# Favorite Food Under $1 A Pound??



## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

I just switched from Purina about a week ago to Diamond Naturals. I didn't realize I was feeding my girl such garbage. I am so happy I found out how bad it was and now have her on something decent.

She seems to like the Diamond Naturals, a lot more than the Purina. She will spit the Purina out now and not eat unless I mix it with the new food.

The Diamond Naturals runs about $25-$30 for a 40 lb bag, which seems very reasonable to me. I know this is not the best food out there, and I can't afford the "best". But I am looking for your favorite food that is under $1 a pound. That is about the limit I put on her food. I can't go breaking the bank and have her eating better than I do.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

I don't think I've ever bough a dog food that was $1 a pound. The Wellness core I buy is $32 for 12.5lbs and the TOTW is $26 for 15lbs. Even the crap food they sell is more than $1 a pound...


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

I can get the larger bag (30 or 35 pound?) for around $1/pound where I live. I've noticed that the larger bags are much cheaper per pound.


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## Falkon (Aug 21, 2008)

The best way to calculate it is price per feeding rather than price per pound. Would you rather feed your dog a pound of meat or a pound of crap? I can tell you which is cheaper. The difference is that you don't have to feed your dog as much of a high quality food due to there being far less filler and far more real protein from good sources. An added benefit is that there are fewer piles of dog poop for you to deal with. 

Look at some of the other threads on this. I've found Innova to be one of the best priced per feeding. It costs less than $1/day to feed your dog a good food. It would cost you about $0.65/day to feed Innova, which is a very high quality food. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't eat for that cheap and I doubt you are unless YOU'RE eating the Purina.


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## Boleyn (Aug 25, 2008)

The other day at the feed store, I noticed that Chicken Soup was just about $35 for a 35 lb bag. Foods like Sci Diet were priced higher than that, but CS has better ingredients.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

Boleyn said:


> The other day at the feed store, I noticed that Chicken Soup was just about $35 for a 35 lb bag. Foods like Sci Diet were priced higher than that, but CS has better ingredients.


As someone else mentioned it is price per feeding, not price per pound. Because foods vary in nutritional value. Unless you go REAL cheap, it is less expensive to feed a high quality food than a food that costs less per pound.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I can get Chicken Soup for under a dollar a pound, and Canidae USED TO cost about the same, now it's a bit over.


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks for all the replies.

I free feed my dog, so I don't really know what she goes through "per feeding". She usually goes through any where from 2-6 cups of food a day depending on how active she was, etc.

Yesterday was the first day she was on 100% Diamond Naturals, and it looks like she went through about 4 cups. She doesn't dive into it like she did the Purina. Her bowl only holds about 4 cups at a time, and with the Purina, a lot of the time she would eat the entire bowl in one sitting. With the new food, she doesn't eat as much at one time. I have a bowl of just Purina right next to the new food, and she won't even touch the Purina any more. 

I saw the Canidae at the feed store, and it was like $30 for a 30lb bag. I have heard mixed reviews on that stuff though. I didn't see the Chicken Soup while I was there, but I went there specifically for the Diamond Naturals so I wasn't really looking around.

With a lot of the real expensive foods, it says to feed your dog like 3 cups a day of food. If she is eating 4 cups of the Diamond Naturals, I don't think the more expensive food will save me much money, if any at all. It seems like it would be more expensive.


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

The only way you are going to be able to figure out which dog food is most affordable is to find out exactly how much food is consumed in a day. If that means taking your dog off free feeding, even if it's just temporary, I suggest you do that.

"Five star" dog food _is_ more expensive than food like Diamond Naturals; that's just how it is. It may not be as expensive as it seems, because of the greater levels of nutrition per feeding, but it's by no means the same price.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

You can easily figure out how much a free fed dog eats in a day. Measure out more than she eats for the day and measure what is left at the end of the day. Do that for a couple days and you have it. I would rather weigh the food than use a cup measure myself. Love my little digital scale.


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## Lexite (Oct 6, 2008)

You arent really goign to find anyhting for under a dollar a pound, Pedigree is a dollar a pound but thats the worst of all pretty much. You can get good foods for about $45 for 35lbs that will keep you under $2 a pound, but for a dollar you really are not goign to find anything. I work at petco so i see all the prices everyday. Try Natural balance, they have a good price and good ingredents.


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## Boleyn (Aug 25, 2008)

JohnnyBandit said:


> As someone else mentioned it is price per feeding, not price per pound. Because foods vary in nutritional value. Unless you go REAL cheap, it is less expensive to feed a high quality food than a food that costs less per pound.


I'm aware of that - I feed raw, anyway. I was suggesting the food for the sake of the OP.


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

The Purina and Pedigree is well under $1 a pound. It is closer to about 60cents per pound. 

The Diamond Naturals is around the same price, but seems to be much better. Like I mentioned before, I saw Canidae for like $1 a pound, what do you guys think of this stuff?

It is really hard to judge how much she eats in a day. Yesterday, it was like 4 cups. Today, it was barely anything. It varies a lot every day it seems like. I don't like the idea of only feeding once or twice a day. She will gobble the food down, and it just seems like, if she is hungry and isn't overweight, she should be able to eat when ever she wants.

So if we get closer to like $1.50 a pound will I be able to get a better food? I don't want to spend $2.00 or more a pound on food. If I was going to do this, she could just eat meat and veggies and whatnot.


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## FriendsOfZoe (Aug 7, 2007)

Canidae is, as you saw, right around the $1/lb mark. There are mixed reviews about every dog food...and if you are feeding Diamond, you can't be doing worse by trying out Canidae. Not all dogs do well on any food; that's a fact. But I feed Canidae and always recommend it to people looking for a high quality kibble that won't break the bank. As far as I have seen, it's the "best quality" cheapest kibble...which of course means it won't work for all dogs, and if your dog does well on Diamond, that may be the best food for you to stick with. My recommendation, though, is to try Canidae (the ALS formula, with chicken, fish, lamb, and I think something else...I've never heard anyone like the Lamb/Rice formula more than ALS unless your dog really cannot tolerate multiple protein sources).

ETA: Not sure what mixed reviews you've heard on Canidae, but the ones I've heard refer to formula changes, which the only major formula change that I have seen is in Lamb/Rice, NOT the ALS stages. If the ALS had changed significantly, my dog would have been sick because she cannot change foods without intestinal issues. The only other negatives I've heard are from people whose dogs just don't tolerate it well or don't like it...which is bound to happen with any food. I once tried to switch to a Natural Balance (more expensive) food, and my dog who will eat absolutely anything, including sticks, dirt, and poopy, absolutely would not TOUCH NB...that doesn't mean it's not a good food for lots of dogs, but it obviously wasn't going to work for Zoe. I suggest getting a small bag or even try to get a couple sample pouches to see if your dog likes the taste and will tolerate the new food.


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks for the post Zoe.

I think when this bag gets close to done, I will go ahead and try the Canidae. I got a bunch of samples of the Diamond Naturals, and she loved that compared to the Purina. 

A lot of the negatives I have noticed are about the recipe changes as well. I wasn't sure if all of them had changed or what. I'm glad to know that one of them is still the same as the one everybody reccomends.

I really don't understand what people mean when they say "doing well" on a certain food. My dog seemed to be doing just fine on Purina even though it is garbage. What do I need to look for to make sure she is "doing well" on this food or any other?


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

When people talk about dogs not doing well on a food, they are talking about a variety of things....for me, problems I've had with food are gas, soft poo or massive poops, weight loss...despite what people like to claim, I have had to feed _*more*_ of certain premium foods to keep weight on two of my dogs...the third gains weight just by looking at food....some dogs also have itching, ear infections, flaky skin, or body odor on some foods. My dogs are "doing well" on Purina One, and though I freely admit the ingredients gross me out, the quality for the price (under $1 a lb here) is working for us for now. I will probably try to switch them again when the budget loosens up a bit, though if they have any issues I'll have no qualms about going back to PO. I can actually get quite a few foods here for right at $1 a lb, but I also have to factor in gas if I have to drive 40 mins one way to a feed store or to Petco...that not considered though, I can get Canidae, Chicken Soup, Diamond....PO is under $1, and Maxximum Nutrition at Walmart...be warned though, the feeding instructions on Maxximum have you feeding twice as much as the others, why I don't buy it....


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## BullieCrazy (Feb 11, 2008)

Canidae was a great price before the change of formula, the change was to outsource the manufacturing of the food to Diamond. The change truly was a change of quality/specification of ingredients. Lowering of quality in my mind. And the price was increased. went up $2 to $3 and the size of the bag went DOWN 5 pounds. Unfortunet choice Canidae made. I was totally sold on the food for the 7 months I had my dogs eating it. The quality and price change as well as having to travel and hour to purchase it put it out of my price range as well as having my dogs sick from the formulas change.


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## wolfsnaps (Apr 27, 2007)

I feed raw. Lately I have been feeding one whole chicken (and some spare parts) a week to my 20 lbs. dog. If I get the chicken at Walmart, its usually 4 or 5 dollars. 5 dollars a week, sometimes a few bucks more if I get fancy with it. 

It seems the best of the best kibble is significantly more than a dollar a pound, but then, how much do you pay for your food? 

To the OP, I have never tried Canidea, but I hope it works out for you.


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## Pupsbegood (Sep 12, 2008)

Bullie Crazy, have you tried ordering it online? I used to drive longer distances to go shopping, but w/ high gas prices it ends up costing you so much time and $.

You can actually get Canidae at PetFood Direct for $32.99 for the 35-lb. bag. http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf%5Fid=20164802&dept%5Fid=1&brand%5Fid=299
Even after shipping it ends up being a better deal than driving a long ways to the store. What do you think?


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

wolfsnaps said:


> I feed raw. Lately I have been feeding one whole chicken (and some spare parts) a week to my 20 lbs. dog. If I get the chicken at Walmart, its usually 4 or 5 dollars. 5 dollars a week, sometimes a few bucks more if I get fancy with it.
> 
> It seems the best of the best kibble is significantly more than a dollar a pound, but then, how much do you pay for your food?
> 
> To the OP, I have never tried Canidea, but I hope it works out for you.



I am a broke bachelor, so I don't pay much for my food, lol. 

I am not looking for the best of the best. I am looking for something that is not garbage, but also doesn't cost more than I can afford. I am a server, so I live on tips. With the economy the way it is, people don't think they have to tip as much, so now I can barely afford to eat myself. People figure we get a paycheck, why tip. They don't realize that my paychecks are only $100 a week, and no one can live on $400 a month. 

This has nothing to do with the dog stuff, and may sound rude, but please, if you can't afford to tip 15-20% after tax, then don't go out to eat! Your $2 is not going to help me pay my rent, and telling me I did a great job doesn't count as a tip.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull said:


> I am a broke bachelor, so I don't pay much for my food, lol.
> 
> I am not looking for the best of the best. I am looking for something that is not garbage, but also doesn't cost more than I can afford. I am a server, so I live on tips. With the economy the way it is, people don't think they have to tip as much, so now I can barely afford to eat myself. People figure we get a paycheck, why tip. They don't realize that my paychecks are only $100 a week, and no one can live on $400 a month.
> 
> This has nothing to do with the dog stuff, and may sound rude, but please, if you can't afford to tip 15-20% after tax, then don't go out to eat! Your $2 is not going to help me pay my rent, and telling me I did a great job doesn't count as a tip.


I'm a server too...tips haven't dropped off too much where I am yet, but business in general sure has...you're lucky if you're getting $100 paychecks...mine this week was $15, and that's high, some weeks are 0, lol...are your charge tips on your check? Just curious...


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

I am one of the lucky ones that works in California. We are one of the last states to pay their servers an actual minimum wage. But after taxes and whatnot, we are down to about $4 an hour. 

Our tips have gone to hell. I work at Olive Garden, and they have an all you can eat promotion going on, so we get all the cheap people in there. When you can eat at olive garden for less than mcdonald's, there's a problem. Right now the average ticket is just around $20. We had a party of 8 tonight who's ticket was only $85. 

We get our charge tips at the end of the night. We just have to claim them so we can be taxed on them. Our credit cards tips are automatically claimed for us and we just claim our cash tips. 

I may not even have a job after tonight. The district manager just happened to be there, and apparently I was just so rude to this guest, and according to her it was because she was mexican, that I made her cry. She was 6months pregnant, so I think the hormones are playing a little bit of a role there. I told her they couldn't have refills on their all you can eat pasta because they were sharing it. This is a rule, and now I'm in trouble for following the rules. Yet if I would have given her something for free, I would be in trouble for that as well. You just can't make these people happy. We will see tomorrow if I have a job or not. I may be sharing Omega's food with her come next week.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

I work for the same company as you...different restaurant though...I didn't know servers in California made more hourly....still stuck at $2.13 here, but it sounds like it isn't making any difference for you, or not much. All you can eat is the worst...hope you still have a job, if you have to share w/ Omega, I'd definitely go with EVO.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Omega, that is kooky! What were you supposed to do in that situation?


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## JessRU09 (Aug 25, 2008)

One thing I've always taken into considering is keeping your dog healthy. If your pet is healthy on a cheaper brand of food, then that's fine. Chances are, they'll do better when they're eating better food. In the long run, food plays a major role in their life long health. So it may be cheaper now to feed low-end, but when the dog gets older, s/he might have more health problems... and thus, expensive vet bills.

It's possible a dog could eat garbage its whole life and live to be 20. But I think, in most situations, it's better to pay a few cents more for better quality food.

Right now I am (unfortunately) feeding Dexter Science Diet puppy food. His fosters had him on that, so I kept him on it to avoid upsetting his tummy. Now that he's settled and a few weeks older, I will start transitioning him to something of better quality. (Not to mention it's $30+ for a 20 pound bag... around $15 for a 5 pound bag.... give me a break)


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## Falkon (Aug 21, 2008)

sheltiemom said:


> I work for the same company as you...different restaurant though...I didn't know servers in California made more hourly....still stuck at $2.13 here, but it sounds like it isn't making any difference for you, or not much. All you can eat is the worst...hope you still have a job, if you have to share w/ Omega, I'd definitely go with EVO.


I know it. I'm a student right now, and I guarantee you that I'm pulling in less per year than you are. I get to work co-op, but I have to save all my money to get through the school semesters.


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## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

If you're on a budget, you will find that you can better control your food costs by putting your dog on a regular feeding schedule. Look on the food you are feeding and it will give you how much of it you need to feed given your dog' weight and activity level. Start with that amount. You'll quickly notice if you need to feed more or less than that. 

You can still allow your dog to eat when and how much he wants to, but he'll be getting set amount of food each day, which will be easier to regulate and to determine if you are getting good value for our money on the food.


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

Well, as of now, I still have a job. It sucks because the GM is not backing me, he is trying to say I made the wrong decision in telling the guest no. He is the one that told me less than a week before to tell another guest no. I think it is ridiculous.

But on to the dog food. The dog food says that she should be eating about 3 1/4 to 4 cups of food a day. And that is pretty much exactly what she eats on her own no matter how much I put out. 

She is eating about the same amount of this food as she was with the Purina. But she doesn't seem to eat it as fast. Instead of taking down the whole bowl in one or two sittings, she grazes all day.


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## Falkon (Aug 21, 2008)

Your dog will get used to being fed on a schedule. The Innova I feed for a 50 lb dog says about 2 and a quarter cups a day. 

What food are you using right now?


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

Right now I am feeding Diamond Naturals. It says for a 60-80 lb dog, you should feed 3 1/4-4 cups a day. Omega is right about 70 lbs. and about 1yr old.


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## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

With a slightly higher quality food, you can cut down what you feed, increase the quality of the food and stil not actually pay more. 

I have a 50lb dog and feed 1 1/2 cups a day of Innova. Most of the other "premium" foods I've fed have been about 2 cups a day. I'm guessing that for a 70 lb dog, you would need to feed about 2-2 1/2 cups of the Innova and slightly more of other premiums. 

That means that if you are smart about what you buy and pay attention to the feeding guidelines as well as the price, you could feed a better food for about the same price you are feeding now. That is the advantage of thinking in price per feed rather than in price per pound.


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## Omega_Brindle_Pit_Bull (Feb 6, 2008)

What type of Innova are you guys refering to? I know they have a bunch of different kinds, so I was wondering exactly which ones you guys are feeding?


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## Falkon (Aug 21, 2008)

I have the Adult dog formula in the green bag. It seems to be a good one. I like Innova due to the company's decent reputation. There are others that I'd probably feed, but Innova seems like the best bang for the buck when it comes to quality, quantity, and price.


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## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

Falkon said:


> I have the Adult dog formula in the green bag. It seems to be a good one. I like Innova due to the company's decent reputation. There are others that I'd probably feed, but Innova seems like the best bang for the buck when it comes to quality, quantity, and price.


Ditto. That's the same one I feed too.


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