# Quality dry dog food. Where do you get it and how much?



## turtle707 (Sep 9, 2010)

I'm reading all these top Brand Name Dry Dog Foods on here for the first time and also finding them in all the top reviews for dog food. Orijen, Evo, wellness, natures variety etc. etc. Before now I have never even heard of these. Where do you get them and how much do they run? If anyone has a personal preference for their pets, please let me know.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Each manufacturers website has a store locator on it since most of those arent not available through chain pet store, with the exception of few(wellness can be purchased at petsmart and petco).

OUt of the ones you mentioned, I've used Wellness core, Evo and Orijen. 
I can get wellness at a local pet store, I found Evo at a feed store and Orijen I used to order online when they would send me coupons in the mail (petfooddirect.com or heartypet.com), you have to sign up for their newsletter to get the promo codes for discounts. 

Out of those my dog does best on Wellness core and Acana provincial (same manufacturer are Orijen, just lower protein food).


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

turtle707 said:


> I'm reading all these top Brand Name Dry Dog Foods on here for the first time and also finding them in all the top reviews for dog food. Orijen, Evo, wellness, natures variety etc. etc. Before now I have never even heard of these. Where do you get them and how much do they run? If anyone has a personal preference for their pets, please let me know.


Turtle,

Sounds like you are in the early stages of discovering better food for your Dogs. You might want to do some searches online to get a firm foundation of knowledge of the subject. 

Quick summary...better Dog foods have more meat and less fillers(like corn). Meat costs more than corn so obviously, we spend more on better foods. You'll see unfamiliar names like Blue Buffalo, EVO, Orijen, Acana, Taste of the Wild thrown around. 

A good STARTER is Dogfoodanalysis.com. They rate foods on a 1-6 rating scale. Its not a perfect system and many slam it. I'm kind of in the middle...I do think its a nice starting point and certainly most of the foods in the 4-6 rated range are at least decent foods. The argument gets more involved....but a person could VASTLY improve what they are feeding if they just choose from those groups.


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## moon (Jul 15, 2010)

I live miles from everywhere - luckily I can order from Hearty Pet and get the food the next day!


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## lancewil27 (Aug 19, 2010)

Just my opinion but ::

It is important to me to buy a food for dogs that is made at the manufacture's own plant. Where they own the plant and facility and only make "their own" food there. 

I've read that there are 700 dry kibbles on the market and all but 2 are made at three huge pet food manufacturing plants in three different states.
Some of these companies actually run their business out of their homes and never even visit these food plants...

The food processing, bagging and entire retail operations are handled on contract out basis..Even the so called premium brands..

That makes me worry about quality control..no supervision from the company to ensure their product is using safe ingredients and that the processing is under ideal circumstances..

In these 3 manufacturing plants, they can make 100,000 bags of Brand A then 100,000 of brand B...possibility of cross contamination...
AND Possible FRAUD..

The only two kibbles that I know of that are made at their own facilities with their own quality control on site are
Champion Pet Foods (Orijen and Acana) and 
Natura Pet Foods..( Evo, Innova, Calif. Natural) but as you know, they were just bought by Proctor and Gamble..so no more for them..

The Honest Kitchen also uses their own facility to make their de-hydrated foods for pets...
thanks
Ken and Wilbur


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

More great food websites:

pethealthandnutritioncenter.com
doggiefood.com
olivegreendog.com


I have two weimeraners. When I feed kibble, I feed EVO. Otherwise, they eat Honest Kitchen Preference with added Chicken or Beef.


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## [email protected] (Sep 10, 2010)

I have in store pricing for our specific store, we're pretty competitive and I would think that any stores local to you would be simular of course.

Anyhow, which would you like listed? I don't have them all Wellness, Fromm. But I can get prices for you anything Natura, Canidae, Orijen's, whichever .


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> I have in store pricing for our specific store, we're pretty competitive and I would think that any stores local to you would be simular of course.
> 
> Anyhow, which would you like listed? I don't have them all Wellness, Fromm. But I can get prices for you anything Natura, Canidae, Orijen's, whichever .


I get the 28.6 lb bag of Natura EVO Turkey & Chicken for $52.99 from a local place called Pet City. Every time I price it out online, by the time I add in shipping, it winds up being more.


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## Serendipity (Aug 13, 2010)

All of the websites have store locators. You can usually find the foods like Nature's Variety, Orijen, Natura (includes EVO, Innova, California Natural, Healthwise, and Karma; they were bought by Procter & Gamble, but I haven't noticed problems yet), Acana, Fromm, Taste of the Wild, and The Honest Kitchen (prepared raw) at independently owned pet supply shops, as well as the brands listed below. 

Some brands that larger chains carry: 

- PetCo: Halo*, Avoderm, Pinnacle, Merrick, Natural Balance*, Wellness, Castor & Pollux, Blue Buffalo*, Solid Gold. 
*Avoid Halo (too little meat) and the Natural Balance LIDs (mostly made up of potatoes), except for Lamb & Rice. Blue Buffalo Lamb & Rice doesn't have enough meat either. 

Most likely, your pet store will have a natural/organic/holistic section. 

- Whole Foods: Dogswell (just don't buy their jerky treats since they're made in China), PetGuard*, Frenchie's Kitchen (prepared meals), Castor & Pollux, Wellness, Halo*, and their own 365 Brand*.
*Halo is one to avoid, again and PetGuard kibbles don't have enough meat, except for LifeSpan. Some of the non-holistic 365 foods do contain meat by-products, but I was told that they were only organs). 

Whole Foods has CRAZY markups on their dog food (almost double!), so they should only be a last resort unless you're getting the 365 Brand (I remember seeing it as low as $0.75 a pound). 

***There was another chain I was going to mention, but I just blanked out, so I'll edit it in later when I remember.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

There's a few specialty pet stores around here that sell all the high quality foods. They are local so only in this area do they exist. 

There is one chain called Pet Valu that is around in quite a few states, but mainly east coast, and they sell some pretty good stuff. NV Instinct, Taste of the Wild, etc. I often go here for canned food since it's like less than 5 minutes away from my house. Easy pick up.

I get a 5.5lb of Acana Grasslands for $14.99. Acana Prairie (chicken based one) is $13.99.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

Unosmom said:


> Each manufacturers website has a store locator on it since most of those arent not available through chain pet store, with the exception of few(wellness can be purchased at petsmart and petco).
> 
> OUt of the ones you mentioned, I've used Wellness core, Evo and Orijen.
> I can get wellness at a local pet store, I found Evo at a feed store and Orijen I used to order online when they would send me coupons in the mail (petfooddirect.com or heartypet.com), you have to sign up for their newsletter to get the promo codes for discounts.
> ...


i think the op should do a google search rather than astore locator site search. when iwas interested in orijen..their site gave 1 store that was far away. turns out my store i shop at right here has it.

i would type the name of the food and ur state into goodle..and se what happens.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

I have no clue about your area because you do not list it. I would guess you have some good pet stores in your area (not petco or petsmart). The formulas can differ at these chains, so if you decide to buy from these chains be sure to check the ingredient list. You can find good pet stores by googling pet stores in your area. These are all top of the line dog foods, some are over priced some are not. 

The A list
1.	Orijen
2.	Acana, Harvest, Pacifica & Grassland only.
3.	Blue Wilderness
4.	Wellness Core
5.	Go, Grain free only.
6.	Acana, the rest of Acana products.
7.	Taste of the Wild, wetlands & prairie only, Grain free
8.	Artemis
9.	Fromm
10.	Merrick, before grain.
11.	Horizon Legacy
12. Evo

The B list
1. Now, Grain free. 
2. GO, free indurance,chicken,salmon only
3. Merrick
4. Evangers
5. Timberwolf
5. Instinct
6. Wellness
7. Solid Gold
8. Canidae
9. Natures Logic
10. First Mate
11. Kirkland, Costco
12. California Natural

This is a partial list of who makes their own products..

Champion foods (Orijen & Acana)
Fromm
Merrick
Horizon Legacy
Petcurean, Go, Now & Summit
Natura Pet, Evo and the rest. Dry only..
First Mate
Precise, dry only
Timber wolf ???
Breeders Choice (Avoderm and Pinnacle), dry only..
Eagle Pack, dry only..
Evanders
Flint river ranch
Holistic Blend ???

K9Cuisine has Horizon Legacy on sale and it has to be one of the most underrated dog foods made today.
http://www.k9cuisine.com/m-99-horizon-pet-nutrition.aspx


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (May 19, 2009)

lancewil27 said:


> Just my opinion but ::
> 
> It is important to me to buy a food for dogs that is made at the manufacture's own plant. Where they own the plant and facility and only make "their own" food there.
> 
> ...


Fromm also has their own plant for their dry foods, and Petcurean ( NOW & GO) also has their own plant.

For some foods I cannot find locally, I've used Premium & Organic Dog Food and Dog Treats - Free Shipping and Paws Choice | Natural Holistic Pet Food | Premium Pet Food | Natural Pet Treats k9cuisine has free shipping over $50. and paws choice has a similar minimal to no shipping charge. Both ship quickly too.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

lancewil27 said:


> Just my opinion but ::
> 
> It is important to me to buy a food for dogs that is made at the manufacture's own plant. Where they own the plant and facility and only make "their own" food there.
> 
> ...


*I have no idea where you got this information from, but it is "WRONG". Honest Kitchen "DOES NOT" manufacture their own food AND they well not disclose where it is made. I have made numerous requests of them to give me that information and they refuse. Great Life who also sells and produces de-hydrated dog food and they also refuses to give out any information on where their dog food is manufactured.... Please see my list above of manufactures who "DO" make their own products.*


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