Dog food costs. How do people afford it?

[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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Maybe you should take a closer look at the wall-o-food in your vet's office and ask yourself why it's on display like that. You brought up meds: are those equally promoted? If not (and they're not), why do you suppose that is.

Vets run a business. I trust them to make healthcare recommendations for my pets AND I recognize hustle when I see it. These things are, unfortunately, not mutually-exclusive.

[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?

We do grain free kibble but grain Honest Kitchen to reduce the risk. She tolerates both. They still dont know why- whether its the lack of grain or the addition of peas/lentils/etc. or at least I havent seen any recent papers on whether theyve determined the source of the increased risk for DCM.

[Anonymous]

I don't have kids.

I feed my 38lb collie mix a mostly raw food diet, some commercial raw beef blend (Albright's), some canned sardines, some grocery store chicken quarters - with frozen spinach and blueberries, baby carrots, apples and eggs to supplement. Other appropriate fruits and veggies as snacks when in season.

I spend around $65/mo to feed her, but it's worth every penny because she is in excellent health and her dentition is terrific for her age (6) as is her body condition, not an ounce of extra fat and she is fast and very athletic.

My philosophy is same as for humans - food is the first medicine and the right diet can save thousands in veterinary care costs down the line. I spent very little for her two yearly wellness visits, she doesn't get tons of yearly unnecessary vaccinations she has the core plus rabies and the required boosters of those, she takes monthly parasitic preventative. I pay for insurance so if she has an accident or major illness cost isn't a factor in how I choose to treat her.

She really, really loves her food - it's a joy to see and it always makes me feel a little badly about the dogs I fed kibble because the vets said that was best. It's not best, no more so than it is best for humans to eat diets heavy in ultra processed foods. Fresh and whole foods is what our guts evolved to as ideal diet and the same is true of canids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have kids.

I feed my 38lb collie mix a mostly raw food diet, some commercial raw beef blend (Albright's), some canned sardines, some grocery store chicken quarters - with frozen spinach and blueberries, baby carrots, apples and eggs to supplement. Other appropriate fruits and veggies as snacks when in season.

I spend around $65/mo to feed her, but it's worth every penny because she is in excellent health and her dentition is terrific for her age (6) as is her body condition, not an ounce of extra fat and she is fast and very athletic.

My philosophy is same as for humans - food is the first medicine and the right diet can save thousands in veterinary care costs down the line. I spent very little for her two yearly wellness visits, she doesn't get tons of yearly unnecessary vaccinations she has the core plus rabies and the required boosters of those, she takes monthly parasitic preventative. I pay for insurance so if she has an accident or major illness cost isn't a factor in how I choose to treat her.

She really, really loves her food - it's a joy to see and it always makes me feel a little badly about the dogs I fed kibble because the vets said that was best. It's not best, no more so than it is best for humans to eat diets heavy in ultra processed foods. Fresh and whole foods is what our guts evolved to as ideal diet and the same is true of canids.

Of course canids have 10x the stomach acids as homo sapiens, which is why they tolerate a raw diet even if domesticated, and also why in the wild they are scavengers whose 'fresh' diet often includes carrion and other fermenting foods they encounter in their travels. I once found my collie mix out in the yard consuming a rotting raccoon carcass she'd found in our woods, after which she gained the affection nickname 'maggot mouth' - didn't suffer a moment's stomach upset from that incident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Maybe you should take a closer look at the wall-o-food in your vet's office and ask yourself why it's on display like that. You brought up meds: are those equally promoted? If not (and they're not), why do you suppose that is.

Vets run a business. I trust them to make healthcare recommendations for my pets AND I recognize hustle when I see it. These things are, unfortunately, not mutually-exclusive.

There isn't a wall o' food in my vets office, but I know they sell prescription food because there have been times one of my dogs have needed it, and it's been convenient to get it during the visit.

I don't know what counts as "promoted" to you. There are posters about various health issues (including warnings about foods that are fine for humans but not dogs, which, hey! I wonder if that means that something can be good for dogs even if it's not appealing to people? kibble kibble kibble), and those posters about heartworm are from companies that make heartworm preventatives.

If a veterinarian is putting hustle ahead of health, that's a problem, and you need a different vet. If the hustle is in the background, why do you care? Why do you think it undermines your vet's trustworthiness.