# AFFORDABLE FOOD



## andrewp (Oct 13, 2009)

So Bella has been on Evo by Innova for a little while now, but money these days are very strapped and I just can't afford it anymore.
What are some alternatives that won't leave me penniless? I'll check out my local pet store to see if they have anything else but if it comes down to it, whats the "best" of the grocery stores?


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

Click over to Google, google for "grade your dog food" and one of the sites will have a list of pre-graded food. 

Merrick's, Eagle Pack Holistic are both excellent and to my knowledge are quite a bit less than Innova. There are several other good foods on the pre-graded list that should be less costly than Innova. 

I'm glad to see you're not just going to start bying dog food at the grocery store


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: andrewpWhat are some alternatives that won't leave me penniless? I'll check out my local pet store to see if they have anything else but if it comes down to it, whats the "best" of the grocery stores?


if you can afford to stick with grain free -- i've had good results with taste of the wild.

otherwise -- if times are extremely tight, i would not go with a grocery brand -- kirkland from costco is about the best premium kibble you can get for the buck. (less than 25 bucks for 40lbs). even if you get a membership just for the food - you're still saving.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Quote:if you can afford to stick with grain free -- i've had good results with taste of the wild.
> 
> otherwise -- if times are extremely tight, i would not go with a grocery brand -- kirkland from costco is about the best premium kibble you can get for the buck. (less than 25 bucks for 40lbs). even if you get a membership just for the food - you're still saving.


Seconded on both counts!


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## balakai (Feb 9, 2005)

Keep in mind that EVO is fairly high in calories and a food that costs less per pound may actually end up costing you the same price per day since you will probably need to feed more, especially with TOTW.

I did a comparison for my friend that feeds TOTW, and we figured out that it would cost her the same per day to feed Orijen.

What are your shopping options? Petsmart? Complete Petmart? Pet Supplies Plus? That will help us figure out what might be available to you.

~Kristin


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

interesting


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

hopefully more of these reputable companies will be coming out with more grain free foods, that don't cost an arm and a leg. i think TOTW is way over priced. 46.00 for a 30 pd bag, and i don't even like the company......

i feed Pinnacle and am very happy with it. it isn't cheap either, but at least i have more trust in the company.

debbie


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

EVO is wholly inappropriate for a growing large breed. depending on which rep you talk to at Natura, even they will concede this. the calcium is pretty high. even TOTW is too high for my tastes (for a puppy).


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: balakaiKeep in mind that EVO is fairly high in calories and a food that costs less per pound may actually end up costing you the same price per day since you will probably need to feed more, especially with TOTW.


i always see this mentioned, but i haven't really noticed it in all of the switches that i've made (granted, Tilden has never been on Evo). regardless if its grain free or not... and regardless of brand... i've never had to alter his food more than a quarter of a cup. he's on TOTW now (pac stream) and eating 3 1/4 cu... the only way i'd be making a significant savings is if i were feeding him around 2 cups (of orijen for example)... and that just isnt enough, even by their feeding chart. so could it be more than just calories? perhaps ingredients make a difference too, just as with humans a sandwich will get you fuller than a salad, etc.


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## lukes (Aug 7, 2009)

Canidae ALS is probably the most affordable decent food at 44 lb food. 

You can always win those Ebay auctions for the free bag of Merrick before grains coupons, that will end up costing you like 22-28 a bag also.


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## Riley's Mom (Jun 7, 2007)

There were some other threads on this, we were feeding TOTW and switched ... there's ethoxyquin in it which isn't on the label. Seems the feds require all dog food products containing fish meal to be preserved w/ethoxyquin.


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## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

There are some that are ethoxyquin-free, and I wish I could elaborate, but I"m running out to work and I don't recall which ones. Wellness might be, Flint River Ranch is, some of the pricier brands are. 

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

This site will tell you which ones have it, but it's not the "end all" site to dog food, despite the "star" system, it's one tool to assess what you are getting. But it does specify about ehoxyquin.


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## GSDgirlAL (Jan 4, 2008)

I hardly see spending $45 on a bag of food "affordable" so with that being said ... I too would suggest the Costco brand, Kirklands or Canidae b/c it is a bigger bag. Just really depends on how much you are able to spend on a bag of food. If you are wanting to spend around $35 for a bag, I would do either Kirklands or check out Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul. That is very reasonable food and good quality.


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