Dog Food Prices

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

My Brittany lived to be 16-1/4 years old

Beautiful dog. I grew up with a neighbor's Brittany following me all over the countryside while I worked my paper route. He and I spent countless days with him sitting in a red wagon, with me pulling him up a hill and turning around at the top and us both riding on it down the hill while I steered with the handle. He was the most loyal and gentle dog a kid could grow up with.

... and yes. I agree. Dog food prices are high, but it's a price people will bear because we love our dogs.

[Brian Elfert]

How did dogs survive in the wild before they were domesticated without nutritionally complete dog food?

[Mel Fulks]

How did dogs survive in the wild before they were domesticated without nutritionally complete dog food?

The big dogs ate the smaller dogs.

[Walter Mooney]

Bill, I caution you about changing dog food. Several months back the wife decided one of our three rescues should maybe lose some weight, go on a ‘healthy’ food. I’m not sure what brought on that decision. Long story shortened, three days after the change in food (from one quality food brand to another), the little guy spent an entire day at the vet’s, with what was ultimately diagnosed as pancreatitis! When I asked the vet what brought this on so suddenly, she gave a two-word answer — food indiscretion! The little guy (a pug) survived and is doing well, back on the food he’d been eating for the umpteen years we’ve had him. It was an $1800 lesson! That money would have bought A LOT of food!

[mike stenson]

How did dogs survive in the wild before they were domesticated without nutritionally complete dog food?

With shorter lifespans. Just like humans.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

"The big dogs ate the smaller dogs"
We feed the neighbors dogs out at our wood lot. They are about half wild and do not get fed regularly. When they have full tummies they are good playmates. When they are starving they are very ornery and aggressive (Gus gets treated like he would be good a snack). For the country dogs I get the cheapest food available in which ever store I happen to stop at. When I give them Always Save brand they give me the stink-eye and hesitate before eating. They like the store brand from Aldi. We give them flea and tick treatment too.

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The Akita mix-breed survived getting run over, but did not survive the winter. Gus still looks for his young playful friend. The Akita mix could keep up with Gus in their games of catch me if you can. The black dog plays some. The big dog is way too serious for play but likes to have his ears rubbed. It took 3 years to earn the trust of the big dog.

[Derek Meyer]

We have 5 small dogs - one chihuahua, one terrier/havanese mix, two standard dachshunds and one miniature dachshund. Four of them eat the same food, which is Hill's Science Diet Perfect Weight formula. This costs us about $100 for a 29 pound bag that lasts 5 to 6 weeks.

The fifth, our 6 year old red dachshund, developed a pancreatic insufficiency a few years ago, where her pancreas no longer produces the enzyme she needs to be able to digest her food. After some expensive tests done by the Texas A&M vet school, she is now on a supplement powder that we add over her food at each meal. It tastes like chicken and she loves it. We mix in a little warm water to make it like a gravy for her. She also has to have the Hill's Low Fat food, which is not sold at our local pet stores, so we have to either get it from the vet or from Chewy.com. That food is double the price of the other Hill's food, at $200 for a 29 pound bag. At least it lasts a lot longer as only one dog eats it. The powder we buy, called Pancre-pro, is $240 for a bottle and lasts about 2 months. She also has an anti-inflammatory we give her for back pain, as she has a slipped disc and can't jump anymore. That is $100/bottle for a month's supply. So, she's an expensive girl, but we love her.