How long does a bag last you?

[~*Regina*~]

I have been debating on switching my dog to Blue Wilderness becuase vet said she needs a little extra fiber in her diet which this food has but Im trying to figure out if I can afford it or not. In your opions, do you think an 11lb bag of Wilderness would last a month with my dog? She weighs around 36lbs. I feed her 2 cups of Pro Plan now but I know I will be feeding her less of the Wilderness food.

[gcv-border]

Just an observation from here: I usually buy 30 lb bags of dog food (either BB, TOTW and sometimes Wellness or Canidae). I think it usually lasts about 4-5 weeks for one 30 lb and one 40 lb dog. I say "I think" because I can sometimes have fosters here which alters the buying schedule.

 

I also supplement with a little canned food. If I was feeding straight kibble, I would increase the amount of kibble and estimate that I would go through a 30 lb bag in 3-4 weeks.

 

You can always try a bag to see how long it lasts to find out if you can continue buying it on your budget.

 

Jovi

[juliepoudrier]

I agree with Jovi. You probably should just try a bag and see how long it lasts. I had a dog in for 30 days of training and she came with a 15.4 pound bag of Acana. I started out feeding her 2.5 cups a day, but pretty quickly dropped it to 2 cups. The bag did not last the full month the dog was here, though it did last close to a month. Also you can't assume you'd feed less of a different food. It really will depend on how your individual dog does on that particular food. I've had dogs lose weight one super-premium foods and also gain weight, depending on the dog, so you really just need to try it and see.

 

For comparison, my 10 border collies and 2 LGDs go through about 40 pounds of kibble a week. The dog who gets the least gets a cup a day and the dog who gets the most gets 3 cups a day. One of the LGDs was at 4 cups a day, but she's now also down to 3 cups.

 

You can also increase fiber with food toppers like canned pumpkin, cooked squash, etc., so you may not have to change foods just to get more fiber.

 

J.

[Sue R]

I found it very interesting that while a certain amount of Diamond Naturals Chicken and Rice kept my dogs in very nice condition, when I switched to a "holistic" (Julie P and/or others called it "urban yuppie" dog food or something like that) food that was approximately the same protein and fat levels (or I make up the difference with added beef fat); chicken and rice based; approximately the same calories per cup - I found I had to feed about 50% more to maintain weight with two of the three dogs (the third dog continued to eat about the same amount).

 

And, when I compare the cost per cup of the first food with the cost per cup of the second, and factor in that I am having to feed more to maintain the same weight, I'm finding my cost of feed is multiplied accordingly.

 

As for fiber, you can add fiber without changing food - canned pumpkin, cooked sweet potato, and canned green beans are all palatable to many dogs and provide inexpensive fiber.

 

It is hard to predict what any dog at any particular activity level will need to consume of any particular food unless you try it and check the dog's condition/weight over some weeks of time - or, at least, that's been my experience.

 

The other thing I have noticed in topics here is while one person's dogs react to a certain food with firm stools (or even constipation), another person's dogs seem to react with loose stools and maybe gas.

 

I have found, with multiple dogs, that I have had to try several different dog foods to find one that I liked for all three dogs. Just my mileage but I think you simply have to like the ingredient list and give it a try, and maybe tweak a bit.

[juliepoudrier]

(Julie P and/or others called it "urban yuppie" dog food or something like that)

I don't believe I've ever used that terminology.

 

J.

[Sue R]

Sorry, Julie, I probably got it mixed up. But that's the general gist that at least someone or another called it. I just figured you had a way with words.

[bcnewe2]

Corn can add weight here. Or so it seems when we feed dog food with corn added. Coats look good too but that's about it for corn that I've noticed. Which would make sine with cheaper food.

[SecretBC]

Don't waste your money on a small bag (unless you are just "testing" a new food to see how your dog does on it, at least). It is so much cheaper to buy the large bag.

 

Example -- Wellness core costs @ $32 for a 12 pound bag in my local store. The 26 pound bag goes for $56. If you purchased two 12 pound bags it would be $64 and you'd be getting two pounds less than if you purchased the big bag.

 

Just do the math as you stand in the aisle -- I can see not wishing to buy a 30 pound bag of food if you have a Yorkie, but a medium sized dog will go through it in less than two months. For best keeping, store the food *in the original bag* inside an air tight container.

 

My three dogs go through a large bag in about three weeks, so I dump it all into a Rubbermaid type bin in the garage.

[juliepoudrier]

Don't waste your money on a small bag (unless you are just "testing" a new food to see how your dog does on it, at least). It is so much cheaper to buy the large bag.

 

Just wanted to point out that for some people, even though the smaller bag costs *more* per pound, it sometimes comes down to what you can afford to pay *that day.* I've been in that position more than I care to think about....

 

J.

[~*Regina*~]

Thank you everyone . I ended up getting Blue Buffalo (30 pound bag). It is so much cheaper to buy big, you are right!

[Crawford Dogs]

With my dogs I found that feeding Proplan allowed me to feed them less. On other "premium" and "holistic" diets I had to feed twice the amount. The last food I tried was Nutrisource, I had to feed 6 cups/day to my 45 lb male. I switched back to Proplan and he eats 2 cup/day when at full-activity. The only way you'll know is to read the research they've done (free copies of research studies and results should be available at their website) and try the food out yourself. But, I would make sure that their AAFCO statement says that "feeding trials have substantiated. . . " vs. "formulated to meet AAFCO standards." A diet can be formulated to meet AAFCO standards but the nutrients may not be as bioavailable to your dog as the food company has estimated. Best of luck, I think we're all in search of the perfect diet!