# Feeding 8 dogs and lost job food help



## suebisaga (Sep 23, 2012)

I have 8 dogs all rescues. One is a foster and hopefully will be adopted out after his neuter.
I feed Natures Domain (costco grain free food) or Canidea all life stages to 7 of the dogs at 10 to 11 cups a day.
One dog gets Nutrisca (he has grain and potaoe allergies) at 1 cup a day. I have figured it out and I pay $1.22-$1.25 a pound and more for the Nutrisca but he's little and it's no big deal to feed him. I want to feed my guys good food but I spend about
$15 a day to feed them and another $5 on supplements and meds. I know about the dimond issues but dimond is by
far the most reasonable food to feed such a large pack. My dogs are all spayed/neutered fosters who couldn't be placed 
for differnt reasons (they are not able to be rehomed so it's here with me or dead). These are not breeding dogs who I make any money off. Infact I spend way more making someone ready for adoption then I every get back from a adoption fee.
I'd like some ideas other then raw (which I have really check into and it is not a option) on other foods that are great foods but don't cost tons. I've been really trying to sort it all out but I guess I am over whelmed. I do have a store about a hour away that sells alot of different foods for almost whole sale prices but what they have avaliable can be a crap shoot. I pay $46 for a 35lb. bag of canidea or sometimes $46 for a 44lb. bag of canidea just depends on what they have when I get there. Natures domain salmon/sweet potato is $36 for 30 lbs. or the turkey/sweet potato is $30 for $30lbs. about.

So people help me out with some ideas on foods to look into.
Thanks, sue and the fur crew


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Welcome! 

Have you tried the regular kirkland signature Costco food? That's what I fed when I fed kibble as a starving college student.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

You can also check out whole earth farms, it's around $35-37 for 35 lbs or Healthwise, around that same price and hi tek naturals. This is another food you can try if you sign up for autoship
PetBest.com : Super Performance Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

A few alternatives:

ProPac Adult chunk @ $0.81/lb
Triumph Chicken & Rice @ $1.10/lb
Enhance Pro Endurance @ $1.16/lb
Precise Chicken & Rice @ $1.16/lb


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Fromm Classic or Fromm Gold are really good deals. A 33lb bag of Fromm Classics is $36.99 on MrChewy.com. Fromm is a solid reputable company too. Earthborn also.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

I would check out all the places to order from. Someone mentioned MrCheweys; also look at petflow.com, wag.com, doggiefood.com and possibly petfooddirect.com. someone on another forum signed up for automatic delivery at one of them, while on the phone setting it up, she asked for another discount and got another 10% off. It can't hurt to call and ask what they can do for you. I'd look at Fromm and maybe Eagle Pack.


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## suebisaga (Sep 23, 2012)

Right now I am looking at fromm adult gold. I have study all the food shipping site without end.
I don't want to go to far from what they get now Canidea or natures domain. I have fed costco kirkland before breifly.
Thanks so much for the help. When you write down how much things really cost what a wake up call. Not a huge spend on self person but between the kids, dogs and husband wow. Hoping I can keep up with decent food till I can find another job. Working on a garage sale now. If we haven't used it in the last few months it goes to sale. And kids have tons of out grown cloths that I would have donated in the past that I am now trying to rehome at garage sale. Even $.50 can add up.
Thanks again,
sue


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

I'd look into Earthborn or maybe even NutriSource. Good luck!


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

there must be other alternatives than diamond. i understand not having tons of money and lots of dogs, but why would you take a chance?(this coming from someone who had tragic results from kirkland food and was reimbursed thousands for vet bills)
i believe earthborn is a good food, and not terribly expensive. it's not going to be as cheap as the diamond but......at least you wont have vet bills and sick dogs.


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## suebisaga (Sep 23, 2012)

Do you understand having "alot" of dogs? Dogs I never really intended to have, I was just a way station for most because some other person let them down. Then they were let down again when they weren't perfect and no one wanted to adopt them. I kept them and have loved them and have done all there care on my own (no $$ assistance form anyone). Not just food although that's alot of money on a daily basis but then there's all the supplements ( fish oil,vitimin e, glucosamine, condrodent, msm, DGP, and previcox (pain med.) for my old arthritic guys). and monthly heartworm prevention and blood work every 6 months for most of them and regular vet care and so on. I don't always agree with diamond but they do by far have the best price for the quality. I can get a 44lb. bag of canidea for $46 to $50 a bag. No other company compares really to that price. But like I said I am going to look into feeding Fromm Gold.
I don't think most people who do not rescue have any idea what it cost. They think "we" get some kind of discounts on food, vet care, vet supplies but infact "we" most often don't. I put hundreds of dollar into saving a dog someone else screwed up and then after all the money spent fixing the dog, adopt it out for $150 which almost never even covers the cost of the spay or neuter.
Thank you everyone for the different brands to look into,
sue and the fur crew


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Many of us here have a lot of dogs. I have 8 right now. We feed raw and are on a single income. It can work.  I am not telling you to feed raw just when you take them on you just do what you have to do. I don't gripe at others about the expense - they are my babies no matter how they some about and I will find a way.  So I guess yeah we understand "a lot" of dogs.


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## suebisaga (Sep 23, 2012)

I know some of you do but the "do I have to feed a diamond product" I don't think they know.
I'd love to feed raw but just can't find suppliers that work for me to be with in reason to feed full time.
I've lived in some nasty places to keep my fur kids and would again if needed. 
I'm not complaining I do what I do because I do. I was just looking for some ideas in what to feed
them, that would be good for them, but cost effective and not made by diamond.
Again thank you all,
sue


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

With all the recalls it is hard. Decent food now is high priced. I have a friend with only a few dogs but in a very tight budget - she used to feed Nature's Domain but the diamond recall frightened her and everything else is pretty expensive around here. It is a hard situation to be in. I think she is feeding Fromm as it was the best she could get on her budget.


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## Sheltielover25 (Jan 18, 2011)

suebisaga said:


> Do you understand having "alot" of dogs? Dogs I never really intended to have, I was just a way station for most because some other person let them down. Then they were let down again when they weren't perfect and no one wanted to adopt them. I kept them and have loved them and have done all there care on my own (no $$ assistance form anyone). Not just food although that's alot of money on a daily basis but then there's all the supplements ( fish oil,vitimin e, glucosamine, condrodent, msm, DGP, and previcox (pain med.) for my old arthritic guys). and monthly heartworm prevention and blood work every 6 months for most of them and regular vet care and so on. I don't always agree with diamond but they do by far have the best price for the quality. I can get a 44lb. bag of canidea for $46 to $50 a bag. No other company compares really to that price. But like I said I am going to look into feeding Fromm Gold.
> I don't think most people who do not rescue have any idea what it cost. They think "we" get some kind of discounts on food, vet care, vet supplies but infact "we" most often don't. I put hundreds of dollar into saving a dog someone else screwed up and then after all the money spent fixing the dog, adopt it out for $150 which almost never even covers the cost of the spay or neuter.
> Thank you everyone for the different brands to look into,
> sue and the fur crew


Another thing to consider if you go with RAW or a high quality food (Ziwipeak is the only kibble I trust) you won't have vet bills like you're used to and can probably cut down on most of the medicines you give the pups. For example, old dog and pain medicine, most likely arthritis, sugars/carbs inflame you and lead to arthritis, cut that out and he won't be in pain. Feeding quality meat would allow you to cut all those supplements out, too. Just food for thought....

Nature's Logic is a decent kibble, no synthetic vitamins, so they're actually getting their food from food vs some sprinkling of man-made chemicals ... also a plus right?


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## bubba121605 (Jul 17, 2012)

I dont feed it but Walmart has a new food by Ol Roy called Pure Balance i think and its around a dollar a pound. It is corn wheat and glueten free i checked it out seems to be a decent food for someone on a tight budget.


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Not gunna lie, When I was living in my truck/on people couches and had the option for my dogs to eat, or starve, they ate Sportmix that was like $15 for 50lbs. To me it was more improtant for them to get something over nothing. Now when things get tight, we just buy a bag of chicken quarters for $5.90 for 10lbs and it lasts them 4 days (I only have three boxers).


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

Fromm Classic is reasonably priced. LIttle more than a dollar per pound, depending on where you can get it.
NOT made by diamond and has its own plant.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Sportmix or Tuffy's Gold or Professional

Sportmix is made by Midwestern Pet and the Black bag is quite a good food. Tuffy's Professional or Tuffy's Gold are made by Nutrisource and are very good foods. The Pride is another and Hi-Tek Rations makes a feed store lines as well.

Neither of these cost much more than 50 cents lb.


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## bett (Mar 15, 2012)

well, i do understand having "a lot" of dogs but i dont have 8 and couldnt afford to. i have 3 and my vet bills (two are seniors, and a young incontinent female) are outrageous.
the reason they are so outrageous, is because they all were "poisoned" in the diamond fiasco. yes, poisoned. diamond has just reimbursed me nearly 4grand for my bills.and that's because i fought the fight. but, i settled knowing that my oldest is now struggling with liver issues so i still have lots of bills.
i'd feed them almost anything but not a diamond product. in the long run, i figure, my vet bills would be less.
8 dogs is a tremendous amount of dogs to care for. i can hardly imagine the frontline and heartworm bills, let alone if something happens.
i hope you find a satisfactory food.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

bett said:


> well, i do understand having "a lot" of dogs but i dont have 8 and couldnt afford to. i have 3 and my vet bills (two are seniors, and a young incontinent female) are outrageous.
> the reason they are so outrageous, is because they all were "poisoned" in the diamond fiasco. yes, poisoned. diamond has just reimbursed me nearly 4grand for my bills.and that's because i fought the fight. but, i settled knowing that my oldest is now struggling with liver issues so i still have lots of bills.
> i'd feed them almost anything but not a diamond product. in the long run, i figure, my vet bills would be less.
> 8 dogs is a tremendous amount of dogs to care for. i can hardly imagine the frontline and heartworm bills, let alone if something happens.
> i hope you find a satisfactory food.


People with many dogs don't use the normal heartworm products, they tend to use liquid ivermectin or for bigger dogs apple horse paste.

I agree I wouldn't use any product made by Diamond, no matter what the brand.


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