Top 5 Best Cheap Dog Foods List
- Earthborn Holistic “Grain Free” Dry Dog Food Formula
- Canidae “Life Stages” Dry Dog Food Formula
- Natural Balance “Ultra Premium” Wet Dog Food Formula
- Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food Formula
- Wellness Core Natural “Grain Free” Dry Dog Food Formula
We all love and want the best dog food for our furry companions, but there are times when the cost of maintaining a healthy diet for our pets can become financially overwhelming. A month’s worth of many high quality dog foods can easily rival the average food bill for a single person. If you are on a budget, but still want to feed your dog a healthy diet, you probably want to find the best cheap dog food.
Fortunately, there are dog food brands on the market that offer adequate nutrition at affordable prices.
Just because a dog food is more expensive, does not necessarily guarantee that it is higher quality. Even some of the more expensive brands use fillers, or cheaper sources of protein.
You can make healthy choices by being aware of the ingredients and what makes a high quality dog food, regardless of the price.
Before making a decision, it is advisable to first have a discussion with your veterinarian and find out if your dog has any specific requirements that need to be addressed when choosing a diet.
A general guideline is to read the ingredients and the guaranteed analysis on the bag, or can when choosing a new brand of dog food.
Try to choose brands that have only a limited amount of additives and fillers, such as grain, corn, and soy.
Always make sure that the first ingredient on the guaranteed analysis label is crude protein, followed by crude fat and crude fiber.
You should also make sure the ingredients are as close as possible to a diet your dog’s ancestors would find in the wild.
The Largest Pet Food Recall Scandal in History
On March 15, 2007, the Canada-based manufacturer, Menu Foods, alerted the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that fourteen cats and dogs developed kidney failure after eating some of their “cuts and gravy” style products. Menu Foods supplies cat and dog food to numerous pet food companies that sell it under various brand names.
The FDA laboratories found melamine and melamine-related compounds in various pet foods manufactured by Menu Foods, which not only killed the animals reported by Menu Foods, but also caused the illness and death of many other cats and dogs.
Melamine is a small, nitrogen-containing molecule that has a number of industrial uses, which includes being used as an industrial binding agent, flame retardant, and as part of a polymer in the manufacture of cooking utensils and plates. It is also used to create products such as plastics, cleaning products, glues, inks, and fertilizers.
Melamine and its related compounds have no approved use as an ingredient in animal or human food in the United States.
Pet food processor Menu Foods issued a recall of sixty million cans and pouches of pet food sold under various brand names. More than one hundred and fifty brands of pet food were voluntarily recalled by a number of companies.
Food Ingredients and Food Source
The FDA traced the melamine and melamine-related compounds to products that were purported to be “wheat gluten” and “rice protein concentrate.” These proteins and chemicals were imported from China and used as ingredients in pet foods.
Wheat gluten is a natural protein derived from wheat or wheat flour, which is extracted to yield a powder with a high protein content. Pet food manufacturers often use wheat gluten as a thickener or binding agent in the manufacture of certain types of pet food.
Melamine was found in the kidneys and urine of the animals that died and in the food they ate. The FDA does not think that melamine was the sole cause of the illness and death of the animals, because melamine is a relatively non-toxic substance.
Melamine-related compounds, such as cyanuric acid, were also found in the pet food. The combination of melamine and cyanuric acid appears to be more toxic than either compound alone. When these two substances interact, they form crystals in urine and kidney tissue, which can lead to kidney failure.
The FDA believes it was a combination of these contaminants that caused the deaths of the cats and dogs.
The Impact on the Pet Health and Pet Food Market
Many pet food companies do not manufacturer their own food. Instead, they give their formulas to manufacturing plants, who mix ingredients according to the recipes to make a wide variety of pet foods for companies to sell under many different brand names.
Because one manufacturer may produce many kinds of pet foods at the same facility, a contaminated ingredient can get into many of these foods.
Since the recall, the FDA has issued an import alert that stops all shipments of ‘all’ vegetable protein products – not just wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate – from all of China. No product can enter the United States until the importer proves to the FDA, through results from an independent laboratory, that the product is free of melamine and related compounds.
The import alert includes the following vegetable protein products:
- Wheat gluten
- Rice gluten, rice protein, rice protein concentrate
- Corn gluten, corn gluten meal, corn by-products
- Soy protein, soy gluten
- Proteins (includes amino acids and protein hydrosylates)
- Mung bean protein
In addition, the FDA is:
- Sampling pet food from China entering United States
- Visiting manufacturers and processors in the United States, who use protein products of various types in pet food, animal feed, or human food.
- Obtaining samples from manufactures and processors to test for melamine and melamine-related compounds.
- Raising awareness with manufacturers about the importance of knowing their suppliers and the safety of the material they receive.
- Encouraging manufacturers to test materials and products, or take other measures to ensure the safety of the ingredients they use.
- Sampling and testing some finished food products.
Tips for Choosing Best Cheap Dog Food
When considering an inexpensive dog food, it should always come down to the ingredients. Affordable foods should still be made from a blend of different meats, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Some of these ingredients will be better for your dog than others, depending on their sources. To find the best dog food recipe for the money, take the following tips into consideration:
- Fats should be from easily recognizable animals and plant oils that are rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
- Check for high-quality proteins, like real chicken rather than chicken meal or meat by-product.
- Avoid foods that contain meat by-products listed in the first five ingredients. The same rule applies to carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and fats.
- If the brand markets itself as holistic, or organic, check the label ingredients to see if they match the claims.
- Avoid dog foods that contain fillers, such as potatoes, soy protein, or corn, instead of more nutrient-rich ingredients like real meat and organs.
- What you want to do is align any dog with your pet’s ancestral diet, or at least as much as you can. Because your dog is a carnivore, a protein source should always be the first ingredient. It should be from a high quality source, such as meat, chicken, fish, or protein meal.
- Avoid dog foods that list by-products, sodium, artificial colours, preservatives, and sweeteners near the beginning of their list of ingredients.
- Look for a nutritional advocacy statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) on the dog food bag, or can. This ensures that the dog food meets AAFCO standards for nutrients.
- The food should contain an adequate amount of wholesome vegetables, fruits, and herbs. These foods can be excellent sources of natural vitamins and minerals to help balance your dog’s diet and maintain their overall health.
- You should also be looking at a brand’s recall history. Check how many times they have had recalls and how quickly they responded to those recalls.
Make sure the cheap dog food contains these essential nutrients:
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Antioxidants
- Probiotics
Best Cheap Dog Foods Comparison
(4.4 / 5)
1. Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dry Dog Food – Great Plains Feast Recipe
The primary ingredients are bison meal, peas, pea protein, tapioca, dried egg product, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed, lamb meal, pea fiber, natural flavours, blueberries, cranberries, apples, carrots, spinach.
- Formulated for dogs in all life stages.
- Grain free.
- Gluten free
- High protein.
- Balanced Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
- Manufactured in the United States.
Guaranteed Analysis: * Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.
| Crude Protein | Min. 34.00% | Vitamin E | Min. 250 IU/kg |
| Crude Fat | Min. 18.00% | Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) | Min. 100 mg/kg* |
| Crude Fiber | Max. 4.00% | L-Carnitine | Min. 50mg/kg* |
| Moisture | Max. 10.00% | Taurine | Min. 0.05%* |
| Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) | Min. 0.20% | Omega-6 Fatty Acids | Min. 2.60%* |
| Calcium | Min. 1.50% | Omega-3 Fatty Acids | Min. 1.90%* |
| Phosphorus | Min. 1.00% |
Calorie content (calculated): ME (metabolizable energy) 3675 kcal/kg; 430 kcal/cup
2. CANIDAE Life Stages Dry Dog Food for Puppies, Adults & Seniors
The primary ingredients are chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, peas, potatoes, oatmeal, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat, millet, tomato pomace, natural flavour, flaxseed, oceanfish meal.
- Formulated for dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes.
- Free of corn, wheat and soy.
- Balanced Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Manufactured in the United States.
Guaranteed Analysis: * Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.
| Crude Protein | MIn. 24.00% | Vitamin E | Min. 200.00 IU/kg |
| Crude Fat | Min. 14.50% | Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)** | 50.00 mg/kg |
| Crude Fiber | Max. 4.00% | Glucosamine (Naturally Occurring)** | 700.00 mg/kg |
| Moisture | Max. 10.00% | Chondroitin Sulfate (Naturally Occurring)** | 250.00 mg/kg |
| Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid) | Min. 3.70% | Lactobacillus Acidophilus** | 100 million CFU/lb |
| Alpha Linoleic Acid (Omega-3 Fatty Acid) | Min. 0.50% | Cellulase (Trichoderma Longibrachiatum)**(A) | 100 CMCU/kg |
Calorie content (calculated): ME (metabolizable energy) 3600 kcal/kg; 468 kcal/cup
3. Natural Balance Ultra Premium Wet Dog Food – Beef Formula Canned Dog Food
The primary ingredients are beef, beef broth, beef liver, carrots, oat bran, brown rice, potatoes, dehydrated potatoes.
- Formulated for all breeds and life stages.
- Balanced Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids.
- No artificial flavours, or colours.
- High protein.
- Free of artificial flavours and chemical preservatives.
- Free of soy, wheat and corn.
- No by-product meals.
- Manufactured in the United States.
Guaranteed Analysis: * Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.
| Crude Protein | Min. 8.0% | Crude Fiber | Max. 1.5% |
| Crude Fat | Min. 5.0% | Moisture | Max. 78% |
Calorie content (calculated): ME (metabolizable energy) 1200 kcal/kg; 440 kcal/13 oz. can, 205 kcal/6 oz. can
4. Hill’s Science Diet Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food Formula – Chicken Meal and Oats Recipe
The primary ingredients are chicken meal, whole grain wheat. oat groats, whole grain sorghum, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, pork fat, chicken liver flavour, flaxseed.
- Formulated for large breed puppies.
- Contains natural ingredients with no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.
- Contains natural vegetable fibers.
- High quality chicken protein with natural ingredients, and no chicken by-product meal.
- Manufactured in the United States, with ingredients from North America, Europe and New Zealand.
Guaranteed Analysis: * Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.
| Protein | 30.1 | Potassium | 0.77 |
| Fat | 13.5 | Magnesium | 0.127 |
| Carbohydrate (NFE) | 47.5 | Carnitine | 370 ppm |
| Crude Fiber | 2.1 | Vitamin C | 352 mg/kg |
| Calcium | 1.17 | Vitamin E | 748 IU/kg |
| Phosphorus | 1.0 | DHA | 0.180 |
| Sodium | 0.45 | Omega-3 Fatty Acids Total | 1.43 |
Calorie content (calculated): ME (metabolizable energy) 3553 kcal/kg; 353 kcal/cup
5. Wellness CORE Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Food – Original Turkey & Chicken Recipe
The primary ingredients are deboned turkey, turkey meal, chicken meal, peas, potatoes, dried ground potatoes, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, chicken liver, natural chicken flavour, ground flaxseed.
- Formulated for adult dogs.
- Grain free.
- Contains antioxidants, omega fatty acids and probiotics.
- All natural ingredients with no wheat, corn, soy, meat by-products, artificial flavours, or preservatives.
- This grain free recipe is packed with premium protein for optimal health.
- Manufactured in the United States.
Guaranteed Analysis: * Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile.
| Crude Protein | Min. 34.00% | Omega-6 Fatty Acids* | Min. 3.35% |
| Crude Fat | Min. 16.00% | Omega-3 Fatty Acids* | Min. 0.50% |
| Crude Fiber | Max. 4.00% | Glucosamine* | Min. 250 mg/kg |
| Moisture | Max. 10.00% | Chondroitin Sulfate* | Min. 200 mg/kg |
| Calcium | Max. 2.00% | Beta-Carotene* | Min. 5 mg/kg |
| Phosphorus | Max. 1.40% | Total Lactic Acid Microorganisms* | Min. 80,000,000 CFU/lb |
| Vitamin E | MIn. 400 IU/kg |
Calorie content (calculated): ME (metabolizable energy) 3660 kcal/kg; 421 kcal/cup
Conclusion
Some cheaper dog foods are packed with fillers, instead of quality ingredients and can actually damage your pet’s health. You need to make sure to read the ingredients on the bag, or can, and make sure it meets all the nutritional requirements for your dog.
Although there are less expensive foods on the market, the formulas that are listed above are both inexpensive and nutritious. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your dog needs to maintain a healthy body.
A Few More Tips
- To save even more money, try to find the best budget dog food that says the product is for “all life stages.” This is a great way to save if you share your home with more than one dog and they are at different stages in their lives.
- Just double check with your veterinarian to make sure there are no specific health problems that need to be addressed. If your dogs get a clean bill of health, an “all life stages” formula will save you some money, rather than buying puppy, adult, or senior specific foods for each animal.
- Another great way to save money, is to buy large bags of dog food. Even though you may have to initially spend more for a larger bag, you end up saving in the long run.
- Make sure to take a look at the weekly fliers that are usually found near the entrance of pet food stores. Often they have coupons that can save you some money.
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