Mustachian dog food

[SlowMustachian]

Hello, I recently rescued a 2 yr old dog and the selection of dog foods is overwhelming. I don't want to give crappy processed food but want to be frugal as well. Any recommendations?

[mnmiracle]

Iam's healthy naturals chicken and barley recipe.  High quality and about a dollar a pound at Target.

[Sibley]

Purina is also vet approved. Keep an eye out for coupons for whatever you pick.

Presumably there will be a vet trip soon - ask your vet for dos/don'ts.

[GuitarStv]

The costco house brands of dog food are decent quality and not too expensive.

[Dicey]

Costco pet foods are better than decent, and their prices are terrific!

[use2betrix]

I get a grain free Merrick dog food. It’s not cheap. Just like people shouldn’t eat garbage, we shouldn’t feed it to our dogs either.

[BTDretire]

I was in horror, thinking that's taking Mustachianism to far!
Relieved to see it is for a dog!

                                      :-)

[startingsmall]

Vet here.

My go-to recommendations are Purina ProPlan, Science Diet, and Royal Canin. (My pets all eat ProPlan.) They are pretty pricey, but not as pricey as Blue Buffalo and some of the other fancy/trendy foods that are actually inferior in terms of R&D, quality control, etc. Don't waste your money on "grain-free," because it has no health benefits in dogs... it's just spin-off of the whole grain-free fad in humans.

If you're looking for something cheaper than that, Iams and Purina One are good options.

[TheWifeHalf]

I feed Nutros to a breed that can react to a lot dog foods out there. I've been feeding this for almost 30 years now and haven't really had any problems with it. I'm not going to switch to something else, because why invite more problems.
Right now it's $45 - $49 for 30 pounds.

[slappy]

Lots of recommendations for Costco dog food in this thread. 

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/bulk-dog-food-or-co-op/

[Sibley]

Vet here.

My go-to recommendations are Purina ProPlan, Science Diet, and Royal Canin. (My pets all eat ProPlan.) They are pretty pricey, but not as pricey as Blue Buffalo and some of the other fancy/trendy foods that are actually inferior in terms of R&D, quality control, etc. Don't waste your money on "grain-free," because it has no health benefits in dogs... it's just spin-off of the whole grain-free fad in humans.

If you're looking for something cheaper than that, Iams and Purina One are good options.

@startingsmall - question for you if you don't mind. For ProPlan cat foods, are those higher calorie? I had to switch my cats from Fancy Feast to ProPlan wet, and both gained weight. Trying to figure out what the root cause is - they like it better, higher calorie, or both.

[use2betrix]

Vet here.

My go-to recommendations are Purina ProPlan, Science Diet, and Royal Canin. (My pets all eat ProPlan.) They are pretty pricey, but not as pricey as Blue Buffalo and some of the other fancy/trendy foods that are actually inferior in terms of R&D, quality control, etc. Don't waste your money on "grain-free," because it has no health benefits in dogs... it's just spin-off of the whole grain-free fad in humans.

If you're looking for something cheaper than that, Iams and Purina One are good options.

The breeder we bought our German Shepherd from is also a vet. She had in our contract we were required to feed him Purina Pro Plan until he was 6 months. At 4-6 months he was itching a ton, after a couple vet spots for various things, it wouldn’t stop. I felt terrible for how bad it was.

At 6.5 months we changed him to a grain free food and his itching is 1/10 of what it used to be (he’s 8 months old now).

[startingsmall]

Vet here.

My go-to recommendations are Purina ProPlan, Science Diet, and Royal Canin. (My pets all eat ProPlan.) They are pretty pricey, but not as pricey as Blue Buffalo and some of the other fancy/trendy foods that are actually inferior in terms of R&D, quality control, etc. Don't waste your money on "grain-free," because it has no health benefits in dogs... it's just spin-off of the whole grain-free fad in humans.

If you're looking for something cheaper than that, Iams and Purina One are good options.

The breeder we bought our German Shepherd from is also a vet. She had in our contract we were required to feed him Purina Pro Plan until he was 6 months. At 4-6 months he was itching a ton, after a couple vet spots for various things, it wouldn’t stop. I felt terrible for how bad it was.

At 6.5 months we changed him to a grain free food and his itching is 1/10 of what it used to be (he’s 8 months old now).

Grain allergies are very uncommon. Your dog may have been allergic to beef or chicken or some other protein that isn't found in the new food, but it's unlikely to have been the grain.

[startingsmall]

Vet here.

My go-to recommendations are Purina ProPlan, Science Diet, and Royal Canin. (My pets all eat ProPlan.) They are pretty pricey, but not as pricey as Blue Buffalo and some of the other fancy/trendy foods that are actually inferior in terms of R&D, quality control, etc. Don't waste your money on "grain-free," because it has no health benefits in dogs... it's just spin-off of the whole grain-free fad in humans.

If you're looking for something cheaper than that, Iams and Purina One are good options.

@startingsmall - question for you if you don't mind. For ProPlan cat foods, are those higher calorie? I had to switch my cats from Fancy Feast to ProPlan wet, and both gained weight. Trying to figure out what the root cause is - they like it better, higher calorie, or both.

There's a lot of variation in calorie counts, not just between brands but even between flavors within a brand, so it's definitely possible. It's not uncommon to have to tweak feeding amounts if switching brands.

[startingsmall]

Vet here.

Out of curiosity, what food would you recommend for a dog with a poultry allergy (which causes explosive diarrhea so we avoid any poultry ingredients)? Right now I'm feeding him Blue Buffalo Basics but it's not cheap

You'll just have to read labels and see what food fits your price point without poultry as an ingredient on the label. Even a food without chicken listed on the label can still cause issues, though, as many limited-ingredient foods aren't manufactured on a dedicated line... so there's also an element of trial-and-error unless you're willing to pay for one of the more expensive prescription foods (which are typically more restricted).

Unfortunately, most limited-ingredient foods aren't cheap.