The topic about the taste of dog food has got me thinking about the cost per month to feed my dogs. I have two dogs but they are only toy breeds weighing 5 and 6 kilos respectively, yet I reckon I spend about £40 per month to feed them both, eek! Each month they get through roughly a 3kg bag of Pro Plan costing around £12, but the costly bit is that I also give them some JWB wet food each day - they love wet food but cheaper brands do not agree with them. Just wondered how this cost compares to what other people spend, and does it cost a lot more to feed bigger breed dogs?

I have 3 medium size dogs (1 border collie, 2 tollers) and a 15kg sack of burns (about £40) lasts about a month.

I have two GRs and  spend £35 a month on complete and £40 a month on nature menu tins and nature harvest.

2 dallys and they get 200g of arden grange premium and 150g of fresh raw meat a day so 29quid for the arden which last 37 days and about 11 quid for 10kg of chicken and tripe which lasts 33 days so totals 40 quid ish for about a month, lol not bad for a diet which is very high in fresh meat, has no corn in it and easy to feed

I have 2 toy poodles one who is very fussy over food so I buy natures menu in tins £1.19 per tin they have a tin between them each day plus some royal canin mini sensible kibble in 2 kongs if they want it, so I would think I spend something similar in a month to you Honeybee.

It's the wet food that is pushing the cost up isn't it, I am sure I'd save loads if I just fed the dry stuff but my two do love their JWB pouches! I have to be a bit careful what I give them as they are prone to upset tummies.

It costs about £60 for 3 months worth of complete to feed my boxer and that's AG Prestige with a bit of Costco's own mixed in.  Although he does get chicken wings, free bones from the butchers and sometimes ND which I never seem to remember to account for in the costing lol :)

My OH usually pays the food bill but it's the treats etc I can't help buying! Just can't resist it! Must be the enthusiasm and sheer joy on Khan's face when he's given something new! More than I can say for my children!!

I have two small dogs (Cairns) so I really do not pay attention to the cost of their food.  They get Arden Grange in the mornings and their evening meal is always leftover human food - meat, veg, potato.  Since I've been made redundant I've been better about "recycling" leftovers for my own meals; but still there is always enough for them.  Also, if I am making something like cottage pie I will reserve a small amount of the minced beef and the same if I am making a chicken curry.  Can you use leftover human food once in a while rather than the JWB wet?  

BTW, I also use the JWB wet once in a while and it is cheaper in my local Pets at home if you buy at least 12 sachets.  Cheaper still are cans of pilchards in tomato sauce! 

Also - I think you would find that Nature Diet, Natures Menu or similar work out cheaper than the JWB wet. 

hi i have 4 great danes my feed bill is approx 6o per month. in fairness this could also be cheaper but i give them treats in their food every day when their complete would suffice.

I have 7 dogs, 3 danes, Rottie, and 3 BT's, were around  £60 a month for dry, plus we get free vension, rabbits etc, I also feed Tripe, and lamb and raw chicken, so were around £120 a month probably!

My three Large Breed, cost approx 200 Euros, 2 separate bags of complete (they last about three weeks for 15kg), one for pup & one for big girls.

One of the girls is a really fussy eater ( Shhhh! don't tell anyone she is eating like a horse at the mo :) ) and it's difficult to keep any condition on her so we have to add tripe, fish and occasionally liver (if she is really off her food) as she loves this, of course can't resist a few treats when we have been on a hunting trip to the shops :) for training purposes only of course  ;)

does anyone else enjoy dog shopping more than shopping for yourself?
i just love it and would spend my entire wage on them if i could, those expectant faces, and waggy tails just get me every time.

I wouldn't like to calculate how much feeding my dogs costs.
I roast 2 packs of organic chicken thighs a day, plus different protein sources eg  minced beef, sausages from the farmers market, scrambled free range eggs,cheese, venison yesterday and at the weekend they had pheasant.
They have food raw and cooked - veggies and fruit.
Everyday they are given some Royal Canin crunchy biscuit and I have a chubby one on a low cal diet.
Last night my skinny boy had tripe. Tripe sticks for treats.

I shudder to think how much I spend.

Me too :)

would not like to add up the cost of feeding mine, i have 2 compleat plus seinor for my older 2, then there is the fresh lamb or chicken that is cooked every day, tinned or pouches on a morning.
plus treats/ biscrok & denta sticks.
they also get pasta, rice, fruit & veg.

> Can you use leftover human food once in a while rather than the JWB wet? 

Cairnmania I generally can't use leftover human food because it gives my two upset tummies. They do sometimes get lean chicken, turkey or lamb but that is no cheaper! ( I don't like buying the value chickens even for the dogs as I worry about the conditions the birds have been raised in)
Yes the Nature Diet and Natures Menu do work out a bit cheaper, but lately I've found they're unavailable.  I've been buying the JWB though at 18 for the price of 12 sachets at PAH which is not too bad.

> I roast 2 packs of organic chicken thighs a day, plus different protein sources eg  minced beef, sausages from the farmers market, scrambled free range eggs,cheese, venison yesterday and at the weekend they had pheasant.
>

Toolz I reckon your dogs eat better than my family!!!!!

Yeah, the humans are on a diet and eating rabbit food...so yes they are eating 'better' than us :-)

I have the opposite problem, trying to build up a house full of thin humans!

I have just the one Cocker now.  I spend something between £4 and £6 a month on food I would say.

I buy the natures menu in tins which I tried as the pouches of natures menu are not available at the moment, and I am so glad I did because after 4 years of trying to encourage Rusty my toy poodle to eat his food I have found he actually likes the tins so although they are expensive I will continue to buy them quite happily.

I have a large breed and a small(ish) Xbreed and it costs me around £15 a month to feed the two of them. They are raw fed.

I don't spend half as much as alot of people on here do. i have 1 BC who gets through 2 bags of 2.5kg AG per month.  I also make liver cake which lasts for a month and he has morrow bones from the butchers. So spend no more than £15 a month. 

ps. seems like raw is alot cheaper

I recon on about 40.00 a month for a gsd and a toy dog. They are raw fed but unfortunately I cant get feed as cheap some of you I am envious. 

thats what i pay for my four danes on there complete. it costs more foe extras of course.
what do you feed? furriefriends

I m really lucky , get my food at cost from work about £18 per month for the boys plus i get free tripe from a friend at the abbatoir , my old girl is on j-d but i harrass the rep and get free 12kg bags
treats are extra but again get them thru work .

Your diet sounds like mine and I am NOT counting :-)

I have recently worked this out for the new year. I have 10 dogs ranging from an 11 week old puppy to a 12 year old GWP. They are all fed the same bar one ( obviously the puppy is on Puppy Food) and the bar one is on a more expensive food, but all are on premium complete food. They cost me 43p per day per dog averaged out across the lot of them.

Diane

we have 5 vizsla q dobermann, three daxies all dofferent ages and we spend about 180 euro a month plus what we supplement with fish and chicken..

mahonc I feed a mixture of mince in 454g blocks all types of meat except chicken mince and turkey (they wont eat turkey). chicken pieces from sainsburys frozen basics cheapest I have found and can share with oh ! , beef chunks, chick necks and carcass. Also pilchards/sardines the occasional egg, yog , any veg i have over from our meals and the odd tin of baked beans. Unfortunately as I cant store that much at a time I cannot get it really cheap but am reasonably happy with 40.00. Always looking for ideas to reduce  costs though. Oh yes also I make liver cake when I feel like it, its the only way either of them will eat offal.

I have a senior GSD, and a young Leo.  They are both on Canin (maxi mature and maxi giant puppy), I buy one sack of each every 5/6 weeks, which costs £90 (sometimes cheaper if I can get it on offer).  So that's approx £1 per dog per day.  I know I could do it cheaper but it suits them and they look good on it.

Tooolz, can I come round to tea at your place please?? Sounds fab!!

How do you make and store liver cake?

> I don't like buying the value chickens even for the dogs as I worry about the conditions the birds have been raised in)
>

This is why mine don't get chicken wings because I only buy free range chucks, I couldn't justify buying the cruel stuff for my dogs. They do get the chicken pickens off the carcass when we're done though, and maybe the odd sneaky bit when dad's not looking ;)

Its easy to make liver cake.

1 lb lambs liver or you can use pigs its cheaper
1 egg
couple of cloves garlic(or a good sqeeze if using a tube)
cupful SR flour
2 tablespoons of cooking oil

I usually cut the liver into smallish bits then put it all in the "whizzer" please remember to put the lid on idiot I can tell you it takes some washing out of your hair if you dont, not to mention the walls. Put the pink yucky mess into a baking tray, and bake till firm to the touch(about 180deg) allow to cool in the tray before cutting up into loads of small pieces,
It freezes well,I normally keep it in one bag in the freezer and take it out when i need it. It stays nice and dry when defrosted only takes a few minutes.

i'm sure no one will agree with me but i feed my three dogs a premium dried dog food with meaty chunks made by a well known supermarket and my dogs are in very good condition. i did continue them on the breeders more expensive food for the first  6/8 months  then gradually changed them over.
My vet also thinks all my dogs are in great condition with lovely shiny coats. perhaps i'm just lucky their so healthy. i have a boxer, min shcnauzer and TT and it costs me approx £30 a month.

If it works for you and it works for your dogs then I'd say your doing what is best :)

Sounds lovely :( I could almost eat it myself, think I'll have a go just for the dogs though :p:

I know where you ae coming from Pinky it is a bit of double standards buying cheap chick for the dogs then trying to afford free range for myself. Sorry I dont have a defense .unless I look for an organic complete and see what that costs, but I do think raw is best for the dogs. O dear the whole subject is frought with issues !

> Tooolz, can I come round to tea at your place please??

Tonight we're having vegetable stir fry :-( followed by low fat yoghurt...yum yum :-(
Whereas the dogs are having minced lamb and or chunks of lamb with plain biscuit. :-)

> Sorry I dont have a defense

No need to defend yourself, we all have our different views.
Anyway it's Friday, the office is quiet as most didn't manage to get in and I'm feeling mellow :)

thanks Pinky ,trouble is I agree with your principals. it just my lack of money and an oh who doesnt share my views about free range ( he'll now buy free range eggs for me that took long enough.) or I would be right there with you. Hope you can get home ok not too much snow

> i'm sure no one will agree with me but i feed my three dogs a premium dried dog food with meaty chunks made by a well known supermarket and my dogs are in very good condition.

Which one? We were in the pet food aisle in Tesco last week and they had a Tesco brand dog food and my other half picked up the dog food to read the ingredients (I've got him brainwashed into reading the ingredients now :-D ) and it actually compared quite well to other premium brands. About 3 times the price of another Tesco branded dog food next to it which had the usual "4% minimum, colours, sugars etc". So it looks like they've tried to branch out into the premium market.

> because I only buy free range chucks

They usually come with a couple of wings attached :-)

It costs me I would say approximately £120 / month to feed Floyd on his special diet.  He is on Blue Whiting and Tapioca which IS £80 / month, plus I buy sensitivity cans at £24 / tray of 12 and also buy Natures Harvest / Nature Diet fish varieties to try and keep his food varied.
Jane

phew, jane that is one expensive dawg!!!

Tell me about it, I have tried him on other brands like Wafcol Salmon & Potato, Orijen Fish, but I don't feel comfortable on other foods, as he looks so well on his veterinary diet and it really does suit him, I don't know what I would do if by messing his food about he became really poorly again and then became so that he couldnt eat this food as well.
Jane

I've just worked it out and it costs just 60p per day to feed BOTH my boys Origen 6 fish. I spend about an extra £10 per month on sea jerky and wainrights low fat fish treat biscuits.