[Erica P]

Hi! After much research, I decided on Victor’s Hero formula for several reasons (including the fact that it was grain free and had gulcosamine). Chewy has a 30lb bag for $48 ($1.60/lb). However, I have 2 dogs and use 6 cups of dog food a day. I’d like to find something that is less than $1.30/lb ($39 for 30 lbs). I am really interested in grain free and do want to stay away from Diamond. I found Authority and 4Health, but was concerned that those kind of “pet-store” brands. I also found Pro Pac, but was concerned that it’s only a 3.5 star food. Does anybody have any input regarding these 3 foods, or maybe a different one?
Thanks!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Erica P-
I have fed the Victor Hero formula a lot to my dogs. It is one of our favorite kibbles in their rotation. Unfortunately, It has gone up a little in price along with our other favorite, Whole Earth Farms. One thing about the Victor, although, is that it is higher in calories than the others you mentioned and therefore you can feed a little less. Plus, I think there is a 40 or 50 pound size available too which might be a better value. I also have two large dogs and go through food pretty fast.
In addition to WEF and Victor, I have also fed Taste of the Wild and am currently feeding 4Health grain free beef without issue. Others have mentioned feeding Pure Balance and Rachael Ray’s grain free kibbles with success also.
After participating on this site for a while now, I’ve learned to not worry about the star ratings as much. You need to rate the food according to how well your dog does on it. I just try to stay away from too many “red” ingredients such as artificial colors and flavors.
I also add canned and fresh toppers to their meals to bump up the protein and nutritional value.
I hope this helps!

[Pitlove]

Hi Erica-

C4C gave you a lot of good suggestions and she made an excellent point about the rating system on this website. It really should not be taken as bible. Best my dog has ever done is on a food that this “rating website” gives 3 stars to, yet is a food that veterinary nutritionists recommend time and time again. Nutritional soundness in a food is far more important than how this website rates the ingredients, since one does not always equal the other.

Not sure what your reasoning for feeding grain free is, but it is always going to be more expensive for all those bells and whistles in GF foods and they more often than not tend to come in a smaller size bag than their grain inclusive counterparts. If you’d consider a grain inclusive food, Dr. Tim’s Kinesis is a good choice that offers 44lb bags on chewy.com for 1.46$/lb.

[Michael C]

4Health, to my knowledge, is made by Diamond Pet Foods specifically for Tractor Supply. Taste of the Wild is also made by Diamond. But I have used Diamond Dog Foods (those two plus Premium Edge and Diamond Naturals) many times over the years and never had a problem with them. For a grain free food, I don’t know of any less costly, with some decent quality, than Taste of the Wild.

[crazy4cats]

Last I checked the Turkey and Beef grain free 4Health recipes are not made by Diamond. I believe it is Ainsworth that makes it. It seems weird that they would use two different manufacturers, but it was confirmed by several different participants on the review side of this site. However, I also feed Diamond kibbles from time to time and have not had a problem. I live on the West Coast where there has not been a recall.

I do not have a problem with feeding kibble that has grain in it either. I feed Eagle Pack from time to time. All kibble has to have some type of carb to bind it together. I like to rotate brands so they aren’t eating the same carb, protein, preservatives, vitamins and minerals forever. Don’t they say, “variety is the spice of life?” 🙂 I just think it is healthier for humans and our pups.

Hope this is helpful, Erica!

[Erica P]

Hi guys!
Thanks for the input! I did see Victor’s 50lb bag one place online but the price per lb was actually more than the 30lb bag! I’ll look elsewhere and see if I can find it cheaper. The reason for grain free is because I recently took in 2 retired foxhounds, and when I asked my vet if he had any dog food recommendations he said grain free. He then mentioned Blue Buffalo and Canidae, but those are just too expensive for me.

I was feeding the Pure Balance and I thought about the Rachel Ray, but they are around the same price as Victor. I’ll do some research on the calories, ingredients, and the companies behind Pro Pac and 4 Health and go from there!

[crazy4cats]

Sounds good! Thanks for taking in the Hounds. Best of luck!

[InkedMarie]

Have you looked at Dr. Tim’s? A couple of his formulas come in 40 and 44/45 pound bags. Chewy sells it, so does sportDogFood (free shipping depending where you live) and maybe other places.

[Erica P]

I might look at Dr. Tim’s and look into considering a grain inclusive food. I’m also thinking about mixing foods. I’m assuming that’s okay to do, with the only drawback being if they get sick you don’t know which food is the culprit?

Has anyone looked into the new Sport Dog Food coming out? I can’t wait for the formal review. It’s only slightly more affordable than Victor though.

[Author]

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