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Best Bang for the Buck...

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22K views 37 replies 21 participants last post by  ksbsnowowl  
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#1 ·
We are currently feeding our puppy Iams Proactive Health Smart Puppy. He seems to like it and hasn't had any issues with allergies, gas or digestion.

But I know there are better formulated dry foods out there - I just can't afford to pay for the "best" available.

What are the best value dry puppy dog food brands? I need best bang-for-the-buck here.

I would especially be interested in foods that have better digestive absorption (less poop) :biggrin1:
 
#2 ·
When I fed kibble on a budget I fed the Costco Kirkland signature food but now they have a grain free so I would check those out. The less fillers and junk are in the kibble the less waste the dog will produce....cut out all fillers together and the dog produces about 75% less waste but that involves feeding a raw diet.
 
#3 ·
What's your price limit? Taste of the Wild (Wetlands & High Prairie), Earthborn Primitive Natural, and Victor Grain Free are exceptional for their prices.

If you need to spend under $1.15/lb, there's Natura Healthwise, Kirkland, Nature's Domain, Pelican Bay, Natural Select, Merrick Whole Earth Farms, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Premium Edge, Diamond Naturals, and 4Health.
 
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#4 ·
Part of the answer lies in what's easily available in your area to buy. My daughter and her husband are on a tight dog food budget and have been feeding Natura Healthwise (grain inclusive) for a number of years. It's also very caloric so the bag tends to last longer than some other brands. It also has a more simple ingredient list which may be helpful for a puppy. However, it can be somewhat hard to find.

If you'd like to try grain-free you'll be looking at more money, but there can be lots of benefits. Just remember that not all grain-frees are alike. They can be high in carbohydrates (meaning lower in protein and fat) like Natural Balance Limited Ingredient formulas; or low in carbohydrates like Orijen, EVO, and others with 38+ protein. As said in another post, Taste of the Wild is one of the more affordable grain frees with moderate protein, but I have not tried it.
 
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#5 ·
I've found good quality grain free to be a lot more economical because you feed so much less. Orijen Puppy or one of the 4 Acana grain free varieties would be my top kibble choices.

If you're really broke you could do Nature's Domain... but you'd have to feed more than the two I listed above because it is less high calorically and has more fillers. Why not just get the good stuff and get the most bang for your buck.

I actually finally went raw at the start of the year because 1. Kibble just wasn't cutting it anymore (I was feeding Acana grain free... rotating the flavors) and 2. Its much cheaper if you do it right. Its just much easier than paying $2-4/lb for decent kibble. I say this as someone who is extremely poor. I don't even have a television. If I can do it... yeah.
 
C
#6 ·
Hi, you should switch away from supermarket brands like Iams. There the worst bang for the buck. Your basically paying for cheap fillers like corn, wheat, rice, potatoes...... Usually the more expensive the food is, the more meat and less fillers it has. Like already pointed out, this isn't always the case. I understand that the more expensive foods seem ridiculous, but you will feed much less. My dog is 85 lbs. If I fed Iams, I probably would have to feed 5 cups a day. If I fed diamond naturals, I would feed 4 cups. Taste of the wild would be 3.5 cups. Evo or orijen would be 2.5 cups. Also the more expensive foods, have higher quality ingredients. With all that said, switching to a cheap food like kirkland, diamond naturals, 4 health, healthwise, whole earth would be 100% better than Iams. Earthborn holistic and nutrisca are a couple more mid priced foods. I fed most of the kibbles mentioned and there all pretty good;0)
 
#8 ·
The best kibble at Petsmart, ingredient-wise, is BLUE Buffalo Wilderness. Are there any independently owned pet supply shops in your area? Or are you willing to order online? You'll find a much wider range of excellent food.
 
#10 ·
When we fed Kibble we fed the Kirkland food, then switched to the grain free Natures Domain which the dogs did very well on andd it was very cost effective. I still recommend it for puppy people who won't feed raw. I have also used Taste of the Wild and Nutrisca is really good also. They are all very cost effective, mid range foods.
 
#14 ·
I am very happy with Taste of the Wild. For me, it wasn't necessarily about saving money though, I was just trying something different. But a 5lb TOTW bag is, like, $10, which I think is really good for what it is. I like the ingredients and my dog has been doing very well.
 
K
#15 ·
the TOTW line is so far ahead of anything else in terms of value and ingredients, its hard not to direct people to TOTW who are on a strict budget.

About all I've seen that comes close to TOTW would maybe be the Earthborn line.

Disclaimer--not saying TOTW is the best. But for the money, it just stands alone. You can buy the stuff on sale at my local Farm store for $35/30 lbs.
 
#19 ·
BUMMER !! Waited to pick up my TOTW til today and find they had a price increase last wednesday! Went up a little, was only $39.28 after tax for the 30#.
Still, for how much less i have to feed it still is a great value!!
 
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#20 ·
Earthborn Primitive Naturals is a decent bargain and 38% protein, too bad there's no red meat.
 
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K
#22 ·
Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I'm curious where people are finding Taste of the Wild for under $40 per 30 lb bag? My local pet stores and feed stores have it for $43 at the cheapest.

We currently feed a mix of Iams Lamb and Rice and Taste of the Wild (42 lb bag mixed with 30 lb bag), but will be changing the Iams over to Diamond Naturals the next time we buy. (Will transition over 2 weeks).
 
#23 ·
i looked at many pet sites and totw is 50 dollars now
 
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K
#27 ·
I've seen it going up in price in recent months(everything is)... but honestly, my local farm store had it for around $35 on sale earlier this year. All the time, actually.

I'd throw another top bang for your buck in there.... Canidae. Its base formula was changed a few years ago and caused a mess with some Dogs who it didn't agree with(no food agrees with all Dogs). But at about $1/lb on sale, its certainly up there in terms of value I'd say.
 
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#28 ·
After doing research on better dog foods to switch my dogs to (hope I can go raw!) I came up with the following list of foods that are better quality and all in the same price range. $45 for a 35-40lb bag.

Annamaet
Precise
By Nature
Canidae
Chicken Soup
Diamond
Premium Edge
 
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#30 · (Edited)
I like Annameat and By Nature from this list. The rest I feel is heavy on grain energy and fortified with synthetics, not a big fan.

For a price around $45 I would def add Fromm Gold series to that list.
 
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#29 ·
I use to get evo turkey and chicken from petfood direct. With a 20% coupon and buying 2 bags at a time, it came out to around $50 a bag shipped. I think this is the best bang for the buck, since you will be feeding much less than a food like totw. You might spend 5-10 bucks more up front, but it will last you alot longer;0)
 
#32 ·
I think Merrick's Whole Earth Farms is one of the best bang for your buck foods :D It is grain inclusive, but my dog did great on it, as well as on grain free foods. It was around $21 for a 17.5lb bag.
 
#36 ·
when i put two bags in my cart it still only gives me an option for 27 dollar shipping...and what a dumb site for only allowing coupon codes for things other than food -_-
 
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