# Cheap Dog Feeding



## JRHill02 (Jun 20, 2020)

We feed 3 Catahoulas and a pug with standard, off the shelf dry food. Not the cheapest of cheap but name brand 45-50# bags. Not the best of nutrition but serviceable. We don't buy 25# bags of someone's high end food at $2/#. The bowls are always full and they eat as they desire. They also eat what we eat - leftovers, but that is more of a treat (esp with the DWs cooking). Bubba, the big male eats squash, carrot slices, fruit, about anything that not dog would ever eat but he doesn't like lettuce. Anyway, what we do is add a few supplements. Just recently I had to reorder the "multi-dog home" box of the supplement. Ouch, it was $240 with discounts. But the box lasts us between 18 - 24 months. Ah, that's pretty reasonable to get them good nutrition. In addition we feed brewers yeast with garlic flavoring to avoid the outrageous cost of flea tick stuff and it works. We get only a few ticks/year, mainly in the spring and we live in tick heaven.

With the 13YO pug not included, these are working dogs. VERY active and healthy. Their coats shine and shed water, dirt, etc.

Anyway, after years and years of feeding this is the most economical for us.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Pedigree at Dollar General with a $5 off $25 Coupon is a good deal.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

Glad you found what works for you  I feed a higher quality but not free feed but we only have a house dog, not a working hound of any sort.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

My wife has a cousin who is married to a guy that is and has been a top tier executive for many years at one of the major petfood corporations.
He has shared a lot of information about the industry and home feed vs store bought pet food.


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

I’ve been feeding my very active labs Farm and Fleet (that’s kind of like Tractor Supply, for you non midwesterners) high protein dog food for the last 25 years. 27% protein, and about $18-19 for a 50lb. bag on sale. Seems like it’s on sale 75% of the time. Never any health issues, 25 years and 4 labs. It hasn’t killed em yet.
I always keep my dogs thin too, never had any hip problems either.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Hill science for my breeding dogs and pups
But since the floor fell out for people buying pups ill need to rethink feed. Second round of covid without government handouts and people going back to work and fear over money has really hurt . I dont breed unless i have people waiting but this last litter people cancelled a few days before pick up. 
Use to cook food years ago. Rice chicken or beef vegetables oats cottage cheese. Not sure with grocery price it would be cheaper. Know for sure if you want to switch food do it slowly..or you get sick dogs.


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## rbelfield (Mar 30, 2015)

what do you guys recommend for a dog prone to bladder stones? i just had to have surgery on my rat terrier wednesday. we have to change her food. the vet tech wants her on a prescription food that is too expensive in my eyes. the vet himself told me to feed her plain hamburger for now to get her back eating. once she feels better, we will figure out what food is good. i have 3 dogs and i dont want to have 3 bags of different dog foods sitting around. my research shows a more meat based diet is better. but this pricey prescription stuff is corn and soybeans with meds mixed in..seems contradictory to me.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Can the vet give you a separate prescription for that dog? Corn and soybeans are not good for dogs. I know most dog foods are mostly corn and soy and that dogs will eat corn, but it's not good for them.


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## rbelfield (Mar 30, 2015)

Danaus29 said:


> Can the vet give you a separate prescription for that dog? Corn and soybeans are not good for dogs. I know most dog foods are mostly corn and soy and that dogs will eat corn, but it's not good for them.


yes, they did give me script just for her. and i bought a small bag. but its got terrible ingredients in it and i feel i can feed her better on a non prescription food. but then i think i should follow my vets advice..so irritating to have double check stuff all the time. i think the vet should be giving me the best option for food, but he isnt.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It's probably the only food with the medication included. 

The bad thing about animals getting medication through food or water is you can't control the dosage. 

I had a rabbit that needed Benadryl for allergies. All the info said put the medicine in the water bottle. The rabbit would not drink that tainted water. But the same rabbit would take the medicine from the dropper.


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## Digitalis (Aug 20, 2021)

GTX63 said:


> My wife has a cousin who is married to a guy that is and has been a top tier executive for many years at one of the major petfood corporations.
> He has shared a lot of information about the industry and home feed vs store bought pet food.


What are you trying to say?


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## Digitalis (Aug 20, 2021)

JRHill02 said:


> We feed 3 Catahoulas and a pug with standard, off the shelf dry food. Not the cheapest of cheap but name brand 45-50# bags. Not the best of nutrition but serviceable. We don't buy 25# bags of someone's high end food at $2/#. The bowls are always full and they eat as they desire. They also eat what we eat - leftovers, but that is more of a treat (esp with the DWs cooking). Bubba, the big male eats squash, carrot slices, fruit, about anything that not dog would ever eat but he doesn't like lettuce. Anyway, what we do is add a few supplements. Just recently I had to reorder the "multi-dog home" box of the supplement. Ouch, it was $240 with discounts. But the box lasts us between 18 - 24 months. Ah, that's pretty reasonable to get them good nutrition. In addition we feed brewers yeast with garlic flavoring to avoid the outrageous cost of flea tick stuff and it works. We get only a few ticks/year, mainly in the spring and we live in tick heaven.
> 
> With the 13YO pug not included, these are working dogs. VERY active and healthy. Their coats shine and shed water, dirt, etc.
> 
> Anyway, after years and years of feeding this is the most economical for us.


What supplements, and why?

I believe it's best to get your nutrition from real food and supplements are only beneficial if somethings lacking. At least for humans.

I also go with name-brand, big bag dry food. Only complaint is the dog likes to eat deer poo, and if I don't stop her soon enough she'll throw it up 🤮.


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## rbelfield (Mar 30, 2015)

Danaus29 said:


> It's probably the only food with the medication included.
> 
> The bad thing about animals getting medication through food or water is you can't control the dosage.
> 
> I had a rabbit that needed Benadryl for allergies. All the info said put the medicine in the water bottle. The rabbit would not drink that tainted water. But the same rabbit would take the medicine from the dropper.


yes, this food has stuff to dissolve any developing stones. but since she had the stones removed, i would think i could feed her a better quality food and bypass the crap food with meds.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Contact a holistic vet. They have good resources.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I feed a chicken and rice mix from Tractor Supply, can't think if the name brand. And I worm then twice a year. They are fat and healthy, and seem to like it. But, they also eat road kill and cow manure every chance they get.


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## rbelfield (Mar 30, 2015)

muleskinner2 said:


> I feed a chicken and rice mix from Tractor Supply, can't think if the name brand. And I worm then twice a year. They are fat and healthy, and seem to like it. But, they also eat road kill and cow manure every chance they get.


Mine too! i asked the vet if cow crap causes kidney stones..lol..you cant keep mine away from it. especially this time of year as we fall calve so there are lots of yummy little piles!


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

rbelfield said:


> Mine too! i asked the vet if cow crap causes kidney stones..lol..you cant keep mine away from it. especially this time of year as we fall calve so there are lots of yummy little piles!


There must be something good in it, I have seen coyotes survive the winter on it.


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## JRHill02 (Jun 20, 2020)

Digitalis said:


> What supplements, and why?
> 
> I believe it's best to get your nutrition from real food and supplements are only beneficial if somethings lacking. At least for humans.
> 
> I also go with name-brand, big bag dry food. Only complaint is the dog likes to eat deer poo, and if I don't stop her soon enough she'll throw it up 🤮.


Why supplements? Because the std off-the-self stuff sucks by itself. My dogs aren't vegens (but you wouldn't know that when the leftovers come out ). Sure there is science put into the formulation with additives, etc to std dog food. But I know this from years and years of having big working dogs: When I started adding a _minor_ amount of Dynovite a few years ago (not the 'recommended' amt) and the brewer's yeast, after not more than a month or so the results were impressive. The coats, the growth of nails, teeth/gums, energy and stamina were surprising to me - and I am not prone to marketing hype. In addition, when there is an injury they heal up much better and faster. Tick problems went WAY down and we live in the woods. We don't buy tick stuff anymore. Just last night a female came in on three legs. Now sure what happened but she got a back paw injured somehow and was bleeding all over the place. We cleaned/wrapped it up. Thought of a Vet trip today but at this point, nah. She's sore and still on three legs but no swelling. It'll heal fine. The Vet asks me every time how we feed and the care.

If I'm wrong and have to take her to the Vet I will update this thread and admit it. Besides a vet trip sucks. We have a good Vet and she knows it according to any bill we have ever gotten. BTW, she's also a large animal Vet. I believe that makes a difference.

One last thing. We go through big bags of rawhide flat chews regularly - each get one/day. Between those and a basket of hard bones under the table their teeth look like they are young.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

We feed good ol' regular Purina Dog Chow, mixed half and half with my "home brew" of pressure cooked bones, organ meat from the local butcher, eggs, raw milk, and whatever veg is looking to go over.

All 6 dogs here (3 Pyratolians, 1 Border collie/English Shep mix, 1 English Shepherd, and 1 black mouth cur/kangaroo cross) get the same feed, in proportion to their activity level. Outdoor dogs (the LGDs) get more than the ES and kangaroo, and the ancient Border cross gets the least of all because his activity has really slowed down.

From a prep outlook, I don't see us storing a lot of commercial feed, so at the point that it may become unavailable due to whatever reason, I'll probably add rice or oats to the home brew. Probably not too much oat, because most of the dogs will vie with the chickens for any oats that the goats allow to fall to the ground.


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