[groomerwantabe]

Ok I was wondering is it better to buy a poor quality food like pedigree puppy or is it better to buy a dog food that is the off brand of Eukanuba? My locale dollar store got in a off brand of the Eukanuba and it list on the ingredient first thing is lamb. is this better that the corn and chicken by produced puppy food?

 

[saitenyo]

I think a great dog food would be better than a poor puppy food IF it's marked for all life stages (this means it meets the nutritional requirements of both puppies and adults). Not all adult foods are so it would really depend on the brand. An adult dog food designed only for adults may not meet the extra nutritional requirements of a puppy. But maybe that brand has a puppy food as well?

My opinion on food is to buy the best food you can afford that works for your dog and meets their specific needs. This may not be the same for everyone.

 

[groomerwantabe]

I looked and they don't have a puppy food, i am hoping that maybe they will get it since this is the first time i have seen this food.

 

[bear_42]

From some one who has had many dogs over the years, it is better to have The Best puppy food you can afford. To me, this is where you set your dog up for the rest of there life. There bodies are growing and developing. It is better to have Chicken, Lamb, Salmon, Potato, etc than corn or a heavy grain. Some people will say that vegetables are the best, but ALL dogs came from wolves and they eat meat. Just saying.

Just think about this. . . Corn for people is used as a filler for lots of foods that we eat. Corn has no nutritional value.

On a side note, do you have a Tractor Supply in your area? Go and see there food. You will be surprised with what they have and with good prices.

 

[hamandeggs]

Of course food with meat as the first ingredient is generally better than food with corn and byproducts and fillers, but I don't think I would ever buy dog food (or human food, actually) from the dollar store. It's there for a reason, and probably not an appetizing one!

 

[kafkabeetle]

I would scrap the dollar store food idea and look for something better around the same price. Some decently priced foods (you'll have to look to see if they have puppy lines) are:

4Health
Diamond Naturals
Chicken Soup
Whole Earth Farms
Natural Balance

I'm sure others can list cheaper, high quality foods. To give you an idea, on a scale of 1-5 this dog food review site gave most of Eukanuba's lines 3/5, and a few got 1-2/5. I bet you could do better for the price. To get the cheaper prices you'll probably have to go to a feed store like Tractor Supply, but many of these foods are also available at chain pet stores.

 

[swellmomma]

I have not bought food at the dollar store for my pup though I buy her treats there. As for food, you may find that the higher qualtiy stuff as a per unit price works out to cheaper in the long run. First with lowered vet bills but also the amount to feed your dog is less because it is more dense than the cheap stuff. I was really surprised when I was at the feed store and realized that the while I bag I bought at the grocery store was bigger for the same price the nutrient denseness was better with the high quality and when comparing how much to feed per serving the good one was less food, so in the end it really works out to be close to the same price. FOr the high quality I am looking at at least, there is some that I will never be able to afford.

 

[momof3]

I bought 4Health here in SC the Salmon and potato for $18.99 for a 18lb bag. The puppy type was $17.99 for the same size bag.

 

[groomerwantabe]

What i am trying to say is this is the best food i have found around here. I have looked for the others. I do not have a tractor supply or anything similar. I tried my local co op and all they had was a small selection of science diet. The closest place around me is at least 45 minutes from me. As far as buying from a dollars store I live in a small town and that is about all i have besides two grocery stores. This is called Butchers select. So far it is the only one that even list a meat first and it is lamb. the next is rice.

 

[swellmomma]

What i am trying to say is this is the best food i have found around here. I have looked for the others. I do not have a tractor supply or anything similar. I tried my local co op and all they had was a small selection of science diet. The closest place around me is at least 45 minutes from me. As far as buying from a dollars store I live in a small town and that is about all i have besides two grocery stores. This is called Butchers select. So far it is the only one that even list a meat first and it is lamb. the next is rice.

I am in a tiny rural town (as in too small for even a $ store). There has been posts on here about companies that deliver pet food. and I think I had read on here that amazon carries pet food too. So if you want a selection other than what is in your town check out one of those companies so that you have more selection. I have a post in the new dog owners forum about driving 2 hours to the big city to find a pet food store that had good quality food not the stuff sold in my town. Several people posted links to places that deliver pet food.

 

[groomerwantabe]

ok thanks i will check on that.

 

[Gally]

Ordering online is a great option, you can sometimes get free delivery too.

 

[kafkabeetle]

Ordering online is a great option, you can sometimes get free delivery too.

I agree. Definitely a good option. Personally, I commute almost 45 minutes just to get to work so I would certainly travel that far every month or so for dog food (even less often if you buy more at once), but I guess everyone's situation is different. I hope you can find something that works for you and your dog.

 

[Willowy]

I usually order online just so I don't have to drive around with a hundred cans of cat food in the backseat of my car, LOL. I always say that if I'm in a rollover accident, I'll be pummeled to death by cat food. . .

Anyway, the prices online can be very competitive. My current favorite is www.doggiefood.com, but I haven't heard anything bad about any of the online pet food companies. Once you make an account with them, they send you coupon codes and free shipping deals. Considering the price of gas, if you have to drive to buy pet food at all, you can really save a lot by buying online.

 

[Navman]

Prey model based diet is the best if you have the scientific aptitude to read and understand its basis: check this link: http://rawfed.com/myths/. Go to your butcher select and buy things like chicken backs, offal (heart, liver, brains, tongue) green tripe and for very young pups from the age of 6 to 10 weeks you can give them chicken necks. The idea is to feed them like wolves and wild dogs, they hunt and eat as a pack with each member getting some part of the animals body, meat, bone, stomach contents, offal, skin e.t.c. Don’t even try to balance the food, they don’t have balanced vet diets in the wild and these diets are the reason vets are in business. So just put a selection of these animal body parts in the freezer and then dish it out random raw bits without trying to balance it with equal portions of meat, bone, offal e.t.c Remember, they get one heart, liver, brain e.t.c from the animal hunted and the pack will only get offal once a while. So the amount of offal and green tripe should be similar to the portion of meat and bone they eat.

This could work out even cheaper for you. The benefits are HUGE, only those who follow it know it. My dog does not have any discharges from his eyes which means no tear marks, no discharges in the ear, never had to clean his ears. No smell from his body or mouth, he has never been bathed other than the swims at beaches and rivers. His teeth are shiny white and I never get any smells from him. He is a Tibetan mastiff, one of the most fiercest guardian breeds, he has been brought up on this diet since he was weaned off milk. I have chickens and a rabbit at home, though I feed him whole chickens, rabbits, hares e.t.c he never troubles the chooks or other animals that he lives with.

I can write pages about the problems that commercial dog foods create but its already outlined here: http://rawfed.com/myths/

Do it, your furry friend will benefit 

 

[Gebo]

... My current favorite is www.doggiefood.com, but I haven't heard anything bad about any of the online pet food companies. Once you make an account with them, they send you coupon codes and free shipping deals. Considering the price of gas, if you have to drive to buy pet food at all, you can really save a lot by buying online.

I agree. 10% discount for new customers with weekly discounts for the rest of us. I've purchased from them for the past 3 years and when I had a problem, they were great to work with. My only complaint (and it is really nitpicking) is not many of there foods have been rated by their customers. Even the "top" sellers. You will have to do your research other places to make your initial purchasing decision. Okay, I know I am nitpicking :whoo:

 

[bear_42]

What i am trying to say is this is the best food i have found around here. I have looked for the others. I do not have a tractor supply or anything similar. I tried my local co op and all they had was a small selection of science diet. The closest place around me is at least 45 minutes from me. As far as buying from a dollars store I live in a small town and that is about all i have besides two grocery stores. This is called Butchers select. So far it is the only one that even list a meat first and it is lamb. the next is rice.

If you have a Walmart near by, they have a decent selection of food. I wouldn't do the store brand but it is similar to what you would find in a pet store. It might be the best as in a local store. Some places like a Publix will have dog food.

If you can't find something like this, then I would take the rest of the advice and find someplace online.

Good Luck.

 

[Roloni]

Why not buy "Great Puppy Food"
and then when your dog is older buy "Great Dog Food"