food that is highly recommended without going broke.. thanks in advance

[crazy4cats]

Hi Debra-
This thread is supposed to be for suggesting budget friendly dog foods for the Editor’s Choice list. Since you are on this forum, I am assuming that you have access to that list as well. Have you checked it out? My dog’s do really well on grain free Victor. You can order through Amazon or Sport Dog if it is not sold in your area. Good luck!

[Sarah Y]

Wow….I’m wondering if Dr. Tim’s will still make the editor’s choice budget friendly list. The price jumped $5.50 for the grain free Kinesis food and it went up $3.50 for the all stages kinesis food. I paid $24.99 for the 15 lb all stage kinesis bag and now it’s $28.49 and I paid $29.99 for the 15 lb grain free bag. That price is now $35.49.

I guess that is still a pretty good price. I just started the grain free food…I bought one bag when I went to order it again and saw the price jump.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Sarah Y.

[Lola G]

New to the group –
Our local store suggested switiching to N&D, but we don’t know anyone who has experience with it? The other suggestion was Victor, which I see on the list and will look it over.
Thanks, LG

[Paul B]

BARF frozen raw

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Paul B –

Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately BARF brand frozen raw definitely wouldn’t qualify as a budget-friendly option.

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