I found out recently that Ol'Roy dog food in the yellow bag is the same thing Pedigree. I did'nt believe it at first, but after buying a bag and comparing it side by side, it was the same. It is $7 cheaper than Pedigree for a 50lb bag. Well at least it is the same size and shape. It also smells the same. I was going to have our 3 year old do a taste test but the wife frowned on that idea. Nothing like a kiss from a three year old with dog food breath.

What does everyone feed their pets?

For the dry dog food we get "el cheapo" (whatever is the lowest price at the store) and for the canned we get the house brand at PetsMart.

Right now since I had about 40 cpns they are getting Goodlife for .99/bag. It is a small bag, 4 lbs, but still a good price since the cpns were for $3 off!

My pup has a sensitive tummy, she gets a premium dog food. We've tried slowly switching her to a store brand and as soon as the store brand is 1/3 she starts vomitting. So it's not worth the health issues. She's pretty little yet, 1 bag at $10 has lasted over a month so far, so it's not terrible. I figure the extra $3 a bag isn't worth it if she's going to vet with a $70 visit fee due to poor quality food. the extra $30 a year isn't going to break us at this point.

Our 4 big dogs all get the yellow bag Ol'Roy. They are picky, and this is one of the few they will eat. Vet says that since they are older, not particularly hyper-active, etc that the food they are getting is OK. Our indoor dog (a beagle) has allergic dermatitis, plus stomach issues, so we feed her Purina One salmon and oatmeal - the cheapest premium food that doesn't bother her.

My old dogs got Nutro Natural Choice for Senior Dogs with Glucosamine Chondroitin ~ a really good dog food that helped their joints immensely. Expensive but worth it.

Our new dogs both eat Purina One Lamb and Rice which I am not thrilled with but that's what they were eating at the pound and both were/are special needs dogs so I didn't want to switch their food. I will probably switch them both to Nutro Natural Choice in the future.

As a child I had a hang up for dog food. I snuck it and ate it every chance I got, till the folks found out and locked it up. I give my personal stamp of approval to Gravy Train Bite Size. Frugal, and delicious. WOOF!!!!

I just feed our dog food the farm store carries. Before we moved, we could buy the broken bags for 25 cents/lb. Here I think I pay $12 for a 40 lb bag, its just some random farm brand. She does well with it and has a very nice coat.

Pedigree for the dogs.

Meow Mix dry and wet for the cats along with some tuna here and there.

I am not sure of the name, but the rabbit gets a higher quality food along with raisins, carrots, red delicious apples, bananas, yogurt chips and hay.

Pedigree for the dogs.

Meow Mix dry and wet for the cats along with some tuna here and there.

I am not sure of the name, but the rabbit gets a higher quality food along with raisins, carrots, red delicious apples, bananas, yogurt chips and hay.

You should swith o Ol,roy in the yellow bag it is the exact same.

My dogs are eating Goodlife right now because I bought many 4 lb bags for $0.49/each.

The cats eat whatever I can buy cheapest.

I feed 4 big doggies (3 Greyhounds & 1 labbie, plus 1 little girl-chihuahau) plus our little girl, all Diamond Naturals-now.
Before we moved back to Tennessee I was feeding the Costco Kirkland brand, Chicken & Rice. We don't have a Costco within a reasonable driving distance so I've had to find a good food locally.

Diamond foods make both types of food just under different names.

I buy mine at my local Feed & Seed store, it's around $20.00 for a 40# bag.
I don't mind to pay a bit more for their food 'cause it does have alot better ingredients-no corn or chicken by-products, etc.
My labbie can't have anything with corn in it, he has a skin allergy that flares up and begins to chew at himself and it's just not worth it to me.
So I stay away from anything with corn.
But that's just me, lots of people feed their pets a cheaper, more inexpensive food and they do just fine on it.

We feed our largest dog(75#)Chowmix Alpo. The two Chihuahuas(12 and 4.75 #) get Pedigree and the little one gets special food from the vet. She has a host of health problems. She is one of our rescues and the former owners of her didn't really take care of her :(. Plus there is always Dog Chow down for them. And they get dog cookies and I make homemade biscuits for them.

Our cats there is 5 of them they get Fancy Feast, Nine Lives and endless cat cookies plus cat treats. The Chowmix dog is fond of their food and will often knock them out of the way to eat their food *sigh*.

The birds get Kaytee mix appopriately.

The rabbit, rat and gerbil get Kaytee food appopriately.

Birds and rabbit, rat and gerbil get some fruit and veggies and rabbit gets Timothey Hay.

Plus the dogs and cats all get table scraps.

I know I know bad but they love them and knock wood they haven't had any health issues related to it. But we don't *over do* it either.

Sheila

Our dog gets Nutro- I like it because it has joint supplements in the dry food. I buy the big bags from the commissary pretty cheap. He doesn't get wet food because he sneaks the cat's leftovers :)

Cats get a German dry food we get from their cattery. We used to feed them Friskies dry food but we noticed they had lots of hairballs. They get Friskies or Whiskas wet food twice a day.

Dry food is left out all day for our pets

My dog now get's Dad's brand for the dry (we get it B1G1 7.99 for 20 lb bag lasts until next sale), and Alpo for wet.

My 3 Shih-Tzu doggies get Iams. I sometimes switch to Pedigree, but those are the only 2 I've tried. I have no idea if they would tolerate another kind.

I buy the cheapest for my Boxer but my friends and family give me all their old meat they kept too long in the freezer.I boil it and give it to her with the dog food.

Both kitties get IAMS. This seems to help on the shedding and one kitty has a sensitive stomach and seems to do well on it. They get canned food only on holidays. LOL Treats are mostly what is on sale. Did buy some dehydrated salmon during the whole animal food scare. Unfortunately only one will eat it. All I have to say is who wants treats and they come running. Then I tell them to sit and they wait for their treats. OOOHHH man, I really am sounding like a cat lady aren't I???? LOL

Our dogs eat Old Roy also but only because we can no longer afford Pedigree which is what the Vet recommended for atleast our older dog.

I feel bad that I can't pay the extra for Pedigree but we all do what we have to.

Ol'Roy. They alternate between red bag and yellow. :)

Our dogs eat Old Roy also but only because we can no longer afford Pedigree which is what the Vet recommended for atleast our older dog.

I feel bad that I can't pay the extra for Pedigree but we all do what we have to.

Don't feel bad Pedigree and Ol'Roy in the yellow bag are the same thing, produced at the same plants just packaged differently. From what I have been told is some of the Sam's and Wal Mart Generics are made by the same companies that make the name brand. It is the same thing just packaged for WalMart.

I feed my dog Pedigree.

The cat gets whatever dry food I have a coupon for since any canned food he gets comes back up within 15 minutes & he supplements his diet with his outside catchings. Rabbits are his preferance.

The dogs are my babies. For canned, Trader Joes (14oz for .89) or the sale at the pet food store. Dry, Timberwolf, pricey but I cook for my dogs. After having one with kidney problems, he couldn't eat any processes dog food and I got into habit of cooking for them.

patti

Our 4 big dogs all get the yellow bag Ol'Roy. They are picky, and this is one of the few they will eat. Vet says that since they are older, not particularly hyper-active, etc that the food they are getting is OK. Our indoor dog (a beagle) has allergic dermatitis, plus stomach issues, so we feed her Purina One salmon and oatmeal - the cheapest premium food that doesn't bother her.

Can I ask exactly what happens to your beagle's skin with allergic dermatitis? I have a beagle who is having major skin problems only on the hairless parts of his underbelly, and he also has occasional vomiting. The vet is puzzled as to what is wrong. Thinking he might have a food allergy, I switched to premium food. He still had problems with Ol' Roy Lamb and Rice formula. I bought a different dry dog food today...Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul....dumb name I know, but it seems like a high quality food...no corn fillers.

I feed myself good, healthy food. I would not feed my pet(s) anything less. I feed what my Vet recommends as my cat has some health issues.

Our dog gets Beneful, and our cats like Friskies.

The dogs get Purina One only. Our highly flatulant boxer does best with it so I can't vary at all or he becomes flammable.

The cats get Purina One also, but cut occasionally with other food that is either free or dirt cheap with coupons. They don't mind my frugality.

I'm really picky about cat litter though. It mus be scoopable and smell good. Funny, we will use the cheapest TP but the cats get the good stuff.

I feed myself good, healthy food. I would not feed my pet(s) anything less. I feed what my Vet recommends as my cat has some health issues.

I quite agree. I have also noticed with the more expensive foods, you don't have to feed them as much! When my pup hits 6 mo based on her wait the premium requires 1/2 of what the store brand does. Our vet also mentioned that this is often double the amound of the the dog actually requires. If you have a sedentary dog, then they don't need the full amount. A more active dog would need closer to that amount. The other thing I noticed, is the amount of doggie doo, is less on the premium food as there are less fillers, pure nutrition. I have to do a little note taking to see what the true cost per serving would be. I have a feeling premium might be less per serving than the store brand.

I feed myself good, healthy food. I would not feed my pet(s) anything less. I feed what my Vet recommends as my cat has some health issues.


ROFL, I eat WalMart brand foods as well. neither of us are suffering. :)

My dogs get Science Diet and my cat gets Iams Indoor. :paw:

I buy Nutro Max (mini chunk) for my little dog. I get this huge bag and it lasts forever! He also gets a "treat" whenever we have chicken.

I have to disagree that OlRoy is good quality. I always used it with my older dog, and it seemed fine. However, we had a new purebred labrador puppy (a gift from a breeder friend :-)) and we put him on OlRoy puppy. He just didn't have the *get up and go* that he should have when he was six months old. His legs were weak and he wasn't building muscle mass. Well, we took him to an older vet in the area and he said "He needs Purina Puppy Chow." I did NOT believe him, and didn't want to spend the extra money when OlRoy was fine for our late dog. My husband insisted on trying one bag to see if it made a difference. Well, within two to three days, he was a different dog, and he started putting on both weight and muscle mass. I was shocked, but heard from another vet too that the protein in OlRoy is inferior and not as healthy. I do not believe that it is the same as Pedigree. I know that many generics are the same as name-brand, but I have doubts about this one. I have no problems with generic usually, almost everything I buy is generic. WalMart foods are usually great. We still use OlRoy snacks.
Now, I am all for thrift, but my dog was just not growing/developing properly on this. I'm not sure why, but if you notice this, you may want to pay the couple of extra dollars. Purina runs around $2 more for the 37 or 50 lb. bag at our WalMart.

My cats all get Friskies

Ol Roy for our pooch, plus very few table scraps. That's because we rarely have any scraps. But I don't mind feeding a dog scraps. He also eats cat food when ever we get a free sample.

I only feed my dogs Iams. I feed my birds any cockatiel mix food...they arent too picky.

We have 2 ferrets they get a mix of Evo red meat small bites Dog and puppy food and Evo kitten and cat food. Its a bit pricy at $60 all together, but it keeps their vet bill down. It lasts several months.

Our rabbit gets Alfalfa pellets designed for horses but the action of him chewing on them keeps his front teeth worn down.. and he also gets a 50lb bag of pellets from Tractor supply.. last time it was $7 for a bag. This lasts him the max that you are supposed to keep the alfalfa and pellets AKA 6 months. He also gets kitchen scraps like veggie peels and what not except for onions or broccili.

When i had a dog i would get Maxxum Lamb and Rice from Walmart i think a large bag was $12. It had less corn in it then the others so i was able to feed less and have less nasty poop and less health issues then feeding even purina.

I've been using Purina Dog Chow and Pedigree for my three dogs (whichever I can get a better price). They are all older and have enough energy. I have been looking online for better food options for a good price and am reading that Ol Roy Lamb and Rice formula is supposed to be really good for them, so we might try that out. I don't think it's any cheaper than Pedigree or dog chow, but if it has more nutrition, it would be a good deal. BTW, we've feed our dogs Ol Roy over the years and never had a problem. Perhaps it doesn't have enough protein to help a growing pup, but enough to maintain an adult? I don't know, but with my dogs getting up in years I'm getting more concerned about their health. Thankfully they've all been healthy their entire lives. They are 7, 8, and 9.

My cats have been getting the good life formula because I've had good coupons. I was at Walmart and noticed they now have a good life formula for indoor cats, so I will be getting that on my next trip.

Our dog gets ol'roy puppy food plus table scraps... our outside cats get special kitty in the green bag... our inside kitty gets special kitty kitten food. Our rattie gets a mixture of hamster food, ferret treat and dried cereal.... along with any leftover fruits and veggies.

If you're looking to avoid expensive vet bills, the cheapest foods (such as Ol' Roy) are not the way to go. Most pet food makers will put anything in their foods to keep their costs low. Government oversight is severely lacking for this industry. This is what caused the massive pet food recall last summer and the death and disability of many pets. There is a ton of information on the internet about what you're feeding your pet when you feed them on the cheap. I just finished reading an article that listed Styrofoam, flea collars, cow udders, rotting meat, plastic bags, PCBs, moldy grain and livestock ear tags as common components of commercial pet food. My sister-in-law who is a vet recommends natural brands, such as Solid Gold and Wysong, as having the highest quality and a proven ability to keep pets in good health. I also know a number of people who've started making their own pet food from scratch, so they can be sure it's actually food and not things like factory floor sweepings.

Purina Puppy Chow but she will be turning 1 year old this monthso, she will graduate to the next level of Purina food.

As a child I had a hang up for dog food. I snuck it and ate it every chance I got, till the folks found out and locked it up. I give my personal stamp of approval to Gravy Train Bite Size. Frugal, and delicious. WOOF!!!!

Oh, that just cracks me up! I did the same thing as a kid! I loved it for awhile! Too bad I can't remember the brand!

Anyway, thanks for the post. We have a couple of cats. I think I will research cat food brands and find out which ones are identical. I know lots of people like their name brands. I for one don't care about the name, just the ingredients!

Our 12 year old German Shepherd has a shinier coat when we feed him Pedigree. He also seems to prefer it more than Dog Chow, etc and will eat better. I try not to experiment with his food too much due to his sensitive stomach.

If you're looking to avoid expensive vet bills, the cheapest foods (such as Ol' Roy) are not the way to go. Most pet food makers will put anything in their foods to keep their costs low. Government oversight is severely lacking for this industry. This is what caused the massive pet food recall last summer and the death and disability of many pets. There is a ton of information on the internet about what you're feeding your pet when you feed them on the cheap. I just finished reading an article that listed Styrofoam, flea collars, cow udders, rotting meat, plastic bags, PCBs, moldy grain and livestock ear tags as common components of commercial pet food. My sister-in-law who is a vet recommends natural brands, such as Solid Gold and Wysong, as having the highest quality and a proven ability to keep pets in good health. I also know a number of people who've started making their own pet food from scratch, so they can be sure it's actually food and not things like factory floor sweepings.


agreed. :cat:

Our cats get Wellness pouches (added liquid as one of them started showing crystals in his urine) and however much they want of dry kibble (we alternate between Wyson and Felidae). Both kitties were adopted and fed Science Diet at the pound and we switched them off it as soon as we could, they both have much better coats with less shedding, itchy skin and are less smelly.

The ingredient lists and practices were scary before, but we're even more careful about what we feed them after all the recalls last year! We're lucky to have several shops that offer discounts on bulk purchases (buy 3 get 1 free) or fairly low prices to begin with.

There is a book "Foods Pets Die For". It goes into what goes into their food - basically nothing is spared. Healthy or sick, it enters the food.

After reading that, I changed my views of pet food.

patti

i have fed my dogs ol roy and it dont like my dogs so feed them alot of what we eat they love spagettie i know that is probably not the best but i hada dog live 16 yrd she at people food and dog food i just got a siamses cat she iear little friskies my dogs love spagettie o:s veggies is good for them to my dogs love applas

My cats have been eating The Good Life dry cat food. I can save $1 or $2 depending on the coupon and they love the food :).

I have a cat that is allergic to fish. No, really. With that kidn of allergy, there's very few commercial options. Currently, we feed Natural Balance. It costs us 25 for a good size bag and that lasts us a month (with three cats). It's also MUCH cheaper than the 150 dollar vet visit (minimum) we get stuck with every time Abby eats fish.

The pupper Lucy gets Merrick. It is pricey- 22 dollars for 15 pounds. But, it lasts us darn close to a month for a VERY ACTIVE (hours and hours of hiking and swimming and running a week) 60 poundish pit/border collie mix. Her coat is great and she loves it.

For those that are interested in learning more about what determines a good pet food, I can highly recommend the website thedogfoodproject.com. Concise and easy to understand. It has made a huge difference in the health of my pets. My mom used to laugh at me for spending so much money on pet food- until she felt their coats. She's been converted.

Also, someone mentioned itchy skin... food allergies manifest in skin problems, food intolerances in the digestive system. Allergies are normally localixed itchy spots, often with sores and excessive chewing. The most common allergies are
dogs: corn, beef, wheat, dairy, chicken, or soy
cats: fish, corn, wheat, and soy
Most allergic animals aren't born with the allergies, but develop them over time with exposure. (which is why novel protein sources like lamb, bison, duck, etc. are introduced as anti-allergy foods)

Sorry so long... pet nutrition is a big interest of mine :)

When my 28 year old niece was around 4 or 5 we always had to put up the dog food when she came over because she liked to eat it so much. We still tease her about it.

I have a cat that is allergic to fish. No, really. With that kidn of allergy, there's very few commercial options. Currently, we feed Natural Balance. It costs us 25 for a good size bag and that lasts us a month (with three cats). It's also MUCH cheaper than the 150 dollar vet visit (minimum) we get stuck with every time Abby eats fish.

The pupper Lucy gets Merrick. It is pricey- 22 dollars for 15 pounds. But, it lasts us darn close to a month for a VERY ACTIVE (hours and hours of hiking and swimming and running a week) 60 poundish pit/border collie mix. Her coat is great and she loves it.

For those that are interested in learning more about what determines a good pet food, I can highly recommend the website thedogfoodproject.com. Concise and easy to understand. It has made a huge difference in the health of my pets. My mom used to laugh at me for spending so much money on pet food- until she felt their coats. She's been converted.

Also, someone mentioned itchy skin... food allergies manifest in skin problems, food intolerances in the digestive system. Allergies are normally localixed itchy spots, often with sores and excessive chewing. The most common allergies are
dogs: corn, beef, wheat, dairy, chicken, or soy
cats: fish, corn, wheat, and soy
Most allergic animals aren't born with the allergies, but develop them over time with exposure. (which is why novel protein sources like lamb, bison, duck, etc. are introduced as anti-allergy foods)

Sorry so long... pet nutrition is a big interest of mine :)


I was one of the people talking about my dog and food allergies. Thanks so much for the information. I'm going to check out the site you recommended.

Southlake,

I checked out that link you posted. What a WONDERFUL resource!

I'm actually setting up to make my own food. But in the interim, I found a food that my puppy LOVES. She wasn't eating much. She's 13 lbs. The vet has felt she's underweight, she was hoping that it was just that gangly stage. However, she was barely eating 1 cup of food a day, at 4 months. Now, the new food, she easily consumes 1/2 per feeding(4 times a day). I've been trying to mix it, but she doesn't like the old stuff at all. That was why she wasn't eating. So i"m hoping there is no tummy upset with the transition because she won't eat the other stuff.

It was very nicely priced. By no means a Wal-Mart price but for $13 I should be able to feed her the month! So by no means break the bank.

It's made with human grade ingredients, no by products. no wheat, no whey. Lots of easily read ingredients. I'm going to post in a new thread for others...

I found out recently that Ol'Roy dog food in the yellow bag is the same thing Pedigree. I did'nt believe it at first, but after buying a bag and comparing it side by side, it was the same. It is $7 cheaper than Pedigree for a 50lb bag. Well at least it is the same size and shape. It also smells the same. I was going to have our 3 year old do a taste test but the wife frowned on that idea. Nothing like a kiss from a three year old with dog food breath.

What does everyone feed their pets?

I feed my dogs a raw food diet.

Kirkland Brand Dog Food (Costco Brand) - at the recommendation of our vet. Its almost identical to IAMS - and there is not saw dust or other "fillers".

I'll be the odd one in this thread and just say that I feed my cats the cheapest food possible. yea, I know that's not the best for them.....umm, hello, THEY ARE CATS! (not really a cat lover here, no duh, they just kind of are stuck to our family)

I buy Ol'Roy for my dogs they like it, I tried beneful and kimbles and others and they just seem to like this brand better.

We feed our cats Meow Mix dry or KitNKaboodle dry. They get Fancy Feast Gourmet Gold (wet and dry) as treats

Once a week they have some canned tuna as a treat. My vet says what I'm feeding them is fine.

DH makes pedigree dog food, so of course that is what our animals eat. I have to keep DH in business. LOL!

I feed my dogs a raw food diet.

We are moving to a raw/home prepared diet too. I started giving her some RMB a few weeks ago, and her coat is UNBELIEVABLE~! Yes, we switched kibble too, which I'm sure helped, but it's not that great. We thought she was a wire-haired schauzer cross, now she is velvety soft! Not wirey at all. She has no eye problems with weapage(white dog), no discoloring around her ears or vulva indicating no yeast growth. She is a beautiful little dog, it's surprising what a healthy diet can do for her! I'm willing to put a little time into the prepping food for her, it's relatively inexpensive, I know exactly what she's eating. If it means no vet bills, it's ALL good. I do the same for the kids, I start from scratch as much as possible.

All three of my miniature schnauzers eat Innova Adult and one gets it mixed with Innova Reduced Fat. 8 years ago I had a rescue dog who was fed on O'Roy or whatever it's called. We continued feeding him on O'Roy not knowing anything about quality dog food. That poor dog at the age of 1years old developed severe diarrhea and had it for over a month. During that month the vet couldn't figure out what was going on, he highly advised switching his food and we changed him to a vet prescription diet called a limited ingredient diet. Still no help. The next step was explorative surgery and from there the dog would be on insulin for the rest of his life. I stated doing research on dog food and came across the raw food diet and put him on that. I didn't even bother to wean him off the vet diet, just placed him on the raw food and the next day he finally had his first nearly solid bowel movement.

I can still remember the stuff looked like some type of gelatin but it was solid. I never in my life thought I would be so happy to see my dog take a .... number 2.

After that he completely healed.. no problems what so ever and the vet was amazed.

I no longer have him and I don't feed my three miniature schnauzers on the raw diet but I did look for the a dog food that is made of good quality food and Innova is one brand that I feel comfortable with. It doesn't contain fillers, it has human grade meat and it has it's own private plant and has been rewarded several awards for excellency in manufacturing and quality control.

For anyone who thinks dog food is dog food I'm sure all of those people who lost their pets last year over kidney failure or spent thousands trying to save their pets life.

I personally know one friend of mine who spend 2k on vet bills trying to save her boxer.

My other friend was feeding her border collie some cheap stuff and switched it to Nutro, it made a huge difference in the dog's whole personality. The dog use to run and hide when we came over, acted like she never had any energy, was always hungry and her coat looked horrible. When my friend changed her to Nutro the dog's personality completely changed, she was happier and active, she lost 10 pounds (thankfully!) and her coat looks great. She sheds a lot less too.

Another friend of mine had a dog which was about 13 years old and suffered from arthritis and could barely walk. He smelled bad, would loose his bowels in the house and breathed heavily. She switched him over to Blue Buffalo and he gained energy, he was able to walk better and his coat stopped smelling horrid.

Just like humans, dogs and cats need to eat decent food.

omg my cats are so spoiled... I love them but they are little monsters lol
they get wet food certain times of day
and we also set dry food out at night so they don't come sit on our heads wanting food:)
the wet stuff is friskies but they only like certain flavors in certain "textures"
like they only like the beef flavour in "prime fillets" and the chicken flavor has to be "sliced" the turkey and cheese, only "sliced" will do
the dry stuff is purina one "sensitive systems"
we buy the wet food by the case from a local pet supply along with litter in bulk *since we have four little furballs* so it's not AS bad but I figured it out one time that per week between wet food, dry food, treats, litter, and preventative medicine for all four we spend like 65$ish a week.....






we USED to feed them crappy stuff, super generic dry stuff all the time, when we were young-ER and poorish, but we really have noticed SUCH a difference the past two years in their attitudes, coat, everything, they are overall much happier little kitties:)
:) I have friends that are still in college, grad school etc, who say they want to die, and come back as a fluffy kitty at my house, it's not a bad life I must say:)

We are moving to a raw/home prepared diet too. I started giving her some RMB a few weeks ago, and her coat is UNBELIEVABLE~! Yes, we switched kibble too, which I'm sure helped, but it's not that great. We thought she was a wire-haired schauzer cross, now she is velvety soft! Not wirey at all. She has no eye problems with weapage(white dog), no discoloring around her ears or vulva indicating no yeast growth. She is a beautiful little dog, it's surprising what a healthy diet can do for her! I'm willing to put a little time into the prepping food for her, it's relatively inexpensive, I know exactly what she's eating. If it means no vet bills, it's ALL good. I do the same for the kids, I start from scratch as much as possible.

Pppl think it's costly to feed a raw diet...it's not..not only are you feeding you dog a better than kibble ( which is crap anyway 99% of the time) you are saving on vet bills and you dog is much much healthier for your efforts.


I have one dog who can't tolerate beef or wheat.....they give him raging ear infections so none of the dogs get beef or wheat. I generally feed fish, chicken, goat, and venison ( which is free coming hunting season ;) ) They alos get lots of fruits and veggies....my dh makes fun of me because I love to hear them crunch those bones...lol..they have the nicest coats and the cleanest teeth in town. LOL When they see me throw a dish towel over my shoulder and grap the cleaver they get all excited because they know mom's making something to eat. LOL

Cats get whatever cat food is on sale. Dog gets Nutro Natural Choice (very expensive) BUT DBF's parents pay for it. He's extremely spoiled and they have money. They asked best thing to help out with and I told them dog food. They just spent $90 on 80 pounds for us last week. That'll last my dog about 3 months.

I'm curious about something. Several people have mentioned that they feed their cats whatever is on sale/and or cheapest, yet they seem to be willing to spend money on the dog food.

Why is the dog more worthy of decent food than the cats? I'm not trying to hurt feelings or start a fight. I am genuinely curious why the difference in treatment between cats and dogs.

I'm curious about something. Several people have mentioned that they feed their cats whatever is on sale/and or cheapest, yet they seem to be willing to spend money on the dog food.

Why is the dog more worthy of decent food than the cats? I'm not trying to hurt feelings or start a fight. I am genuinely curious why the difference in treatment between cats and dogs.

I don't pay for my dogs food.

Thanks for the reply. I seem to recall at least 5 other posts about feeding cats the cheapest but spending on the dogs. I wasn't trying to single you out, but thanks for the answer. :)

We have a cat. But she's a working critter. She eats a "raw" diet, that she catches. It rages from mice, birds, rabbits. I've seen her stalk of young fox. Thankfully, that critter had teh sense to go away. She's on a decent diet as well, in the winter we feed her a pretty decent kibble along with cooked fish I prepare supplemented with omega-3 oils to help her bulk up for the winter. But she still prefers to hunt.

For us, the difference in what we feed the dog vs. the cat, is the cat is far less sensitive than the dog. She eats pretty much a natural diet for her that she catches. The dog, well, she's not a hunter, so I provide. She has a sensitive tummy, the cat does not. The cat is a gorgeous creature that is sooooo soft, eyes are clear and bright. She does well on her own we just enhance it some. Vet hasn't seen a healthier cat, no health issues what so ever, other than requiring routine deworming due to her natural raw diet. The puppy is much more dependant on us. She doesn't necessarily get what she needs from a cheap kibble. The fillers often make upset her tummy.

I should also state, we have fish. And when ever it rains, i "hunt" for the fish too, collecting earth worms for them. My biggest is nearly 10 inches long.

THis post is so long that I dont remember if I posted here before or not! lol
I only feed my dogs Iams food. Not only is it highly recommended, but when they potty, there arent HUGE piles to deal with because they are only getting rid of what their body doesn't need, unlike other brands that are full of stuff they dont need. Not only that, but when you need to get rid of the waste, you can hose it down and it washes right away!

I'm curious about something. Several people have mentioned that they feed their cats whatever is on sale/and or cheapest, yet they seem to be willing to spend money on the dog food.

Why is the dog more worthy of decent food than the cats? I'm not trying to hurt feelings or start a fight. I am genuinely curious why the difference in treatment between cats and dogs.

I was thinking that too:-(


I was like "why no kitty love?":hug2:

I'd recommend a book called "Food Pets Die For" to anyone who has dogs or cats.

For one dog we have to buy an expensive venison and sweet potato combination. It's the only thing we have found that doesn't cause him to chew himself raw.

Right now our dog gets purina dog chow and our cats get purina cat chow. We NEVER buy canned food...we lost a cat to the horrible food recall last year...he died a long slow death before they figured out what was wrong with him.

My husband just got a new job, and since the pay is better, we are going to be switching to Blue Buffalo dog food. It really truly is the best out there. It's the most nutritious and the healthiest...you can compare it to others on their site and even get a free sample.

We used to give our dog Ol' Roy but our vet flipped out on us and said it was the most nutritionally void food out there, and he said if we wanted to use cheap food we should use Purina.

mommy4ever-

I just saw your response and I'm glad that the website helped you! It's been great for me, and even better for my pets. My vet is always amazed at how healthy our animals are.

Our dogs are both on prescription diets...not cheap!

My dog gets Purina Beneful...th chicken I believe. She has problems with food, and for a long time she was on vet food because she used to be a showing dog, and she has colitis. The cost of the food was a little ridiculous though, and since she was doing so well, we asked the vet if we could gradually switch her to a brand name. He said since she was healthy and not breeding or showing it was ok as long as it wasn't Old Roy, Big Red (Co-Op) or No Name. It was actually him who suggested the Beneful. She gets 1/4 cup in the morning and another at suppertime, with 1/2 plain milkbones in between. The only human food is 1 cooked egg every once in a while, other than that, we're VERY strict about no people food as 2 different vets said that everytime she has a coltis episode, it does more damage. It's been nearly 2 years now since she's had an episode!!!
The horse gets Purina Fat/Fibre and a scoop of beet pulp with 1 scoop kelp and 2 TBSP corn oil...and peppermints ;)

Although I don't mind skimping on food on my pet, I always try to buy my dog good stuff. I know a lot of vets I've talked to have told me there is a real difference. Since dogs only eat one food (their dog food) I Just want to make sure everything is in it they need nutrition wise.

We feed both our dogs and our cats Nutro Natural food. They seem to like it!

When my oldest dog was younger, he's 10 now, and I was poorer he used to get whatever was cheapest.

The only food he flat out refused to eat was pedigree. I thought if he got hungry enough he would eat it. It sat in the bowl for 24 hours untouched. So I gave in and had to buy another bag of food!

Our kitty Puddin is fed raw - rabbit and chicken. Our vet is open to raw, thanks to how healthy Puddy is. I am even giving our vet a small amount of the rabbit every 2 weeks for her own kitty - she says just the treat amount she give her kitty has improved his fur condition tremendously (she is paying me for it). She says Puddin's coat is the softest and best condition she has ever seen in a cat.

Puddin is our pet and our responsibility and I will give her the best care all around that we can provide. I would cut out our weekly dinner out (really the only splurge we do) before I'd cut back on her food. That's just the way we are. Not saying anything against those that feed cheap food. I'd rather see a good home w/cheap food than a bad home w/expensive food for a pet. Especially if you have children - they come first!

It does cost a good bit, but comes out about even or even slightly less than if we would be the best quality commercial, and we don't have to worry about her being poisoned by contaminants in the commercial food. I know a few people who's pets were killed from the poisoned pet food last year. We didn't have to worry one bit about Puddin. Puddin's rabbit comes from a small farm in Pennsylvania (crazy - cheaper to have it shipped from there to Georgia than to buy it local). The only rabbit I can find in my area is either $$$ from Whole Foods, or cheap cheap from China stuff. Her chicken is the same as we eat - the "free range/vegetarian/drug free" chicken.

I do feel that the health cost from feeding cheap food to a pet will outweigh any cost in feeding good quality by far. How would a human's health be if all they ate was twinkies and frozen pizza? Cheap pet food is equivalent to this - artifical ingredients, preservatives, etc....

I have two senior cats and a senior dog. I buy the Science Diet for senior cats and Nutro with glucosamine for the dog.

We have three cats - ranging in age from 11 - 21.

I don't like changing their food too often because it doesn't agree with their systems and I get "reminders" when that happens. EEEW!

We feed them 9 lives can food (they share a can a day)
and Purina One dry is out all day for them to chow on whenever. Fortunately I was able to aquire many bags quite cheap with $5.00 off coupons that a Meijer worker was handing out on a Sample Saturday deal. Prior to that, we used Purina Indoor Formula (again had several very good coupons!)

They get their "treats" and that can be anything I can get free or close to free - Tempations, Whiska Lickens or Fancy Feast mini cans.

This is the one area that I too, won't skimp. My dog gets raw in the morning and Wellness at night. I also give her high quality supplements and treats.
I believe that this is $ we'll save in vet bills. She definately eats better than we do! :paw:

The cat and both dogs get Purina dry food. In the mornings, the cat gets his daily fix of tuna. The dogs get various treats depending on what's on sale.

Our dogs are on Nutro Naturals, but I'm looking to switch them to a grain-free dog food. When your pets are on a high quality food, their stools are smaller and they get better nutrition (less fillers!). For me, giving our dogs a low quality food is no different than if we fed our kids a low quality diet--we feed our kids right and our dogs get fed well, too. Garbage in, garbage out.

We feed our dogs Nutro Max. When I worked at a pet store 4 years ago we had a training about the food and it was wonderful. My dog's skin is even healthier. I recently had to switch our smaller dog to Purina weight control. My dog weighs 7lbs and my vet wants him down to 5 lbs! :crackup:

My Dogs and Cats get Old Roy in the red bag. ( yes, I feed the Cats Dog food )
My DS's dogs get Purina Dog Chow.
My pig,chickens and ducks get cracked corn and table scraps. LOL

We feed raw and California Natural. it's a little more spendy, but their good health is worth it.

We feed our dogs Nutro Max. When I worked at a pet store 4 years ago we had a training about the food and it was wonderful. My dog's skin is even healthier. I recently had to switch our smaller dog to Purina weight control. My dog weighs 7lbs and my vet wants him down to 5 lbs! :crackup:

Danimarie,

If you want to reduce your pup's waistline, you can continue with what you normally feed, reduce the amount you feed and replace it with canned (low sodium) or frozen smashed green beans. It will keep him feeling full without adding the calories of the kibble.

Well considering that our cat eats mice, birds etc we switched from expensive cat food to very cheap food. It's funny because we get so many compliments now (after the switch) about our cat and how nice and shiny and healthy he looks.