[crazy4cats]

Patty C-
I agree with Cyndi. You are doing great. I, also tend to lean more towards budget friendly kibble so that I can afford to add some healthy toppers. Such as eggs, sardines, meat and canned foods. Good luck with your pups!

[Melissaandcrew]

There is a church in the inner city here with a food bank. As I was sitting at a red light I couldn’t help but notice all the leather brand name new sneakers and smart phones being used while waiting for the doors to open while smoking $10 packs of cigs. I think perhaps a class in budgeting and priorities would be of more benefit to those people.

[Naturella]

I recently went on a trip to Bulgaria (where I’m from) and took 15lbs of decent food (TOTW – 2 5-lb bags; Nutrisource Grain-Free – 1 5-lb bag), as well as a bunch of Meow Mix small cat foods and a bunch of toys and chews. I always give coupons to friends and try to educate them on smart shopping for good dog food, and I agree with Akari, I would love to teach others how to coupon some and hunt for deals and feed their pets top notch foods for a fraction of their retail prices, and on a budget that a lower-income person like myself has. I am happy to hear about dog food pantries though and I would love to donate to those or directly to people in need some day.

[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.

[aquariangt]

The more that doesn’t digest (all those poor quality foods you mentioned) will have worse poop. More comes out, more is there. I would try out a higher quality food that has a lot of good digestibility.

Remember that budget conscious means different things to different people, so take this for what it’s worth

Some options that are budget friendly: Victor (if you can find it locally, I can’t) Earthborn Holistic, Pure Balance, Simply Nourish, Dr Tims

None of these will be as cheap as beneful, but unfortunately you can’t make a decent food that cheap. The closest will probably be Pure Balance-which is from walmart- but I can’t say the exact amount, I’ve never used it myself

[William C]

We tried science diet dog food and his poop smelled awful. He has been on Beneful for a long time with not much smell, but I have been reading some bad reviews on Beneful. I just want to get him on a good budget conscious dog food that doesn’t have a terrible odor when he poops. I don’t expect it to smell like a rose ! lol

[Lilmonster]

Hound Dog Mom –

Hi, after I read your above response I posted a question to you in a separate topic that I started with questions regarding switching my pup to raw, but realizing I probably should have just asked here since I’m not sure if you’ll see the other one. Copy & pasted below. Thanks!

– I know you can’t add the See Spot Live Longer dinner mix to bone-in meats, but am I also correct in assuming that if I begin adding RMBs in the PM and continue to feed boneless ground meat + See Spot Live Longer mix in the AM that it would be too much calcium? Ideally I’d like to continue using the SSLL simply because it’s the easiest way for me to not have to worry that her nutrition is unbalanced while I’m still learning to balance her meals myself. I did see the most recent topic mentioning CarnivoreRaw but that’s a bit out of my budget. **Hound Dog Mom, do you use the Twinlab Daily One with or without iron? Also, I noticed the Twinlab does have calcium in it, does that not matter because the amount is so low? If I choose to go the multivitamin route, can I then add other things like fruits and veggies and such without worrying about overloading on a specific vitamin/mineral or will I have to be careful with what I add?

[Lilmonster]

Hi everyone!

Another lurker here eager and (almost) ready to make the switch to raw. Like other newbies, I have so much respect for everyone here for not only committing so much time and effort to their fur babies, but also taking the time to answer endless, potentially stupid questions from nervous dog moms like me! I would never even have known about raw diets, let alone been able to work up the nerve to take the plunge if it weren’t for this forum, so thanks to all of you!

Some background info: My fiancé and I just adopted our little one, Lily, two months ago from a rescue. She’s 41 lbs and the vet estimates her age at around 1, much younger than the rescue thought – her teeth were pretty yellow when we first got her but presumably because she wasn’t given anything to chew on to clean plaque, so they thought she was 2 yrs 8 months (!), which leads me to think she sadly may have been malnourished as a puppy since they were feeding her as an adult. As soon as we gave her bones and chew toys her teeth became pearly white. Anyway, we switched her to Fromm’s Surf and Turf kibble when we got her, but we noticed she started itching more and more. Took her to the vet to ask about the itchiness as well as a suspected UTI, but the diagnosis for the itching was understandably vague. We’re not sure if it’s a food allergy or environmental – she doesn’t have fleas, and we’re pretty sure it’s not a yeast issue. She doesn’t smell yeasty at all and I think the vet would have picked up on that. So after a recent bout of diarrhea due to too many high fat treats after a training session, I figured it would be a good time to begin the transition to raw after her system cleared up. I fasted her for a meal then fed her a mixture of white rice and pumpkin for two meals, which brought her poos back to normal, then began feeding her a 50-50 mix of ground turkey and pumpkin with the See Spot Live Longer mix added in. The vet is holistic and also trained in Chinese medicine, and she suggested that I switch to beef instead of turkey since chicken and turkey is considered “hot” and could be contributing to the itchiness, so yesterday I made the switch to ground beef and her poo was still fine this morning. But then I remembered reading somewhere (I think on preymodelraw) that it’s not recommended to start with beef, but I think for the time being I’ll stick with it just to avoid changing her diet too many times (unless anyone here would strongly advise against starting with beef?). At the moment, her daily food (divided into two meals) is 1 lb 90% lean ground beef + 2 tbsp SSLL + 1/2 tsp hempseed oil + 1 tsp coconut oil (just started adding it) + 1 human probiotic. She is also currently on a one week course of antibiotics for the urinary problem.

I have Steve Brown’s Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet, ordered the Dr. Becker’s book, and have read through many of the threads on this forum but like other newbies I’m getting lost in all the information and feeling as overwhelmed as Cyndi was in the thread where she first started, lol. I’m thinking of sticking to the ground boneless meat with the See Spot Live Longer mix for a bit while I figure out all the supplements that are needed and place my meat orders. A few questions that I’d really appreciate if someone could help out with:

– I know you can’t add the See Spot Live Longer dinner mix to bone-in meats, but am I also correct in assuming that if I begin adding RMBs in the PM and continue to feed boneless ground meat + See Spot Live Longer mix in the AM that it would be too much calcium? Ideally I’d like to continue using the SSLL simply because it’s the easiest way for me to not have to worry that her nutrition is unbalanced while I’m still learning to balance her meals myself. I did see the most recent topic mentioning CarnivoreRaw but that’s a bit out of my budget. Hound Dog Mom, do you use the Twinlab Daily One with or without iron? Also, I noticed the Twinlab does have calcium in it, does that not matter because the amount is so low? If I choose to go the multivitamin route, can I then add other things like fruits and veggies and such without worrying about overloading on a specific vitamin/mineral or will I have to be careful with what I add?

– This may be a bit much to ask, but if one of the veterans has the time to respond I would be so grateful. Could someone make a list of the essential vitamins/minerals (or alternatively, foods that will provide those vitamins and minerals) that MUST be added to a diet that consists of boneless meat in the AM and RMBs in the PM, and the approximate amounts? This is the part I’m feeling especially in over my head with. Vitamin D, vitamin E, fish oil, manganese, so many different things I’m seeing that they need, it’s hard to not feel kind of scared to do it all from scratch, which is my eventual goal. I think I’m having a hard time figuring out what is absolutely necessary vs. optional but ideal.

– So from what I’ve read so far it seems to be a good idea to start her on chicken backs and quarters, then begin alternating boneless meat every other meal. How many meals should I feed the backs and quarters before I begin incorporating boneless meals? Also, should I already be giving her supplements during this time, or should I wait until she adjusts then begin adding supplements. As for stuff like organ meats, heart, and green tripe, how long should I wait before beginning to incorporate those? I promise I have read the other threads, but I’ve seen a few different recommendations on timelines so I thought I’d pose the question again just so I can be clear about it.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to answer my questions!

[Melissa R]

I would recommend Eathborn Holistic Pet Food. They carry a very budget friendly quality
made dog food. I have used their grain free dog foods and have been very pleased.
Visit the website and read the testimonials of pet owners who’s dog allergy issues were resolved once they switched to Earthborn. This brand has been reviewed favorably on Dog Food Advisor as Editor’s picks for budget friendly and best in grain free. Good Luck!

[aquariangt]

another point to keep in mind when comparing dog food prices for your budget is how much you feed. I took the food you linked (and I wholeheartedly agree with everyone else to get off that food) and for my dogs, it’s recommending up to 2 cups a day-that’s double what I feed them on pretty much anything that they are on at the time (I rotate brands-I also use toppers and do a fair amount of training so they don’t get quite as much as recommended) whereas the victor grain free has them on 1.5 cups-this adds up a lot over a year for food cost. Victor is certainly a good option it seems-I haven’t used it, can’t get it locally and online victor is a bit pricy for something that I can’t test-but a lot of people swear by it. Betsy linked some good options as well. Hard to say what would be best because your budget is your budget, but there are certainly options within every price range that would be sufficient

Good luck

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Jonathan , I agree with Betsy. I use Victor dog food, the grain free formulas. I get 30lbs for around 40 dollars. I need big bags because I have 3 dogs. Since you only have 1 dog, and are on a tight budget, you could go for the grain inclusive. Those are around $20 for 20lbs. If you follow the link Betsy left, you can email the company and ask for a free sample. Or call a store in your area, and ask if they have free samples. My 3 love Victor foods.

[Jonathan L]

Thanks Betsy and Zach for your responses. It does really disturb me and makes me wonder if we could have prevented having to have put our dear Velvet down with different food. Well, at this point we can’t obviously reverse what happened but I certainly don’t want to have something similar happen with Olive.
Yes, the food is inexpensive and yes we do have financial limitations. I was thinking that based on what I have read here that we would go with Kirkland Signature Adult Chicken. We can purchase that locally and I think it will fit our budget. Is that a good option? Or is there a better option that would be similarly priced?

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jonathan,

I hate to say this, but that’s a really horrible food. The protein is terriby low. Even the “super high protein” formula has only 26% protein and the fat is extremely low. The ingredients are exceptionally low quality and what little animal protein there is in the product is from unnamed sources, which could include 4D animals.

Please don’t feed this to your new pup.

If you need some suggestions, let us know. I imagine this food is dirt cheap, so let us know also if the food needs to be budget friendly.

[Bobby dog]

You are welcome; I know all too well about downsizing pet food budgets and I only have one medium sized dog!

Hopefully you will be able to look into the PDF download from Steve Brown, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way,” I mentioned above. This will help you improve any kibble diet regardless of the quality. Simply choose a menu according to the quality of kibble you feed and the exact weights and measurements of how much fresh food to feed your dog according to their weight is detailed. You can choose to feed one day of all fresh food or use the fresh food as toppers throughout the week. I think you and your dogs will be fine, you clearly care about them!

[DogFoodie]

I think Dr. Tim’s is a great choice.

If you’re looking for excellent quality, budget friendly foods, also take a look at Victor products.

[zcRiley]

If the quality of dog food is not “within your budget”, why would you adopt another puppy? Also, puppies are not food samplers, they need ONE quality puppy food, four times a day, in correct portions, and a lot of clean water to drink. And a puppy does not need any kind of MILK after 2 months of age. Splashing goat’s milk over bad dog food, I’m surprised he even took it from the spoon. If you can’t afford this extra dog on top of all your other dogs, you did him more harm than good.

[Bobby dog]

Hi again gmcbogger:

I just realized I sent you the wrong link for Pro Pac, here’s a good one: http://us.propacpetfood.com/

Also, as aquariangt wrote, there is also a coupon thread started by Akari, a regular poster on DFA forums that may help you with your budget: /forums/topic/coupons/.

[Bobby dog]

Hi gmcbogger38:
Is this Ol’ Blue dog food that you are looking into?

From DFA, “Meat and bone meal can have a lower digestibility than most other meat meals.
Scientists believe this decreased absorption may be due to the ingredient’s higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.” Here’s some info on meat meal: /choosing-dog-food/about-meat-meal/

This doesn’t look like the healthiest choice, but I understand your dilemma. I am in the same predicament as you; college and a pet food budget don’t always seem to go together. You have to decide if this food meets your criteria for dog food. You pay for what you get; plant or lower quality meat based ingredients are cheaper than quality meat based ingredients. There are other brands you could look into that are sold in large bags that some pet, feed, garden supply, and hardware stores sell. These foods would likely cost on average $25-$35 for 40-50 lbs. If you would like info, please post. Good luck with your search!

[aquariangt]

Ugh, this food looks pretty poor. The price tag reflects that as well. Check out the budget friendly dog food list, maybe? Nothing of any decency will be 20 for a bag that size, but there are other budget friendly options. Follow the coupon thread by Akari as well, lots of tips there

[gmcbogger38]

I would just like to get some opinions about a dog food made locally (within 10 miles) around where I live. The food is a limited ingredient diet and they have different protein levels. Lowest is 21% protein and highest is 28%. I can’t copy and paste (dang phone), but I will list ingredients exactly as written on their website: Meat and bone meal (beef/pork/bone), whole corn, chicken fat, mineral and vitamin packet. It lists all of the minerals and vitamins, but I didn’t want to write those all. Now, I know “meat meal” listed as ingredient is not necessarily good because you don’t know what it is, but this does list beef and pork, so technically it’s not an unnamed meat meal. I don’t know much about bone meal, but why is that considered a bad ingredient? Raw fed dogs eat bones. I’m not too worried about the corn, as my dogs have done fine with corn in foods. The reason I would like to get opinions about this food is because I am on a tight budget until I am finally done with college (less than 10 mths). I have not contacted the company about the price, but from what I’ve heard (couple years old) the food is 50lbs for around $20, which they do no advertising, besides website, and have plain bags. I know it is not the best food and I am doing a rotational diet, but I just need to find some more affordable foods to rotate with, for now. Thanks for any input!

[Travis A]

Hey,

So i’m looking for a rotational dry food to sub in with the current food I have my 2 pit/(lab/boxer) mixed boys, 5 months old and on Zach’s Quality Dog Food for the last month or so. Seems to be good food they like it but it’s a bit of a hassle for me to get ahold of it at my location, so i was hoping to find a grain-free good food that won’t break the budget i can sub for to ease things. I pay $33 for a 50lb bag of that stuff though so anything else is going to be a worse deal i understand but still i need something that isn’t overpriced and comes in somewhat of a bigger bag, can’t be feeding 2, 35 lb growing pups little 12lb bags all the time. Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks for you time.

[Dfwgolden]

*facepalm*
Okay…
Let me clear something’s up.
First off I will NOT stand for anyone bashing my vet who has
Been nothing but PERFECT.
Secondly- Danes differ largely from a terrier.
Therefor saying it is VERY common for Great Danes to have a large Ammount of food allergies.

Third- I was trying to say that this is what she slid could be the culprits.
Meaning all the foods he has tried have contained these commonly allergic ingredients. Therefor we need to eliminate on by one to see.

Also if you don’t live in America it makes it very difficult for you to recommend any good dog foods.
All you listed are low grade except for victor which is NOT budget friendly in my opinion.

I’m not trying to sound rude, I am just VERY picky and protective of my dogs. And will not take anything regarding them lightly.

[Susan]

Hi, I only listed kibbles that people on this site use & say are budget friendly, I dont live in America, so I wouldn’t have any idea about these budget friendly kibbles..also how do you know that ur dog is intolarent to all those foods if u have never done an elimination diet ..Elimintion diet is the only way to know what ur dog has a reaction to & being a puppy its very rare to be allergic to all these foods at such a young age…you need a new vet…

[Susan]

Hi Dfwgolden, Ive just started the Wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal.. as my boy has IBD & we think that the chicken was causing his tummy problems & the hive like lumps on his head & body, so I’ve started the Simple Duck & Oatmeal cause it has the lowest fat %.. Im not happy about the low Protein but Patch seems to do better when the protein is under 24%.. Im pretty sure that the Simple Duck & Oatmeal does not have chicken fat, as I made sure that there was no chicken in the Duck & Oatmeal, I just went on the Wellness Simple site to double check & there’s no chicken fat, it has natural duck flavours, I even looked at the Lamb & Oatmeal & there’s no chicken fat either, the best way to know if ur dog is intolarent to chicken is to start a elimination diet…when you start with say lamb or Rabbit for 1 month,then slowley add some chicken & see if he has his diarrhea again, he’s had alot of things done in the last 3-4weeks so its very hard to say what did cause his diarrhea, I know antibiotics can cause diarrhea, Ive written down what antibiotics causes Patch to have diarrhea & make sure next time Patch is not put on them..
I read that Victor is a budget friendly & has 5 stars also 4 health sold at Tractor Supply, Pure Balance grainfree Rachel Ray sold at Walmart, Earth Farms sold at Petco & Eagle Pack & Authority sold at Petsmart are suppost to be budget friendly aswell…also keep up with the probiotics, my boy has been on dog probiotics now for 10 months..especially when trying a new foods..

[DogFoodie]

You should find a new food with a simple recipe that’s different from what you’ve been feeding. Keep track of ingredients.

What are you currently feeding and what were you feeding the first time this happened to your pup?

Do you have a budget for food?

[Katie J]

A little over two weeks ago, I brought home a new pup for my boyfriend. He’s a Shiba Inu/Akita Inu mix and coming up to 4 months old. I have very little background on him as he was a pet store pup that I bought second hand. It’s a long story for another thread. I know the stigma with pet store pups as well though I have a 13 year old English Springer Spaniel that was purchased at a pet store that has never had anything but a routine vet visit and lives on Purina of all things. Anyhow back on topic. My little guy is little. He weighed at 7 lbs about a week ago at the vet’s office, but I am guessing he’s sitting closer to 8-9 now. Yes, I know he is shockingly small for his supposed breeding. But everyone that meets him guesses either one of this mix, but no one knows why he’s so small. We’re guessing that it could have a lot to do with his pet store past.

Now that that’s out of the way, time to talk food. I got him with a bag of Eukanuba puppy. He ate that fine until he caught wind of the Purina. Our adult dogs (the spaniel and my terrier mix) are free range because we lead a very busy and random life at the house. This is something I plan to change for my terrier and this pup when my boyfriend get our own place. I knew that I didn’t want the pup to eat adult food as he has special puppy needs. I nearly just bought the puppy formula for Purina until I food this website. Since then I have done more reading than I would care to admit on dog food. I decided to pick a food that wasn’t going to be a big jump in quality or price and bought 4Health Puppy. I know some people are leery of Diamond. But at the price and star rating, I grabbed a bag along with one of each of their rice free cans. My plan was to do kibble and a can topper. He licked the bowl clean for three meals. Meal four, he ate half and walked away. I switched the topper to a new flavor. Same result. We were trying two meals a day but broke it down to 3 thinking that I was trying to feed him too much at a time. No change. Though I was able to get him to finish if I spoon fed the last half of his food.

Three days ago I stopped by a local dog boutique and came home with several samples and goats milk as a probiotic. His stools had been soft too pretty loose due to the changing in foods trying to find something he liked. After the milk thawed I gave him a little in his nornal meal with the same result: ate half, spoon fed rest. Stools have firmed up since. The night before last we started samples. I have a lot of Earthborn as I had went to another store and got even more samples most of which was Earthborn. I think it was the prairie formula first that he nearly finished on his own without the milk. I only give the milk once a day. Apparently he nearly finished his next two meal with my boyfriend. I wasn’t there as I was working. But I know that he will not spoon feed. With fireworks last night, the pup didn’t get his dinner. It was too late, and he had a late lunch. I expected a hungry puppy today! Nope. Same result with goats milk. This was his second feeding on a new flavor of Earthborn. I forgot the flavor. But it was blue packaging. I still have the primitive flavor left to try from Earthborn. I also have Halo, two flavors of Fromm, Acana and Orijen puppy. I wanted to get through all of the cheaper stuff first in hopes of finding something he likes.

A few extra things to add, I am feeding him separately from the spaniel who is very food aggressive. But I feed him with my terrier as I want to start transititioning my terrier to a better diet as well for when we move out. Sometimes the pup seems distracted because the terrier gets something different (4Health adult and the same topper the pup gets). But he does want to eat the terrier’s. He gets awfully burpy when he eats. I am looking to add sardines and perhaps switching to plain Kefir for the probiotic. Switching to raw right now is not something I want to do. I am unsure about getting the right balance, and his puppy stage is far too important to screw up. I do plan on introducing him to all the raw elements I want to use in the future, and at around a year old, we may make the switch. And I cannot afford to do commercial or dehydrated food. I love the guy, but I can’t justify spending as much to feed him as to fees me not to mention it’s not in the budget.

Boy that was long just to get to what I wanted to ask. Is he training me to spoon feed him? It seems like all of my meals with him end with me begging him to finish so much so that I grab the spoon. His nutrition is so important to me. I can’t stand him missing a meal or wasting that food! Any ideas?

[DogFoodie]

Hey Zach,

Not to try to talk you out of the Merrick, but there are a lot of people reporting problems with Merrick brands of kibble, in particular, Whole Earth Farms. I’ve never been a fan of Merrick products. I believe they have quality issues from the top down.

I’m sorry, I originally must’ve misunderstood. I thought you were planning to replace Blue Buffalo with THK. If you’re in the market for a new kibble, some I think are great that are pretty budget friendly are Dr.Tim’s, Horizon Legacy and Wellness Core.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Zach-
Have you tried a stew type of canned? They are easy to mix really well into the dry food. Remember that you only have to worry about the 20% or less for toppers if it is not a balanced topper, such as sardines. Most canned is balanced as long as it doesn’t say for supplemental feeding only. I’ve been using the Kirkland Cuts which has been replaced by Natures Domain canned foods. Also Pure Balance, Merrick and Whole Earth Farms have budget friendly canned stew style foods that I like. Maybe mixing it really well into the kibble will help. Good luck. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could talk sometimes?

[Zach M]

You might want to try switching food. SD is not a high quality food. Try finding a cheaper grain free food. Earthborn Primitive Natural is one that HDM recommended. I understand you are on a budget, but i think it might be the food.

[DogFoodie]

I’d recommend it too. Victor makes some great, budget friendly foods.

[DogFoodie]

While generally not super budget friendly, The Honest Kitchen, is committed to the humane treatment of the animal proteins used in their products.

[DogFoodie]

I just started researching to see what I could find. I’m currently using Farmina for one of my dogs, and they claim to be cruelty free. I think it’s also a budget friendly food, although that term is subjective, and its excellent quality for the price.

[Carrie H]

Does anyone have a list of budget friendly cruelty free dog foods? No just vegetarian/vegan but ones that don’t test on animals. I found only one list but none of them are budget friendly! Thanks

[crazy4cats]

Ysabella-
Yes, bless you, bless you, bless you! As my name implies, I love cats! When, I had my first experience with kittens, they were that young, but fortunately had their mamma. She brought them right in my house and I never had one before, and I’ve never been without one ever since! So, I’m not sure about the milk on which would be the best substitute for their mamma’s milk for a few more weeks.
But, I’m with Sharon, you should feed them canned, dehydrated or raw if you can. I feed my kitties (4 of them) as little kibble as possible now. I rotate several budget friendly canned food. I do supplement with kibble as the canned is expensive. My favorite is Wellness Core. But I also like Earthborn and Taste of the Wild. I have two favorite cat sites. They are catinfo.org and littlebigcat.com. Oh, and I wouldn’t worry a lot about the loose stools yet. She’s been through a lot and was just dewormed. Sometimes that can cause loose stools as well. It sounds like you are off to a great start!

[theBCnut]

I would try switching her food. Depending on your budget, Wellness, Earthborn, or NutriSource are all good. The makers of TOTW have had to many quality control issues for me to feel safe using their foods, especially for a baby animal.

For raw, for my cats, I use Hare Today’s whole carcass grinds.

[Mom2Cavs]

Life’s Abundance is not a bad food but I would never pay that much for a bag of food, and I don’t have a budget where my pets are concerned. I agree with the suggestions of those above and will add some. Annamaet, Wellness, Nutrisource are just three more to consider.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Karen C-
In my opinion, for whatever it’s worth, is that no kibble is worth that much money! Yikes, that is expensive. No matter how good a kibble is, it’s still kibble. I prefer to buy more budget friendly kibble for a base and save some money to supplement it with healthier canned, fresh, dehydrated or raw foods. Like the BCnut mentioned, both Earthborn are solid brands. I frequently use grain free Victor. Good luck to you!

[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

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Sylvia –

That’s fairly reasonable. Once it gets reviewed I’ll look into it a bit more and maybe consider it for the budget friendly list. Thanks for letting me know about it!

[Bobby dog]

Aquariangt – ever think about raw for your kitty? I have some very picky eaters too. lol Just fed some NV medallions today and was thinking of your quandary. Only a few of my cats will eat Nature’s Variety raw and that is only a few times a month. One cat will even do dehydrated every now and then. I figure even if it is only a few days a month, it gives them a little more of a variety in their diet.

Since it’s clearly cat food review day, here are mine:
I came across some sales while I was stocking up on pet food for the month and tried out some foods I would not normally buy.
Wellness Divine Duos, same experience as everyone else, my cats ate the pate’, ate all the gravy, and either left the chunks or ate a little bit of them. Finally tried Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul, all but one cat liked it. I am going to add this to my rotation. Also tried Nutro Max Cat Chic & Lamb Sr, only Archie liked it, and Chic & Liver, a couple of my cats liked it; adding Chic & Liver to my rotation.

~Natural Balance Platefulls BOGO – I tried the chicken and salmon recipes. It is packaged in a pouch and has very large chunks with gravy. Only Archie liked it and he didn’t even finish it all, he left some chunks behind.
~Science Diet GF on sale 10 cans/$8 – only had chicken left. The picture on the label looked like it was small chunk style, but it is pate’ style. It has vegetables listed on the ingredients, but they are cut very, very small and mixed in well. The only hint of vegetable is some specks of orange from the carrots. I liked that because my cats only eat around the veggies. Most of my cats liked it and ate it for a few days. Not sure what the retail price is; I would buy it again.
~Blue Buffalo Spa Select Turkey & Chic – this was on the clearance rack so I thought I would give it a try. All but one cat liked it. It is pate’ style and it was very similar to Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul. I would buy this again.

C4c:
I hope your pup is okay.

I am glad you’re doing better today. You didn’t over react and you kept it very cordial. Anyone who comes to DFA for over a year will come across a discussion or two on vaccs and titers and is well aware of the controversy. A few things this site teaches is to make the best decision for your circumstance(s) and do the best you can within your budget for your pets. You do that and more for your fur babies. Anyone who tries to make your feel guilty for your choices, insinuates you would compromise your dogs’ health by boarding them, or would ignore the risks of vaccination is mistaken. 🙂

[Angela A]

Now I can’t say that my GSD’s uti’s were caused by her food, but I can say that I switched from Blue Buffalo Basics Grain free to Kirkland (costco) grain free and she had 3 uti’s since the switch. Cranberry is in the Blue Buffalo, and not the Kirkland brand. We are back on Blue Buffalo and I am researching the Budget friendly foods now. Two German Shepherds put away some food! 🙂 Love that I joined! Thanks!

[Sylvia L]

Hi
I have been feeding my doggie Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Grain Free how would you rate this product you have the dry on your list but you have not included the canned. Is this a good budget product, I would love to hear what you think.

[Bobby dog]

C4c & Anita:
Those amounts that C4c wrote in her post about feeding her cats is almost exactly how I feed my cats and they are mostly outdoor kitties.

My big hyperthyroid kitty gets a little more canned food when he wants it. His weight is good and since he has health issues I figure he needs a little extra nourishment. He eats the best out of all my kitties because he is not finicky. My other kitties are still addicted to fish, dry food, and kitty crack (a.k.a. Purina). lol

Akari:
Pick up some more by Nature since it’s still on sale along with the EVO 95%. IMO that’ll do for a rotation for now and both foods are within your budget.

I quickly looked at PS selections and keeping your budget in mind and ruling out Simmons I believe EVO is your only choice for a balanced 95%; nice choice IMO. I’ll check out the GF selections to see if there is something you might want to consider as a back-up when I have a bit more time.

I don’t blame you for wanting to stick with 95% foods, I am sure this is really helping to heal his skin. I fed (and still do) PB 95% for two months straight, maybe more, without rotating any other canned foods while I was getting Bobby’s yeasty/dermatitis skin healed. That was the only 95% that fit my budget other then when I could find other brands on sale. I think Bentley having two nice brands is pretty good! 🙂

Do you need to stock up on canned food for your guys? Did you see the awesome deal they had on Solid Gold canned food? If there was a PS near me I would be buying out their stock of Solid Gold! 😉
http://www.petsupermarket.com/products/petsupermarket/dog/dog-food/solid-gold-dog-food.aspx

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tara-
Since you said he has bad gut bacteria, I’m assuming that you have had a fecal test done. It is common for a pup to get Coccidia and/or Giardia. Hopefully, those have been ruled out. I had a problem with loose stools with my dogs and feeding grain free Victor and adding probiotics, digestive enzyme and a supplement that contains slippery elm is very helpful. Victor is a budget friendly 5 star grain free food.
I feel like you need to figure out what is causing the diarrhea. Whether it be parasites, food intolerance or IBS, so you can fix the issue.
The dogaware.com website has a lot of great info on their digestive disorders thread. I wish you the best. It’s not a very fun issue!

[Tara M]

My 11 month old GSD mix has been dealing with chronic diarrhea for about 3 months now. My vet first prescribed antibiotics, Pepcid (for constant grass eating) and Proviable-DC with a tentative diagnosis of beginning signs of IBS or IBD due to high level of bad gut bacteria. She was on Authority Large Breed Puppy (chicken formula) when symptoms first started, the we transitioned to the Lamb & Rice with the same results.While on the antibiotics, Shyla’s symptoms were resolved but within 5 days of finishing, she was right back where we started. Our vet refilled the Pepcid and antibiotic with longer dosage time with a recommendation for a prescription diet. I know my vet uses Hill’s ( a brand I do not trust) and I’m not in favor. I am really wanting Shyla to be completly off the antibiotics and know it is time to go grain free and work from there to determine if this is a food intolerance but am lost as to which would be the best for her, especially when I’m on a budget with three rescues in the home. I need a good quality food but affordable as due to her weight class, she requires 4 cups of kibble daily. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated to this novice dog mama.

[Tara M]

Please help. I have a 11 month old GSD mix (resuce) who started showing signs of either food intolerance or beginnings of IBD or IBS (per vet). We have her on Proviable-DC, Pepcid, and an antibiotic (2nd round). My vet is pushing for a prescription diet, which I know them to use Hill’s, a brand I do not trust. I really would like to change her diet to something better in the hopes of eliminating all antibiotic usage, but am on a budget with three rescues in the home. Any advice? She has been on Authority Large Breed puppy (chicken formula) and Lamb and Rice.

[james m]

We have a miniature schnauzer who have itchy skin, and allergies. We were recommended blue buffalo basics salmon and potato. He has been on it for a while and does well with it. Unfortunately it’s a little too much for our current budget. Are there any other less expensive brands I should consider that are close in nutrition and allergy friendly? Thanks in advance.

[Jennifer H]

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

[Bobby dog]

Hi Anita:
Thanks for the link!

I get the ACV thing. I am bizarre, love the taste. Anyway, I only posted the information because it’s what helped Bobby through his yeasty skin issues. Every dog is different so what worked for us may or may not work for others. 😉 Did you happen to see the ACV foot bath suggestion for itchy paws? I think it is under the WDJ skin condition link.

For organic coco oil you want unrefined rather than refined. I have seen many descriptions on line, virgin, extra virgin, unrefined, cold pressed. These descriptions are referring to the process used to make the oil that keeps the most healthy benefits.

As far as using a canned topper, your pups would benefit most from a GF or 95% canned food. The most budget friendly 5 star 95% is Pure Balance from Wal-Mart ($1.25/can). I will check out my dog food spread sheet to see what I have used in the past for GF or 95% and I am sure other posters will have some suggestions for you too. Some 95% foods are only for supplemental feeding because they don’t have any added vitamins. I don’t think that it is a worry unless you decide to only feed something like this as a topper, then you would want to make sure you feed enough kibble to ensure they get their vitamins. Wal-Mart’s 95% is a balanced food.

I would also like to mention since Bobby’s skin issues have cleared I have been able to feed him GF and grain inclusive kibble, foods with potatoes, veggies, and fruits. I feed a rotational diet, I buy small bags and switch proteins and carbs with each new bag. I haven’t had any issues with yeast since I have been paying attention to the ingredients they contain. You may find you will not have to completely eliminate certain ingredients when they are healthy again; but then again you may find you might have to avoid certain ingredients, you never know. 🙂

You would refer to your kibble and canned feeding directions for the amounts to add to kibble. I add about 4 T of water to the canned food to make a gravy and extra moisture never hurts. Bobby weighs 44 lbs, on pate’ style foods I usually get four feedings and stew styles about 3-4 feedings. Some other posters will probably have some suggestions for using canned as toppers as well. Most importantly you want to observe your dogs body conditions and adjust accordingly.

[Anita L]

Akari,
At Sam’s it’s BetterBody Foods Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (56 oz) for $14.98.

Bobby’s Mom,
Again…WOW!
I have checked out the links and love them. Can’t wait to get over to the cat site. I read a piece of it the other day and am very excited!

I have the food list (GF Potato Free). Money is an issue. We are a 1 income family (by choice) but I finally decided to suck it up on the dry food and re-arrange a few things to make that work. Now, I’ll be looking for ways to make the canned food fit in that budget. I have your list from earlier.

My other question on the canned food is how much to give them? Is it on the can or are there other suggestions? Considering I’m using it as a topper….

On the ACV…..I have a personal problem with it. A few years ago, I had a major soar throat that wouldn’t go away and felt like it was coated with fuzzy/fluffy stuff. So, in my infinite wisdom, I made this concoction “to help” (I did NOT want to go to the doctor for their steroid and antibiotics that I didn’t think I needed) of ACV, touch of ginger and cayenne, and honey and then I chugged it…..Until the next day, I just wanted to throw up! All I could taste was the ACV. I was so miserable. So I now laugh at myself (especially since I made and drank about 5-6 oz instead of 1-2 oz….more was NOT better! LOLOL)…but I still cringe at drinking ACV. But I will keep it in mind for my pups. 🙂

One last question….just to clarify. I figured out about refined coconut being best and that refined was the same as virgin. So is extra virgin good as well…just extra refined? I’m thinking yes b/c I want to say I remember one of your links to the one you use was extra virgin. But I want to make sure….especially before I buy more today.