Healthy Eating for Dogs: Calculating the Cost of Healthy Eating

Jean & Leslie Kessigner, Owners Three Dog Bakery

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When you became a pet owner, did you realize how much owning a pet would cost? According to Doctors Foster & Smith’s peteducation.com, most people grossly underestimate what it costs to own a dog. This same site reveals the annual cost of caring for a 50-pound dog in the Midwest can range from a low of $287 annually, to a mid-range of $807, to a high of $2,485, depending on where you live. This includes everything you need for your dog, from food to veterinary appointments to grooming, collars and leashes. Most of that money is spent on food, and healthy eating is important to your pup’s healthy and longevity.

How dog owners justify the cost of what they feed their Best Buddy doesn’t always jive. Most people want to buy their dog the best food they can afford – after all, your pup is part of the family. However, Leslie Kessinger, co-owner of Three Dog Bakery in Franklin advises that when you are deciding which food to purchase, budget can be as important as quality.

“One of the most misunderstood aspects of dog food is the cost of eating. Most people will look at the size and price of a bag and think that is the end of the financial comparisons. What I can tell you is that those surface analyses can be misleading,” says Kessinger. “This is due to the fact that the ingredients of dog food can make a huge difference in the amount of food that you must feed your dog. If your dog food is extremely nutritious, you are able to feed him less to accomplish the recommended nutritional needs.” Kessinger points out that the more diluted the ingredients, the more food that you will need to feed your dog in order to provide those same nutritional needs, making you consume the bag much faster.

“Below, I will break down the costs of one of our premium dog food lines against the costs of two popular commercial dog food brands. This analysis should show you that buying quality doesn’t mean sacrificing your budget,” says Kessinger.

Here’s an example:

For the example, we will make a cost comparison with the assumption that the dog in question is a 45-pound healthy adult that eats twice a day.

One 25-pound bag of Acana Heritage Free Run Poultry costs $57.99 at our store. For a dog of that size, Acana’s feeding guidelines recommend 1 2/3 cups of a food a day. A 25-pound bag contains about 50 cups of food (costing $1.16 per cup at our price) so one day of dog food for this particular dog costs approximately $1.94.

A comparable 24-pound bag of Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Chicken Recipe for adults costs $48.59 online at Petsmart. Blue Buffalo recommends 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 cups of food for a dog ranging between 41-60 pounds. We will assume the daily feeding guide of 2 1/2 cups of food a day. A 24-pound bag contains about 48 cups of food (costing $1.01 per cup at the online price) so one day of dog food for this particular dog costs approximately $2.53. Source.

A comparable 24-pound bag of Purina ProPlan Natural Grain Free Chicken & Egg Adult recipe costs $51.99 online at Petsmart. Purina recommends 2 – 2 1/2 cups of food for a dog ranging between 36-50 pounds. We will assume the daily feeding guide of 2 1/4 cups of food a day. A 24-pound bag contains 48 cups of food (costing $1.08 per cup) so one day of dog food for this particular dog costs approximately $2.43. Source.

DOG FOODCOST PER BAGAMOUNT FED PER DAYTOTAL AMT PER BAGCOST PER DAYCOST PER MONTH
24 lb. Bag of Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Chicken Adult Recipe $48.59 at PetSmart2-1/2 cups
48 cups$2.53 cost per day$78.43
24lb. Bag of Purina ProPlan Natural Grain Free Chicken & Egg Adult Recipe$51.99 at PetSmart(2) 2-1/4 cups 48 cups$2.43 cost per day$75.33
25lb. Bag of Acana Heritage Free Run Poultry$57.99 at Three Dog Bakery1-2/3 cups 50 cups$1.94 cost per day$60.14

From the outset, it appears that Acana is the most expensive brand at $57.99 per bag. But you can see, as you take into consideration meal portions, it ends up being the least expensive option by a fairly wide margin.

Click here to follow Three Dog Bakery on Facebook.

Three Dog Bakery has two locations in Middle Tennessee: 1556 W McEwen Dr #112, Franklin, TN 37067 & 1982 Providence Pkwy #102, Mt Juliet, TN 37122.

If you have health concerns about your dog, consult your veterinarian. This article is not meant to substitute or act as medical advice for pets.

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