What is the best dog food that is inexpensive ?

[Bob12345]

1 hour ago, jkcjag said:

check this out    https://www.clubcanine.net/what-dogs-eat.shtml

1. Our canine companions have been eating a raw food diet - naturally & instinctively - for thousands of years.
2. Commercial pet food companies have only been around for about 60 years.
3. Many of today's diseases surfaced since the advent of the processed, grain-based commercial pet foods.

 

Pork and chicken are so cheap in Thailand...

 

 

Reaction to the three points:
Correlation is not causation. Most diseases surface now because dogs get older and are unhealthy breeds (to make them look nicer).

 

 

About raw food:

Sure its cheap, but it requires a lot of extra work and extra space.

I switched to raw food for some time for my 2 dogs, so instead of giving 6 cups out of a large bag i now had to:
1. go to the makro and buy 6 seperate parts of chicken (wings, breast, liver, kidney, etc), minced salmon, pork, etc.

2. defrost whatever was frozen

3. cook veggies and mince them completely (a dog needs more than just meat)

4. mix all the above in a large bowl (sounds easy but you try to mix up 8kg of meat)

5. put everything in seperate bags - 1 portion per bag

6. freeze all the bags - you will need an extra freezer

7. defrost one or two bags a day ahead in the fridge because you dont want to give your dog frozen food

8. repeat as soon as you start seeing the bottom of your freezer

 

All the above made me switch back to a large bag of Royal Canine.

[myjawe]

Be sure that the only dried food, you cannot afford it and it is not sold in supermarkets.

Better feed them raw food.

 

 

[myjawe]

21 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Something wrong with ALPO? (under the Nestle group).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpo_(pet_food)

 

You get it virtually everywhere.

We use in addition to other food (chicken (liver), rice etc.).

I buy the "Beef/Liver/Vegetable" sort.

739 Baht for 20 kg sack at Lazada delivered to the door.

859 Baht at MAKRO. 899 (or more) at Tesco Lotus.

Available at other chain stores too.

I suggest you buy a smaller size for test-feed, see whether they adopt to it.

 

Around 800 thb for 20kg is the price of the savepack (the cheapest) at makro, so I can hardly believe that it's good...

 

 

 

[myjawe]

1 hour ago, John Begg said:

Our 12 dogs seem to do quite well on Chicken Carcasses from Makro, Boiled up and mixed with cheap rice. Occasional bones or liver also from Makro. 

 

If anything the dogs have a tendency to put on weight. Few have the ideal slim figures, but then nor do I. Seems to keep them pretty fit and healthy. 

 

Not very smart to boil the carcass with bones, and totally useless. Dogs like them raw.

 

 

[Beardog]

Rice & Chicken. Occasional shrimp heads or pork. 2 of 3 dogs craved vegetables. Natural diet that you can balance for the size of your Dog. Dog food is easy but I think they like more nourishing items that dry food really can't give.Our last 2 dogs loved it & our newest dog really digs it & you do not have to worry about MSG & other harmful chemicals & Bi-products coming out of China.

But That is up to you whatever you feel comfortable serving them up & if they aren't picky. Golden Retriever Black lab & mixed mutt all not really picky when it comes to chow time.

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, Farang99 said:

Royal Canin is clever marketing but, according to dog food surveys, poor quality and all the "breed specific" varieties are just con jobs. Pedigree is widely available, not too expensive  and is the choice of many well known breeders.

My wife feeds her Chihuahau Royal Canin because he likes it but more importantly because if he eats anything else his poo smells. 

Her words, not mine.

[connda]

Our dogs get a mix of foods.  From relatively inexpensive Big C or Tesco brand canned food (it actually looks and smells really good, arf arf) to a higher quality dry food, pork bones once a week, and occasionally I'll buy chicken or pork organ-meat and cook it up for them.  Good source of iron and minerals.  If you freeze pork bones for two weeks it will kill any pathogens.  Those raw bones are better than cooked.  Oh, and pla-kapong - those canned mackerel in tomato sauce. Price them at Makro.  I've found them as cheap as 10 THB a can.  If you feed them the same stuff all the time, maybe they get the nutrition that need, maybe they don't.  I try to stack the deck in their favor.  Actually, same for our cats.
Think about it - do you eat the same stuff every day?  Bet ya don't! 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by connda

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, Bob12345 said:

Reaction to the three points:
Correlation is not causation. Most diseases surface now because dogs get older and are unhealthy breeds (to make them look nicer).

 

 

About raw food:

Sure its cheap, but it requires a lot of extra work and extra space.

I switched to raw food for some time for my 2 dogs, so instead of giving 6 cups out of a large bag i now had to:
1. go to the makro and buy 6 seperate parts of chicken (wings, breast, liver, kidney, etc), minced salmon, pork, etc.

2. defrost whatever was frozen

3. cook veggies and mince them completely (a dog needs more than just meat)

4. mix all the above in a large bowl (sounds easy but you try to mix up 8kg of meat)

5. put everything in seperate bags - 1 portion per bag

6. freeze all the bags - you will need an extra freezer

7. defrost one or two bags a day ahead in the fridge because you dont want to give your dog frozen food

8. repeat as soon as you start seeing the bottom of your freezer

 

All the above made me switch back to a large bag of Royal Canine.

"Sure its cheap, but it requires a lot of extra work and extra space."

 

A PROPER raw food diet is certainly not cheap in my experience!  Which is probably why there is such a lack of long-term thread posters responding.

 

But I do agree that "it requires a lot of extra work and space".  BARF diet is named correctly, as it certainly makes me gag every now and again!

[connda]

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

"Sure its cheap, but it requires a lot of extra work and extra space."

 

A PROPER raw food diet is certainly not cheap in my experience!  Which is probably why there is such a lack of long-term thread posters responding.

 

But I do agree that "it requires a lot of extra work and space".  BARF diet is named correctly, as it certainly makes me gag every now and again!

Raw may be better, but is it really going to make a dog into Super-Dog?
And as dick_d mentioned, it's a lot of work. I've done it and it was a pain in the butt.  I've had as many as 5 dogs.  Currently have 4.  I don't do it anymore.  I limit raw to raw pork bones that have been frozen for two weeks.  As I said before, the freezing kills the bacteria and other parasites in the meat.  It gives their teeth and gums a good workout.  But that's the only raw they get in our household now.
The cats on the otherhand?  <laughs>  Lovable, furry little murderers.  I love my cats.  They get fed well, but the do like to kill there own food and will at least partially eat what they kill.  It's been years since I've seen a mouse around here.  

[Skallywag]

4 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

You might want to check this top Google search independent testing website - one star to Pedigree - three to Royal Canin.

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/royal-canin-breed-specific-adult/

I went to that site.  Protein, Fat, Carb, and Fiber content of Pedigree is almost identical to RC.  Same with vitamin supplements.

The "dog food adviser" also states it does NOT like either of the first 2 ingredients in RC or Pedigree.  So am entirely confused on why one gets 3 stars and the other 1 star out of 5 stars.  This advisor seems to be very "finicky" indeed.

 

My dog has had pedigree for the last year, + some street cart fish balls or unseasoned chicken or pork at times.

He is a 6 KG terrier mix , happy and healthy ....

Pedigree dry 1000 baht for a 20 KG bag at Big C ...

Royal Canin dry 1750 baht for 10 kg from Lazada

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by Skallywag

[Lacessit]

31 minutes ago, connda said:

  As I said before, the freezing kills the bacteria and other parasites in the meat.  It gives their teeth and gums a good workout.  But that's the only raw they get in our household now.
The cats on the otherhand?  <laughs>  Lovable, furry little murderers.  I love my cats.  They get fed well, but the do like to kill there own food and will at least partially eat what they kill.  It's been years since I've seen a mouse around here.  

Freezing may kill parasites. It won't kill bacteria, just puts them into dormancy. Leave covered thawed meat around for a couple of days and see how you go eating it. No, I won't pay your hospital bill.

Another proof dogs have masters, cats have staff.

I buy Dorhu ( otherwise known as Boofhead ) dry dog food from Big C, their home brand, 99 baht for two kilos. He loves it. He gets a Dentastix every day for his teeth. Cooked chicken carcasses and rice for breakfast. He's Heinz variety, medium size, strong and healthy.

Edited June 11, 2019 by Lacessit

[mikecha]

if u eat  and cook at home feed the dog the left overs but no chicken bones or rib bone 

can feed rice and vegatables and what meat raw chicken is ok but not  pork or raw fish

if u cook for 2 can cook for 3 the dog  and make sure is cold easy 

 

 

our dog eats whhat we eat never sick and always satisfied

these manufactured dog foods and especialy tin food is more rubbish additive than food

 

 

 

k

 

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Skallywag said:

The "dog food adviser" also states it does NOT like either of the first 2 ingredients in RC or Pedigree.

Believe corn is the reason - also prime ingredient of Alpo which is also one star.  Even for us humans corn is more taste than substance and most just goes through undigested.  

Edited June 11, 2019 by lopburi3

[soalbundy]

On 6/8/2019 at 8:45 PM, Psimbo said:

Roadkill.

beat me to it

[monkeycu]

6 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Agree. Apart from soi dogs, animals on the roads are scarce.

Thai food stalls save a bundle on the meat, and after an hour on the road its tenderised

[Janner1]

If you put your dog in a field of wheat it will look for mice because it is a MEAT eater not a WHEAT eater canned dog food is full of it, look on the tin it says cereals in the ingredients.

so solve three problems at once, feed the dog on cats! They are free, the dog loves the meat and nothing c++ps in your garden any more.

As long as you take the dog for a walk!!!

 

555 sorry no offence meant, just a jocular moment in an otherwise rainy day.

 

[khunPer]

I have three dogs inhabiting my house – they refuse to leave, so they ended up dining here – and I, or we including my lovely girlfriend, serve a delicious mixture of what is left over from meals with Pedigree Pal as base, and some special doggy gourmet add-on, when we eat all (happens too often)...????

 

Pedigree Pal is available in 20 kilo bags for just under 1,000 baht, available in at least three variants, so possible to find a taste the dog like, or change for variety.

 

Cheap, or fair priced add-on, my dogs digest – one of them is a very hi-so fine Thai breed (black ridgeback, next door neighbor's second hand dog that left home), she is extremely fussy, and don't eat everything served – could be:

• Scrambled egg with a bit of oil and soy-sauce, and whipped with milk or double cream if available – one egg is 3 baht or less – I count 4-5 egg for 3 dogs, so 1-2 for one dog only.
• When Tesco (or like shop) has cheap soup bones (often halfed), some times for half price, they are boiled and kept in freezer. A bones is good for cleaning teeth, and the dogs loves to spend time chewing. The price could be around 30 baht (or less) a kilo, making each half bone's cost less than 10 baht.
• I buy minced pork and fry it in oil with a bit of soy sauce for taste, pack it in small containers, freeze, and have for add on. 1 kilo is enough supplement for 7 meals for three dogs, so around 20 meals add-on for one dog only, i.e. about 6 baht.
• For a change, any rice left over will be served for the dogs, but always mixed with something. A can of mackerel in tomato (11 baht a can) mixed with enough left over rice can be a meal, using half a can it can last for two meals. Also rice mixed with scrambled eggs my dog categorize as a gourmet dish, either on its own, if enough rice to scramble with, or with dry food as supplement.
• If we have dinner left over, which is eatable for the dogs – keep in mind, we have one hi-so lady, not eating whatever is served – its also used.

In general I try to serve variated food – the dogs seems too love it – and use the dry food as an affordable base with the necessary vitamins and stuff dogs need. Oil, or some fat, is important when dogs are having a majority of dry food, especially needed for the fur.

 

20 kilo Pedigree Pal dry food last longer than a month for three dogs, i.e. about 10 baht a day for one dog, and add on for around 6 to baht a dog a day (excluding human meal left overs) gives a budget of about 15 baht a day a dog for food; i.e. up to 500 baht a month for one dog. Of course depending of size, but the three squatters here are Thai Bangkaew (about same size as a grown up Siberian Husky), a Thai Ridgeback, and a cute soi-cross that looks exactly like a "fine breed", so probably fairly general equivalent to a Husky.

 

For 500 baht a month, a dog is a much cheaper pal than bringing a Thai bird into the house...????

– unfortunately I have three pals, and a bird, but I still to financially survive...????

 

[rwill]

3 brands that are good.  Maxima, F-1, and GM Turbo.  I find them for around 900 - 1,200 for 15kg bags.

[Sophon]

4 hours ago, myjawe said:

 

Around 800 thb for 20kg is the price of the savepack (the cheapest) at makro, so I can hardly believe that it's good...

 

 

 

The Savepak costs 735 THB, but that is for 25 kg.

So the equivalent cost for a 20 kg. pack of Savepak would be 588 THB, quite a bit cheaper than the 855 THB quoted for the Alpo.

 

Sophon

[jak2002003]

On ‎6‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 8:03 PM, lopburi3 said:

Royal Canin is expensive but what vet has put our dogs on and they seem to love it (although designed to make them lose weight).  But only feeding Chihuahuas (although large) so daily expense not that great.  Have found online from Shopee at lower cost (but often not available).  

The way it works is the vet is sponsored by Royal Canin and gets money off that company for selling it, recommend it over any other dog food.  So, sorry the vet is biased.   Go a different vet office which is on contract with a different dog food brand and  they will recommend that other brand.  Even give you a nice leaflet with scientific graphs and smiling owners on it.

On ‎6‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 10:17 PM, JetsetBkk said:

"APro I.Q. Formula" 10 Kg sacks from Supercheap.

I.Q Formula.  Really, do people believe feeding a dog this food with make the dog have a higher I.Q and be more intelligent?  Do you want it to do the crossword for you and organise your office?

On ‎6‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 2:16 PM, KhunBENQ said:

Something wrong with ALPO? (under the Nestle group).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpo_(pet_food)

 

You get it virtually everywhere.

We use in addition to other food (chicken (liver), rice etc.).

I buy the "Beef/Liver/Vegetable" sort.

739 Baht for 20 kg sack at Lazada delivered to the door.

859 Baht at MAKRO. 899 (or more) at Tesco Lotus.

Available at other chain stores too.

I suggest you buy a smaller size for test-feed, see whether they adopt to it.

This dry food is mostly waste soy beans and corn meal dust not fit for human consumption, then meat bi products (again just rubbish swept off the factory floor).  

4 hours ago, Bob12345 said:

Reaction to the three points:
Correlation is not causation. Most diseases surface now because dogs get older and are unhealthy breeds (to make them look nicer).

 

 

About raw food:

Sure its cheap, but it requires a lot of extra work and extra space.

I switched to raw food for some time for my 2 dogs, so instead of giving 6 cups out of a large bag i now had to:
1. go to the makro and buy 6 seperate parts of chicken (wings, breast, liver, kidney, etc), minced salmon, pork, etc.

2. defrost whatever was frozen

3. cook veggies and mince them completely (a dog needs more than just meat)

4. mix all the above in a large bowl (sounds easy but you try to mix up 8kg of meat)

5. put everything in seperate bags - 1 portion per bag

6. freeze all the bags - you will need an extra freezer

7. defrost one or two bags a day ahead in the fridge because you dont want to give your dog frozen food

8. repeat as soon as you start seeing the bottom of your freezer

 

All the above made me switch back to a large bag of Royal Canine.

You don't have to do all that in your list.  You make it as complicated as you like.

 

1.  Buy the meat when you are shopping for you own food

2.  Throw it hole (bones and all) to the dog in the garden. (right portion so all is consumed and no waste left).

 

That's it.  No need for vegetables, rice, freezing, mincing the meat up, mixing together (even don't need a bowl if outside) 

 

OP.  All the dry food is junk.  Some less junky than others.  Read the ingredients list on any bag.  Most are all corn, rice, soy, wheat or grains.  Then poor quality none human grade, not fit for consumption meat by products, all blasted and cooked and super heat to death (destroying all the vitamins and little nutrients the food had) and then chemical artificial additives at put in to make it half nutritious, usually with colouring to make it look nice for us humans.  

 

It is not good for dogs in the long run, same as if we ate only highly processed foods every day all out lives.  That is a bit part of the reason why so many dogs have skin problems, allergies, bad teeth, bad breath and obesity these days.

 

The best for your dog is the raw diet.  But, in reality, dogs are very tough animals and don't need super pampering and exact scientific balanced diets to do well and stay healthy.

 

I would suggest you to feed your dog mostly raw meat with bones, supplemented with family meal leftovers, raw eggs with shells on,  and some dry dog food when you are running low on the other food.

 

Just remember never to feed cooked bones or human foods that are poisonous for dogs, like chocolate, raisins, etc.  Easy to find a list on the net.

 

 

[Lacessit]

Have cats as well as dogs. Dogs love eating cat shit, because it is full of undigested protein.

[fishtank]

Just look at the ingredients on the back of the pack.

The first few items should be meat and fish items.

Not grain or other fillers.

Pedigree, Alpo, Smart Heart etc. all rubbish.

 

Prowild is pretty good at a reasonable price.

https://www.feedmeplease.com/th/brand/Prowild.php

Edited June 11, 2019 by fishtank

[Bundooman]

Table scraps/leftovers.

[fishtank]

2 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Table scraps/leftovers.

Not a dog person then.

[Orton Rd]

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Have cats as well as dogs. Dogs love eating cat shit, because it is full of undigested protein.

So glad I have never had a dog, disgusting animals, after they have eaten shit they slobber all over you ugh.

[JetsetBkk]

8 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

On 6/9/2019 at 10:17 PM, JetsetBkk said:

"APro I.Q. Formula" 10 Kg sacks from Supercheap.

I.Q Formula.  Really, do people believe feeding a dog this food with make the dog have a higher I.Q and be more intelligent?  Do you want it to do the crossword for you and organise your office?

All the dogs I give it to love it. You don't have to be such a <deleted> when you post.

 

[JetsetBkk]

On 6/10/2019 at 9:49 AM, atchara said:

how much about please ?

only 375 THB at shopee : https://shopee.co.th/APro-IQ-Formula-10-kg-เอโปร-ไอคิว-ฟอร์มูล่า-ขนาด-10-กก.-i.21049536.1040633939

I can't remember. Actually I just noticed tonight that I'm getting low on it so will probably buy another sack tomorrow.

I don't have a dog - I give it to all the mountain dogs up "Khao To-Sae" (Monkey Hill) in Phuket Town.

 

[Lacessit]

11 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

So glad I have never had a dog, disgusting animals, after they have eaten shit they slobber all over you ugh.

That's a bit sad. A dog's love is unconditional. Easy enough to prevent them eating shit.

I've had dogs and cats both as pets. Dogs have separation anxiety. Cats couldn't care less.

[jak2002003]

7 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

All the dogs I give it to love it. You don't have to be such a <deleted> when you post.

 

Sorry if my post came across like that.  But the OP wanted to know the best dog foods... and the one you recommended is probably down there with the WORST.  Glad you dogs like it, but does not mean that it is healthy for them.

 

I don't appreciate: 'you don't have to be such a <deleted>', either, thanks.  No call for that one.

 

 

[jak2002003]

6 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

I can't remember. Actually I just noticed tonight that I'm getting low on it so will probably buy another sack tomorrow.

I don't have a dog - I give it to all the mountain dogs up "Khao To-Sae" (Monkey Hill) in Phuket Town.

 

You feed the mountain dogs.... so they can have more and more puppies and then you feed them.... so they grow up and also have more and more puppies.  Nice one.  Might be better to organise these dogs to get sterilised and after that you can keep feeding them, otherwise you are actually making the problem worse in the long run.