Feeding Your Dog

[shirra]

Food costs about $7 a week for my 8 kilo girl. Mainly VAN roll and a chicken wing each night, a chicken frame once a week as main meal. Sardines are added to main meal once a week, a raw egg is added once a week.

Added to that is the cost of regular medications for heartworm prevention, worms, and fleas, plus immunisations.

To date we've had about 4 visits a year to the vet at a minimum cost of $150 per visit.

Until she was 18 months old I spent heaps on things like crates, beds, collars and leads, toys, rain wear, grooming needs etc. Hate to think what that added up to!

[tdierikx]

I get a 15kg bag of Nutro roughly once a fortnight - to feed 3 large dogs and one medium dog. Full price of the kibble at PetBarn is about $115 - but they often have 18kg bonus bags for that price, or a promo price that can be up to $30 off. sometimes I can get a bag at a wholesale price of $75.

My foster pups get Royal Canin Junior, and the rescue buys that - but if I run out before I go out to the rescue on the weekend, I'm happy to ante up for a bag myself.

T.

[Guest donatella]

I have no idea how much but not much at all. I feed VAN and roo mince as the main food but because they are fussy assholes I have to mix it up every few days so they get a Natures Gift tin each a few times a week (roo fillet or chicken) $1.09 each and I buy 10 a fortnight. They also get Taste of the Wild biscuits down at all times of the day in case they are hungry but a bag of this ($25) would last me about 3 months. They also get chicken tips a few times a week as their "raw bones".

They aren't food orientated at all.

I reckon i'd spend maybe $5 - $10 a week on them with all that.

[Bundyburger]

$122 for a 12.5 kg bag every 2-3 months plus bones etc.

[Sandra777]

4 adults & a pup

$45 per month on meat/chicken bodies/liver/heart/kidney/other stuff from the wholesale butcher so say $12 per week

$50 for a bag of Bonnie Working which lasts about 5 weeks so say $10 per week (sometimes is only $40, averages about $48-$50)

$30 per month for 4x2 biscuits so $7.50 per week

$3 per week for a dog roll.

The pup gets a really meaty bone each day - $3 per bag for a week's worth & is currently eating some puppy dry food his half sister won for him (usually about $45 per bag) but I wouldn't buy this normally, so if I didn't have this add another $25 for a small bag of some other dry to ramp up the Bonnie for the pup, which would last him the whole time he's getting 'extras'

$3 for a dozen eggs which lasts 2 weeks

$5 per week for a can of sardines each

Say $40-$45 per week for them all.

[Janba]

Pauls premium kibble at $25 for an 18kg bag (meat as main ingredient and nothing artificial which is 1 bag per 3 weeks in winter and 1 per 4 weeks in summer. Approximately 100gm of wet food a day at an average of $1 a day - eggs, sardines, dog roll, meat etc;. I also go through 1 10kg bag of winning edge 2 x 2 biscuits every 2 months which is similar to Box 1 but cheaper.

So for 3 dogs approximately $15 a week in winter & $17 in summer.

ETA

Heartworm is valueheart bought on special normally for about $18 for 6 tablets. Worming is a tablet the same as drontal but costing $1 per tablet to do a 10kg dog. Flea treatment is the same chemical as advantage but costs $1 per dog per dose.

My dogs are all in the 20 = 25kg range

If I wasn't currently so poor my feed of choice would be VAN as for the short time I fed it the dogs looked superb.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Janba

[mixeduppup]

Reading this I'm so glad we grow our own chickens, rabbits and eggs. Our friends grow beef, lamb and goat and give us offcuts and bones. Those things cost the most I think

[littlesev]

I don't spend much on food. Mine gets fed a mix of raw and homecooked because he prefers variety in his meals. He has TOTW kibbles that would last 3-5 months since he's not big on kibbles but likes them occasionally. He is fed any meat (chicken/beef/pork/fish) we have on the fridge and I get chicken frames for free from my butcher. He gets a chicken stick treat when he's home alone. Also cottage cheese, eggs, fruits sometimes yoghurt.

I spent a lot initially as I didn't have any dog previously and bought many tools, kong toys, soft toys, treats, etc. He was also sick a few times and didn't have insurance at that time, so I had vets and medicine costs. Now, he's on Petplan insurance ($45/mo). I haven't calculated for March & April yet but in the first 8 months, it costs me about $2.7K. Right now, thank dog, my expense has stabilised significantly. I spend on food, treats and insurance (and recently stocked up on winter clothing) with occasional big expenses, like grooming and doggy door.

[JessicaM]

I think I roughly spend $70 per month for my 3 small toy dogs, mix of raw chicken necks, carcasses, dry kibble every now and then (3kg bag will last 3 months lol) I buy turkey mince and pet mince also, cans of sardines and ricotta cheese, marrow bones and lamb off cuts.

I do make sure I keep it stable and dont change it very often but mostly mince and bones. Another reason I like smaller dogs! Hehe they could deffinantly eat alot more if I let them. :-)