The Per Pound Cost of Dog Food

[iLander]

So I decided to figure out what my dogs' food cost me per pound. It comes in twee little cans; Little Cesars.

Turns out I was paying $3.10 per pound.

Which is a bit much. I've tried all kinds of other foods (including ultra-pricey $25 a small bag health foods) and this was the ONLY dog food the little buggers would eat. I hated always running out of it, and sometimes they will just ignore it and it goes to waste. I'm not sold there were any healthy vitamins in there, either.

Well, I've had enough of that. I went to Costco and hunted for actual meat I could feed them.

Costco
Pork $1.75 per pound
Chicken breasts, frozen $2.35 per pound
Chicken parts (bag of thighs or wings or whatever) $1.75-2.49 per pound
Ground beef $3.49 per pound.
Italian sausage $1.75 per pound (no, I won't feed them this, but it seems to be a deal, thought I'd mention it)

So, we bought a giant pork thing (I think it's a loin? or chops that aren't chopped yet?), cut it up, roasted it in the oven. I cut it into feeding sized servings, bite sized bits, which I froze. Now I take out a baggy, microwave for 30 seconds and they love it. I add leftover veggies from whatever we're eating (sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, rice) and it seems to be a hit.

So, just saying; dog food seems a bit pricey. They're trying to soooooo hard to sell you "meaty" and "beefy" and "natural". I decided to skip the middle man and just give them actual meat.

What does your dog food cost?

 

[kenny]

72.5 cents per pound.

But I don't know the final cost since we also add some fresh protein like fish, egg, chicken or beef to every meal.

 

[iLander]

72.5 cents per pound.

But we also add some fresh protein like fish, egg, chicken or meat to every meal so I don't know the final cost.

Yeah, but mine won't eat dry. And they wouldn't eat the kirkland canned. I ended up returning both. They are FANTASTIC foods, though. I did a lot of research and ended up there, but then they wouldn't eat it.

Did I mention my dogs are snots?

 

[kenny]

I've notice on other fora that what to feed dogs can be a topic so sensitive that it can put abortion, politics and religion to shame.

 

[kenny]

72.5 cents per pound.

But we also add some fresh protein like fish, egg, chicken or meat to every meal so I don't know the final cost.

Yeah, but mine won't eat dry. And they wouldn't eat the kirkland canned. I ended up returning both. They are FANTASTIC foods, though. I did a lot of research and ended up there, but then they wouldn't eat it.

Did I mention my dogs are snots?

We've never given them this alone/dry.
There is always some fresh protein and water added.

Actually I once DID give it to them dry/alone.
The sniffed it.
Looked up.
Walked away.
I left it on the floor but they didn't touch it and went hungry till the next meal time, for which I had some egg to add.

 

[iLander]

I've notice on other fora that what to feed dogs can be a topic so sensitive that it can put abortion, politics and religion to shame.

Yeah, you're right.

I'm hoping everyone will take it as "this worked for iLander" and leave it there.

Famous last words . . .

 

[kenny]

72.5 cents per pound.

But we also add some fresh protein like fish, egg, chicken or meat to every meal so I don't know the final cost.

Yeah, but mine won't eat dry. And they wouldn't eat the kirkland canned. I ended up returning both. They are FANTASTIC foods, though. I did a lot of research and ended up there, but then they wouldn't eat it.

Did I mention my dogs are snots?

If that's what you decide they will be eating just let em starve.
They'll eventually eat it.

 

[iLander]

We've never given them this alone/dry.
There is always some fresh protein and water added.

Actually I once DID give it to them dry/alone.
The sniffed it.
Looked up.
Walked away.
I left it on the floor but they didn't touch it and went hungry till the next meal time, for which I had some egg to add.

I even tried putting gravy on it. They licked all the gravy off and left the food.

I read somewhere that dogs can't pick through their food (really?), but mine sure can. I've seen one eat and spit out just the peas. The other one can eat pistachios and leave the shells.

I tried to be strong once, and they didn't eat for two days. I gave in, obviously.

I never have gotten mine to eat eggs. Fried, boiled, raw, all refused.

 

[kenny]

I've notice on other fora that what to feed dogs can be a topic so sensitive that it can put abortion, politics and religion to shame.

Yeah, you're right.

I'm hoping everyone will take it as "this worked for iLander" and leave it there.

Famous last words . . .

OMG, on this one forum a poster preached, no, I mean ... PREACHED ... BARF (acronym for bones and raw food).
If you didn't do it HER way you were going to H ... E ... double hockey sticks.

 

[kenny]

I tried to be strong once, and they didn't eat for two days. I gave in, obviously.

Don't give in.
Eventually you'll win.
It's a power struggle.
They won.
You lost.

See ... here we go.

 

[Queenie60]

I feed mine Blue Wilderness dry kibble for small breeds - and I add shredded, boiled chicken breast to the top of the food. One dog (rescue) will eat the entire bowl and my little guy will only eat the chicken however, I find that he eats the kibble in the morning after he goes out for his potty. Very picky little ones!

I'll need to check the cost per pound, never paid attention since both of my dogs are so small, it takes forever to get through a bag of dog food.

 

[kenny]

BTW comparing the per pound cost of dry vs. wet may be misleading since wet already contains water ... and I suspect many people also add water to dry foods.

 

[iLander]

I tried to be strong once, and they didn't eat for two days. I gave in, obviously.

Don't give in.
Eventually you'll win.
It's a power struggle.
They won.
You lost.

See ... here we go.

Yup, I admit I am a dogaholic.

I am powerless over dogs.

 

[House Cat]

Have you read about feeding them raw foods? There is a whole group of people who swear by it. I keep saying I am going to do this for my dogs and then I get busy.


I buy little kibble for the little dog and larger kibble for the larger dog. Guess who eats what? Little chihuahua, struggles to chew the big food while the bigger dog vacuums up the small stuff. They also have taken to creating a trail of food all over the living room. I have no idea what that is all about because eventually, they eat it.


You are a good mama for feeding them pork!

 

[iLander]

BTW comparing the per pound cost of dry vs. wet may be misleading since wet already contains water ... and I suspect many people also add water to dry foods.

Good point.

I guess I'm saying that considering they would only eat low-end, commercial, fancyfied, gimmicky dog food (and only the filet mignon flavor), actual meat is probably better for them.

IMHO.

 

[iLander]

Have you read about feeding them raw foods? There is a whole group of people who swear by it. I keep saying I am going to do this for my dogs and then I get busy.


I buy little kibble for the little dog and larger kibble for the larger dog. Guess who eats what? Little chihuahua, struggles to chew the big food while the bigger dog vacuums up the small stuff. They also have taken to creating a trail of food all over the living room. I have no idea what that is all about because eventually, they eat it.


You are a good mama for feeding them pork!

Tried the raw food diet. They will NOT eat any type of uncooked food. They look at it, then look at me with disappointment. Like they're saying "don't you love us?!"

They are 11 and 12 now, so I have tried Everything at least once.

The 11 year old has a pretty serious heart valve issue, it sounds like castanets in there. But we're on year 2 after diagnosis, and the vet is amazed she's lasted this long, he says most go at 3-6 months. And she looks and acts great. Knock on wood . . .

 

[dk168]

About 6 GBP a kilo as he is on a special oral care diet.

DK

 

[YadaYadaYada]

$1.60 but it's dry food. I have very fussy Cavalier mixes as well as two herding dogs and it's the only kind everyone can agree on.

 

[kenny]

About 6 GBP a kilo as he is on a special oral care diet.

DK

If my math is right that's $3.96US per pound.

 

[dk168]

About 6 GBP a kilo as he is on a special oral care diet.

DK

If my math is right that's $3.96US per pound.

Thank you, and apology for being lazy and did not bother with the conversion.

DK

 

[girlyglam]

We buy Fromm Gold, small breed and it comes out to about $1.73/pound. But, we also add to it so that he's never eating just dry kibble...he usually gets chicken and/or pork with his kibble, sometimes some other meat. We also usually add some sort of veggie, and most mornings he also gets a bit of canned pumpkin. He's funny about his food...sometimes he scarfs it right up, sometimes he couldn't care less, and sometimes he works really hard to pick out just the "real" food and leave the kibble.

My finance's parents do what you do, skipping commercial dog food altogether and just cooking their dogs regular meat. I'm not sure they've ever fed their dogs differently, and the dogs sure do love it!

 

[kenny]

About 6 GBP a kilo as he is on a special oral care diet.

DK

If my math is right that's $3.96US per pound.

Thank you, and apology for being lazy and did not bother with the conversion.

DK

No problem.
I certainly do not mean to imply the systems of weights and measures and currency used in the USA is better.
Consistent units are just convenient for comparison purposes.

 

[arkieb1]

Too much pork is not an ideal diet for dogs especially cooked pork, human gravy and anything with salt in it is also not a good option for any dog especially one with a heart condition. Will they eat chicken cooked instead? Raw food such as chicken, steak chopped up is better for dogs than cooked food. Meat with softer type bones in it like lamb offcuts and some cuts of beef is good for their teeth, if you keep the dogs teeth in good shape generally the rest of the dog will be in O.K shape too.

 

[the_mother_thing]

I really can't say the exact cost because it varies. My pups are spoiled ... I mean "LOVED" ... But I love to cook, so I don't mind at all.

I feed them both a quality age/stage appropriate kibble (one is an adult, the other a puppy) ... AND, every week, I also make a batch of ground beef (browned) and chicken (thighs - boiled & deboned), ground turkey (browned) or a dozen eggs scrambled ... mixed with green beans and carrots to top off their kibble (about 1/8 cup per pup, per meal; they eat 2x/day). I also save the boiled chicken stock (which has NO additives, spices, etc) to add a light gravy-feel to the food. Their meal is still crunchy, but they know it's "special" and not straight outta the bag because the one or two times I ran out and didn't make more right away, they looked at their bowls, and gave me a look like, "WTF Ma?", and did not eat (or didn't eat as much) until I rec-o-nized their highnesses!

I wouldn't criticize someone else's pet food choices, but if someone is going to attempt making their own pet food as a sole source of nutrition, please consult with your vet first. There are so many things pets should and shouldn't have, and there is a whole dietary balance aspect that needs to be carefully considered to ensure they get the proper nutrition they need.

 

[Kelinas]

Not a dog...
But my cats food is $11.4+ per pound.

He got blocked so he cannot ever eat dry kibble ever again.
He gets 2 -2.8oz cans of tiki cat a day @2.00 a can.
I can get it cheaper online but after paying shipping, it's only pennies so I just buy from my local shop ( yay for supporting a local small business!)

 

[lyra]

We feed dry. Currently working on Royal Canin. I have no idea about the per pound price. One will eat it as is. One will eat it when he gets hungry. The third one will resort to vomiting in hopes of getting additives, as in some days he will not eat at all until he gets sick. Chihuahuas can be extremely picky. We tried making our own food for awhile, but felt it didn't have enough nutrients. It's next to impossible to find one food that all 3 will eat reliably. It also has to be gluten free, and only poultry based.

 

[Matata]

I decided to skip the middle man and just give them actual meat.


Giving them meat is far far better than feeding any commercial dog food. But an all-meat diet is not balanced and will eventually lead to health problems. There needs to be bone and organs added in order for the diet to be balanced.

Have you thought about feeding raw rather than cooking the meat? To get sufficient calcium into their diet, you can give them raw chicken wings and bone-in chicken thighs & legs. Or, you can add calcium powder to their food. Organs include brain, kidney, liver, lung.

Good guide here for ratio of bone/organ/meat http://www.rawfeddogs.org/rawguide.html

 

[Arcadian]

I generally feed mostly raw. That means she eats chicken feet, turkey necks, beef heart, beef liver, chicken backs. Sometimes ground meat for something different.

I will once a month make a gruel. Basically its a broth with meat and bones cooked so far down that its a soup. To this I add rice or oatmeal. (not much, but some, both work great for her)

Oh yeah and the tripe....ugh... Green tripe is so gross but very good for stomach health. Raw ground in rolls is better than the canned variety but sometimes you have to use whatever you can get. I've done both.

I make her food rolls (time consuming to make but she goes to daycare 1 day a week and this works best for her. I usually make her cookies as well.

When I have to travel with her, she does get kibble. IAMS green bag works best for her.

She eats a variety of vegetables and fruits, and nuts (walnuts and pecans). Of course, not the ones harmful to dogs (if you go this route research is very key)

The crazy dog loves cranberries...lol but hey so do I. She also has bananas. refuses to eat apples and carrots unless I hide them really well

Salmon oil and LEF for dogs vitamin powder daily.

At 6, she's not terribly gray, which speaks to her diet and maybe her home atmosphere...lol. And, she's lean, muscular, and very active when its time to be active. (and not because she's a greyhound...I got to see a fat one and its not pretty!)

She also gets a yearly teeth cleaning, which always amazes the vet that her teeth stay extremely clean. I brush her teeth once daily, she has her own electric toothbrush. (the vet and I don't exactly see eye to eye on diet, she's more of the mind I should feed kibble) but she does agree that the diet works in her favor.

IMO extremely important to make sure your pets teeth are in good health, especially as they get older. I had to be patient and start with 2 times a week, then up the times, but it can absolutely be done.

 

[tuffyluvr]

My dog gets Lotus brand duck and sweet potato. It comes in a 26lb bag and costs about $75... And at 2 cups twice daily he goes through a bag every 3 weeks!!! That works out to $2.85 per pound. We also spend extra supplementing his food with fresh steamed veggies, rice or lean protein because he won't eat it "plain".

I figured it out and my last dog (6lb mutt) actually cost more to feed. He was on a special raw, dehydrated food for his allergies, sensitive stomach, and terrible teeth. That stuff cost about $50 for a 10lb bag. Hard to measure how much it would cost per pound because it had to be reconstituted with warm water, so that changes the weight significantly. I did the math on it and figured out that our 90lb dog's food costs us about $1.75 per day, while the 6lb dog's food was about $2.25 per day!

 

[iLander]

arkieb1, Matata, :They just won't eat raw food. Tried that, no way. The heart condition is purely hereditary, and the gravy was only tried on dry food, way back when. Not a regular thing.

Clarification for everybody: They do get other veggies: sweet potato, carrots, peas, brussel sprouts, cheese, broccoli, romaine, nuts, sometimes rice, once-in-a-while kidney beans. All mixed in with the meat of the day: not always pork, last two days was chicken, day before was roast beef, today was ground beef. I also give them the Costco $2.35 per pound chicken breasts 2-3 times a week. Just microwave until they're cooked and chewy, they love that. They both love tuna and salmon. I can't get either of the little furbutts them to eat any kind of eggs.

I have looked into it, and I think ground egg shells is the only way I can include calcium. Maybe sprinkled or hidden in there somehow? They won't eat raw bones, and I don't want to give them cooked bones. I will ask the vet.

The OP was more of an example of how over-priced the "faux meat" of low-end dog food is. Pork is not their only food.