# Pet food brand suggestions on a budget



## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Curious what brands people would recommend for someone who is on a budget. To give you an idea on what sort of budget, an ideal goal would be $30 - $45 monthly.

*Brands I've considered*
Chicken Soup For The Dog/Cat Lover's Soul 
Taste Of the Wild 
Canidea/Felidae
(However, not too sure what to think after the Diamond plant incident)
Simply Nourish
Blue Buffalo
Wellness
Nutro Max ( Canned only)

*** I know these are not the greatest and there are better out there, but in reality I have to stick with what I can afford. However I would supplement with raw or home cooking.***
*
Healthier brands I'll rotate with but can't afford on a regular basis*
Honest Kitchen
Fresh Pet
Merrick
Primal Raw
Arcana
Orijen
Natural Balance
Holistic Select
Natures variety Instinct


I do intend on going raw, but I doubt I can go cold turkey from the start, due to situation and at my husband's comfort level.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

You might want to check into Nutrisource, its usually sold through feed stores or online and its pretty good price for the quality, they even have a grain free line which is around $43-45 for a large bag and a good alternative to taste of the wild. 
Another option is Earthborn, though I'm not really a fan of their grain inclusive line since its so low protein, I've heard good feedback on the grain free varieties. 

There's also healthwise, whole earth farms, hi tek naturals just to name a few.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Never heard of those before but I will be checking them out  Have you've ever purchased any of them online before? If so which sites?


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I'd not choose another Diamond product. I realize they are a good food ingredient wise for the price, but it's just not worth the risk any more. It's not about the salmonella, which is not overly dangerous to the dog, but the fact that SO MUCH bad product went through their non existent quality control, how slow the recall was let out (remember, it started with just a couple brands). Then the FDA report saying the plant was gross. All of this was completely avoidable and has happened before. I think they are too big a company- they produce so many brands- that stuff is going to slip through the cracks. It's best to support small, family owned brands over giant megacorporations..


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> You might want to check into Nutrisource, its usually sold through feed stores or online and its pretty good price for the quality, they even have a grain free line which is around $43-45 for a large bag and a good alternative to taste of the wild.
> Another option is *Earthborn*, though I'm not really a fan of their grain inclusive line since its so low protein, I've heard good feedback on the grain free varieties.
> 
> There's also healthwise, whole earth farms, hi tek naturals just to name a few.


I was reading through the list and I knew there was a food missing that was more in the price range of TOTW but couldn't think of it...Earthborn! That's it. Many ppl here seem to like their grain-free versions.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

Of the ones you were considering, I'd go for Canidae. By far the best out of the ones you listed. And let's not forget that Canidae is producing their food in their own factory now!


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Savage Destiny said:


> Of the ones you were considering, I'd go for Canidae. By far the best out of the ones you listed. And let's not forget that Canidae is producing their food in their own factory now!


Not yet. I don't think that had started yet, but maybe I'm wrong.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Also, Fromm Classics or Fromm Gold shouldn't be terribly expensive. 
The Adult Classics is somewhere around $37 for 35lbs or something.


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

Earthborn Holistics is a good food from a great company.
My girls do very, very well on their grain free formulas...I pay $34 for a 28 lb bag around here.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Javadoo said:


> Earthborn Holistics is a good food from a great company.
> My girls do very, very well on their grain free formulas...I pay $34 for a 28 lb bag around here.


Not trying to hijack the thread but I sure wish that the Earthborn GF cat food was as cheap as the dog food. I pay $31 for a 14 lb bag.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

Jacksons Mom said:


> Not yet. I don't think that had started yet, but maybe I'm wrong.


They have started producing their own food. We went through a shortage a few weeks ago thanks to the switch, since they couldn't get up to speed quite fast enough once they started producing their own. Production seems to be on track now though, we're not getting shorted on Canidae products anymore.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

kathylcsw said:


> Not trying to hijack the thread but I sure wish that the Earthborn GF cat food was as cheap as the dog food. I pay $31 for a 14 lb bag.


I'm hearing you.....
I've noticed that cat food always seems to be more expensive than the dog food in the same brand. I put it down to it having more protein, therefore more meat, but I've been known to be wrong a few thousand times in my life.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Itty bitty Kitty said:


> Curious what brands people would recommend for someone who is on a budget. To give you an idea on what sort of budget, an ideal goal would be $30 - $45 monthly.
> 
> *Brands I've considered*
> Chicken Soup For The Dog/Cat Lover's Soul
> ...


I personally wouldn't feed any of those, they're either made by Diamond or had a recall (BB, I believe they had one but could be wrong). Look at Nutrisource, Annamaet (if you don't need grainfree, this would be a great option. Bags are 40lbs), Fromm, Earthborn.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

What are you feeding? (Don't know what kind of dog or how many you have)  Does 1 big bag last a month? 

Earthborn Grain free I usually pay around $39 a bag. But I buy online at Doggiefood.com. If you buy 2 bags same flavor the price drops to $43.99 and if you join their facebook, they give out coupon codes. Usually 10 % off $75 or more or sometimes 15% off $100 or more. No tax and free shipping for most orders. 

Victor Grain free Best Dog Food, Best Cat Food, Dog Treats, Cat Treats, Healthy Pet Food, Healthy dog food, healthy cat food, pet food, pet food online, organic dog foods, pet supplies, pet supplements, holistic pet food, grain free pet food, holistic dog food, natura runs $43 a bag and if you buy 2 bags at a time, you get free shipping. 

wag.com- you can get Nutrisource grain free for around $48 a bag and first time customers can get 25% off using coupon code wagny25 and if you spend over $50 you get free shipping. So 2 bags would run you around $75.


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## lindseycampbell358 (Jun 17, 2012)

Fromm is a really good quality food, and its a privately owned company. My little shih tzu was on it for a while and did great on it. Their classics and gold lines tend to run fairly cheap for such high quality. I prefer the 4 star line but its usually a bit more expensive.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

> Never heard of those before but I will be checking them out  Have you've ever purchased any of them online before? If so which sites?


I have not, although I've seen it sold online at petcarerx.com and amazon, I've gotten it from a local feed store which is at least $10 cheaper then any site i've seen.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Well, drat. So, I'm not sure if I will end up living in North Carolina or Canada by the time I get my dog, and by the looks of it, all sites that sell Earthborn, Nutriscource and Canidae do not ship to Canada. Or the ones that did charged $25 - $50 + for shipping with a higher list price. 

:/ Anyone know where it's possible to get Earthborn, Nutrisource and Canidae with reasonable shipping prices?

Also what does everyone think of Petmart brand, Simply Nourish? It's not fantastic but it's still pretty decent food for starters. That and I've been bumping intro Nutrience Holistic. Any thoughts of those?


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

As far as Simply Nourish some found weevils in their food....eww


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

When I brought Lola home I fed her a small bag of Simply Nourish and she did ok on it. That was early in my feeding evolution before going raw. I do think that it is a bit pricey for what it is though. It has a fair amount of carbs and not super high in protein so you can probably get better food for the same price or even less. Can you get HiTek Naturals where you are? I am switching my mom's dog to that following the last Diamond recall. She was eating 4Health and HiTek Natural looks as good or better for just a bit more in pirce. It is made by a small family owned company in Georgia. I also looked at Healthwise and it seems like it might be a good food at a decent price too.


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## lindseycampbell358 (Jun 17, 2012)

In my opinion, Earthborn & Fromm are great foods, I've only heard good things about them, and also pretty well-priced for the quality. Does petflow.com ship to Canada? They advertise that they give us a 5% discount!


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Yeah I've taken taking a look at them and think they're great but I can't get a hold of them any where  And nope, no Canada from petflow, doesn't even give me the option lol. It's a shame too because petflow has AMAZING prices too! Course this won't be a problem if I end up living in NC but the way things are looking I'll most likely be in Canada by the time I get my dog. 



lindseycampbell358 said:


> In my opinion, Earthborn & Fromm are great foods, I've only heard good things about them, and also pretty well-priced for the quality. Does petflow.com ship to Canada? They advertise that they give us a 5% discount!


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

kathylcsw said:


> When I brought Lola home I fed her a small bag of Simply Nourish and she did ok on it. That was early in my feeding evolution before going raw. I do think that it is a bit pricey for what it is though. It has a fair amount of carbs and not super high in protein so you can probably get better food for the same price or even less. Can you get HiTek Naturals where you are? I am switching my mom's dog to that following the last Diamond recall. She was eating 4Health and HiTek Natural looks as good or better for just a bit more in pirce. It is made by a small family owned company in Georgia. I also looked at Healthwise and it seems like it might be a good food at a decent price too.


Looked at HiTek Naturals just now and it looks great! But ugh! Doing a search just now it's not available locally and online it doesn't ship to Canada. Dog gone it!


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

Itty bitty Kitty said:


> Looked at HiTek Naturals just now and it looks great! But ugh! Doing a search just now it's not available locally and online it doesn't ship to Canada. Dog gone it!



I was very surprised to be able to find it locally here. I live in a fairly small area and don't have to access to a lot of the brands people talk about on here. I can't find Fromm or Earthborn Holistic here. I order Earthborn Holistic for my cats from Amazon. Have you checked there? I assume that Amazon ships to Canada and if they carry Earthborn cat food they surely carry the dog version.


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

well, Orijen may be more pricey, along with some of the other grain free holistic brands, BUT... you feed less of it, so a bag lasts longer. My mom and i were talking and she only spends about 20$ a month to feed her JRT, and she feeds Orijen, and partial raw... lesser foods will take more to get the nutrition in imo, better foods, better proteins will take less, Feathers for instance... 100% protein, 100% non-bioavailable.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

this may not be an ideal place to show but wal-mart in canada has a food called Actrium which has pretty decent ingredients and I think its around $30 for a large bag.


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## InkedMarie (Sep 9, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> this may not be an ideal place to show but wal-mart in canada has a food called Actrium which has pretty decent ingredients and I think its around $30 for a large bag.


That;s a decent food, wonder if they carry that in the states?


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Ah yes, I've seen that and it seems pretty good and affordable. I could just never remember what it's called or spell it for the life of me lol. Though I've been hearing how no one really knows much of the company or it's origin? Either way I'm glad Walmart made their own holistic pet food. 



Unosmom said:


> this may not be an ideal place to show but wal-mart in canada has a food called Actrium which has pretty decent ingredients and I think its around $30 for a large bag.


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

kathylcsw said:


> I was very surprised to be able to find it locally here. I live in a fairly small area and don't have to access to a lot of the brands people talk about on here. I can't find Fromm or Earthborn Holistic here. I order Earthborn Holistic for my cats from Amazon. Have you checked there? I assume that Amazon ships to Canada and if they carry Earthborn cat food they surely carry the dog version.


Yeah, I checked Amazon but the providers for Earthborn, Fromm, Canidae, HiTek Natruals do not ship to Canada unfortunately. Or at least when I did a test check out it always get ' We're sorry but we cannot ship to this address."


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## Itty bitty Kitty (Dec 26, 2011)

Tobi said:


> well, Orijen may be more pricey, along with some of the other grain free holistic brands, BUT... you feed less of it, so a bag lasts longer. My mom and i were talking and she only spends about 20$ a month to feed her JRT, and she feeds Orijen, and partial raw... lesser foods will take more to get the nutrition in imo, better foods, better proteins will take less, Feathers for instance... 100% protein, 100% non-bioavailable.



Orijen certainly interested me but it out of my price range, at east for starters. I do plan on feeding partial raw, so I'm curious how long does a big bag last? My german shepherd will probably weigh somewhere between 65 to 75 lbs. Do you think a 30 lb bag would last for a month if I serve 2 cups a day? ( I'll have to figure out how to balance raw into it, but I imagine that will help make the bag last longer)


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## EckoMac (Jun 1, 2012)

If I remember correctly, Acana is from Canada. I would think the prices would be better for you there. Good quality kibble. Almost switched to it before I decided to just go raw. The chihuahua will be switched to it in the next couple of weeks since she refuses raw and I don't have time to deal with her just yet.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Itty bitty Kitty said:


> Well, drat. So, I'm not sure if I will end up living in North Carolina or Canada by the time I get my dog, and by the looks of it, all sites that sell Earthborn, Nutriscource and Canidae do not ship to Canada. Or the ones that did charged $25 - $50 + for shipping with a higher list price.
> 
> :/ Anyone know where it's possible to get Earthborn, Nutrisource and Canidae with reasonable shipping prices?


If you end up here north of the border you shouldn't really have to ship anything. All of the brands mentioned in this thread are available here. And on top of those you have many brands which are not sold in the US. Prices can vary greatly from area to area and province to province. Unless you move way up north or something there's always a Global Petfoods, Pet Value or Petsmart nearby, I think also Petcetera is emerging from bankruptcy and are leasing new big box buildings a few places.

Not sure what your budget will be but around here a 33lb of NutriSource Chicken & Rice will typically cost you around $53. You can get 33lb Lifetime Chicken & Oatmeal for $33, that's great value. In comparison, Acana Pacifica is $62 for 30lb and Orijen Adult 30lb is $68


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Itty bitty Kitty said:


> Orijen certainly interested me but it out of my price range, at east for starters. I do plan on feeding partial raw, so I'm curious how long does a big bag last? My german shepherd will probably weigh somewhere between 65 to 75 lbs. Do you think a 30 lb bag would last for a month if I serve 2 cups a day? ( I'll have to figure out how to balance raw into it, but I imagine that will help make the bag last longer)


1 3/4- 2 1/2 cups is what they recomend for that weight, i'd imagine it would fluctuate, and may or may not eat 2 cups.. or need it to maintain weight depending on the workout schedule, and exercise that is gotten. If i remember correctly, there is about 112 cups in a 30lb bag.. somebody correct me if my math is off or wrong.

soooo.. in reality you could feed for approx two months on a single bag if you feed 2 cups or less a day. Bear in mind again, high end foods are less filler, higher quality proteins and more bioavailable than lesser quality foods, not to say they are bad, they are just lesser. so your dog may need less of a higher quality food. Worst case scenario, buy a bag and see how long it lasts IMO.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Tobi said:


> 1 3/4- 2 1/2 cups is what they recomend for that weight, i'd imagine it would fluctuate, and may or may not eat 2 cups.. or need it to maintain weight depending on the workout schedule, and exercise that is gotten. If i remember correctly, there is about 112 cups in a 30lb bag.. somebody correct me if my math is off or wrong.
> 
> soooo.. in reality you could feed for approx two months on a single bag if you feed 2 cups or less a day. Bear in mind again, high end foods are less filler, higher quality proteins and more bioavailable than lesser quality foods, not to say they are bad, they are just lesser. so your dog may need less of a higher quality food. Worst case scenario, buy a bag and see how long it lasts IMO.


Recommended cups to feed will always vary because cups for a specific formula is based on density per metric weight unit, kilograms and grams. Cups is a nightmare since it is almost never apples to apples. A cpl of weeks ago I got a free ByNature measuring cup. It wasn't close to a regular household cup nor was it close to a similar cup I had laying around from another brand. It was volume adjusted according to their size and density. A 30lb bag can yield everything from 100 to 120 cups. It turns out there is no standard for this and manufacturers does calculations in different ways, this from the industry itself. This is why you can see formulas with varying amount of energy per cup still recommends similar feeding amounts. Soooo, be a little careful measuring in cups, you might end up feeding more than intended or recommended. On top of that different brands can use slightly different formulas for energy requirement. These two things combined is why recommended feeding amounts should only be taken as a very rough guide as you said. When you see a so called high end formula with lots of energy per kilogram recommending the same amounts in grams as another brand with less energy per kilogram that's when you should start to question things. Chances are you should feed less than recommended of the high energy formula. But wait, then what happens with the levels of all the functional ingredients in the expensive high end formula? At the end of the day the only true measurement is the condition of the dog, nothing else really matters.


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

Jacksons Mom said:


> Also, Fromm Classics or Fromm Gold shouldn't be terribly expensive.
> The Adult Classics is somewhere around $37 for 35lbs or something.



Fromm is easily my favorite for budget friendly food. Their oldest line(purple and red bags) are around $1/pound or less on sale. Good food from a family owned company that has been around a long time.


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