[crazy4cats]

Did you have a complete urinalysis done? If yes, What was the crystal level? Was there any bacteria suggesting an infection? I just want you to be careful because increasing canned and water did not fix my cat. I’m lucky he’s not dead. I don’t think dogs are at the same risk as male cats, but you still should be careful. Anyway, Nature’s Domain found at Costco, 4Health @ Tractor Supply and Pure Balance at Walmart are my favorite budget canned foods. Too bad you have to work. Have a great Thanksgiving!

[Ben H]

Hi all…new to the forum. This thread is awesome but a little overwhelming to search through 79 pages of replies…LOL. We are going to be welcoming home to Lab pups at 8-9 weeks coming up soon and want to be sure to get them started out well. I am compiling all the new puppy stuff, a trainer to help with the hurdle of bringing two dogs home, and all the other fun stuff. 2 Questions. I have checked out HDM’s list (awesome btw) but was hoping for someone to point me in the right direction. I need something that is good, while being somewhat budget conscious. Our local pet store carries Best Breed and highly recommended it. I’ve attached the link. http://www.bestbreed.com/puppy-diet.html Also, can someone give me a good idea for training dog treats? I went to the store and walked out thoroughly overwhelmed. I’ve raised pups before but it has been awhile. LOL Thanks

[Dog_Obsessed]

Merrick makes a canned food called Whole Earth Farms that is rated 5 stars and fairly budget friendly: http://www.chewy.com/s/grain-free,canned-food?query=whole+earth+farms&dept=all

[Karen J]

I do have a picky dog but withholding food just starts her eating her feces again. She did it a little while as a puppy and stopped. I put cayenne pepper on it tonight.

I want to find a grain free budget canned, hopefully with a variety of flavors I think she gets bored. She will have a little bowl of kibble to nosh all day, I’d rather have her free feed than eat her poop. My other dogs had kibble available all day.

The food is put away at night because rats could come in the doggie door, although with her so far so good I think the terrier in her might go after them.

I’ve been giving her her cranberry and vitamin C with cream cheese now she’s getting suspicious. I took a syringe and forced her to take it tonight, maybe she’ll be open to the cream cheese again so we can control the crystals. Cheese and peanut butter don’t work.

That is my new plan.

[Karen J]

Well she is the right weight, don’t want to wantonly choose, my last dog had IBD so I’m very keen on a good diet within my budget. True, she won’t starve, she will eat eventually.

But don’t want her eating only because she is so hungry anything will do. I have heard that dogs do self fast.

Can’t they have both kibble and wet. There seems to be a prevailing point of view that it has to be either or. She doesn’t free feed, my last 2 dogs did and did fine with it.

Oh well, I’ll just try EVO kibble and some wet food. Moisture is best for crystal control.

[BeachDogs]

Good to know about the calcium and joint health. Thanks! Both dogs are coming from deboned lamb and deboned chicken formulas, and the Victor has beef meal, chicken meal and pork meal. That is where the glucosamine and chondroitin would come from I’m thinking. It’s not a deal breaker right now anyway. I’m wondering if picking Victor was a good decision. It has a decent protein amount at 33%, though, that’s a tad more than they’ve been getting. The source might not be the best in Victor. I do plan on trying a rotational diet and could switch to something else in a couple of months.

Perhaps I’ll look at NutriSource again and Earthborn. As you might have noticed, I am looking for a good food with a budget-friendly price for now.

Thanks for the reply!

[Linda P]

Sportmix Wholesomes Chicken and Rice. I understand the other Sportmix formulas are only a 3.5 rating but this formula is rated by you guys as 4. I buy it because it is very budget friendly and yet is rated a 4. In addition, I show German Shepherds and have a number of dogs being fed this food right now and I’ve fed it long enough to see the condition, energy, and beautiful coats they have as a result. I’ve tried several different brands rated both 4 and 5 and so far, the best results on my dogs is this one. Also 40 pound bag is less than $30.00 at Tractor Supply! Another big plus is that the dogs really like it. What good does it do to feed a highly considered food that the dogs won’t eat unless they are starving and even then are hesitant? I’ve had that happen a few times also!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Michael –

The reviews for Pinnacle products can be found here .

To see others’ opinions of Blue Buffalo you may wish to read through the user comments that follow the product reviews.

If you’re looking for budget friendly options here is our list of recommended budget friendly foods.

If you’re looking for a puppy food, here is our list of recommended puppy foods (it includes a list of foods appropriate for large and giant breeds).

Hope that helps.

[Naturella]

Hello, all!

I know we all have a passion for dog health and love to spread the word to other dog lovers. This thread can be for our success stories, if anyone cares to share.

For me, I have several (3, really). I think you have heard them before, but one is a close friend of mine who used to feed Shep and is now a crazy dog food lady like me, feeding 3.5-5-star foods, rotating all the time, and giving canned or THK as toppers. Another friend used to feed whatever Walmart carries and is cheap, so Beneful, Pedigree and the like. Now she feeds Victor, TOTW (every once in a while), Holistic Health Extension and Pure Balance, with various canned as toppers. The third story is the lady I babysit for and they used to feed their dog Kibbles ‘N’ Bits, Beneful, Iams, etc, and now I am in charge of their dog’s menu and I also shop the dog food for them on a budget, so she ate 3 bags of Dogswell LiveFree and is about to start a Wysong bag. She also had 2 bumps on or really close to her ribs before I started her food change, and I almost can’t believe it, but I can’t feel those bumps anymore! Is that even possible? I don’t know. I plan to get her 3-4 bags of various Earthborn Holistic next and maybe a bag of something else to stick in the middle. I’ll see what deals there may be around Black Friday online and in stores. She’s also been on a daily teaspoon of coconut oil for about a week now, and also I advised the family to use it as a “leave-in conditioner” after bathing her, so she gets it on her skin and coat as well. In a month or so she should have nice, healthy, shiny coat, in addition to loving her food and being more energetic. I want to introduce her also to having a lightly cooked or raw egg once a week and maybe some sardines too. I will take it slow though – I want them to notice the benefits of coconut oil first so that they know I am not doing crazy experiments with their dog, lol.

[Kayla]

What are some Probiotics that are safe for Dogs and help with digestive issues? I was looking on amazon, and not really sure if I want to spend a lot of money and knowing it might not work. Do you know any that are safe and budget friendly? My dog is starting to have some digestive issues and I am thinking probiotics will help.

[Naturella]

Melissa, if shopping online is an option for you, websites such as http://www.petflow.com , http://www.chewy.com , http://www.wag.com often have great sales on food, especially on Petflow you can find stuff for about $1.00/lb, which is a great deal. Just check those sites about once/week or so and type in the word “trial” for Petflow and it will give you deals with “trial” sizes (usually smallest size bags – 4-5lbs, but for $1/lb). They have other great deals too, on food and treats and supplies. 🙂

But I second DogFoodie on her suggestions for budget-friendly foods – I have used Dr. Tim’s, Earthborn Holistic, and some of Victor (and a few friends have used it too) with great success and no issues, plus, they are quite affordable. One other option, if you must, you can also use Pure Balance from Walmart – it is not half bad for the price it is.

[DogFoodie]

No worries about not going raw! It’s not for everyone for various reasons. You can always added canned food as toppers.

Here’s a link to a great download (it’ll cost you $2.95): http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41_1. It’s written by Steve Brown, one of the authorities on raw feeding, and will show you how incredibly simple it is to add fresh whole foods to your dog’s diet. Simple, fresh foods like fresh cage free eggs, pureed dark leafy greens and sardines are amazing additions to a diet of kibble. So easy!

Fromm is a great choice! Other budget friendly foods that I really like are Dr. Tim’s, Victor, Horizon and Earthborn Holistics.

[Amy H]

I am adopting an epileptic lab mix rescue pup, 10 months old, and I am told about 60 lbs. I have looked over these forums and printed out a few articles from the Mercola site to bring to my first vet appt with him. Once he is settled in our home I will begin transitioning him to a higher protein, lower carb, grain free diet. The first bag I bought for that is EB Holistic Primitive Naturals. He is on KBr already, as he had multiple grand mal seizures after poison ingestion, but he has been seizure free for several months. I am looking for advice from others who have dealt with this – what worked for you, and what didn’t? I am not up to a raw diet, but herbals and supplements would be manageable within budgetary reason. I wonder whether a rotation diet is still advisable, since I need to worry about affecting his KBr blood levels with varying salt content in different foods. Most labels I’ve checked don’t list sodium content. I read through about 55 pages of the large & giant breed puppy food forum, and think he is old enough that I at least don’t need to worry about calcium content. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Linda J-
Welcome to DFA. My labs’ favorite dry food is grain free Victor Joint Health. I feed other kibble now and then also, but usually end up back with this again. I mix something in with every meal, such as canned, dehydrated, raw or fresh foods. Once a week, I try to feed them a kibble free meal with the See Spot Live Longer dinner mix. I stick to mostly the budget friendly list for both kibble and canned.
Also, most pet stores will take back a bag of food if your dogs don’t like it, or it doesn’t agree with them. Who knew that feeding your pets could be so complicated? LOL!
What do your dogs eat now? I’m sure you will get some more opinions. Good luck!

[Bobby dog]

You are very welcome!

Not sure if the fish you bought is cooked or not, but do not feed raw salmon or trout to the dogs because they may contain bacteria that causes death in dogs. Good idea to puree it if you are uncertain about the bones, better safe than sorry.

You will really find that PDF useful. On top of it being packed with great info, it’s an easy read and written so that you can reference info easily. Your questions about food and portions should be answered in there. I don’t feed the ABC diet in one day, I feed all the extras throughout the week as toppers. Please ask if you can’t find what you are looking for; someone here should be able to help.

It does sound like a yeasty skin issue. Dandruff is much better than open sores so the Malesab must have helped. How do you stand budget wise with purchasing more shampoo? I found another budget friendly option for shampoo if you are interested.

My dog had a bad yeast infection last year. It took 8 months of consistent care and tweaking his diet to rid him of it. Changing his diet was integral in the healing process. If at all possible getting them off Ol’ Roy will be the most help. I know it’s not up to you, but if your uncle could at least switch to a food without chemicals, dyes, and meat & bone meal it would be a step in the right direction. With the added fresh foods you are improving their diets regardless, however by eliminating the chemicals etc. I believe you would see their health continue to improve. You might have a fighting chance to prove your point because more than likely some of the issues the dog had a few months ago will show up again after a few weeks back on Ol’ Roy.

I was feeding Bobby a canned food along the lines of Ol’ Roy that contained chemical preservatives and dyes, the kibble I fed was not bad. He had a skin infection so I took him to the Vet. During the visit my Vet discussed the importance of a healthy diet and suggested I stop feeding that canned food and choose another. When I eliminated it from his diet I saw an improvement in his skin within two weeks. That gave me the incentive to find out what else I could do for him.

I can’t answer your questions about enzymes, I don’t use them. Having no teeth would not necessarily be a reason to add enzymes. There was a very interesting conversation on the review side about using enzymes and whether or not they even survive the stomach. This did not pertain to enzymes used for pancreatic issues. Maybe someone else will be able to answer your questions.

I love the results I get from probiotics; wish I started using them long ago. I feed my cat kefir 3x/wk and my dog daily. I upped Bobby’s dose of probiotics when he had a yeasty skin relapse a month ago. When I feel he’s back on track I probably will feed it every other day. I think your choice of probiotics is a good one. Even though I am feeding kefir, it is more out of convenience for me since Bobby and the cats are doing well and like it. Kefir is very affordable, but I think your choice is more economical in the long run and you get more strains of probiotics. Write back with the weights of the dogs who will be getting them, I have info on dosage for human probiotics.

Canned food is much easier for dogs to digest since it is not as processed as dry food. There are several budget friendly canned foods out there. Depending on if they have teeth pulled mixing kibble with canned is an option too. At this point I am guessing it depends on what your Uncle decides to feed them. At the very least, you can add enough water to kibble prior to feeding them to make it a canned consistency if necessary.

I am not sure about specific exercises for arthritis & hip dysplasia. Keeping arthritic animals slim and fit is extremely important. The fish you are adding to their food is really good for arthritic pets! Try searching the forum for this topic and hopefully someone with experience on this subject will stop by.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Tiffany-
I am all about budget friendly! The best valued can food, IMO, is Costco’s Natures Domain Turkey and Pea Stew, Walmart’s Pure Balance, and Tractor Supply’s 4health canned. They are mostly all rated 5 stars. I also use eggs and sardines a few times a week as well. The best prices for sardines are at Winco or Walmart. Walmart also sells a brand of canned called Variety that is a little more expensive, but cheaper than most.
If you have Victor dry food in your area, it is more budget friendly than Wellness. Those are lucky dogs you are taking care of. Thank you!

[Tiffany K]

What ideas does anyone have to make dry food more appealing and tasty that are budget friendly? I have been targeted as a “dump” site and am currently feeding eight dogs. Feeding them all Wellness is bankrupting me. I wanted them to have quality meals.

I have added hot water to their kibble to make a gravy, and and have also made them oatmeal on many occasions to keep things interesting. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Allison A]

Naturella, thanks for the advice on where to buy cheap pet food! It’s so hard to balance my Aussie’s food demands (highly allergic to Poultry) with my college-student budget!

[Naturella]

Sounds like your boy has quite the good diet so far, Crystal! 🙂 Don’t be afraid to try new recipes (brands) and new flavors within a brand. Plus, adding canned or THK is great for them – adds moisture to a usually dry diet, and helps with its absorption! 🙂

I also feed a rotational diet of about 75-80% kibble – it is great on the budget because it allows me to take advantage of sales, and also great for my dog, who gets a new food with every small bag, and he gets to try different proteins and recipes. I top all kibble meals with additives at breakfast (coconut oil, plain yoghurt/plain kefir, raw egg, canned sardines), and at dinner with THK (I alternate between 4 flavors) or Big Dog Natural tripe, with an RMB once/week. So far so good – Bruno is happy and healthy and even if a food doesn’t sit well with him, I have a backup in the rotation of a food he’s had before and done well on to patch him up until the next new recipe! 🙂

[Bobby dog]

🙂 You’re welcome! I have been eyeing two Infinia recipes to replace my “budget friendly” 4Health GF from TSC. I am not sure those last two recipes won’t go to Diamond at some point. Quick reply from them too.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 5 months ago by Bobby dog.

[Travis A]

Thank you for the helpful info I appreciate it, I’ll try some soft food to mix with it, I’ve done that before when i have it but they just recently started being picky about their kibble. I too am on a “the best i can afford” thought but my budget isn’t very high so i try to stick with the cheapest best quality i can find for my price range. But i’ll try to mix some things up, again thank you all for your information.

[Bobby dog]

I agree with Akari, mix some canned food in with the kibble; reduce the kibble accordingly so you don’t over feed. The added moisture is healthy and canned is easier for them to digest. Pure Balance stews at Wal-Mart are five star rated and $1/can. Tractor Supply has 4Health for 99 cents/can and they are 4.5 star rated.

Rachael Ray Zero Grain does not include K3 in it’s recipe; it’s in the other kibble recipes.

Beyond still includes K3.

Infinia is Purina Mills Incorporated (PMI) Nutrition (Land O’ Lakes, no checkered flag), not Purina (Nestle’). I believe at one time they were part of Purina, not positive though. I am not sure if PMI manufactures their food or uses a co-packer.
http://www.infiniapetfood.com/default.aspx

Check out this thread started by Akari for some recommendations:
/forums/topic/budget-friendly-dog-foods/

And check out this thread for more recommendations on food and suggestions to help out with pet food budgets:
/forums/topic/2-dogs-2-different-sizes/

[jakes mom]

I have a friend whose Chihuahua/border terrier has just been diagnosed with diabetes. There’s also another chi in the house who’s had issues with pancreatitis. Can anyone suggest a good food for them both? Budget is a very big concern. I’m sure raw is not an option, both because of the cost and also the “yuk” factor for the humans. I’m thinking something in the 3 star range, since they eat Purina now.

[Susan]

Hi Korey,
When looking for budget friendly kibble make sure that you stick with the same ingredients that’s in the Blue that he’s eating or as close as you can get, try & stay away from high carb kibbles with potato, most Grain free kibbles have potatos, also look at the Omega 3 & 6 make sure its high, compare what the Omega 3 & 6 is in the blue as well…here’s a few kibbles, Good-Luck Korey

Holistic Select Anchovy, Sardines & Salmon meal
Eagle Pack
Victor Select
Whole Earth Farms or the Whole Earth Farm G/F
Horizon Complete
Dr Tims
Healthwise
Pro Pac
Simply Nourish Source

[Judy M]

Which do (u all, and Mike) consider to be the most “budget friendly” raw diet (already prepared ready to feed – so that I don’t have to source and grind and mix ingredients myself). I MA currently feeding my 7.5 ur old, 22-lb spaniel mix dog Darwins. naturals, mostly duck, but exploring other options die to q new higher fat ratio formulation combined with an increase in price. what to do the best for my dog’s health and longevity, but keep the budget in mind. I felt the naturals, ( no antibiotics, no added chemicals and or hormones,organic better for her health, which I am ok with spending more for her (tho I can’t really afford to so for myself but dogs live such short lives not want to do the very best for her, but it has to be do-able, convenient enough that I will have time for it and not end up wasting ingredients that Ia don’t have time or energy to psirce ingredients, prepare prepare and, mix and prepare and have enough energy and nough time to prepare it myself and not end up wasting ingredients when. I do t have energy to learn how to and do the work of concocting thr daily ears foe her myself. (Darwins is so easy, just thaw, open and feed. is it worth the extra cost by being that much more healthy for her, or would it be just as healthy to switch to something else. ,( I notice that even Fresh Pet (available at grocery store) has received 4 stars). is premium or gain raw really that much vm open Should I stick with Darwins (given those considerations, even tho they at hey will n exchanging the ingredients formulation,raising the price and at same time adding more fat? should d I not be concerned with the fat increase I. the new formulation. like I said, just want my 7.5 ur old beloved dog to live as long and healthy q life as possible. any advice welcome. thanks for all replies , sorry for any typos. touchscreen learning curve)

[pugmomsandy]

Dr. Tim’s dog food uses low ash chicken meal and I’ve heard it’s budget friendly too.

[theBCnut]

Here’s the reviews
/dog-food-reviews/nutrisource-dog-food-canned/
/dog-food-reviews/nutrisource-dog-food-dry/
/dog-food-reviews/nutrisource-grain-free/
It’s one of my favorite foods to suggest, because it’s easy to switch to and easy on the budget.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Chris:
All good recommendations for your dogs! I have a certain budget I have to follow for pet food too; here are some of the things that help me keep the cost down.

Here is a link, posted by Akari a regular DFA poster, for a $5 coupon from Petsmart good for any size Authority and several other kibbles. This link is also posted on page 15 of the coupon thread. The coupon is always valid, the date changes each time you access it:
http://pages.email-petsmart.com/coupons2014?g=6e33a451-2f8c-401b-b420-888b86bf1199&ab=foodcenter_coupon_dog

Think about rotation feeding for your dogs. Many regulars feed a rotation diet; I believe it is the healthiest way to feed your pets. The added benefit for the owner is if you find a good price on food you can take advantage of the savings because you already know your dog does well eating it.
Rotation feeding info:
/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/

Sign up for e-mails from Petsmart, Petco, or any other place you would purchase dog food so you can receive alerts for sales and coupons. Also, sign up for e-mails from pet food companies. Some send coupons or other promotional deals through e-mail and look into frequent buyer programs too; Nutrisource is one company that has a frequent buyer program through retailers, buy 12 bags and the 13th is free. Some offer frequent buyer programs directly through them such as by Nature or EVO. Wellness offers coupons for kibble and canned food monthly through e-mail when you sign up for their newsletter. You could stack the Wellness coupon with the Petsmart coupon for additional savings.

Check out the coupon thread Akari started. It is a place to post info on coupons, sales, or other pet food promos that DFA posters find. Post questions if you have them too, Akari pops in to answer them.
Page one is the intro of the coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/
Current page of coupon thread:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/15/

As BC posted you can find Rachael Ray Zero Grain Free at Wal-Mart. On her website she offers coupons for pet food (under news & offers tab). Most of the time there is a $4 coupon for any size of the Zero Grain: http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/switchto

Here are some recommendations for dog food sold at Wal-Mart:
/forums/topic/need-advice-about-walmart-brands/

You mentioned Tractor Supply Company 4Health brand; I feed the canned dog & cat food and I have fed the beef GF. The canned food is labeled for growth and maintenance, not sure about the kibble. The only kibble in that line I would recommend are the Beef or Turkey grain free (and the GF cat food if you have cats). Diamond manufactures all of the other kibble varieties and due to their recall history I choose not to feed anything they make; depends on your comfort level. Good luck with your pups!

[Naturella]

Depending on the area, NutriSource may or may not be budget-friendly. Diet rotation is both good for the dog AND good for the budget, because it allows you to take advantage of sales and what not. If shopping online is an option, Petflow.com , chewy.com , wag.com and petfooddirect.com are good websites that often have great sales. Brands like Victor, Dr. Tim’s, Earthborn Holistic, Wysong, and Tractor Supply’s 4Health are all good brands and reasonably-priced too. On those websites mentioned above, you can type “sample” or “trial” and see deals for sample-sized or even full-sized bags of food. I would check them out weekly.

[LabsRawesome]

Hi Halina, Victor is a great food. If you can buy it local, it’s a budget friendly food. The grain free formulas, and 1 grain inclusive formula (Active Dog and Puppy) are rated 5 stars. I pay just under $40 for 30lbs of GF Ultra Pro 42. Some of the formulas are available in smaller bags too. Here’s a link to Victor’s site. http://www.victordogfood.com/ Check out the dealer locator for stores in your area. 🙂

[Halina H]

I have 2 dogs that I want to feed a quality dog food to, but like many, I’m on a tight budget. What dog food out there gives you the best quality ingredients for the best price point?

[Naturella]

I would not want to repeat what the above posters have said – I think they got you covered, Dog_Obsessed. I would just add that, depending on your area, some of those budget-friendly foods are not-so-budget-friendly. For example, I live close to Atlanta, GA (north of Atlanta) and in my immediate area with 5 pet stores I can EASILY get to, NutriSource is severely overpriced. Earthborn Holistic and Victor are decent though (I LOVE Victor btw – small kibble, great quality food). Dr. Tim’s is not sold in any of “my” local stores. So it just depends, but do some research on those brands mentioned above, and you will find for yourself what foods cost what where. Also – websites such as petflow.com , chewy.com , wag.com often have sales and/or deals that you can take advantage of. Petflow sometimes sells “trial sizes” (usually 4-5lb bags!) of good quality food for about $1/lb! I have gotten me some Nutrisca Chicken and Chickpea, Dogswell LiveFree Salmon (although they had Turkey, Lamb, and Chicken too), Wysong Nurture with Quail from them all for $1/lb. AND, The Honest Kitchen dehydrated food – 4 boxes, 2 lbs each, for I think $2/lb, which is UNHEARD of a price for this food – it was 97% off so that tells you what it usually costs! It is worth it though! 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Although “budget friendly” is very much a relative term, some excellent dry foods that I feel are budget friendly, and that I feel I can confidently recommend, are Victor, NutriSource, Earthborn Holistics, Eagle Pack, Dr. Tim’s and even Pure Balance made by Ainsworth that’s sold at Wal-Mart or Nature’s Domain Turkey and Pea Stew canned from Costco.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I definitely agree that price and quality often have less to do with each other than people think. Diamond brands tend to be cheap in general, so many people feed it for that reason. As aquariangt said though, there are other budget friendly options that are better.

[Akari_32]

Check out my Coupons thread. You can get just about any food you want for a budget friendly price if you put in the tome to look for deals. I litterally have a closet full of Wellness that I got for *free* with coupons.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I am looking for budget-freindly options to suggest to people. What others do you know of?

[aquariangt]

that is the angle people make for Diamond. However, there are other budget friendly options

[Naturella]

I feel you – my husband and I are in college, and a few of the regular posters here are too. We also shop on a budget, but manage to find good deals very often. Pure Balance is good, but if you feed rotational – switch between brands of kibble and between protein types (fish, chicken, beef, lamb, etc.) you can take advantage of good sales. If shopping online is an option, check out http://www.petflow.com , http://www.chewy.com , http://www.wag.com – they all have good sales often. On Petflow, go there at least once/week and type in “trials” in the search bar, it will give you super cheap foods in a “trial” (usually regular smallest) size (4-5lbs) for about $1/lb! It’s a steal! Also, this is a good thread to check out: /forums/topic/coupons/page/15/ It has all kinds of information on coupons and deals! 🙂

As for the natural chews, I put vice grips on Bruno’s bully sticks, cow ears, and fish skins to prevent gulping of big pieces and it works. With the Himalayan chews and antlers, I would take it away when it approaches less than an inch (maybe for your dog, 2 inches will be a good time to take the chew away and replace it). Also, they are good for teeth cleaning.

As for toys, Bruno likes the Nylabone and JW bone-shaped chews. He loves ropes too but he eats them often. He likes the tough Kong products too, I stuff them with doggie ice-cream (homemade), freeze and serve. Or play tug with them. He has a rubber ring we play tug with too. We never have nor will get him squeaky chews, those are evil to humans! LoL. But yeah, more often than not Bruno would prefer his natural chews (antlers are pretty loved in our household), or peacefully gnaw on a JW bone, or bring his Walmart rope to ask me to play tug with. 🙂

[crazy4cats]

Hi Kayla-
I always mix something in with my dog’s kibble. I have two golden labs. Both male and about 80 pounds. Every morning they get a few heaping Tbs of canned with their kibble. In the afternoon, they get either eggs, sardines, dehydrated or fresh meat with their dry food. I don’t think that dry kibble is the best to feed regardless of how many stars it gets. However, it is convenient and budget friendly. I do believe that a premium canned food is healthier, but also much more expensive. Especially with two large dogs. And oh yes, four medium cats! Good luck and welcome to DFA!

[Kayla]

Thank you so much!!!! and, I am slowly transitioning him to Pure Balance. It had 4 star rating and good reviews. I am a college student on a low budget so it was in my price range. Just need better treats. So glad I found this website. Learned so much already.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Victoria W:
I understand your budget constraints and hopefully I can offer some more suggestions in addition to the ones you have received. You are very kind to give your relative’s dogs the extra attention they need!

It is surprising they would continue to pay for office visits and medication without trying a new diet as well. However, it sounds like she has an infection and needs antibiotics at this time.

Buying a 50 lbs. bag of food is convenient for large dog owners. Throw in a price of about 45 cents/lb. and it’s hard to talk someone out of buying it. In the future, if you are able to convince them to try another food they should expect to pay at least $1/lb. for a food with more meat protein; about $10 – $15 more per bag. If they would agree to this price point you could find some decent kibbles for them in 40-50 lbs bags.

If you decide to add a new food or supplement be sure to add slowly and in small portions building up to the desired amounts.

If your relatives will only shop at Wal-Mart for dog food and are adamant about feeding Ol’ Roy, maybe you could suggest they try adding other brands to their dogs’ diet along with Ol’ Roy. Here‘s a thread with kibble & canned foods available at Wal-Mart with decent ratings:
/forums/search/Wal-Mart/

There is a PDF download from Steve Brown, “See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.” It will help you improve any quality of kibble with the addition of fresh foods (eggs, tinned fish, fresh meat, vegetables) you can get at the grocery store. There is a menu that walks you through the amounts of each food to add according to the quality of kibble being fed and the size of the dog. I feed anything from a 3 to 5 star kibble and this download helps me to improve my dog’s diet very easily and affordably. I add the fresh food over several meals rather than feeding it in one day.
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html

I don’t always have sardines on hand for my dog and when I don’t I supplement his diet with CVS drug store 1000 mg fish oil capsules 3x/week. I also supplement vitamin E once a week regardless if I feed sardines or CVS fish oil. Here’s a link to more info on supplements, it’s also a great site with lots of other info:
http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html

As far as mercury or chemical contamination, smaller fish are not usually high in contaminates due to their short life span and the depth of water they live in. Herring, menhaden, and sardines are some smaller species. Here’s a site with some more info on contamination in fish and a link to a wallet card with a list of fish and the degree of contamination they may have:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/

I think adding some probiotics to her diet would really help with her skin issues; it helped tremendously with healing my cat’s skin. This would also help keep the antibiotics from destroying the friendly bacteria in her digestive system. An affordable way to do this is to feed unflavored kefir; most grocery stores sell kefir and it has a very long shelf life. I add it to my cat and dog’s food daily. Here’s some info:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/05/foods-rich-in-probiotics-beneficial-for.html

Other probiotics recommended by regular posters are Dr. Stephen Langer’s Ultimate 15 Strain Probiotic, Swanson Ultra Soil Based Organisms, and Mercola complete.

Coconut oil would be another food that would help with her skin. I add it to my dog’s food 3x/week, more if he has skin issues. I also apply it directly to his skin when it’s irritated. Unfortunately, he loves it so much I have to be sure I have time to supervise him so he doesn’t lick it off before it’s absorbed. Only use unrefined organic. The best price I have found for it was at BJ’s or Costco; Wal-Mart also has a good price just in a smaller jar. Here’s some info on the benefits and dosage:
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/02/coconut-oil-is-good-for-your-dogs.html

After a bad experience with my cat and steroids when my dog developed a skin infection I was more than willing to put in the work I needed to help him heal. Bathing with medicated shampoo and applying antibiotic cream regularly was integral in healing his infection. The active ingredients in Malasab shampoo is 2% Miconazole Nitrate and 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate. There are some generic alternatives that might be more budget friendly. Look for my post on page 3 from June 9, 2014 at 6:40 pm for info on some alternatives and for some ingredients to look for in medicated shampoos.
/forums/topic/maybe-its-time-for-a-diet-change/page/3/

I don’t have any experience with a dog that has hip dysplasia, but I think you are on the right track with a glucosamine supplement. Here are two threads that might be helpful:
/forums/topic/joint-health/
/forums/topic/budget-friendly-supplements-for-14-year-old-dachshund/

And here’s a coupon thread that might help with your pet food budget. The first page is an intro and the last page has the most current info posted.
Page 1:
/forums/topic/coupons/
Current page:
/forums/topic/coupons/page/15/

[Victoria W]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am trying to convince them to invest in better dog food, they don’t see the point in sacrificing any of their monthly extras so they can afford decent food. I’m a college student and therefore am on a limited budget, but every month since I found DFA I’ve put aside money to spoil my baby min pin/ chi mix, he comes first you know and I really don’t care to spend money on him. I bought some of the Malesab Sue and I will give her weekly baths like you suggest, God knows her owners wont take the time to do it. Naturella, thank you for the food suggestions I supplement my Taz’s Dr. Tims and Pure Bal with Merrick Southern Comfort among other canned food plus eggs, raw meat, and veggies b/c he loves them 🙂 I’m unsure if I can afford to much food for 4 huge dogs but I will try for their sake. I did not know I could give a dog sardines though, should I be concerned about the mercury usually found in bottom tier fish? How much do you think I can safely feed her or could I give her Fish oil pills in place of the sardines and avoid the merc. all together? I will try the yoghurt too. Again thanks for any suggestions, I am feeling a little better about helping this poor baby out now.

[Akari_32]

Thanks Patty, I’ll look for something like that. Any brands you know of that would be a good starting point for my search?

Melissa, that is exactly why I brought her home in the first place. The previous owner literally came into the vets office I’m interning at and said she’s biting, and to put her down. She was obviously extremely stressed about something and in poor health, which right away caught my (relatively slight, but ever increasing) knowledge of animal behavior. She had been in about two weeks before for a bladder infection, and was given liquid amoxicillin. The owner was, and I quote, putting her in a head lock and shoving it down her throat. And guess when all this biting started? Right after the antibiotics started. Imagine that. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out a simple change in administering the medication would have solved all your problems, lady! I just wunna smack that chick… lol

So now, I’m working with her on not flinching away from contact (she used to expect every touch to hurt, but now she’s pretty good about not being so stressed about it, and loves butt scratches and ear rubs), and I’m working with her on at least accepting being picked up, because lets face it– a small dog has to be picked up at some point or another. There are places they just can’t (or won’t and need to be) get to themselves. I think once she’s on something that is helping relieve some of that pain, we will get further with getting her more comfortable with certain things. I think she may need to be on something like Previcox for the rest her life for actual pain relief, though. But before I do that, I want to see how she does on joint supplements, as it is safer in the long run for her, and easier on my budget.

One big thing I’ve noticed, after we take a decent walk, and she’s all exhausted and in a good, happy mood, and she’s too tired to care, I can pick her right up and she’s happy to let me. You can see a relief and acceptance in her eyes at being picked up when she’s in that state. So a good deal of it is certainly mental from whatever rough treatment she was subjected to before, but I have no doubt that over all, she is in some degree of pain, and it does need to be dealt with. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it is for her to be hurting all the time.

[Akari_32]

As you guys may know, I recently took in an old Dachshund with several health and behavioral problems, all due to lack of proper care and rough treatment.

One of her biggest problems is she’s always limping and when she hurts too much, she lashes out at almost any handling (mainly when being picked up). I know they are prone to back problems, and from what I’ve seen of her extremely limited vet records, she’s had no such problems. She does have problems with her shoulders and hips, though. Typical old dog stuff, really, but she’s learned from experience in her previous home that lashing out and biting when she’s in pain will get her left alone. I need to get her on some sort of good, but relatively cheap, joint/etc supplement (glucosamine is the first thing that comes to mind) that will help with any pain she’s having, and help prevent or slow down any further joint or bone damage and help with the arthritis I’m sure she has. I also need some tips on getting her to understand that biting is not the answer, if anyone has any.

She loves to be active, and I want to keep her that way. She does limp more after walks, but she doesn’t seem to notice, and loves the stimulation. It’s like she loves to just be so tired she doesn’t want to do anything. She just looks so happy after long walks, and you can tell that she is over all calmer and less high strung (she paces all day with no good walks) . Obviously, I want to keep her happy and active, but I don’t want to cause any more damage to her joints, so we need to get her on something good before she gets much worse.

I’ve tried Pro Sense glucosamine chewables from Walmart on my other dogs, and they really didn’t do anything that I noticed. Granted, they don’t really have any problems in that department, despite being large and freakishly huge, and 10 11 years old, so there is that. I shop mostly at Pet Supermarket and PetSmart, but can also go to PetCo and look at stuff online, and I work at Publix (only one dog joint supplement there, but it’s like $20, so I’m good on that, but people supplements are always an option, too).

And she is already on fish oil and coconut oil, rotated daily, so that’s already covered. So, anything you guys have, go for it! I’d like to only spend about $10 a month, if possible, but take that loosely when giving me suggestions.

Thanks guys!

[crazy4cats]

I think the three best brands at PetSmart are:
Budget: Authority
Average: Wellness
Higher Priced: Nature’s Variety Instinct
Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi-
I don’t have a new food for the budget friendly list, just a new format. I’ve suggested before and I’m going to give it one more shot. LOL! It would be nice if the list would contain two different columns. One with the wet food and one with dry. It would make it easier when printing and taking to store with you. Thank you!

[Akari_32]

When I put the steps in moms room, I put them to the night stand. They are the same height, but the night stand provides Ginger and Bentley that extra room to get up on to the bed, rather than a shear drop from the bed to the stairs. Moms bed is 31 inches tall, which we couldn’t find any stairs to reach, so we decided the night stand was a good height. It is for Bentley, but just a bit too tall for old Ginger. I’ll be finding a rug and a bit of 4×4 to make an extra step on the night stand, and make the surface non-slip (again, not a problem for Bentley, but a problem for Gingers short little legs and old bones).

I actually bought the Toy Breed for my almost 12-year-old, 60 lb retriever mix, Haley, because it’s high in calories, and she doesn’t like to eat much. Got a bunch if 2 and 4 lb bags free with coupons, along with the Wellness Senior cans :p Having only $10 a week budgeted for now three dogs (12, 60 and 130 lb), a cat, and various fish and reptiles, I’m oportunistic with my pet food coupon deals (but not so much so that I’ll buy food of questionable quality– I still have standards, which works out for me with the great Wellness deals I get). I typically buy puppy foods because of Haley, but the protein and calories on this line were where I wanted them for the most part, and is figured variety is the spice of life LOL

Also, the small kibble size seems to be working well for Ginger because of her teeth. They are just so gross, and I imagine they hurt to some degree. I don’t think this dog has ever seen a bone of any kind in her life. I do plan on seeing how she does on other foods I’ve got stashed away that have larger kibble sizes though. I’ve got one 6lb bag of Pro Plan small breed puppy (only cost my 3 bucks!) and about 15 lbs of Nutro Natural Choice puppy that all have larger kibbles (and of course my bunches of Wellness Toy Breed lol). I’ve got some EVO in the freezer, but those are like as big as her eye, so I think that’s out of the question…

[Naturella]

Ivan,

I second C4C – rotation is great for them, plus it is easy on the budget too! Websites such as http://www.petflow.com , http://www.chewy.com , http://www.wag.com offer awesome sales sometimes and you can stock up on various good 4- and 5-star foods for down to about $1/lb!!! Which is an awesome deal. For Victor, try http://www.sportdogfood.com too.

As for toppers – yes as well! I also use canned (sometimes), The Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw I think), plain yoghurt, eggs, coconut oil, and canned sardines. Once a week my Bruno gets a Raw Meaty Bone (RMB) too. The effects of all those additives on skin and coat are tremendous, plus, it helps add variety to their diet and is overall better to their general health. 🙂

Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Ivan-
I think it’s a good idea to rotate food. I try to rotate kibble, but I definitely rotate toppers every meal. I think variety is important. I also think it is very important to add fresher type foods to kibble to boost its nutrition as kibble is the least healthy, but the most convenient and affordable. I add canned to every breakfast. To their evening meals, I add either eggs, sardines, dehydrated, raw or lightly cooked fresh meat. I feed mostly Victor kibble, but you could print the 4 or 5 star list of foods and bring with you to your store to see what they carry and fits your budget. You will probably have to transition slowly if they have eaten the same food for a long time to avoid digestive upset. Also, some plain canned pumpkin or probiotics and digestive enzymes may also help with the transition until they are fully adjusted. I’ve seen a noticeable difference in my dogs’ coats since I’ve started the sardines and eggs. Good luck!

[jakes mom]

If you or your parents have a membership to BJ’s their Earth’s Pride Pet brand is highly rated on this site. They have 3 varieties including a grain free. My dog loves all 3, they’re part of his rotation. Naturella made a really good point about rotation diets, good for the dog and the budget.