[NectarMom]

I put my dogs as a priority so here is my situation, We are feeding Brothers complete Allergy kibble and rotating through proteins except for chicken. I am thinking of switching because my dogs still after a year and a half chew on their feet and scratch like mad and even after I feed them they are still hungry and bugging me to feed them more food! I do not want to rock the boat and make things complicated for my girls or make matters worse but it is honestly getting to the point where I feel like they are not getting enough out of this food since they are so hungry all the time. I have 3 Chihuahuas and an imperial shih Tzu and I feed 1/8 cup in the morning and 1/8 cup in the evening but my shih Tzu is on a different diet and she is not interested in eating anyways. Anyone else have any similar issues? Ugh I am so tired of trying to feed my dogs what I feel is good and it ends up back firing on me. My thoughts are it was Winter so no atopic allergies should happen and Candida should be out of their systems by now so I don’t know what to think?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Tina –

I know that Whole Earth Farms is available at Petco. Authority grain-free is available at Petsmart. Both of these foods are on the Budget Friendly list. I’m not familiar with Pet Supermarket. You could print a copy of the list and bring it to the store with you and see which brands you can find.

[Tina]

I have four dogs with four different needs, ages and lifestyles. Gidget is a 9 year old Black Cocker Spaniel with colitis and dry itchy skin. Angel is a 7 year old Golden Retriever with bad hip and joint issues and dry itchy skin. Shadow is a 1 year old large breed mutt (German Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Belgian Shepherd) with skin and coat sensitivities, stomach sensitivities and very low immune system. Ginger is a 5 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi with a weight problem and dry, itchy skin. I’m looking for a Budget Friendly dog food that I can find in South Florida. There are many different pet stores all around me including Petco, Pet Supermarket and Petsmart. What can you recommended for me?

[Shasta220]

Gosh, sorry you have such a lousy selection. I entirely understand though. When my minimal budget, I can’t afford nearly what I’d like to. We have awful selection too – just a Walmart and a few little pet boutique shops. I’m sure my lab’s flaky skin is some sort of intolerance, but at least she is on a food that never makes her stink, itch, and lose fur. She is WAY better than she was on her food last year, and hasn’t had a foul odor or hot spot since!

I will have to second Dori though – dogs allergic to chicken will be triggered by about any poultry source. Have you ever thought of buying food online? I know there are several sites that will offer free shipping, discounts, etc.. Personally I’ve never bought food online, but everyone who does that I talk to seems to be content with it, and most of them say they’ll never buy from stores again.

If it is just seasonal allergies (always that slight possibility.), I’ve heard of people who swear by raw local honey.

• This reply was modified 12 years ago by Shasta220.

[theBCnut]

Um, that’s part of the Editor’s Choice section that we agreed to not share outside of the EC section when we signed up. Oh wait, this is in the EC section, not the other Budget Friendly Food thread. I’m so confused!!!

[Case]

/reports/budget-friendly/

[Ann S]

Thought I would just add my experience with Earthborn grain free. One of my dogs can’t eat turkey, so I tried Earthborn’s Great Plains and Meadow Feast, only to learn the hard way that he’s also allergic to peas, which the second ingredient. Since I have avoided foods with peas any higher than 4th or 5th, he’s had no problems. So while it’s very affordable, sadly I cannot buy this brand.
Am a little bummed after splurging to join that I can’t use most of the foods on the editor’s choice list due to these two allergies. Budget is also an issue for us feeding two adult dogs and one puppy who will soon be bigger than the grownups. We give raw once or twice a week.

[Shasta220]

So sorry you got ripped off with BB… Some of their foods are great, but others? Well, you’re just paying for the fancy packaging.

Personally, almost anything on here that’s 4-5 stars is good. I wouldn’t be too picky about getting food for seniors. As crazy4cats said, they’re often lower in the good proteins and fats, and higher in empty fillers. I know a couple dogs on NutriSource GF, they’re both 55-65lb seniors (I think they’re around 13), and they still go on an hour walk/run into the fields every morning. One of them is even known to sometimes jump over a 4ft fence!

I know home made diets with premixes (like the honest kitchen, and See Spot Live Longer) are the favorite around these parts. Orijen and Acana are two of the most beloved dry foods as well. I’d love to have my dogs on either of those, but the price is waaaay out of my personal budget.

Also bumping this so others can see 😉 best wishes!

[Karen L]

What is the 4.5 star budget friendly and editors choice food, mentioned in the preview to subscribing to Editors’s Choice?

[crazy4cats]

Melissa-
I am with you. Most brands they manufacture appear to be great budget friendly foods. Especially Taste of the Wild, Canidae and Kirkland. I live in the NW and those are three of the most popular foods sold besides Blue and grocery store stuff. I certainly hope it finally did sink in, otherwise we will have a lot of sick dogs. I haven’t used any recently, but always also tempted to try out Taste of the Wild.

[Kisa D]

I know that selenium yeast is the more natural, organic form vs. sodium selenite in dog foods. Most dog food labels specify if they have one or the other. I am finding there are only a few brands that do not have the controversial sodium selenite. Sad! However I found Dr. Tims dog food to list sodium selenite in several of their foods which is the bad form of selenium I am trying to avoid. Their Kinesis Grain Free formula only lists “selenium” on the food label. Does anyone know if this is the bad form or the ok form? I am currently using Orijen for 2 dogs(German Short Haired Pointer and Lab) which is an amazing, top notch food in my opinion and Dog Food Advisors too…..however at almost $100 bucks a bag I am looking to mix in a more budget friendly option.

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jon,

That’s how far it would be for me to buy Victor in the store as well. You do know that you can order it from Amazon, right. It’s more expensive because you get “free” shipping. You won’t like the price because I know what you’ve been paying in the store and the difference is significant. You can also order Victor from sportdogfood.com.

If I couldn’t get that local store to carry Victor and the food was what worked best for my dog, I’d make the drive two or three times per year and stock up.

If you’re near a TSC, you might try Grain Free 4Health. The two newest varieties, pork and duck, are made by Diamond so I’d skip those; but, the other three proteins are made by Ainsworth, so I would choose one of those. I’d check out Earthborn Holistics and NutriSource as those are both affordable and widely available. Dr. Tim’s is also a great budget friendly food and if you can’t find it in a store near you, you can easily find it online.

Sorry your store stopped carrying your food. It’s better to rotate through a variety of foods of different brands and proteins anyway, so maybe find a couple you like and add them into a rotation with Victor when you can get it.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Naturella –

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

[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]

Betsy –

Earthborn is included on the Budget Friendly list.

[DogFoodie]

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

[D C]

Looking for Large Breed Grain Free, without chicken would be great. Budget friendly would be helpful, we have 4 dogs, the biggest being a Great Pyrenees and he needs large food and alot of it! Some of the regular size food we have tried seem small to me, and it just falls out of his mouth. One of the dogs, a Boston Terrier seems to scratch non stop on everything for the last year. I thought it might be the chicken, switched to duck and he still scratched. Poor thing spins like a top and has no hair on his tail. We currently are using Blue Buffalo Large Breed Salmon. It seems ok so far, looking for other ones to try. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Bobby dog]

Hi Jakes mom:
I am not sure what your budget is or what companies you prefer or have tried, but I had luck with one of my finicky kitties on the Tiki Cat chicken flavors. There are only two that are completely chicken. Against the Grain has a couple of just chicken flavors that he liked also. Both of them are shredded chicken, not a pate’ or stew styles. However, he never really seems to be in love with any single food, just likes some a little more.

[Shasta220]

Yesss I know I know! He has good intentions, and does put the ointment on until the spot goes away, but like I say – it’s like putting perfume on body odor. It masks it, but ain’t gonna take it away.

What just irks me THE most is that danged Beneful!!! You can buy 4 star foods for the same price, if not less! I somewhat understand someone needing to feed a cheap food due to tight budget, but this guy does not have a tight budget… He thinks he spoils them by buying Puperoni, rawhide chews, and Beggin Strips *long depressed sigh*

I’m glad you guys totally understand me though. I’ll admit, there was a time when I thought that the fancier packaging, various colors/shapes, and “wholesome soy” in Beneful was healthy; but I was a seven year old girl. Ya can’t blame me. By the time I was 11-12 (when I got my first personal puppy), I was aware of the fact that dogs need quality of some sort. I’ll admit, I was content when my folks bought a bag of food with bone meal or by-product as the first ingredient, but hey! For being uneducated, at least I had enough common sense to know animal products are needed in a dog’s diet.

[Shasta220]

Yeah, I was going to offer to help suggest various foods on a variety of budgets, but I was just waiting for his message reply.

Uggggh sounds like he’s not at all interested in switching. I guess he just has that “old fashioned” mindset that all dogs are gonna be stinky and dirty, and get occasional itching problems, regardless of the food. He replied, annnnnd didn’t mention anything about food -_- he just said “I’ll treat his spot, but they haven’t had any in 2yrs now. Thanks for vigilance.” So it sounds like his pooches are being stuck with that junk…

Btw, I saw your reply to my Hobby thread….do you have a FB? If so, you should email me! 😀

[Bobby dog]

I feel your pain. My five cats eat me out of house and home, but I just adore and love them. You are much more diligent than me when it comes to proportions, good job! Thinking about it I estimate what each cat is eating in canned food. On average 3 – 5 ounces/day with ¼ cup of dry food each. But if they are begging for more they get it because there are no weight problems and other than my one cat with thyroid issues, everyone is healthy.

I know I always mention Tractor Supply, but if you are near one or happen to be by one at some point, their 4Health cat food is priced the same as Friskies, maybe 3 cents higher, at 49 cents 5.5 ounces or $1.00 for 12+ ounces. They don’t have the 4Health canned cat food on their website. They have their Friskies version (Paws & Claws) pictured with the 4Health logo under it. Just like C4c buys Authority as one of her budget friendly foods, I buy 4Health to throw into my mix. I mix it with the good stuff here and there. They use named meats, no wheat, corn, or soy etc. The only thing I don’t like about it is their recipes include brewers rice or potatoes as ingredients, so it is probably higher in carbs which is why I don’t just feed that brand; it just helps keep costs down and the other ingredients are pretty good in it.

You probably already have done this, since you are the coupon guru, but sometimes on the Fancy Feast and Sheba websites they have coupons/special offers. I got a free sample from Sheba not too long ago. When they are on sale or I have a coupon I buy those brands also.

[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 12 years ago by Mike Sagman.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Shasta:
I have plenty of cats, five, who decided to live with me. Like C4c I have a budget to keep in mind for my zoo. I pretty much feed the same brands as C4c. I highly recommend you check out catinfo.org for cat food info and other tips; it’s my go to site for my cats like this site is for my dog. I have guidelines I try my best to follow and feed mostly poultry based canned foods without fish, wheat, corn, soy, and little to no starches if possible. However, my cats are older and like what they like, they need their fish and dry food fixes so they do get fish a couple times a week and a little GF kibble daily.

I rotate brands and flavors frequently, but I would suppose it would be up to your cat to decide if she likes rotation or not. I even mix different brands and flavors together if they seem to be tiring of what I am feeding. I look for GF kibble without fish meal. I feed Wellness GF Turkey & Duck meal (my favorite kibble for them) and Merrick GF chicken kibbles. I have recently fed Innova Prime GF chicken kibble and will probably add that to my rotation.

I like and have fed the brands you listed. I regularly feed EVO, Merrick, Wellness, 4Health, Soulistic (chic flavors only), and Tiki cat canned foods. I will buy any quality brand on sale that meet all or most of the standards I follow for pet food purchases. Cats are funny creatures, they pretty much will tell us what they will eat and when they will eat it, but you got to love that about them!

As far as oral health, I haven’t had too many issues with my cats through the years and I have never tried any oral health products for pets. When I see tarter on their teeth I have always been able to remove it gently myself (with my fingernails) and my Vet says all their teeth look good.

PS: your kitty is beautiful!!

[crazy4cats]

Shasta-
Her Royal Highness is very beautiful! I am very budget oriented when I buy pet food due to having too many. LOL! But, I switch brands and flavors daily with the canned cat food. I’m topped out (hopefully) at four indoor cats right now. I mix it up not only because I believe it’s healthier, but to also make sure each cat gets something they like everyday. I buy Petsmart’s Authority, Nutro Max, Friskies Poultry Platter, Chicken Soup, and Weruva’s Cats in the Kitchen. I only buy the big cans. I have also bought Petco’s Soulistic, but they don’t seem to like it as much. The bigger male cats get some kibble also. I rotate between Wellness Core, Earthborn Primitive and Vantage, Taste of the Wild, Premium Edge and trying out Victor kibble right now. Good luck!

[Naturella]

Lol, it’s ok! Yeah, I think the spices are not too substantial, but I will embark on a quest to find healthy flours/binders to use in treats sometime soon… Right now I don’t have the budget for these experiments, but hopefully one day in the near future it will happen! 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Oh I forgot, I copied that budget friendly dog food thread! I copied it for me and for anyone else I can talk into improving their dog’s diet!

[Naturella]

Akari,

You have been my couponing inspiration since that one thread about budget-friendly dog foods! 🙂

So thank you!

And can’t I just pay the dang store 16 freakin’ cents and get $8 off instead of 3 and 5 separately? And, what if I have a store coupon for $5 off? Can I use it together with a $5 off manufacturer’s coupon???

[Bobby dog]

Hi Sheltie Pom:
I recommend you check out DFA’s canned food list for 3.5 – 5 star canned foods to start with and for the DFA ratings of the brands I have listed below to help with your decision. If you are looking to purchase food from Wal-Mart I suggest you look at Pure Balance stews & 95% canned selections, Rachael Ray Nutrish tubs, Freshpet, Newman’s, Variety, Natural Life, and Evolve. Not all Wal-Marts carry all of these brands.

If you are looking for budget friendly canned foods also look into Kirkland Cuts and Gravy from Costco (you have to buy a case, they are about 75 cents/can) or 4Health from Tractor Supply $1.00/can.

Since you are feeding a puppy, look for puppy or all life stages to be listed on any brand you decide to feed; not adult only food. I am not sure which brands meet the puppy/all life stages criteria out of the brands I have listed.

I also recommend you look into rotational feeding for your pup. Here’s a link to a DFA article about rotational feeding:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

I feed Pure Balance along with some of the brands I listed above to my dog; he loves the taste, and does well on both Pure Balance varieties and all flavors.

[Bobby dog]

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! What great news for your furry guy and you!!! I missed it, but what is his name? At least you caught the infection before it escalated to the point of what my poor cat endured.

I would like to suggest (I know, I know, you didn’t ask for any suggestions and I am sure your Vet already covered this with you anyway) to help his body clear out the infection to closely monitor his H2O intake by adding it to his food or at least making sure he is drinking the proper amount for his size and finding the best low carb foods that fit your budget for after you finish the C/D. What a lucky kitty to have you taking care of him now!

[Naturella]

Bobby dog, thanks for the kind words!

Yes, shopping on a budget is a necessity for both my friend and I, but finding fantabulous deals for quality food is a hobby. Luckily, she has 2 dogs – the lab and a Chorkie (chihuahua-yorkie, although he looks more like a bichon…), so she likes to stock up for both of them… She feeds them different stuff, which I find slightly odd, but to each their own, they both eat really good food. The Chorkie is stocked up with Holistic Health Extension Small Breed, Earthborn Holistic Small Breed and Coastal Catch, as well as a bag of Whole Earth Farms – Pork (I think), Halo, Simply Nourish, and Evanger’s. The lab also has a bag of Earthborn’s Ocean Fusion as well, I forgot about that.

To add to that, we both have a bunch of PetCo coupons and wipll be using them throughout the year.

As for me, my little JR-Rat Terrier-maybe Chihuahua in there-mutt is on a mix of Dr. Tim’s Kinesis-Nutrisca Chicken-Holistic Health Extension Grain Free-Now Fresh-Victor Yukon Salmon Grain Free-Nature’s Variety Instinct Chicken + Raw Boost-Nature’s Variety Turkey, Duck, and Chicken (TURDUCKEN! 😀 ) + Raw Boost. Some is from his initial mix of the first 3 foods; the HHE bag I got for free from Petland; the Now Fresh I got on sale for $3 for 0.5lbs; the Nature’s Variety and the Victor are free samples. For treats I use those kibbles, or free samples of Victor Joint Health Grain Free and Victor High-Pro Grain free, mixed together. Lined up I have Earthborn’s Coastal Catch, Primitive Natural, and Great Plains Feast to be mixed with ALL FREE bags of HHE Original, Grain Free, and Lamb and Brown Rice, respectively. For later on, I have Victor Ultra Professional lined up to mix with Back to Basics Open Range, and the foods that I have PetCo coupons for, such as Wellness, Canidae, Blue Buffalo (Bruno has done well on it in the past), Avo Derm, Solid Gold, Nature’s Variety, and Merrick. Those last ones I will buy in the end of the year, so they will be next year’s stash.

As for the pet boutiques, I would not purchase food from Store A, even if it’s good. But Store B I really like.

And thank you for the compliment – Bruno is our first “real” dog (when I was little, I had a min pin for about 2 weeks, but my dad couldn’t stand her, so they gave her away… Gina was “real”, but not “mine” for very long…) and I really try to learn about what is good for him and what’s not… We really love the little guy and definitely take better care for him than for ourselves (which is not entirely good, but… eh…). 🙂

[Bobby dog]

Hi Alexsandra:
I am glad your friends dog is doing well. I completely get being on a pet food budget. I shop with coupons and look for sales online and in pet stores/Wal-Mart/grocery stores. As I wrote, I bought that bag of kibble that was close to the expiration date (and would consider doing it again) but maybe I wouldn’t have even thought about buying it if I didn’t have a budget to worry about.

At least you know the business practices of the one boutique and can shop with caution or not give them your business at all. You gave your friend great advice as far as watching out for the health of her beloved friend!

You have an adorable fella! I have a soft spot for JRT’s full bred or part. And he has a very loving family to boot, lucky guy!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Akari-
I totally understand why you are using the dry food. I also use some due to budget reasons. But, for right now, I’d try to just go with the wet until you get his condition resolved. I’m hoping for the best. If he has a blockage, it will either be a huge vet bill or euthanasia. Again, good luck! And BTW, Bobby Dog, I let mine drink out of the sink also!

[Bobby dog]

Hi Akari 32:
If I were you, I would take C4c’s recommendation and invest in just wet food at this time at least until you know a little more about your kitty’s condition. Look into the Friskies poultry platter flavor she recommended and the Petsmart’s Authority brand; Petsmart carries the poultry platter flavor (49 cents). The convenient thing about Friskees is it is available in grocery stores and Wal-Mart not just pet stores and both brands are budget friendly.

Try adding a little water to the wet food you are feeding also. It wouldn’t hurt a thing to feed only wet (it’s a good thing to do) and you would be getting more moisture into him which is very important for any cat especially if a UTI is suspected.

Just a thought about getting him to drink more water, I had a cat that was obsessed with drinking water from the faucet. If you are comfortable doing this, what I would do is leave the bathroom sink or tub faucet on so just a small stream of water was running and he would play and drink out of it for five minutes or so. I did this at various times during the day when I was home. It’s funny to watch too!

From catinfo.org:
Tricks used to increase water consumption:
1. water fountain
2. flavored waters such as tuna water, chicken or beef broth, clam juice, lactose-free cat milk (CatSip), etc. – can be kept in covered (to prolong fresh smell and taste) ice cube trays
3. add plain water to canned food – ~1 TBS per meal – or whatever amount your cat likes

You can make your own tuna water by taking a can of tuna and adding 3 cups of water. Break up the tuna and let it sit for awhile (~15 minutes, give or take) and then pour the tuna water into covered ice cube trays.
3 cups of water fills two 16-cube trays.
After warming the flavored ice cubes to ‘mouse body’ temperature you can:
• add to canned food
• set out as a separate drink of water

Keeping my fingers crossed for both of you!

[crazy4cats]

Yes, Akari, as Bobby Dog recommended, the catinfo dot org site has great info on UTIs. Again, the main thing is to make sure he is getting plenty of moisture to flush the crystals. If not, a blockage could be created and then the cat is in real danger. Assuming that is what is going on. Dr. Lisa Pierson even goes as far to say that it’s ok to feed a lower quality canned food rather than to feed a dry kibble to ensure they get enough moisture. To keep price down, I do feed my cats a can of Friskes Classic Poultry Platter every couple of days. It is the one flavor of this brand that at least has a named meat as the first ingredient and does not list any food coloring. I also think that Petsmart’s Authority is a decent budget canned food. I feel for you. I know what it is like to unexpectedly take ona pet with unexpected issues that you weren’t prepared for. This cat is lucky you took him in!

[Shasta220]

It definitely will always be tough to see all of those people who think Beneful, Science Diet, etc. is great for their dog simply because of the fancy name, catchy commercials, or pretty pictures. I will say though, I do understand having to feed a lower quality food if you’re on a tight budget…so I am a lot less likely to chew out a family with 6 kids and 3 dogs for giving their dogs Dog Chow or something, as opposed to a retired person with one little dog who gives them SD, Beneful, etc.

Even on my family’s tight budget, we found it’s overall just as cheap to get a 3-4 star food (Diamond products, Nutra Nuggets, etc,) than a 1-2 star, because you feed your dogs much less of the quality food. I still couldn’t believe it – when we switched my young 90lb boy, he ate 1/3 the amount of food with NO weight change.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Akari 32:
How’s the little guy doing? I hope well. I am not sure what brand(s) of dry cat food you decided to feed, but I did some quick research for my future dry cat food purchases. I needed to find more GF and fish free options for my kitties for budgeting purposes; you never know when a good sale or coupon will pop up. I thought I would share what brands I found that meet these criteria’s with you.

My cats’ liked all of these flavors:
Innova Nature’s Table GF Chicken & Turkey – same recipe as “Prime”
Wellness Core GF Turkey & Duck Meal
Merrick GF Chicken

I haven’t tried these flavors:
Precise Holistic Complete GF – Pork Meal & Pea or Turkey & Chicken
Simply Nourish (Petsmart) GF Chicken
California Natural GF Chicken Cat & Kitten

[Jackie B]

Cats, especially males, need plenty of wet food. As people have already stated. If I was able to have a cat, I would seek out a brand like WildKitty where you can make your own raw at home. I feel like it is the optimum food for cats. That being said, if you want to do kibble and supplement with canned, any can is better than none. But a canned food without red-flag ingredients (same standard as for dogs) would be my pick.

A friend of mine who fosters many cats and kittens says Authority is her budget-friendly but still quality canned food choice.

Also, you can get a pet watering fountain. Cats love them. I have a CatMate brand one for my dog.

[Bobby dog]

Hi, congrats and he is gorgeous! As far as how much to feed your kitty, if you are going to feed wet and dry food I would suggest you check out the feeding guide on the dry food you are feeding him. For example, Wellness has a guide on their bag suggesting how much to feed your cats if you are feeding only dry or a combo of wet and dry according to your cat’s weight. When you decide on an amount just observe your cat’s body condition and adjust your food amounts accordingly.
I have had cats ever since I can remember and still have lots to learn. I have two 15 yrs, one 14 yrs, one 11 yrs, and one 6 yrs, all stray cats. I wish I never fed them wheat, corn, soy, fish, or dry food. I lost two that were 15 years old about four years ago to illnesses that bad nutrition surely contributed to; digestion problems, obesity, and the male had urinary tract issues throughout his life. I have one cat that was diagnosed about five years ago with a hyperthyroid; he requires daily meds now. I have slowly changed their diets over the past five months, but at their ages change is difficult so they still need their fish and dry food fixes. Most importantly I have weaned them off of Friskies. I might not ever be able to completely ween them off of fish or dry food. If I paid more attention to their diets I truly believe I would not have had the vet bills I had over the years. About four years ago an emergency room visit in the middle of the night for my male cat’s urinary tract infection cost me about $2,000 to get him well.
My advice is to feed them the best wet diet that fits your budget. Avoid soy, wheat, corn, and fish. Stick to poultry, lamb, rabbit or beef if possible. If you are going to feed dry find a good quality GF dry.
I am with Crazy4cats, my go to website is catinfo.org. My other favorite is the naturalcatcareblog.com. They have a great list of dry and dehydrated foods and the reason they recommend them. I feed wet three times a day (totalling about 3-5 oz./cat) and give them a small scoop of dry once a day. I am on a very tight budget as well so I only buy food that I either have coupons for, on sale, or on the 50% off shelf. I feed Natures Variety raw (when they e-mail coupons), 4Health from Tractor Supply, Merrick, Wellness, Tiki Cat, Weruva, Soulistic (chic only, K3 is in the other varieties), Blue Buffalo, and Evo. I am always trying new canned foods using the information I learned about food from catinfo as a guide. I also feed them boiled chicken two or three days a week as one of their meals to help keep costs down. For dry I have been feeding Wellness GF Turkey & Duck meal (bought with the $5 coupon from their site of course) because there is no fish meal in the recipe. I just bought a bag of Merrick GF chic on sale which they seem to like.
Sorry for the long post, maybe something I have written will be helpful for you. Good luck, he’s one lucky kitty!

[Akari_32]

Thats an interesting idea!

So I’ve been experimenting with “training” him to not eat like a lunatic, and we’re actually doing pretty good! I’ve been going between just giving him is food, adding various amounts of water to his food, and just giving him a little bit at a time. As long as he has a different way to eat every night, it takes him several minutes to eat. However, I think I’ll be trying something with a larger kibble size next. When he has something larger to crunch on, he tend to take a few pieces out at a time, set them on the floor, and then eat them one at a time. Any suggestions on a grain free food with no chicken with larger pieces? (I was thinking, even though he hates it, the fish Wellness CORE, as well as the Wild Game. I was also wanting to try, so the sake of budgeting, the grain free Pure Balance, but I hear the pieces are tiny.)

[DogFoodie]

Hi traceearsena,

Are you kidding? The best part about all of this snow is that it covers up the poop! I figure it’ll be there when the snow melts. Tell your hubby to have some hot chocolate and chill. ; )

I tend to agree with Sandy, maybe it’s just that the food doesn’t agree with him. If I were you, I think I’d try a different brand altogether. While there are obvious differences from one Earthborn variety to another, there are still a lot of similarities. And, I’ll second the Victor recommendation Melissa made. I have a Golden with a sensitive system and a fish / fish oil intolerance. He needs just the right amount of fiber or he ends up with loose stools. Right now, he’s eating Victor Grain Free ALS (the one in the red bag) and its doing great on it. It’s fish and fish oil free, the fiber is right and it contains montmorillonite, a natural stool hardener.

My Sam was having a reaction to his previous food, so I made a quick switch to the Victor and his stool has been perfect. Plus the upside, it’s very budget friendly.

[Naturella]

Hello, budget-conscious people (like myself)!

So, early this year my now husband and I purchased this calendar from PetCo with a TON of coupons inside.

I have clipped all of them except the small animals coupons, but I intend to clip them too. Of all the coupons, there are some I would not possibly be able to use, so I am putting them up here for grabs.

Shout out to Akari – I know you have some reptiles, maybe fish, plus the 3 dogs, so you can have dibs on the coupons, IF you want them!

They are for:
$5 off Beneful – one bag, any size
$5 off Canyon Creek Ranch – one bag, any size
$5 off Purina One – one bag, any size
$5 off Purina Pro Plan – one bag, any size
$5 off Eukanuba – one 14lbs or larger bag
$5 off Eukanuba EXCEL – one 14lbs or larger bag

Plus some more coupons for non-food related items.

Also, I can mail the small animal coupons since I have no friends with small animals, but they are a lot, so I don’t want to list them all…

I promise I am not a creeper (I will need an address to mail the coupons to), I just want to share some deals if anyone is interested. Now, I know these foods are by far not the best out there, but they COULD be a good deal if coupon is combined with other sales in the store (or matched by another store), and when mixed with a better food, it may be ok. As I said, up for grabs, if anyone wants them.

If anyone does, feel free to email me at: aninova@kennesaw.edu or contact me on Facebook – my name on it is Aleksandra Ninova.

Thanks, guys, and let me know! If nobody on here wants them, I can find a local shelter or something to donate them to, if they will take them.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Akari-
Yippee, cats, one of my favorite subjects! I have four right now. 15, 5 and two 3 year olds. I hope the kitten is fairly tame. He might be tough to catch if she isn’t. I am first going to give you my go-to website for cat food nutrition. It is catinfo.org. I have rescued a handful of semi-feral kitties. They sometimes are hard to get to eat wet food at first, but keep trying if that is the case. I also feed both canned and dry. My favorite budget canned food is Authority only found at Pet Smart. I think it is the best for the least. I also have and do feed Chicken Soup, Fancy Feast, Nutro Max and Friskies. In addition, they get Weruva Cats in the Kitchen every now and then as it is more expensive, but very good. I rotate dry between Taste of the Wild, Wellness Core, Earthborn and right now am feeding Premium Edge Healthy Weight because they are getting a little chubby. Yes, the Premium Edge and Taste of the Wild are Diamond products, but I keep an eye on recalls and so far so good. You actually have to be aware of recalls for every brand. Very concerning matter! Check out the site I mentioned above. It is full of all kinds of cat health information and has two different charts with several types of canned food sorted by protein, fat, carbs and phosphorous. Good luck. It can be a very rewarding experience to save a kitty. It certainly will not survive for more than a couple of years if left in the wild. It might take a while for it to warm up to you. My 15 year old kitty was feral and it took three years for her to come to me. Now, she won’t get off my lap! LOL!

[Sheltie_Pom]

Thanks for the advice. I am considering just going all natural and making the food for him, but I guess my thinking is what if I get hurt or we go on a trip and he can’t come? I doubt my family would want to go through all that trouble just for him. Especially since none of the are big cooks, in fact they hate to cook.

I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses (I know I sound like it), but I need to do what is best for my dog and budget. Money is kind of tight especially since my last $500+ dog bill.

[blizhagan]

We are seeking help! Our dogs have progressively been having worse and worse stomach issues.

We adopted our 1.5 year old Chocolate Lab in October 13 and we also have a 25 pound 3.5 year old Basenji Mix. We wanted to put the dogs on great food when we got our lab. Our Basenji previously had been on Trader Joe’s Lamb and Rice Formula. He has been fine on that since we have had him however when I researched the food when we got our lab I was disappointed by the quality. Our lab was adopted from a family who could no longer care for him and he was on Kirkland Lamb and Rice Formula.

First we tried out the Kirkland with the dogs but both dogs were constipated and were having hard stools. Our lab was also going through 5-6 cups a day.

So we went to a local natural dog food store and they sugguested for our budget and needs to put the dogs on Diamond food and they said to rotate the flavor every bag so that their stomachs will strengthen.

Well our lab was flying thru the Diamond food and looked like he was losing weight so we were supplementing with wet food for more protein for him. The basenji still had constipation.

So we decided we need to go to Blue Buffalo for all the ratings. They have been on Blue Buffalo since mid November. We feed the Basenji 3/4 cup of food twice a day and the Lab (80 pounds) 2 cups twice a day.

They did ok with the Adult Lamb and Brown Rice and the Adult Salmon and Sweet Potatoes however they had the occasional diarrhea and or constipation. Now we got the Chicken and Brown Rice formula and every day for the past week both have been either throwing up or having diarrhea. They aren’t lethargic or have any other symptoms. They are both very active still and their coats look great except our lab has a bit of dandruff.

I am wondering what other food should we try? Would going grain free or getting the wilderness blend be better? Or should we switch brands entirely? Is switching the flavors what is causing this even when we transition the foods? Just looking for some advice.

We live in the mountains and this time of the year they have to be inside while we are out so their stomach issues are much harder to deal with and I just want them to feel better!

Thank you in advance!

[Naturella]

I second both Shasta and dchassett. I have fed Blue Buffalo Wilderness with no problems and really good results, but it is a bit pricy. I do recommend stocking up on food, but watching the “Best by:” dates. The bigger the bag, the less per pound it is, as Shasta noted.

Here is another link for Victor foods that should be right on the money: http://www.victorpet.com/#!buy-organic-dog-treats-online/c13qg

Make sure you do some research as well, visit local feed or pet stores, shop online:
http://www.chewy.com
http://www.petflow.com
http://www.wag.com

Have good deals and sales often.

And do try to get a 4-5-star-rated food. It IS possible, even on a tight budget, we promise! 🙂

[Shasta220]

I will deeeefinitely say a HUGE no no to Science Diet. It is not much better than Purina dog chow, despite the high price. Blue Buffalo is alright, but it’s more expensive than the quality is worth. The link given for Victor foods was good, too. I’m on a big-time budget with my 3 pigs (oops! I meant dogs!) I buy 40lb bags of Diamond Naturals (some dogs do great on it, others do terrible…luckily my dogs are fine) for about $35

That being said, I’d imagine it’ll be harder to find something around $1/lb for a small dog, as small bags tend to be more expensive per pound, and I honestly don’t know how well a large bag of kibble would last. Possibly going for a 12-15lb bag? Really though, the bigger the bag, the cheaper the food will be per pound.

Hopefully you can find something that works! Oh, and try to make sure it’s a 4-5 star food on this site 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Leah-
Just to add to my last post. If I had a bigger pet food budget, I’d definitely be checking out the Nature’s Variety Instinct kibble and possibly trying to feed more fresh and/or raw foods. Have a great day!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Leah-
Congrats on the new pup. How fun, but very stressful. They are almost like having a new born baby! Have you checked out the 4 and 5 star limited ingredient foods on the review side of this site? I’ve heard many experts on this site say that Natures Variety Instinct is a great choice. I have not used it as it is not in my budget, but many have had excellent results with the smaller less frequent poops with this food.
However, if you are willing to cook for your pet, it is probably even better. I’m hoping to “bump up” your post, so others may chime in. Good luck!

[Shasta220]

Polemos, that looks like a great food! If it is easy to access and easy on the budget, then I’d go with it.

Slvet2, GizmoMom gave you the truth. I would honestly rather feed my dogs Purina Dog Chow than Hill’s garbage…at least Dog Chow has a price to match the quality, Hills doesn’t. “Veterinarian recommended” honestly means nothing to me… Just because my vet tells me it’s good doesn’t mean the ingredient panel, and my dog’s health agrees! I was stupid enough to listen to my vet on that. Poor Cassy was looking awful honestly! I’m gonna say anything with corn and by-product is FAR below “good quality”.
Edit: “Hills is the most copied…” Hrrrmmm. Dog Chow, Beneful, and Ol Roy did a pretty good attempt, and /almost/ matched the quality, LOL!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 1 month ago by Shasta220.

[Akari_32]

Good news! I dug up a coupon for the Nutrisca that good for the rest of our lives (ok, 2015, but close enough), and after some calculation, both the EVO and Nutrisca will last about 2.5 months for the 13.2 pound bag (EVO) and the 15 pound bag (Nutrisca), and after coupons are applied to each food ($4 off $20 for the EVO and $3 off any bag of Nutrisca and $4 off $20 for the Nutrisca), it would cost the same to feed him each. So we have two foods that I’m comfortable with mom feeding him, and mom is actually happy with the price after doing the math. Does anyone know if EVO puts out coupons?

I used this website to help me figure the over all costs, using the price per bag as tax and coupons applied. http://www.goldendoodles.com/care/food_calculator.htm It’s not perfect– it has the other dogs eating TWO TIMES as much as they actually eat, but its a start, and Bentley does actually eat what the bag says, given his activity and young age.

Also forgot to add earlier, the reason I’m putting this off on mom (I’m in charge of the dog food for a reason– she figures dogs do fine on corn based foods and expensive food is a waste of money) is because she is sick of watching Bentley scratch himself raw, and I don’t have the money to buy Haley special food AND Bentley special food, and still feed my 130 pound beast that is Dweezle. I told her she’d have to pay for his food, and she ok, what ever it took to get him to stop scratching. As I said earlier, I took her to the store today to scout out prices and whatnot, and she was very put off by the price of good dog food. Me doing the math just now for her actually seemed to lighten her up, and she seemed pleased about how long the food would last, given the price. I told her she could go back and forth between the EVO and Nutrisca and she didn’t make a fuss, and sounded ok with it. I’d still like to try him on the Pure Balance as a just in case food.

The good news for me is, I no longer have to feed her dog (why am I, a 20 year old college student, feeding my 40 year old mother’s dog?? I’d rather be broke than see him on dog chow.). Not feeding him means once I’m done with the Purina ONE Dweezle is on (long story short, coupons got me paid $7 for every 3 of the 3.5 pound bags I hauled out of the store), he too can go on grain free like Haley. With coupons, as high calorie food as I can find (and afford), and some major budgeting, I can make it work.

Anyways, with a little work, I’ve made mom see how its actually really cheap to feed a better food. Now if only it was that “cheap” to feed such large dogs on a college budget…