# How much do you go through



## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

Each month? Or how long does a bag or how many cans last you? Or if you home cook, how much do you spend on average? Right now Rocky is on kibble, I go through a 4 lb bag of Fromm grain free in about a month and a half. Here it's $14 for that bag. When we add the second pup I'll be buying larger bags.

I would love to home cook but I am afraid of it, I don't feel like I know enough and I have yet to find a source I consider very reliable. I have tried the wet food but anything that is decent is just not fitting into our budget at this time. (We are madly trying to save for a house). We tried the freshpet (I still think it's an excellent brand of food btw) but Rocky had to pee constantly when he ate it. 

I'm still interested to know, what you feed and how long it lasts, or how much you spent per month, and if you have multiple dogs, how long it lasts them. If you feed kibble, what brand do you go with and if you rotate do you notice a difference in how long once lasts over another?

I give Rocky 1/4 cup twice a day of the fromm. I have heard some people say that's too much, however he's 5.8 lb and slim. He's an active little fella. I don't free feed, I'm sure if I did he'd tripple in weight. He always acts like he's hungry.


For treats they last us a bit, he gets one mid day when I come home for lunch and then if we do training I use these tiny itty bitty little biscotti treat pieces from 3 dog bakery.


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

That does not sound like your feeding Rocky too much food at all. I think that is about what most people feed their fluffs who use dry food. 

I have been home cooking for 5 months now. (I only have Zoe for a year). It is easy and I actually got the instructions from SM. Someone posted what they cook and what vitamins to add. You can make 2 weeks worth of food and freeze it. At least I know what I am feeding her. I feel so much better and know how much healthier it is. I use to feed canned food and have tried just about every brand on the market. Some she liked, some she didn't. 

It really is worth a try to home cook. It's not expensive. The only thing you have to do is purchase the vitamins you need.


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

I just realized part of my post may have sounded snotty. The part about home cooking, when I said 'reliable source' I was referring to books or websites that I trust. I do value the input of those of you that home cook


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## Zoe's Mom88 (Apr 25, 2011)

I didn't think that Shelly. I understand you want to do what is best for Rocky. It is one of the most difficult things finding a food you trust and that they will eat. 

If I can be of any help let me know. :thumbsup:


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

shellbeme said:


> I just realized part of my post may have sounded snotty. The part about home cooking, when I said 'reliable source' I was referring to books or websites that I trust. I do value the input of those of you that home cook


That didn't sound snotty at all. It is very important to follow a recipe prepared by a certified canine nutritionist. If you are not adding the correct supplements for a specific recipe, you can actually harm your dog. The exact calcium to phosphorus ratio is especially critical.

Here's a comprehensive list of canine nutritionists. I believe Rebecca Remillard has basic diets for $25 on her website.


*Sabine Contreras* (see About Page)
Marina del Rey, CA
Ph: (310) 991-6673
E-mail: [email protected]
Better Dog Care, Better Dog Nutrition (site for consults)
The Dog Food Project (for food information)

*Susan Blake Davis*, CCN
CCN-Certified Clinical Nutritionist 
VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital 
Lake Forest, CA 
Ph: 949-499-9380
E-mail: [email protected]
website: Holistic Veterinarian Pet Nutritionist Holistic Pet Care

*Rebecca Remillard* (PhD, DVM, MS, DACVN)
Angell Animal Medical Center - Boston, MA
(617) 522-7282
MSPCA-Angell: Nutrition Team
Veterinary Nutritional Consultation, Inc.
Welcome to Pet Diets

*Joseph Wakshlag*
Assistant Professor of Clinical Nutrition
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine - Ithaca, NY
E-mail: [email protected]
Ph: (607) 253-4389
Fax: (607) 253-3534

*Hilary Watson*
Ph: (519) 836-7253
[email protected]
(Note: Please specify nutrition request in subject line to avoid spam filters)
Hilary Watson Pet Nutritionist
(Can ONLY be contacted by those in Canada at this time)

*Lisa Weeth* (DVM, DACVN)
Redbank veterinary Hospital - Red Bank, NJ
Ph: (732) 747-3636


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

Both Snuggles and Chrissy get 1/4 cup 2 x a day and they are doing fine with that. Chrissy though (our Malt) had gained a bit too much weight and she and Snuggles were on the Blue Buffalo Maintenance variety for a while. Both of them did loose weight and are not on the Blue Buffalo Freedom and doing well.


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

Obi is a selectively picky eater! He was on Nature's variety prairie until he came to us... then switched to Wellness Small Breed Puppy because he seemed to like the taste better. Now that he is adult food, we tried a bag of Wellness Core (about 1/4 cup twice a day- but usually he doesn't finish all of it) which he is almost done with. I plan to transition him to Fromm four star nutritionals soon. I top with some Stella and Chewy's (maybe around 1/2 to 3/4 of a patty total per day) since he LOVES that stuff as well as some fresh fruit/veggies so that he isn't only eating protein. I think it's a good compromise between commercial and home cooking - it's mainly kibble so there is a good source of vitamins/nutrients but incorporating other healthy fresh foods. We buy the fruits and veggies for myself/husband too so it's a win-win situation  

The cost: 
--kibble- $15 per bag...lasts 1.5 months at least
--Stella and Chewy's- around $25 for big bag (forgot how many ounces) from local pet feed store (lasts a long time...around 2-3 months)
--fruits/veggies- no extra cost because we give him the stuff we buy for our own meals! (thankfully, Obi likes snap peas, apples, asian pears etc...!)


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## LJSquishy (Feb 27, 2008)

I have London & Preston and they each get 1/2 canned food and 1/2 dry kibble mixed at each meal (morning and evening).

Each dog gets 3.2oz of canned food and 1/4 cup of dry food at each meal. So, one can lasts two days feeding two dogs. I pay $21.99 for 12 large cans with free shipping. So, I spend roughly $27/mo on canned food.

Then, they get 1/4 cup of dry food at each meal. I buy the 12.5lb bag which is $38. I'm actually not sure how long it lasts, I would say 3 months or a little longer. So, we'll say about $10/mo.

Alltogether, we spend roughly $37/mo to feed both dogs. London has had a lot of digestive issues and one of the only foods that seems to work for her is Natural Balance LID varieties. When I order the cans, I order 3 varieties (Fish, Venison, & Duck) and always order the Sweet Potato & Fish dry food (it comes in tiny bites). I tried feeding a few types of dehydrated raw and freeze dried semi-raw food and London could not tolerate it. So, even though Natural Balance is not top tier (at least in my opinion), it is still a high quality food and both of them are doing great on it!

1/4 cup twice daily should be perfect for Rocky, especially if you add in a couple of small treats mid-day. I feel guilty when I eat lunch and the dogs don't get a mid-day meal so I always give them a few pieces of kibble to make them happy around lunchtime. 

If you have somewhere to store a larger bag of food, that will help cut down on the cost of food. I put mine in an airtight container. I actually used to buy the huge (30lb) bags of Orijen food and I would store the majority of it in an airtight container in my big chest freezer in the garage.


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## luvmyfluffybutt (Jan 6, 2012)

Daisy gets one wet dog food in the morning then I home cook dinner. I pay between .70-.75 per container, that is where I incur the most cost. As soon as I get her vitamins she will be totally home fed. I usually feed her whatever protein, carb, and veggie we're having for dinner and keep an additional protein prepared in the fridge just in case. She eats the same produce as we do for the most part, so it really doesn't affect my grocery budget.


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

I feed Zooey less than 1/4 cup (approx. 1/6 cup), twice per day. She also gets mid-day treats. A 5 lb. bag of dry food lasts a little over a month and costs $20. Including treats, bullies, and other chew sticks, I'd say I spend about $35-40/mo. on her food every month.


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## mostlytina (Jan 3, 2009)

I also fed Fromm before I moved to raw. Fromm is an excellent food. 1/4 cup, twice a day sounds reasonable to me. Switching to raw is much more expensive because I want a variety and a balance diet. I'd say between food and treats, I probably spent $60+/month for two malts...


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