Not much money....Any ideas for cheap & healthy dog food??

[Kevin]

My wife and I are getting a new puppy this week and want to give our pup the best but honestly do not have too much money. We are both in school so we want to spend the least amount of money possible while still giving our little girl what she needs.

Any suggestions? 

I know everyone seems to hate dog food from grocery stores but are there ANY good ones there?

Thank you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Exactly. Costso contracts out the manufacturing, and there have been numerous recalls. There are even a couple of rumors on-line that people's dogs have recently died from it, although it's anecdotal.  

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

Mine are on the Kirkland grain free food. We switched from instinct to Kirkland when we got our 3rd Doodle. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good reasons not to feed your dog cheap foods:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/why-we-...

[Kevin]

Thank you for all of your advice. I decided to go with the Taste of the Wild puppy mix and I know I have so many other options if my pup doesn't love it. Thank you, hope I made a good decision.

[alice henley]

hi ive never heard of some of these dog foods.i'm n a little town and I cant run to petsmart for food bi weekly yes I could buy a big bag but im on a buget, I feed kash puppy purnia,13.00 for a medium bag bi wkly, he seems to love and he's healthy according to his vet, dr.bob so I guess it's really what YOU can afford.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Alice, many of us order online, for the same price, and then it is delivered to our door.

Alice if you look real close, it all costs the same. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I truly hope that your puppy is healthy for many years to come. Unfortunately, though, the effects of some of the extremely bad ingredients in Purina Puppy Chow are cumulative over time. They don't make your dog sick right away; cancer and liver disease develop slowly over time.  Here is just one ingredient in your puppy's food that is not in any of the foods that we recommend in the Food group, and this ingredient is not allowed in most other industrialized countries at all.

 Purina puppy food also contains menadione, acontroversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

 menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin Kactivity)

According to a peer-reviewed article published in 2004 by the Linus Pauling Institute at the Oregon State University:⁷

“Although allergic reaction is possible, there is no known toxicity associated with high doses of the phylloquinone (vitamin K1) or menaquinone (vitamin K2) forms of vitamin K⁸. The same is not true for synthetic menadione (vitamin K3) and its derivatives. Menadione can interfere with the function of glutathione, one of the body’s natural antioxidants, resulting in oxidative damage to cell membranes. Menadione given by injection has induced liver toxicity, jaundice, and hemolytic anemia (due to the rupture of red blood cells) in infants⁹; therefore, menadione is no longer used for treatment of vitamin K deficiency¹⁰. No tolerable upper level of intake has been established for vitamin K.”

The FDA has banned the use of menadione from over-the-counter supplements because large doses have been shown to cause these dangerous biological effects.¹¹

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/menadione-in-dog-food/

Alice, this is what you are giving your puppy every time you feed him. 

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

How much does Kash weight and how old is he? You're currently spending about $1.00 a day on food. Most people on DK feed their dogs high quality food for less per day! Earlier this year I did a cost comparison on some kibbles, you can feed a 40 pound adult dog a high quality kibble--Canidae--for $.65 per day! Most websites offer free shipping and have ongoing promos, you'll probably pay even less.

Cost Per Day www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/food-cost-per-...

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Luna LOVED Taste of the Wild!  

She eats Acana now, mostly because it's a Canadian company (and we're Canadian, so we're supporting them!)

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I think you made a good decision and I hope your new puppy does well on it . If I could get TOTW here I would try it too but I'm happy that I can get both Orijen and Acana which are also on the recommended list here in the Food Group. Good look with your new furbaby and let us see some pics when you have some. We love new puppies here, they grow up so fast!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

RE COST BREAKDOWN ( cant reply under) I still can't find F's breakdown from a few years ago including the detail of her calculations.
That was one of the best too, but I never found it again.
The proof is here on DK though!

[Kary, Sparty & Stella]

Karen, you amaze me everyday!