[CFrance]

I've been making my dog's food as my vet wants him off of grain-free, and I don't like what Hills & Royal Canin do to his coat--it had turned to straw.

I need dark-meat chicken, beef, liver (beef or chicken) gizzards and/or hearts (chicken or turkey). I add veggies and supplements to that and make "pup loaf." I have a grinder.

I usually shop at Publix, Winn-Dixie, and Walmart. I look for specials, but I haven't been finding many lately. And the boneless/skinless chicken thighs are pricey.

Would I be better off at a meat market somewhere, or Aldi's?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by CFrance

I've been making my dog's food as my vet wants him off of grain-free, and I don't like what Hills & Royal Canin do to his coat--it had turned to straw.

I need dark-meat chicken, beef, liver (beef or chicken) gizzards and/or hearts (chicken or turkey). I add veggies and supplements to that and make "pup loaf." I have a grinder.

I usually shop at Publix, Winn-Dixie, and Walmart. I look for specials, but I haven't been finding many lately. And the boneless/skinless chicken thighs are pricey.

Would I be better off at a meat market somewhere, or Aldi's?

I think we're missing some information here. What I read:
1. Your vet wants your dog to eat a variety of food which includes grain.
2. Two specific brands, Hill's and Science Diet, are not options for your pup.

That leaves me with the knowledge of several dozen other options, many of which are reasonably priced.

Do you feed your dog home-made exclusively, or is this a supplement to commercial food?

Can your dog eat kibble? If so, why not buy kibble from a brand other than Hills or Science Diet? Instinct "Be Natural", Canidae "all life stages". Orijen has a couple of really good high-quality foods that include fibrous vegetables (such as kale and spinach) but no grain.

But even with the grain-free stuff, you can always ADD grain. Make some rice and add a few teaspoons of natural beef or chicken juice (not broth unless there's no onion or garlic in the broth, which are bad for dogs), let him have a couple tablespoons of that every day.

Otherwise, your pup is likely going to be eating a lot more expensively than you are if it requires only home-made food.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I think we're missing some information here. What I read:
1. Your vet wants your dog to eat a variety of food which includes grain.
2. Two specific brands, Hill's and Science Diet, are not options for your pup.

That leaves me with the knowledge of several dozen other options, many of which are reasonably priced.

Do you feed your dog home-made exclusively, or is this a supplement to commercial food?

Can your dog eat kibble? If so, why not buy kibble from a brand other than Hills or Science Diet? Instinct "Be Natural", Canidae "all life stages". Orijen has a couple of really good high-quality foods that include fibrous vegetables (such as kale and spinach) but no grain.

But even with the grain-free stuff, you can always ADD grain. Make some rice and add a few teaspoons of natural beef or chicken juice (not broth unless there's no onion or garlic in the broth, which are bad for dogs), let him have a couple tablespoons of that every day.

Otherwise, your pup is likely going to be eating a lot more expensively than you are if it requires only home-made food.

My vet wants me not to feed my dog grain-free kibble because of his particular breed vis-a-vis the FDA's warning that the lentils and peas used in grain-free food are blocking the absorption of taurine, which can result in heart problems in certain breeds. She states that Hills, Royal Canin, and Purina are three brands that include grain and have done field trials of their pet food.



That is fine, but the last thing that gains benefit from a dog's food is the coat, and my dog's coat turned from silk to straw when I took him off of Orijen and Nature's Logic. Until further studies are done about the taurine/grain-free food causation, I'm not taking the chance of putting him back on grain-free food.


Because we travel so much, I cannot feed him 100% Hills/RC. I am supplementing with half homemade so that when we do travel his digestive system is okay with just kibble. Otherwise it would be 100% homemade.


I have this all figured out--with my dog and with my vet. We have been doing this for 7 months, but in a location with less expensive meat products available.



All I am asking is if anyone knows of a less expensive place to obtain the meet and organ meat than Publix or Winn-Dixie or even Walmart.

[JSR22]

There is a meat market on 301 North in downtown Wildwood. I have not been there but been told that their prices are reasonable.

[tophcfa]

Go to Publix or Winn Dixie and buy the already cooked oven roasted whole chickens. Let the chicken cool off and strip all of the meat from it. It’s hard to beat the price of the chickens. Most grocery stores sell them at break even or at a small loss as a way to get people into the stores to buy other more profitable items.

[Carla B]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Go to Publix or Winn Dixie and buy the already cooked oven roasted whole chickens. Let the chicken cool off and strip all of the meat from it. It’s hard to beat the price of the chickens. Most grocery stores sell them at break even or at a small loss as a way to get people into the stores to buy other more profitable items.

Yes, but she is looking for only dark-meat chicken. That would require a WHOLE LOT of chickens!

[MIskra]

Originally Posted by CFrance

My vet wants me not to feed my dog grain-free kibble because of his particular breed vis-a-vis the FDA's warning that the lentils and peas used in grain-free food are blocking the absorption of taurine, which can result in heart problems in certain breeds..

Who is your dog's veterinarian? She sounds phenomenal. I have read the same warning about grain free products, but other than a Holistic Veterinary Clinic, there are very few vets who are trained on nutrition and supplements in the overall care of their patients.

[Toymeister]

We make our dog's food.

Aldi leads the pack on pricing. If you have time note the quantity of product and the dates.

Large quantities and expiration one day away equals mark down of already cheap meats. Cook in an instapot using the steamer spacer. Place warm boned chicken including skin with the dripipings in your blender and pulse twice. Freeze the leftovers.

[debbelles1]

I have been feeding raw to my cat and dog for over 15 years. there are many different avenues you can look into. Best meats in wildwood carries a good choice. they also have grind meats, sold exclusively for pets , once in a while. you can look at Raw Feeding Miami online and shop their sales, but watch the shipping costs. go to mercola pets and google feeding for ideas how to supplement kibble, Dr Karen Becker has a few great articles. also Dogs Naturally Magazine has many articles. Adding Answers pet food Raw fermented goats milk and fish stock also adds many beneifits to kibble. the answers products can be purchased at whole earth over near Spanish springs or wolfgangs. as far as the dog foods causing DCM .all the data is not in yet!

[Spike27502]

I have a small dog and amend his food with pre-cooked frozen burgers that I buy at Costco. I only use about a third of each burger per meal. I believe the price per burger patty is less than a dollar each.

[CtButterfly]

Can you try adding an Omega-3 supplement for dogs daily to your dog’s food for a healthy coat?

[Rzepecki]

Try Aldi and Save A Lot.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by MIskra

Who is your dog's veterinarian? She sounds phenomenal. I have read the same warning about grain free products, but other than a Holistic Veterinary Clinic, there are very few vets who are trained on nutrition and supplements in the overall care of their patients.

Our vet is Dr. Candice Manganaro, and yes, she is phenomenal. She has brought our guy through a number of issues down through the years, and she is very good on nutrition.

[Cranford61]

Aren’t those $7 barbecued chicken brined? They sure seem salty. May cause your dog to have a hypertensive event...which is not good and will cost more than you saved from buying more expensive cuts.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by CFrance

Our vet is Dr. Candice Manganaro, and yes, she is phenomenal. She has brought our guy through a number of issues down through the years, and she is very good on nutrition.

What a lucky Pup to have a Mommy like you. I can't remember what I did an hour ago but I remember your dog's name. LOL
I hope things work out well for you CFrance but I have a feeling if the food was $500 a pound that beautiful animal would have it.

What a Great complement for your Vet. Does she accept people as patients? Maybe I'll change!