# For those who can't afford extremely expensive food!



## Kelton (Jun 20, 2015)

About 2 weeks ago, I went to the store to pick up some blue buffalo, as ive been feeding it to my gsd pup, Nala. I got to wondering if there was a cheaper route than this stuff as it costs nearly 70 dollars for a 30 lb bag at my local petco. So, rather than buying it (Nala still had about 1/4 bag of food) I jumped online to see if i could find a cheaper route. I ended up looking through about 15 different forums and found chewy.com. These guys sell their food for a much cheaper price, and it was only a 3 day turnaround from the day i bought it. meaning they had it shipped same day. coincidentally i also found that not many people were too fond of blue buffalo as it is just too high a price compared to other brands around that offer just as good a product. I switched my pup to Fromm Gold - For large breed puppies. I LOVE this stuff. Nala eats it better than the blue buffalo, it is not grain free, but doesnt have any wheat or corn in it either. Nala seems to be a lot more energetic, she has a shinier coat, and she doesnt turn her nose up to her food anymore. best part about it? It's even CHEAPER than blue buffalo on the website! After a little research with Fromm, i also see that they have been around for a very long time, and are one of the only pet food companies that has never had a recall.

TL;DR: Buy from Chewy.com, its cheaper than a brick and mortar store. Also try Fromm, its good stuff!


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Fromms is a good food. And I love chewy.com. I have my canned cat food on auto-ship with them. Very handy!


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

We order our Food from chewy too!! You can set up auto ship if your dog consistently eats at a certain rate


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Victor Grain-free from the local feed store. Good quality and made right here in TX at their own plant, costs $45 for a 30lb bag. If your dog can have grain, the version with grain is even cheaper.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

ProPac grain free at our local feed store $32 for 28#.Right now it's buy 10 get one free,woot!My dogs love it.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I love Victor as well. I rotate between Fromms and Victor. The Victor in the purple bag (with grains) is $35 for 40 lbs at my local feed store.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

4health at Tractor Supply. Good food. Not expensive.


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## Kelton (Jun 20, 2015)

dogfaeries said:


> I love Victor as well. I rotate between Fromms and Victor. The Victor in the purple bag (with grains) is $35 for 40 lbs at my local feed store.


If you don't mind me asking, whats the point in rotating between dog foods? Is there an added health benefit?


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## Augustine (Nov 22, 2014)

Kelton said:


> If you don't mind me asking, whats the point in rotating between dog foods? Is there an added health benefit?


I don't know about potential health benefits, but I myself have to rotate foods because my girl is a picky eater. If she eats the same food for more than a month she'll refuse to eat it. (I'm the same way so I don't blame her. lol)

She gets a new dry and canned food every month for 4 months, then I repeat the cycle.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

As long as I've had dogs (about 40 yrs) I've rotated foods. I just don't think that any one food will give your dog everything it needs, fed year after year. I've never had a dog that had food allergies, so that hasn't been a consideration. 

It's funny, whenever you feed raw (which I have) you are told to give lots of variety. In dry dog food, you are encouraged to stick to one thing, and if you have to change foods, you must do it slowly. I change up things constantly, with different kibble, and also feed raw. I don't deal with diarrhea or vomiting, and with the exception of one picky dog out of many dogs, it hasn't been a problem. 

Works for me. Not suggesting everyone do it, but it definitely works for me. 

It is recommended to change up foods with cats however, since cats easily become addicted to one food. And if that one food ever changes formulas, or gets discontinued, you have trouble on your hands.


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## Kelton (Jun 20, 2015)

dogfaeries said:


> As long as I've had dogs (about 40 yrs) I've rotated foods. I just don't think that any one food will give your dog everything it needs, fed year after year. I've never had a dog that had food allergies, so that hasn't been a consideration.
> 
> It's funny, whenever you feed raw (which I have) you are told to give lots of variety. In dry dog food, you are encouraged to stick to one thing, and if you have to change foods, you must do it slowly. I change up things constantly, with different kibble, and also feed raw. I don't deal with diarrhea or vomiting, and with the exception of one picky dog out of many dogs, it hasn't been a problem.
> 
> ...


Makes sense, I really should start doing that, might have an added benefit of catching stuff on sale a little easier too, haha. Any recommends for wet dog food? I dont feed her much of anything but kibble and treats here and there, and an over easy egg, or some sort of chicken every once in a while.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

dogfaeries said:


> As long as I've had dogs (about 40 yrs) I've rotated foods.* I just don't think that any one food will give your dog everything it needs, fed year after year. *I've never had a dog that had food allergies, so that hasn't been a consideration.
> 
> It's funny, whenever you feed raw (which I have) you are told to give lots of variety. In dry dog food, you are encouraged to stick to one thing, and if you have to change foods, you must do it slowly. I change up things constantly, with different kibble, and also feed raw. I don't deal with diarrhea or vomiting, and with the exception of one picky dog out of many dogs, it hasn't been a problem.
> 
> ...


*EXACTLY!!!!! 

*I always ask people "Would you want to eat a McDonalds Big Mac and Fries 3 x's per day for yo*u*r whole life?  Would you get all of the nutrients you need?"

True that some GSD's have iron clad guts but a good number of them have problems and need to be weaned slowly on to a new food. But if you choose a good food such as Fromm's 4 star, there are several "flavors" that are made to rotate with.

Moms


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

Cosco has proven itself again and again here. Kirkland brand. IMO better then blue, acana, nutro, pro plan etc


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Kelton, if you talk to the good people at Fromm, they'll tell you they support rotational feeding. In fact, they designed their Four Star line (a step up from the Gold line) to encourage rotational feeding: you can go from a bag of Salmon to a bag of Duck to a bag of Lamb with no transition, and they all have different nutrient profiles (different proteins, veg, etc.). 

I don't know if the Gold line is also rotational, but if you call or email them, they'll be able to answer--their phone and email support is very good.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Emoore said:


> Victor Grain-free from the local feed store. Good quality and made right here in TX at their own plant, costs $45 for a 30lb bag. If your dog can have grain, the version with grain is even cheaper.


I feed Victor. Order from sportdogfood.com. Free shipping. We pay about $50 for a 40# that has grain. Our dogs do well on it. I talked to a pet food rep recently (who was not trying to sell me anything as it was a personal conversation) and she commented she thinks Victor is one of the best on the market because of the vitamin pack they use in their foods.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

I tried Blue Buffalo. Jasira, who normally loves to eat, stopped eating and Xerxes got sick. I feed mine Natural Balance but I also give a high end vitamin and fish oil. I also many times add stuff.etc. eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, meat.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I tried rotating once with Fromm and two of my dogs got sick, one had a nice size vet bill. I've now had a couple different vets explain why switching foods is not good for the pancreas(even within the same company, ie Fromm), which is how I always thought anyway. So I stick with one flavor and they don't seem to mind. I'm not spending another $1000.00 on a vet bill because the dogs need a different flavor. It obviously is not the same for all dogs and I don't recommend it to anyone. Fromm can tell you it's ok all day long, but they aren't going to pay the vet bills. This is just my opinion, but I speak from experience, a very expensive experience.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I don't change because they need a new flavor. I just think the average dog could benefit from different foods. The only dog I've had in those 40 years that had a problem was Carly, when I fed her Orijen as a puppy. It gave her diarrhea. 

I've had herding dogs and sighthounds and working dogs and terriers and toy dogs. Always changed my food up. Like I said, it might not work for some, but it works for me.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I feed raw to two of my dogs and kibble to the other two. We have never once had an issue switching dogs to another food.

And as I feed raw so my dogs get a variety on a daily basis, I just can not wrap my head around why kibbles are so hard to transition.


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## zudnic (May 23, 2015)

I have the same philosophy on feeding my dogs as I do for myself. I'm sure Outback is a fine mid tier steakhouse, but Id rather pay an extra few bucks on a great steak from Ruth Chris. Or why buy McDonalds when you can spend an extra $3 bucks and go to Red Robin? I'll pay a little more for quality every time. Website might be good deals, but the store I shop at does a buy 9 bags and the 10th is free deal.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

I don't switch dog foods either. Jas loves to eat this food. Xerxes is more of a sometimes yes sometimes no eater. I see no reason to change foods every other time. Neither one is starving. As I said, I add suppliments and other foods a lot.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> I feed raw to two of my dogs and kibble to the other two. We have never once had an issue switching dogs to another food.
> 
> And as I feed raw so my dogs get a variety on a daily basis, I just can not wrap my head around why kibbles are so hard to transition.


I know. I don't understand it either.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I feed max the fromm large breed puppy food. He absolutely loves it and doing so good on it. Great food!!!!!


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Kopper has EPI. Finding a food he does well on was a grueling experience and I hope not to go through it again. That's why I don't rotate foods. The Victor Grain Free in the red bag supports a healthy weight and is easily digestible for him and gives him solid poops. With an EPI dog finding the right food is like finding gold.


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## Kelton (Jun 20, 2015)

zudnic said:


> I have the same philosophy on feeding my dogs as I do for myself. I'm sure Outback is a fine mid tier steakhouse, but Id rather pay an extra few bucks on a great steak from Ruth Chris. Or why buy McDonalds when you can spend an extra $3 bucks and go to Red Robin? I'll pay a little more for quality every time. Website might be good deals, but the store I shop at does a buy 9 bags and the 10th is free deal.


This is a great philosophy for those that can afford it. For me however, I just cant spend 200 a month on all of my dog's stuff, and be able to save for vet bills when/if the need arises. Pups are expensive, I knew that going into it, but I also have to look out and make sure that my wife and children are well taken care of too. Sometimes that means sacrificing a couple bucks and not buying the most expensive food, especially when she does fine on the kinds that arent near as expensive.


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## Glacier (Feb 25, 2009)

Jax08 said:


> I feed Victor. Order from sportdogfood.com. Free shipping. We pay about $50 for a 40# that has grain. Our dogs do well on it. I talked to a pet food rep recently (who was not trying to sell me anything as it was a personal conversation) and she commented she thinks Victor is one of the best on the market because of the vitamin pack they use in their foods.


Are you using the Hi-pro plus? I just got a 40# bag for my boy, you can't beat the price, 40lbs of food for 40$ at my feed store.


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## amburger16 (May 22, 2015)

dogfaeries said:


> It is recommended to change up foods with cats however, since cats easily become addicted to one food. And if that one food ever changes formulas, or gets discontinued, you have trouble on your hands.



So I fed basic purina cat chow to my cat forever, until getting Bear. I researched so much and in the past few weeks switched him off of it.(And feel horribly guilty for feeding that to him for 2 years, and then taking 3 months to finally switch him). I switched him to... I can't even remember now, and I'm at work but anyways its a decent grain free formula. He absolutely refused to eat it for two weeks. Little bites here and there, but it took him a week to eat a cup of food.. Now that hes realized I'm not giving him his McDonalds he has finally started eating it (Thank god, 3 different kinds of food later, time to donate the other bags lol)


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## newlie (Feb 12, 2013)

gsdsar said:


> 4health at Tractor Supply. Good food. Not expensive.


It's funny that you mentioned this dog food. I still haven't been able to get to the bottom of Newlie ear issues, scratching and now licking his feet, I just feel like he is allergic to something. He has been on grain and chicken free dog food and treats for some time and nothing seems to work. I got to thinking that I didn't remember him coming to me with this problem and I still had the email address of the rescue group, so I asked them what food they had Newlie on and it was 4Health! There are several flavors so I am waiting to hear if she remembers which one he was on. I am currently giving Newlie generic benedryl and have now gone to zyrtec (not D). I don't like giving him pills but he is just miserable without them, I am hoping if I can find the right dog food then he won't need the pills.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Glacier said:


> Are you using the Hi-pro plus? I just got a 40# bag for my boy, you can't beat the price, 40lbs of food for 40$ at my feed store.


Victor Dog Food Professional Sample| Sport Dog Food


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

> Sometimes that means sacrificing a couple bucks and not buying the most expensive food, especially when she does fine on the kinds that arent near as expensive.


The most expensive food isn't necessarily the best food for your particular dog. Carly did awful on Orijen. So bad that I thought she might have EPI, and had her tested. I mean how could it be due to "the best" kibble out there? 

Feed your dog the food it does good on. Odds are you have many choices in different price ranges.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

newlie said:


> It's funny that you mentioned this dog food. *I still haven't been able to get to the bottom of Newlie ear issues, scratching and now licking his feet, I just feel like he is allergic to something.* He has been on grain and chicken free dog food and treats for some time and nothing seems to work. I got to thinking that I didn't remember him coming to me with this problem and I still had the email address of the rescue group, so I asked them what food they had Newlie on and it was 4Health! There are several flavors so I am waiting to hear if she remembers which one he was on. I am currently giving Newlie generic benedryl and have now gone to zyrtec (not D). I don't like giving him pills but he is just miserable without them, I am hoping if I can find the right dog food then he won't need the pills.


Have you considered doing a NutriScan Saliva Test at home and mailing it in to Dr. Dodds Lab? It has helped many on this forum.

NutriScan Food Sensitivity and Intolerance Test for Cats and Dogs - Dr. Dodds

"When a companion animal develops symptoms such as itchy skin or an irritable bowel, most pet caregivers attempt a change in diet or a food elimination trial. However, is a trial truly a long-term solution for the pet's condition? Let's examine more closely. An elimination trial places a dog on a novel diet that consists of one protein and one carbohydrate to which the dog has had no or limited exposure. In terms of cats, it is generally one protein source. Several problems exist with this test protocol. 
A typical trial lasts eight to twelve weeks. It is usually recommended to start dogs on lamb and potatoes. The question becomes whether your dog could be sensitive to lamb _or_ potatoes. You may be causing more harm than good. If his symptoms do not subside, you can persevere and try another novel protein and carbohydrate combination." Food Elimination Trials for Dogs and Cats 




"antibody testing is the most effective way to test for food sensitivities or intolerances. Of course, differences between the types of food sensitivities exist, which affect different antibodies. For instance, the body produces the antibody IgE to fight off a food allergy and reacts immediately and violently (anaphylaxis). However, these types of true food allergies are rare. 
In contrast to food allergy reactions, the body produces the antibodies IgA and IgM to combat food sensitivity and intolerance, which is more common and can be a long term reaction. Intolerance is a response to a particular food or compound found in a range of foods. It can result from a variety of reasons including the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a food substance. It may also happen from an abnormality in the ability to absorb certain nutrients." Antibody Production to Food

Just a thought!
Moms

$280.00
Beef Corn Wheat Soy Cow's Milk Lamb Venison/Deer Chicken Turkey White Fish Pork Duck Chicken Eggs Barley Millet Oatmeal Salmon Rabbit Rice Quinoa Potato Lentil Sweet Potato Peanut/Peanut Butter


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I have fed pretty decent food for many years - Orijen, Natural Balance, Blue, Earthborn, Halo, Merrick Senior, Fromm.....recently mine have not liked or done well on Blue...and haven't been as enthusisastic about Earthborn.....so I have gone to Fromm for Lynx and Merrick or Halo Senior/reduced calorie for Csabre....last pups did better on Fromm puppy than anything - Blue was not good for them...

Years and YEARS ago - we did not have these choices - you bought Purina, Friskies, Joy, Dads, Iams, Eukenuba or feed store generic....I had a Great Dane who lived to be 14 (overweight and bad stifles - not ACLs, just too heavy and arthritic) when she was PTS....She ate plain old Purina Dog Chow all her life....I wouldn't feed it now...but you really don't have to feed $90 a bag food or feel guilty.....find the most decent food you can afford that your dog does well on ....

Lee


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## Kelton (Jun 20, 2015)

wolfstraum said:


> I have fed pretty decent food for many years - Orijen, Natural Balance, Blue, Earthborn, Halo, Merrick Senior, Fromm.....recently mine have not liked or done well on Blue...and haven't been as enthusisastic about Earthborn.....so I have gone to Fromm for Lynx and Merrick or Halo Senior/reduced calorie for Csabre....last pups did better on Fromm puppy than anything - Blue was not good for them...
> 
> Years and YEARS ago - we did not have these choices - you bought Purina, Friskies, Joy, Dads, Iams, Eukenuba or feed store generic....I had a Great Dane who lived to be 14 (overweight and bad stifles - not ACLs, just too heavy and arthritic) when she was PTS....She ate plain old Purina Dog Chow all her life....I wouldn't feed it now...but you really don't have to feed $90 a bag food or feel guilty.....find the most decent food you can afford that your dog does well on ....
> 
> Lee


I agree with this 1000%. A LOT of the people on this forum are so adamant on feeding their dogs only THE BEST and they seem to push it on everyone else too. I understand that puppies are our pride and joy, but some of us just cannot afford to spend the money. I'm 22, and mid way up the ladder in IT. There is no way i can afford $90 bags of dog food, on top of the expensive toys i get her to keep her out of the vets office. It just ain't happenin'.


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