# Pre made raw or kibble help



## brownclown (Apr 10, 2018)

I ll be getting my new pup this weekend. I also have an 7 year old. I would really like to transition both to raw. However with the pup im just not confident in creating a balanced meal. So for the a.m. or p.m. i will be either feeding a High quality kibble or pre made raw. I have been reading for months now and the more i learn the more intimidated i become especially with the puppy. are there any AFFORDABLE quality certified complete for puppies that you would recommend. My current plan is to use Fromm four star all life stages as it have read good things about them and the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is good for puppies. Im not opposed to using something orjen either. at this point i have read so much on kibbles and raw my brain is in overload. i would ideally like to keep price of food under $5 per pound. its seems most of the premade exceed that significantly and why im leaning towards a part kibble .


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Look on the Tefco site for performance dog distributors in your area.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Fromm large breed puppy gold is actually very good, and at least in my opinion, better than some of their Four Star line. The Four Star line is very good, but I like the ingredients in the LBP Gold better than some of the formulas.

Orijen is very good as well, and the Original formula is perfectly acceptable for a puppy. I haven't looked at the calcium and phosphorus levels in the other formulas lately, but I think most of the others are fine as well, as are most of the Acana formulas. 

Victor may be another very good, affordable option. Some of their formulas are a little higher in calcium and phosphorus than I like for a puppy.

A couple others to look at are Annamaet and Dr. Tim's.


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## razorseal (Apr 26, 2018)

I've heard good things on here about fromm but I don't know anything about it. I started giving my dog performatrin ultra original. 5 star review from dogfoodadvisor, but it's canadian based and recently came to US to be available everywhere (through pet supermarket). My dog is a picky eater and he will eat that. Price is average for 5 start rated food. (50 buck for 26 lb I think)


I tried Victor Hero Canine, but the kibbles are very small for a GSD and my dog will just swallow them. He won't even chew it. Plus he really does'nt like this food. I'm trying to finish what I got him and it's not easy. I have to pretty much baby him to get him to eat it.I gotta mix it with the performatrin which he likes and even wetfood sometimes.


I looked at raw foods all day yesterday and consensus is that it's VERY expensive. I would love to do it, but cost wise, it's out of my leauge. at around 5 dollars a lb (pre made) and a 8 month 63 lb GSD eating 2 to 2.5 lbs, that's over 10 dollars a day. so 60-80 bucks dry food vs over 300. 



you said under 5 dollars a lb... Try here - https://www.darwinspet.com


they have a 'budget" food line, which I think is between 3.80 (chicken) to 5 (beef). per lb. it's free shipping and auto ship, so very conveinent. I just can't afford that much...


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## wolfchi (May 8, 2017)

There is a raw food co-op near me where I get Titan Raw Blend for around $1.30/lb. Check and see if there is anything similar in your area (Titan Dog Food | Home of Titan Blue and Titan Red Complete Raw Blends for your pets) DogAware.com: Raw Dog Food Co-ops and Local Groups 

Texas Tripe is more expensive than Titan but also an option if you are on their delivery route: https://texastripe.wordpress.com/delivery-schedule/


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## razorseal (Apr 26, 2018)

wolfchi said:


> There is a raw food co-op near me where I get Titan Raw Blend for around $1.30/lb. Check and see if there is anything similar in your area (Titan Dog Food | Home of Titan Blue and Titan Red Complete Raw Blends for your pets) DogAware.com: Raw Dog Food Co-ops and Local Groups
> 
> Texas Tripe is more expensive than Titan but also an option if you are on their delivery route: https://texastripe.wordpress.com/delivery-schedule/



Now that's a good deal!


the one in florida for me (soflarawfeeders) uses yahoo groups... they must be from the early 2000s or late 90s lol. I don't understand how those work. too bad... I emailed titan asking if there is a raw food co-op near me. 1.30 is something I can afford. but not the 3 to 5 dollar range.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

razorseal said:


> Now that's a good deal!
> 
> 
> the one in florida for me (soflarawfeeders) uses yahoo groups... they must be from the early 2000s or late 90s lol. I don't understand how those work. too bad...



They work pretty much like this forum does, but with private membership. 



Make a Yahoo account, send a request to the group owner to join their group if it's private, and post a message. You can read the group messages by logging into Yahoo Groups, or set the groups up to send all messages by email (like a list-serv), or bunch them together and send them in one message daily ("digest").


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## brownclown (Apr 10, 2018)

I have found a local coop to me and bought a variety of items and even there premade mixes. and when balanced out i should be at around 2per pound. I will be creating my own meals for the pup at one feeding and both with my adult . The puppy is the one i cant get over worrying about. So for one of his meals i really want to make sure he is getting a meal that is certified to meet nutritional requirements. 



thanks for the feedback so far


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## gsdoglife (Apr 15, 2018)

You dont have to feed kibble for your puppy to get a balanced diet. I agree with you that it is intimidating to feed a puppy raw/homemade, and i personally wouldnt feel comfortable "DIYing" it either, as puppy nutrition is so crucial. 
I would look into the following brands of pre made, Dr. B's Longevity, Answers Pet Food, and Steves Real Food. These are all very well respected companies that actually care about animals, and if you call them they can offer guidance re puppy feeding.


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## Apex1 (May 19, 2017)

My local butcher sells a dog food grind beef. Had a sell today at a buck a pound. Usually 1.39. The heart, liver, organs do not cost much. I can basically feed raw for slightly more than a bag of good kibble. They also have other proteins so I can mix it up. The other grinds can cost up to 2.49 a pound still not bad. I would encourage searching local butchers if you haven't already. I find goat quail rabbit etc. The organs typically come from beef but they have a fair variety it's not just kidney all the time.


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