Stretching Your Dog Food Dollar

[Guest Swifthounds]

Vomiting or horking?

 

Horking up is pretty common in hounds acclimated to kibble and kibble alone. Kibble fed dogs don't really know how to chew food properly so that it can be digested, so they'll hork it back up and try again.

[Batmom]

Have yet to meet a dog who doesn't know how to chew if s/he wants to.

[Brindles]

Oh trust me, I know vomit when I see it!

[Guest Swifthounds]

Chewing at all and chewing food so that it can be digested are two different things. Then there's the issue of the stomach actually being accustomed to doing the digesting work.

[Guest Paige12]

Do you really need a filler? Is it just to stretch the food budget or because you think the hounds are still hungry?

 

 

It's a budget thing.

 

I've found that the fillers are often more expensive than the dog food itself. Aside from that, dog food is sold as a balanced diet, and adding things to it will throw off that balance. In a worst case scenario you could be setting your dog up for vitamin and nutrient deficiencies and/or other medical issues down the road. Best case scenario you just wasted a few extra dollars and minutes of your time.

 

That's my take, anyway.

 

ETA: I'm a college student and I, too, am on a budget!

Balanced diet? Yes if you're feeding a high quality food. The advertising execs for Purina One, Beneful, etc. would have you believe that they are a "balanced Diet" when in fact they are very poor quality food with cheap fillers and the vitamins come from a spray, not in fact from any meat or vegetable source. (sorry for the mini rant)

[Batmom]

Well ... the thing about commercial dog food is, it has a predictable vitamin/mineral content, which fresh meats and veggies don't -- they can vary quite a bit due to source, feed given the meat animals, time to market, etc. It's also formulated so that a reasonable amount will be absorbed, and to allow for degradation over time.

 

I've never tried Beneful (and neither have my dogs ) but have fed Purina ONE at times. It's a food many dogs do very well on, more so than some of the supposedly better brands.

[Guest Swifthounds]

Good thing the ingredients are standardized and from predictable, consistent and reliable sourcing. Otherwise, there might be dog food recalls every other minute.

 

 

I'm still waiting for the day that people resort to eating nothing but cereal for its predictable vitamin/mineral content and give up that silly consumption of fresh meat and veggies.

[Batmom]

Who said anything about predictable, reliable sourcing? *I* was talking about the vitamin/mineral mix. Altho, since you mention it, if you're a major manufacturer, you have to have relatively predictable, reliable sourcing or you're out of business.

 

'Course there haven't been any recalls of meat/eggs lately, have there?

Edited September 14, 2010 by Batmom

[Guest Swifthounds]

Despite the touting about the vitamin/mineral mix of kibble (largely sprayed on though it might be), I don't see a whole lot of people touting such "perfect" cereals for people, nor do I see anyone suggesting that it's a proper or desirable way to eat. If vit/min mix cereal is so superior to vitamins and minerals sourced from the unreliable real whole foods, why haven't people caught on to this ingenious idea? Wouldn't we all be healthier and happier eating the same high carb thing day after day over a lifetime? Yet, people take for granted that that it is the proper, or sometimes only way a dog can be fed.

 

The rolling number of pet food recalls, many of which don't even make the news anymore unless they are huge, suggest that major manufacturers don't have to have relatively predictable, reliable sourcing to stay in business.

 

There's a big difference between human and pet food recalls - people are worth money dead; your dog isn't. The egg recall was for salmonella contamination, which isn't a threat as long as you cook your food and wash your hands. The big concern is always foods sourced to restaurants, where hygiene is often lacking, and the number of hands and items exponentially increases risks. They issue human food recalls early and to prevent the possibility of widespread exposure to illness and death. Often it's the government protecting us in large part from our own laziness. The truth is that any egg can have salmonella and most do in some form. We also live in a world with so many advances in sanitation that we forget that all food presents the opportunity for illness.

[Guest Paige12]

Good thing the ingredients are standardized and from predictable, consistent and reliable sourcing. Otherwise, there might be dog food recalls every other minute.

 

 

I'm still waiting for the day that people resort to eating nothing but cereal for its predictable vitamin/mineral content and give up that silly consumption of fresh meat and veggies.

Edited September 14, 2010 by Paige12

[Batmom]

why haven't people caught on to this ingenious idea?

 

They did. A long time ago. Remember rickets?

 

But I wasn't talking about people. I was trying to help OP make some reasonable choices based on OP's stated and implied needs. What a concept.

[Guest Swifthounds]

why haven't people caught on to this ingenious idea?

 

They did. A long time ago. Remember rickets?

 

That's odd, because I don't see people buying "people food" kibble. No need to remember rickets. It's still fairly prevalent in the developing world. I have seen the results in person and it is heartbreaking.

 

Back to dogs though, something like a calcium or Vit D deficiency is very difficult to do, especially when you're talking about adding some other foods into a balance kibble, raw, or homemade diet. You really must go nutritionally off the rails for a long time to cause vit/mineral deficiency in a dog. Dogs can subsist pretty well on things not designed for them, hence how they survive on a diet of cooked grains and carbs and very little meat.

 

But I wasn't talking about people. I was trying to help OP make some reasonable choices based on OP's stated and implied needs. What a concept.

 

You were trying to help the OP make choices about fillers to stretch her dog food dollars by telling her how great preformulated food made from the discards of the human food production system is and implying that additions to the diet would interfere with the wonderful vitamin/mineral balance of kibble? Judging by all the threads on picky eaters and add-in suggestions, if adding some add-ins or fillers of any kind to a balanced diet was going to cause deficiencies, GT hounds would be dropping like flies.

[Batmom]

You were trying to help the OP make choices about fillers to stretch her dog food dollars by telling her how great preformulated food made from the discards of the human food production system is and implying that additions to the diet would interfere with the wonderful vitamin/mineral balance of kibble?

 

Nope. I didn't say anything about balance. I don't know where you got that idea. I merely noted that mixing in another kibble would be more nutritious than nice fresh rice, and that some of the less costly kibbles do a good job for a lot of dogs.

 

 

No soap box here, just lots of experience feeding a wide variety of dogs a wide variety of diets.

[Guest hlpnhounds]

Thank you ALL for your input !!

Valid points have been made from all corners. As the OP, I honestly think that I will be able to take a little bit of each of the ideas offered and make the best choices that I can for my hounds. My goal is to provide the best nutrition I can for them but would like to to able to do it for a little less $$. That is NO different than I do for the 2-leggers in our house. The thing is, while I can watch for sales on produce and meats, whole grain food and vitamin supplements for the 2-leggers here in order to keep costs down, these are rarely available for the quality kibble I choose to feed my hounds. I was thrilled to find that the feed store where I've been purchasing TOTW had a $2 off special in August and made sure to buy an extra bag during that month.

 

I'm really just one of many people out there that are trying to do the best we can for the 2 and 4 leggers in the house on just one income. No sob stories here. We all have our problems. As I said in a previous post----I will continue to feed the highest quality feed I can afford for my hounds and will do what is needed to keep them healthy and happy.

Thank you all for your input.

I'm sorry that this has started arguments amongst the group. that was never my intention.

[Guest LindsaySF]

Don't worry about it Lori, it has nothing to do with you. Certain people here like to get on their high horse about manufactured kibble vs. raw vs. human food, and all that jazz. Not the first time it has happened and I'm sure it won't be the last.

 

I feed TOTW to my Greys. I'm jealous of the cheap prices you guys are paying! A 30-lb bag is $48 at all the feed stores near me.

 

You will feed less food because TOTW is so rich compared to Purina One, so I wouldn't worry if the amounts seem smaller. If you have a dog that just likes to eat, I would add canned green beans or something similar, it will fill them up but not fatten them up. Sophie gets a lot of fillers like that because her seizure meds make her hungry. She'd be 100 lbs otherwise! You can also give more bones to chew and low-calorie treats.

 

If you need to get weight on a dog, and they aren't finicky, I've found that just increasing the kibble (or adding an extra meal) does the trick. Whenever I try to add in other items like meats it ends up being more expensive than just giving more kibble. If cost is a serious concern, you can mix in a different brand of kibble into the TOTW. You'll lose the grain-free quality by going with a cheaper kibble, most other grain-free brands are in the same price range as TOTW, but if that doesn't matter then it's worth a try experimenting with a few different kibble brands to mix in. Good luck!

 

 

 

~Lindsay~

 

 

 

 

[Guest Swifthounds]

Thank you ALL for your input !!

Valid points have been made from all corners. As the OP, I honestly think that I will be able to take a little bit of each of the ideas offered and make the best choices that I can for my hounds. My goal is to provide the best nutrition I can for them but would like to to able to do it for a little less $$. That is NO different than I do for the 2-leggers in our house. The thing is, while I can watch for sales on produce and meats, whole grain food and vitamin supplements for the 2-leggers here in order to keep costs down, these are rarely available for the quality kibble I choose to feed my hounds. I was thrilled to find that the feed store where I've been purchasing TOTW had a $2 off special in August and made sure to buy an extra bag during that month.

 

This just reminded me of something I usually post in these cost/savings discussions, but don't think I posted in this particular thread. Try calling around to see who has the best price, and try asking if they'll cut you a deal if you order a set amount at a time. Look for store loyalty programs where you get free food or some other discount for purchasing so many bags of food. You can also call the manufacturer and ask if they have any coupons. Sometimes they'll send you coupons and/or samples to keep your business. It's a bit tougher with the so-called super premium kibbles because the retailers tend to have a smaller profit margin on those items, but it can be done.

[Guest hlpnhounds]

I never even thought about contacting the company for coupons etc. Excellent idea !

[tamborine]

I never heard of this brand. I like the idea of no grains. I just called Tractor Supply after reading TOTW site.

 

a 30 lb bag is 42.99.

 

We're paying 37.99 at a "natural" pet supply store.

 

I feed TOTW to my Greys. I'm jealous of the cheap prices you guys are paying! A 30-lb bag is $48 at all the feed stores near me.

 

Wow, it's 53.99 at the "natural" pet store I go to! They send out 20 or 25% off email coupons once a month to their discount cardholders, but the coupons are only good for 1 or 2 specific days! If I miss the day.... There's another place nearby that sells it, but they also sell puppies & kittens, so I won't shop there.