Dog food costs. How do people afford it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feed your dog food that meets WSAVA guidelines. They aren't all expensive.

WSAVA is sponcon. Your vet is sponsored by a dog food brand, too. While the science aspects may be okay, the branding part should NOT be overlooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feed your dog food that meets WSAVA guidelines. They aren't all expensive.

Yeah, IAMS, which is a cheap brand, meets the standards.

[Anonymous]

Don't get me started. Our 115lb dog eats 6 cups of Purina Pro Plan kibble (for sensitive stomachs) every day.

We buy 2, 35lb bags at a time. We can afford it, but s#!ts expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feed your dog food that meets WSAVA guidelines. They aren't all expensive.

WSAVA is sponcon. Your vet is sponsored by a dog food brand, too. While the science aspects may be okay, the branding part should NOT be overlooked.

It is a myth that vets get kickbacks for recommending certain dog foods.

[Anonymous]

Our dogs breed average lifespan is 8-10 years. She is 11 and in excellent health except for ligament injuries, which we have surgically corrected.

I 100% think it's her food. We have fed her Orijen or Acana her entire life. We avoid chicken due to allergies and rotate fish based during winter for her coat and then meat based during summer. She also gets Honest Kitchen topper. We use canned pumpkin, blueberries, and pb/coconut oil lick mats for treats.

Salmon skin if we have salmon. And the only scraps would be leftover eggs or if veggies fall to the floor when prepping.

Its probably 100 per month for food.

[Anonymous]

My dog gets Kirkland brand kibble and very occasional table scraps. If she doesn't eat a meal we just wait until she's hungry enough. She always eats it eventually.

[Anonymous]

Our dog lived to 16 and change (expected lifespan was 12 years) on Orijen adult then orijen senior. It was expensive. But we were cautioned to switch several times by our vet because grain free kibble is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. We never did, because we had gone through several food changes that caused him issues and he did really well on orijen. What’s the current thinking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our dog lived to 16 and change (expected lifespan was 12 years) on Orijen adult then orijen senior. It was expensive. But we were cautioned to switch several times by our vet because grain free kibble is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. We never did, because we had gone through several food changes that caused him issues and he did really well on orijen. What’s the current thinking?

I think it’s breed-specific. We worry a lot about DCM in Goldens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feed your dog food that meets WSAVA guidelines. They aren't all expensive.

WSAVA is sponcon. Your vet is sponsored by a dog food brand, too. While the science aspects may be okay, the branding part should NOT be overlooked.

It is a myth that vets get kickbacks for recommending certain dog foods.

Hot horseshit, when you see how many have science diet and royal canin literally in their offices. You think they buy that themselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't get me started. Our 115lb dog eats 6 cups of Purina Pro Plan kibble (for sensitive stomachs) every day.

We buy 2, 35lb bags at a time. We can afford it, but s#!ts expensive.

We have two ~60 lbs dogs, both retriever mixes, who together eat the same amount of that particular food as your one and yes, I'm very thankful we can afford it because it's ridiculous. I tried switching one of them to a non-prescription variety of the same brand and he ended up w/bloody diarrhea and a $400 vet bill, so I think we're stuck.

[Anonymous]

How much are we talking here op?

[Anonymous]

We often feed our ravenous husky rice, boiled sweet potatoes, eggs (he loves eggs in any form), and chicken. Cheap --well, eggs have gotten pricey--and full of protein.
He likes bananas, too.
I do buy canned food or Bernie's Perfect Poops when his stomach acts up, but otherwise, I agree--dog food is TOO expensive! Because that's what the market will bear.

[Anonymous]

I feed my dog WSAVA-compliant kibble and add a handful of fresh fruit (blueberries, apples, bananas, cucumbers, etc.) or vegetables a few times a week.

My dog also gets a dental treat, biscuit, and small amount of baby food (bananas, applesauce, pumpkin, or carrots) to lick out of a toy every morning as I leave for work because that keeps him busy and reduces his anxiety as I leave.

What adds a lot to the cost of a dog (in addition to vet care, flea/tick and heartworm prevention, and food) is all the chewing treats, toys, and impulse buys. My dog chews through an XL Himalayan yak chew every week, which gets expensive! He also destroys at least one toy-- stuffed, rubber, or ball-- every week. But he's still very young and needs to chew A LOT, so it's a necessary expense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't get me started. Our 115lb dog eats 6 cups of Purina Pro Plan kibble (for sensitive stomachs) every day.

We buy 2, 35lb bags at a time. We can afford it, but s#!ts expensive.

Wow! My 60-pound dog eats two cups of Purina Pro Plan every day. He walks approximately 3-4 miles each day, plays fetch for around 20 minutes, and spends a minimum of an hour playing with other toys, so it's not as though he is inactive.The vet wants me to get him down to 55 pounds, but I am not sure how since he isn't overfed and is pretty active.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feed your dog food that meets WSAVA guidelines. They aren't all expensive.

WSAVA is sponcon. Your vet is sponsored by a dog food brand, too. While the science aspects may be okay, the branding part should NOT be overlooked.

It is a myth that vets get kickbacks for recommending certain dog foods.

Hot horseshit, when you see how many have science diet and royal canin literally in their offices. You think they buy that themselves?

They also sell medication, and I don't think that's a scam either.

I don't actually know if my vet's office sells nonprescription dog food because I get it delivered. And all my vets have ever asked about food or meds is what my dog is getting, because they do not care where I buy it.

Maybe you should get a vet you trust.