Can You Mix Two Dry Foods Together?

[puppies&poppies]

Hey guys,

so I was wondering, can you mix two different kinds of dry foods together? Like, for exmaple you feed your dog 1/2 cup of Purina Pro Plan and 1/2 cup of a cheaper dog food together? Just wondering, as I am planning to buy a dog soon, and though I am certain I am financially ready, I've found out that the best quality dog foods are quite pricey.

Also, for those who feed dry food, how long does it take your dog roughly to go through a 15kg bag? And how much do they roughly weigh?

And I've heard Black Hawk is quite a good dog food brand, where can it be purchased from?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just a bit confused

Thanks!

[Sandra777]

Yes you certainly can mix two types of food together, but you will find that generally speaking feeding a more expensive brand means you feed less food so the price per portion isn't hugely different from the cheaper end to the more expensive end of the market.

Every dry food I have fed recently comes in a 20kg bag and I'm feeding 5 dogs which are between 13 and 17kg each and a bag of dry lasts about 6 weeks here - BUT I don't feed dry exclusively, they get meaty bones, lumps of meat off the bone, sardines, eggs, scraps, etc

I have fed everything from Royal Canin (I have one that hates this) to Uncle Albers (same bitch hates this too) and found the dogs have done pretty much the same on all of them, except you do notice the increase in the output on the cheaper brands! At the moment I'm using Black Hawk but the next bag will be something different again, I used Enduro and like it more, just need to get off butt and go to the stockist.

Black Hawk is mostly sold through agents AFAIK rather than a lot of main stream shops (although I know of at least one shop close to me that stocks it) so someone on here will be able to point you in the direction of your closest agent.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Sandra777

[Bundyburger]

Mixing two drys together just ends up being time consuming and to me kinda pointless. As to how long a 15kg bag lasts it depends on how much your dog eats. My 21kg dog gets 2 cups twice a day and our kelpie at 25kg gets 1 cup once a day, and a 15kg bag lasts us 8 weeks, less in winter when the young one needs more food. There's a thread with Black hawk info somewhere, it tells you where to buy it. I found my dogs drank excessive amounts of water on it so they didn't stay on it, but every dog is different.

[sheena]

Hey guys,

so I was wondering, can you mix two different kinds of dry foods together? Like, for exmaple you feed your dog 1/2 cup of Purina Pro Plan and 1/2 cup of a cheaper dog food together? Just wondering, as I am planning to buy a dog soon, and though I am certain I am financially ready, I've found out that the best quality dog foods are quite pricey.

Also, for those who feed dry food, how long does it take your dog roughly to go through a 15kg bag? And how much do they roughly weigh?

And I've heard Black Hawk is quite a good dog food brand, where can it be purchased from?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just a bit confused

Thanks!

I have PM'd you

[Rebanne]

The best quality food is the one your dog does best on and that could be one of the most expensive or one of the cheapest. At the moment mine are being fed on good old Pal Pedigree and thriving. I've only fed dry food that costs around $100 for a 15 - 20 kilo bag a few times in over 30 years of dog ownership and never saw a difference in the dogs health and well being. I usually just feed supermarket brand or go to a produce story for things like Bonnie. It's trial and error.

[Rysup]

I agree with Rebanne.

My two show dogs are fed Nutro (one due to allergies), but the retired dogs are all doing great on Coprice. And the two who get Nutro would LOVE to get Coprice (and vice versa mind you!)

[Danois]

I would not mix 2 foods together as it could throw all the ratios out and this may be very important if you're getting a larger breed dog.

You're better off feeding 1 higher quality food - less hassle and you feed less. Otherwise you could look at a mix of raw and dry - but again, may depend on breed.

I feed Canidae now - feeding a lot less of it than I did the Eagle Pack, he holds his weight and has a thick, shiny, healthy coat. I feed around 300gm a day plus a couple of chicken wings for a 63kg dog.