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What's The Best Dog Food For Your Money?

Discussion in 'Health & Nutrition' started by Deep south, Dec 22, 2004.

  1. Deep south

    Deep south Big Dog

    "When we began to look at cost per feeding last year, we discovered an interesting fact: It costs less to feed a Super-Premium dog food than an Economy dog food. The secret is in the nutritional power of the food. A Super-Premium dog food contains much more energy and protein in every kibble than an economy brand. In one test we ran, we had to feed five times as much of the Economy brand dog food to get the same nutritional benefits of the Super-Premium. Despite the lower cost per bag of the Econo brand, it costs you more to feed than a Super-Premium, because you use more bags. How does cost fit in to the dog food picture? We measured the cost of 40 pound bags of various maintenance/adult dog foods and took the manufacturers' suggested feeding instructions. We then calculated the cost of feeding a 40 lb house dog for a day.

    The Premium foods studied had an average of 22% crude protein and 10% crude fat. The Super-Premium dog foods examined had an average of 27% crude protein and 15% crude fat. The Economy brands averaged 20% crude protein and 8% crude fat.

    The Super-Premium foods suggested feeding an average of 1-3/4 cups of food per day for our 40 lb dog. Premium brands recommended 3-1/4 cups, while the Econo brands instructed feeding 6 cups a day.

    It costs an average of 24 cents a day to feed a dog a Super-Premium brand, compared to 26 cents a day for a Premium brand, and 31 cents a day for an Econo brand. That's right - the Econo-brand actually costs you 7 cents more a day to feed your dog than a Super-Premium does. In order to give your dog the nutrition he needs, he has to eat 3-1/2 times more of the Econo brand than the Super-Premium food.

    Thus, the big difference is in the poop! The seven cents more that you spend on an Economy brand buys you piles more in the yard cleanup department.

    Something else interesting turned up in our study. If you have a giant breed, such as an Irish Wolfhound, you would have to feed your dog at least 12 cups of an Econo brand for a cost of 64 cents a day. On a Super-Premium, he'd eat only 4-3/4 cups of food for a cost of 62 cents a day. That means the top quality food costs two cents less than the low quality food to get the same nutrition.

    The bigger the dog, the narrower the margin of savings the Super-Premiums give. However, for my money, I'll take the Super-Premiums any day - can you imagine having to clean up the result of 12 cups of food a day per Wolfhound?? (Feeding a bigger dog on a Premium dog food costs 1/3 of a cent less than the Super-Premium, although you will still be feeding more and would have greater stool volume.)

    Working with a kennel of 70 active hunting dogs over the last three years, we tested 10 different brands of dog food ranging from Econo brands to Super-Premiums. We found that it doesn't pay to feed a cheap-quality dog food. The better the quality of the food, the less it took to feed our dogs. Even at a higher price per bag, we saved several cents per feeding per dog. The better quality the food, the better the value.

    Here's an example in our Foxhound kennel. The typical dog weighs about 70 pounds. It costs an average of 86 cents per dog per day to feed a Super-Premium brand, compared to S1.01 per dog per day for a Premium brand. When we fed a Regular brand, it cost us $1.12 per dog per day. When we fed an Econo brand, our cost soared to $1.35 per dog per day.

    Super-Premium dog foods are more digestible so more of the nutrients are utilized. This means less poop is produced. Super-Premiums are more nutrient dense and less expensive to feed than Economy, Regular and some Premium brands" By ©1999 Good Dog! Inc
     
  2. GrChPitBitch

    GrChPitBitch Big Dog



    So what brand would you recomend?

     
  3. Deep south

    Deep south Big Dog

    CANIDAE[font=Times New Roman,Georgia,Times]®[/font][font=Times New Roman,Georgia,Times] PET FOODS[/font] but this was just not my study just one I found on the net
     
  4. wwonka812

    wwonka812 Pup

    ever feel like its the same question time after time? you can search this forum........there are tons of topics on this?and the answers are always the same...good luck
     
  5. GrChPitBitch

    GrChPitBitch Big Dog



    I wish there was an TRUE answer... IMO everyone has their own idea of whats better... I just want the cheepest, healthiest way to feed my dogs.. ya know?

     
  6. GrChPitBitch

    GrChPitBitch Big Dog

    Were can I get it?... how much for how much dog food?


     
  7. Deep south

    Deep south Big Dog

  8. Texasbulldogs

    Texasbulldogs Top Dog

    I just want the cheepest, healthiest way to feed my dogs”
    What an oxymoron (cheap, healthy). The two never go hand in hand.
     
  9. miakoda

    miakoda GRCH Dog

    so true texas. If one is will ing to pay $200+ for their dog, the least you could do is feed it the healthiest food for it. I agree that dogs do better on different things. There is no "1 best" dog food out there for every dog, as every dog is different. But cost shouldn't matter. I spend approx. $500 a month on food. But it doesn't bother me, b/c I took on the reponsibilty of owning these dogs, & it's my responsibilty & duty to give them the best of care.
     
  10. BDK

    BDK oo7

    lol IM GLAD THIS MAN KNOWS EVERYTHING LOL .BECAUSE I DIDNT KNOW I WAS FEEDING MY DOGS UNHEALTHY FOOD. BEING IT ONLY COST 17 A BAG 50LBS AND THEY LOVE IT AND DO GREAT ON IT. I FEED BLACK GOLD PREMIUM. BUT SAY YOU CANT FEED HEALTHY ON A FAIRLY CHEAP PRICE AND CANIDAE IS THE ONLY GOOD FOOD HUH. LOL DO YOU WORK FOR THEM THE WAY YOU TRY TO MARKET THERE FOOD FOR THEM AND ALL LOL NOT KNOCKING YOU BUT YOUR STATEMENT IS JUST PLAIN UNTRUE. AND WHAT SHE POSTED IS NOT A OXYMORON YOU CAN FEED DOGS CHEAPLY AND HEALTHY. NOW DONT GET ME WRONG IM NOT REFERRING TO OLE ROY OR ANYTHING WISH AND DEF NOT SAYING CANIDAE IS NOT GOOD BUT IT IS UNPRACTICAL UNLESS YOU OWN A FEW PETS WITH A YARGE YARD . IT JUST IS NOT PRACTICAL .SO TO ALL THOSE WHO KEEP ASKING TEH SAME QUESTION ABOUT FOOD .TRY EITHER DIAMOND PREMIUM OR BLACK GOLD BOT ARE UNDER 20 BUCKS FOR 50 LBS AND BOTH ARE DAMN GOOD FOOD THANKS AND <TEXASBULLDOGS > DONT BE SO HARD ON PPL BRO AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS
     
  11. miakoda

    miakoda GRCH Dog

    like I said, different strokes for different folks. if your dogs do well on the food your feeding, that's what it's all about
     
  12. SFK

    SFK Top Dog

    Exceed 30/20 I pay $18.00 for 44#. Never had any problems on it. I have used it for keeps also without any prob. The big difference with Canidae is you don't have to add any supplements. No fish oil no daily vitamins it's all there. But yeah at $34.00 a bag it can be pricey for a yard.
     
  13. Texasbulldogs

    Texasbulldogs Top Dog

    “IM GLAD THIS MAN KNOWS EVERYTHING’
    So am I! LoL

    “BECAUSE I DIDNT KNOW I WAS FEEDING MY DOGS UNHEALTHY FOOD.”
    Imbecility is no excuse.

    “BEING IT ONLY COST 17 A BAG 50LBS AND THEY LOVE IT AND DO GREAT ON IT.”
    Do you actually think for $17 you dog’s are getting 50 lbs optimal ingredients in their dog feed?

    “I FEED BLACK GOLD PREMIUM.”
    I don’t doubt it, most are just like you and feed poor quality food not designed for a canine athlete. According to the Black Gold web site they don’t make a “premium” blend. I’m sure you meant your feeding the performance blend (black bag). Let’s take a look at what $17 will get your canine athletes. First ten ingredients of Black Gold “performance blend”; Meat Meal, Corn Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Wheat, Poultry Fat (Preserved with BHA, Citric Acid and Mixed Tocopherols-Source of Vitamin E), Chicken By Product Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Poultry Flavoring, Salt, Potassium Chloride.
    You actually consider that appropriate for a canine athlete? These are some things one should look for and avoid in choosing a quality dog food:

    · By-products (chicken by-products, beef by-products, etc.)
    · Generically named fats or proteins (animal fat, poultry fat, meat meal)
    · Food fragments (brewer's rice, corn gluten)
    · Animal digest
    · Artificial sweeteners (corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin (added to attract dogs to unappealing food)
    · Propylene glycol
    · Artificial preservatives (BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin)
    · Artificial colors
    · Sodium nitrate
    · Flavors <O:p</O:p

    Seems like your current feed (Black Gold) is loaded with them (the no no’s) and cheap, poor quality protein sources (corn and wheat) too. Nor does it have digestive enzymes, probiotics, or chelated minerals in it at. When I called their main office and asked why, his reply was; “it would cost too much so we use a powder form”. LoL. Is there any wonderment why it is only $17 a bag?

    “BUT SAY YOU CANT FEED HEALTHY ON A FAIRLY CHEAP PRICE AND CANIDAE IS THE ONLY GOOD FOOD HUH.”
    Yes, I’m saying “cheap and quality” don’t go hand and hand. You have yet to prove otherwise. Maybe our definition of “healthy” is totally different. Canidae is not the “only” premium feed out there but it is one of the best. Were have I, ever said Canidae was “the only good” dog feed? Please point it out?<O:p</O:p

    “DO YOU WORK FOR THEM THE WAY YOU TRY TO MARKET THERE FOOD FOR THEM AND ALL”
    No, I don’t work for them. Just have researched canine nutrition (unlike yourself) enough to know what is an appropriate feed for a working canine. <O:p</O:p

    “NOT KNOCKING YOU BUT YOUR STATEMENT IS JUST PLAIN UNTRUE”
    How so? Would your current feed provide your dog with the best nutrients to reach their full potential or does it hinder them for reaching it? <O:p</O:p

    “WHAT SHE POSTED IS NOT A OXYMORON YOU CAN FEED DOGS CHEAPLY AND HEALTHY”
    Then why aren’t you doing it? I would like to hear how you feel your current feed, will help your dog reach his full potential instead of hinder it? <O:p</O:p

    “DEF NOT SAYING CANIDAE IS NOT GOOD BUT IT IS UNPRACTICAL UNLESS YOU OWN A FEW PETS WITH A YARGE YARD”
    How could you logically say Canidae is not good? The truth finally comes out, you are feeding more dogs than you can financially afford. It is what I’ve said numerous times before “most that feed Diamond and such” do it simply because it’s best for their pockets and not the dogs. If you’re unable to provide quality care and feed for all your dogs then that should tell you something.<O:p</O:p

    “IT JUST IS NOT PRACTICAL”
    Why is that? All you seem to be doing is making excuse after excuse. Does it take more effort to purchase a “premium” feed versus a “mediocre” feed? What’s so “practical” about keeping more dogs than one can afford? Wouldn’t it be more logical to only keep those one could provide optimum care for? What’s so practical about feeding a mediocre feed to what one hopes will grow up to be a world-class athlete?<O:p</O:p

    “TRY EITHER DIAMOND PREMIUM OR BLACK GOLD BOT ARE UNDER 20 BUCKS FOR 50 LBS AND BOTH ARE DAMN GOOD FOOD”
    How are they both “damn good feeds”? They are just like their ingredients “mediocre”, not the worst, and not the best. <O:p</O:p

    “ THANKS AND DONT BE SO HARD ON PPL BRO AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS”
    You’re welcome. Since when did telling the truth become being “hard on people”? I wish a Merry Christmas to you too.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 23, 2004
  14. carson3535

    carson3535 Big Dog

    I've switched from Nutor max to Canidae about 2 months ago and in 3 weeks I seen a big differance in my dogs coat and actions just read the label and ingerdants and it will tell you alot about the food you feed are what to feed and then compare them to Canidae.
     
  15. Deep south

    Deep south Big Dog

    I hate that i started this post ,but let me go on record and say texasbulldogs is right
    on everything he has said (IMO) Canidae is IMO the best dog food on the market
    but i will be feeding for now black dimond becouse onced again Texasbulldogs is right I myself do have more dogs then I can aford to feed at this time,when I started getting my dogs 8 years ago I was the head chef at the hidden cristal A 5 star rest,and made close to 75 a year Well the onwers were doing so notie things with there money and the FBI and IRS shut it down about a year ago and i have been unable to find employment elsewhere I used to run a local pit rescue but now have stoped giving these dogs a home and they are now being put down,but I must sayi never feed them very good foods the rescue dog got the chepest food i could find andeven table scraps(a big no no) but there is a man coming out to day and i think he is going to take all of them off my hands :( (ill miss them very much)all but 3 that live in the house with me and as soon as i can i will get them on Canidae but not untill it wont take food of my kids table . Is the not amount of love you show your dogs and time you spent with them worth more to them then Any food on the market ?
     
  16. O.D.

    O.D. Big Dog

    I FEED BLACK GOLD TOO, AND I DON'T KNOW THE GRADE, IT COMES IN A GOLD BAG THOUGH. THE ANALYSIS IS 32%FAT&21%PROTEIN. THE FIRST INGREDIENT IS CHICKEN. DON'T KNOW WHAT COMPANY REP YOU SPOKE WITH BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR RESEARCH BECASUE I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS IS NOT THE 17 DOLLAR BAG BDK SPOKE OF. I PAY ALMOST THAT FOR 20 LBS. CAN'T COMPARE IT TO CANDIDAE, I'VE NEVER USED IT. IT DOES SEEM TO WORK WELL FOR ME. STOOL LOOKS GOOD. DOGS LOOK GOOD. SO FAR SO GOOD. AS FOR DIAMOND, I NEVER USED ANYTHING LESS THAN THE BLACK BAG (PROFESSIONAL). WITH DOG FOOD LOCATION AND A CCESSIBILITY IS USUALLY MY PROBLEM. AS FAR AS PRICE I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH YOU TEX. WHATEVER YOU FEED IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SPEND TOO MUCH, DON'T KEEP TOO MANY. PERIOD!!


    O.D.
     
  17. fordman_6

    fordman_6 Pup

    nutro max adult (dark purple bag) is a good all around food it is about 23 dollars for a 35lbs bag and it does not have corn in the first three ingrediants just good stuff. And that is the most important thing (the first three ingrediants).
     
  18. AC

    AC Big Dog

    I feed exceed chicken and rice formula in the winter 20 dollars for 44 lbs and purina hi pro in the summer. 50 lbs for 14 dollars.
     
  19. BDK

    BDK oo7

    yeah i have a lot of dogs yeah i feed black gold lol shitty dog food huh you should see my boys at work and you say the feed isnt any good tex lol as for 17 a bag that is buying it a ton at a time
     
  20. Texasbulldogs

    Texasbulldogs Top Dog

    “I FEED BLACK GOLD TOO, AND I DON'T KNOW THE GRADE, IT COMES IN A GOLD BAG THOUGH. THE ANALYSIS IS 32%FAT&21%PROTEIN.”
    You’re feeding the “ultimate performance”, and I was talking about the “performance blend”.

    “THE FIRST INGREDIENT IS CHICKEN.”
    That is not exactly good when considering: Chicken = 65-70% moisture, as apposed to Chicken Meal = 10-15% moisture (5 lbs of chicken = 1 lbs of meal). Right there is an easy way to “legally” state that chicken is the ingredient with the “most” weight, while in fact it may not be. If you look at all the other ingredients also you’ll notice a lot of poor protein sources (I’m seeing a trend with this company) much like with the other blend. Have you ever wondered how they get that protein so high? Chicken Meal is approximately 70% protein AND 60- 70% digestible, and Corn Gluten Meal approximately 65% protein BUT 35 - 40% digestible. The presence of a protein source doesn't mean the body has access to it during the process of digestion.

    “I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS IS NOT THE 17 DOLLAR BAG BDK SPOKE OF.”
    Refer to above.

    “IT DOES SEEM TO WORK WELL FOR ME. STOOL LOOKS GOOD. DOGS LOOK GOOD. SO FAR SO GOOD.”
    That’s good looks can be deceiving though. Could the good-looking stools, and coats be just because that particular blend has added extra oils, FOS, etc? Since the ingredients still suck and are of poor quality.


    “nutro max adult (dark purple bag) is a good all around food”
    I truly hope you kidding.

    “it does not have corn in the first three ingrediants just good stuff.”
    You’re right it has wheat flour and ground whole wheat. How are these poor protein sources better than corn? Especially considering corn, soy, and wheat are three of the biggest perpetrators as far as food allergies in dogs.

    “And that is the most important thing (the first three ingrediants).”
    LoL. Even if that were true (only look at the first 3 ingredients), your current feed would still fail miserably. Just for the record you should look at all the ingredients, but can get by just looking at the first “10” ingredients.


    “yeah i have a lot of dogs”
    And?

    “yeah i feed black gold”
    We know, you have stated you did.

    “shitty dog food huh”
    Glad you finally wised up, and realized it.

    “you should see my boys at work”
    Thanks for the invite, but you should be the first to see them work. I hope you knowledge of conditioning exceeds your knowledge of nutrition.

    “you say the feed isnt any good tex”
    Yes I even documented why I said that. Is this the best rebuttal you could muster to support your stance on this dog food?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 24, 2004

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