Dear Dogs Today
Like many people, I am worried about finances. I have cut down as much as I can in other areas of my life (no car, no tv, vegan, don't smoke, drink, take holidays, have heating on for no more than a few hours a day even in the depths of winter etc) and the only other cuts I can make now are to my dogs' food, treats and insurance. I am loathed to do this but it has reached the point where I really am going to struggle if I don't. I have already cut their treats right down (one schmacko/meaty strip divided into 10 separate little treats, for instance).
My dogs are mongrels, 12 and 13 (nearly 14) and thankfully still hale and hearty, a little arthritis in one elbow occasionally notwithstanding. We still have a couple of hours' walks most days. For years they have been fed on James Wellbeloved, and I switched to the senior/lite food when the youngest was eight years old. One of them has a wheat intolerance. However, this is a very expensive food and I am struggling to afford it now. I was wondering if any readers could recommend a good quality dry food which was cheaper? I was wondering about Autarky, since I have read several good reports about it.
I don't want to feed raw - I tried that when the dogs were younger and it was unpleasant for all of us, both the 'ins' and 'outs', as one of my dogs doesn't seem able to cope with a changeable diet at all. Whatever I change to, I will obviously change very slowly to give his tummy time to adjust.
I really hope someone can come up with a good suggestion. I don't want to feed them rubbish food which is padded out with fillers and artificial ingredients as I want them to have as long and as healthy a life as possible.
Thank you!
Tracy Neil, by email
You can cut the cost of the treats again by swapping for cut carrots for small pieces and whole ones for teeth cleaning - pence by comparison to dog treats and naturally sweet!
ReplyDeleteRather than changing the food which you are loath to do can you buy in bulk and make bigger savings that way? If you do then store the open bag in smaller sealed plastic tubs so that the freshness is maintained. Also find out what days your JW representative is doing and instore day in your local store and see if you can get some money off vouchers. Do JW have a website - often signing up for emails etc can get you some discount vouchers too and save lots of pennies that way. Nic aka Mutthouse xxx
Hello, I must admit we're in the same position, and when we did have money both my dogs wanted for nothing. Now, with feeding them what they should be having rather than a massive bowl and we also buy two bags of Morrisons Complete Dog Food the chicken & veg one 6kg each I think (£5.50 each) and a bag of gravy bones (99p) and this lasts more than a month so even if it only lasts for exactly a month it costs just under £3 per week. We have tried them on Pal Complete Dry Food and they will eat it if they're hungry and a Lurcher we fostered gobbled it down and I think thats about £10.50 for 15kg, but mine definately prefer the variety with the complete with vegetables. I must admit we used to go through a box of Bakers complete every couple of days but I found my collie especially was putting on too much weight and they love the morrisons food (its not the cheap crappy stuff, its the next food up from that. We do sometimes give them weetabix maybe some rice etc if you have any left over and that can replace the treats. I wish you and you dogs the best xx
ReplyDeletePersonally I believe you get what you pay for in a dog food and have to feed twice as much of some cheaper brands to get the same amount of nutrients from a better brand . I used to feed JWB as well but about 2 years ago switched to Simpsons Premium and havent regretted it. It cant be purchased in a store, its deliverd to your door within usually 36 hrs. They do a sensitive range that is based on potato instead of corn or wheat combined with your choice of meat and has all the added vitamins, minerals and herbal extras. I am feeding 3 adult staffords for about £34 a month (incl. delivery)which I do not think is high when you take into account the possible costly vet visits that can occur to treat the symptoms often brought on by a poor diet.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of dried foods out there in the market, sadly many of them seem to be aimed at us pet owners, with fancy marketing and pretty pictures. On one of the forums I am a member one of the most common questions is what to feed their dog, and as you can imagine with a membership in the 1000's the responses are extremely varied.
ReplyDeleteMany of our members have recommended Chappie Dried food, the tinned version has been around for years, a 15KG sack costs around £12 or thereabouts, and another couple that crop up regularly and highly recommended are Skinners and Autarky.
The whole dog food market is a mine field and sometimes I wonder what happened to the good old fashioned tinned meat and biscuit diet we used to feed our dogs on, they seemed to thrive on it, very few seemed to have the modern day allergies we see now a days.
what about CSJ? a friend of mine has a wheat intolerant dog and feeds lamb and rice wheat and grain free. Around half the price of JWB. Good if you have a local stockist too so you can save on delivery. I use champ on mine at the moment and they all do well on it
ReplyDeleteCheck this out for an INDEPENDENT review on all types of dog food. I was shocked to learn that the expensive, supposedly high quality food that I had fed my dogs for years was only rated a 2 out of 5. Since finding this site I switched my dogs to Kirkland's from Costco (I'm in Canada), it has a 4 out of 5 rating and is LESS THAN 1/2 the cost of my previous food! I have Mastiffs and one HUGE bag of food is only $30! Most importantly, my dogs are doing great on the food! Though I should say that my dogs are also fed Raw a couple of times a week. Good luck to you, money is an issue for most of us regardless of where we live!
ReplyDeletewe haven't tried it but what about Trophy?
ReplyDeleteI switched to Autarky when times got a bit hard, one of our Jacks has a sensitive tum and she does really well on it. Another one to look out for would be Trophy (http://trophypetfoods.co.uk/), you have to get it delivered by a local rep, but it's natural, they do a sensitive version, and it's relatively cheap (especially in the bigger bags) because they don't spend huge amounts on posh packaging or advertising. The reps can also advise on nutrition and they often provide other services such as microchipping and sell toys & accessories.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to treats, have you tried carrots? Some dogs really like them and they're good for them and also clean the teeth :). Ours are picky and only like really fresh juicy ones, but Mollie also loves the stalk from cauliflowers and raw sprouts, although obviously I wouldn't recommend them too often because of the ensuing wind! Many dogs also like fruit - not all fruit is that good for dogs, but slices of apple etc are good and one of my friends even feeds her dogs banana chopped up with oats & natural yoghurt as a supplement.
Good luck, I hope you find a solution that fits, and that your luck turns soon.
Em
Have a look at Harringtons, good food and I think (please check though) wheat free.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer for a rescue and we put the majority of our dogs on CSJ. http://www.csjk9.com/ If you have a look on their website they have a variety of foods and are very helpful when you speak to them about intolerances. They have stockists nationwide or you can order online.
I personally feed mine on raw and it costs me less than 50p a day to feed 3 dogs, but it's not for everyne I know!
Good luck in your search
Cheryl
Ugh, I forgot the link in my earlier post, here it is: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
ReplyDeleteAgain, these are independent reviews!
You could bake your own treats (http://www.shirleychong.com/recipes.html) and go to your local butcher and buy off cuts of meat and/or pet mince. To make it stretch pad out with rice, small amounts of broccoli stalk, and chopped up carrots. If you live near a market you could buy cheaper apples and banana that have gone past their sell best which dogs love.
ReplyDeleteIf you shop at and support an independent local pet shop you may be able to negotiate a better deal as a loyal customer and if you buy in bulk.
Good luck I hope you find some useful solutions.
My friend in Spain is on the tightest budget imaginable and she has always fed her rescue dog on cooked food much the same as she and her partner eat. So, he gets fresh meat (raw or very lightly cooked), lots of vegetables (raw or sometimes lightly cooked) and for lunch a slice of wholemeal toast (which could be cut out for a wheat-intolerant diner). He thrives wonderfully on this and it is healthy and pure, she knows exactly what goes into it and it doesn't cost much at all as it's basically a case of preparing a little extra of their own diet for him, much as parents would do for a human baby being weaned. My friend is actually vegetarian herself and the meat is therefore the only extra that she might not normally buy. Oh and she uses a lot of rice and pasta I think too. He is getting a balanced diet and it works out for a large dog much cheaper than buying bags of dried food. As treats, she feeds the vegetables raw, such as carrots.
ReplyDeleteI have 12 dogs to feed, and find Burns dry food on the internet cheaper wherever possible and where 15kg bags are delivered free. The last bag I bought was £42 and lasts about 4-5 weeks as it is weighed out every day.
ReplyDeleteI will look into some of these other suggested foods to see if I can find a good one cheaper.
There may be foods which are cheaper to buy, but look at the per-bowl cost - if you're paying £40 for a sack of dog food which is lasting two months, spending £30 a month on another dog food is not cost-cutting!
ReplyDeleteSee if there is a cheaper way to buy the food, perhaps if you order it on-line or over the phone, you could get it cheaper, and qualify for free delivery; or could you bulk-order with some dog-owning friends?
I used to feed JWB I have a hound with a sensitive tummy and tow other large dogs. About a year ago I changed to Country Choice - exactly same ingredients as JWB but half the price. Not paying for expensive advertising, reps and merchandising etc. Also look at your local pet food stores own brands - many are now having theirs made up for them and my own supplier (Pioneer Foods in Ledbury) does an excellent hypoallergenic once again about a third of the price of JWB. (check labels for any nasties) As for treats - carrots are great, but so is slowly baked offal. Butchers sell ox liver very cheaply. boil it for 10 - 15 mins cut into cubes and roast in a slow oven - will keep in the fridge for weeks. Notice you are vegan so may be a bit squemish about cutting up liver, my local Morrisons sells ready cubed ox heart very cheaply.
ReplyDeleteI've made friends with a butcher who gives me off cuts and bones when I visit him. I get a whole bag of bits for nothing. The bones I saw at home to allow my dog to get to the marrowbone and the off cuts I stick through a mincer and freeze into individual portions.
ReplyDeleteI also buy a whole chicken as opposed to just legs or breast and fillet it. The dog gets the wings and carcass and we have the breast and legs.
We're quite lucky as we both have good jobs so not affected too much by the economic climate. However you never know what the future holds.
I have 12 small dogs and thinking of buying Skinners Salmon and Rice hypoallergenic, have heard good things about it, I usuallly buy Burns dry food 15kg price varies had it as low as £42 up to £46, the above food is a lot cheaper approx £25 no VAT. also hypoallergenic free from wheat, maize, barley, soya and dairy products.
ReplyDeletewww.skinnerspetfoods.co.uk
Not normally in shops but can be ordered in certain shops or collected from factory where they make their own in Eye Suffolk.
Burns lasts around 3-4 weeks and some times includes foster dogs.
I don't know where you live, but if you have a Mole Valley Farmers shop in your area, I can recommend their own brand Dr Mole complete. I have tried just about every food and diet there is, working in rescue most of my life...retired now...and this food gives as good results as any, and better than a lot of very much more expensive foods. It is just under £9 for 15kg. I have 5 dogs now, Westies, aged from 18 months to 11 years, all fed on it all their lives, no health problems, including good skin. I did change briefly to another expensive complete, and one of them suffered severe colitis until I changed back.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI actually manufacture complete dog food - www.welhamestates.com. It is priced at the bottom end of the market but is an excellent product - even if I do say so myself. I have 3 Rhodesian Ridgebacks and they have thrived on it. If anyone needs any more information other than on the website - please email me on lyndachalfin@mac.com - I can then explain to you the benefits of the process we use.
Agree with your suggestions.you share such a good information. Thanks.
ReplyDeletebakers complete puppy food