I have four dogs! A husky-shepherd, pit mix, pit, and a pit-shepherd (I have a type haha). They’re between 1 and 10 years old.
Right now, they’re all on the same food, but I’m looking for small kibble since my oldest sometimes forgets to chew. We go through a large bag every week and a few days, so I need something budget-friendly but in big bags.
No allergies, but my oldest has a peanut butter sensitivity. Any suggestions?
One quick tip: calculate the cost per calorie for each food you’re thinking of. It can make a big difference in how much you actually spend feeding your dogs each day.
For example, when I ordered a 37.5lb bag of Purina Pro Plan 30/20 Sport (chicken formula), it came out to about the same cost per day as a 31.1lb bag of Purina One+ Skin and Coat formula. However, a 50lb bag of Pro Plan Sport was 10 cents cheaper per day! Not a huge difference, but it showed that ‘cheaper’ food isn’t always a better value.
The Purina One is still a solid choice, but for my active dog who needs a higher-calorie diet, the Pro Plan 30/20 is a better fit.
@Hayden
How do you do that math? I saw a video about it a year ago, but I can’t remember the details.
Avery said:
@Hayden
How do you do that math? I saw a video about it a year ago, but I can’t remember the details.
Here’s the formula: To get $/kcal, first convert the kcal/kg to kcal/lb (divide kcal/kg by 2.205), then divide the $/lb by the kcal/lb. Multiply this by the daily calories you feed to get the cost per day.
Example: The Pro Plan 30/20 chicken formula costs $1.78/lb and has 4390 kcal/kg (484 kcal/cup), and I feed 3 cups a day for a 51-75 lb dog.
So, 4390 kcal/kg ÷ 2.205 lb/kg = ~1991 kcal/lb.
Then, $1.78/lb ÷ 1991 kcal/lb = ~0.000894 $/kcal.
Finally, 484 kcal/cup x 3 cups/day = 1452 kcal/day.
So, 0.000894 $/kcal x 1452 kcal/day = ~ $1.30 per day.
Purina Dog Chow is a good budget brand and also WSAVA-compliant. Not sure about the kibble size, but I think it’s on the smaller side.
Hadi said:
Purina Dog Chow is a good budget brand and also WSAVA-compliant. Not sure about the kibble size, but I think it’s on the smaller side.
Thanks a lot!
If Pro Plan is too expensive, you might want to try Purina One. It’s a bit more affordable.
I started my pit on Science Diet, and he absolutely loves it! It’s also made his digestion better—no more messy poops! Science Diet isn’t the cheapest, but I feel like the quality will save me on vet bills down the line.
I recently switched my girl to Iams. We use the Advanced Health line, but the others are very affordable too.
Iams small bites work well for my dogs.
I currently feed mine Royal Canin, but it’s really pricey. I’m considering trying Purina Pro Plan instead.
I get Purina Dog Chow for $24 per 30lb bag at the local dollar store. Works well for us!
I use Pro Plan for my dogs.
Other budget-friendly options:
What food are they on now? My vet recommended Purina Pro Plan, and that’s what we use. I get the 40lb bags and have them delivered on a schedule from Chewy—it saves a little and keeps me from running out!
@Raleigh
We’ve tried different brands over the years. They’re on Costco brand right now, and they seem to like it. I just want something a bit higher quality. Thanks for the suggestion!
I feed my senior chihuahua Iams Healthy Aging, and it works well for him.
We use Wholesomes for our sensitive dogs. We get the Sensitive Skin and Stomach formula (salmon and rice). It has smaller kibble and no pea protein. Our dogs love it, and our cats keep trying to steal it!
Blue Buffalo Life Protection works well for my dachshund.
We use Victor. Yes, it did have a recall, but we’re back to it, and it helps keep our dog’s stools small.