What is the cheapest best food I can feed my precious Golden Retriever through this pet food nightmare?

Question

We just bought her a large bag of Purina Beneful plus give her table scraps, she has thrown up twice since this last bag! She has thrown up once in a while in the past, since we've had her (shes about 3 yrs old) . Don't all dogs throw up now and then, isn't that normal? I am so freaking out through this madness!

Answer 1

I hate to tell you, but Beneful is just marketing hype. It is a terrible dog food.
It costs me about 23% less to feed a premium kibble, than it does to feed Purina.
A dog the size of mine will eat a 40 pound bag of Purina per month. My dogs each eat 1/2 bag of Canidae per month..
You will get similar nutrition form many of the premium kibbles, such a Innova, Wellness, Natural Balance, or Solid Gold.
You won't find any kibble worth feeding your beloved dog at the grocer's or Walmart.

there are no fillers in the premium foods, so dogs need less, eat less and waste(poop) less, so you won't be paying by the pound for poop.

wow! I just read the ingredients in Beneful..I couldn't believe what they put in there..sorbitol? beef tallow? soy flour? None of those are didestible..BUT they add Tums to make it stay down..and lots of food coloring to make it pretty.. Here the ingedients in Beneful are compared side by side with Innova Evo> http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=comp-wiz-results&animal=Dog&id1=1433&id2=1246&id3=&id4=&x=47&y=12

Answer 2

Since you need to buy a cheap brand, Beneful is not on the list of recalls. It would not be unusual for a dog to throw up when changing to a new food. He could get diarrhea too for a bit. What would be good to do is go to the store and buy a few cans or more of Pumpkin Pie filling. It's only about 50 or 60 cents a can and is pureed pumpkin. Most doesn't have spices or sugar added. You can feed your dog about a fourth a can of it three times a day for a few days while he is adjusting. It helps to keep their stomach settled and to prevent diarrhea or normalize stool. The table scraps are more apt to be what is causing the vomiting. In fact, your dog would do better to cut the tablescraps out. You could mix the pumpkin pie filling into his food and give him some in between his feeding.

Answer 3

Absolutely, yes. It is the best way to feed your dog, if you are willing to do what it takes. The acronym is "BARF" diet, for Bones And Raw Food. The need to come up with a better name. I have two German shepherd dogs. Their normal meal is either three chicken backs or a handful of chicken necks. They get a couple of tablespoons of canned pumpkin plus a spoon of yogurt. I add a raw egg a couple times per week. Once in a while, they get raw frozen fish or beef kidney. I might have some ground beef that got a bit old. I got to know the people at the local meat market. I can pick up stuff that's a bit "gamey" and not fit for human use, but it's great for dogs. My wife insists on rice occasionally, but I don't think it's necessary. )It sure doesn't hurt). They get a fish oil table every day, but that may not be really necessary. There is prepackaged raw food that I'm sure if convenient. It works out over $1.50 per pound. I get chicken by the case for less than $0.33 per pound (I'm cheap). This works out to be about the same as top-of-the-line kibble (why would consider anything else?). It is not really hard. Google "Natural diet" and "BARF feeding". BTW, a veterinarian is the last place to look for animal nutrition. Most of their training comes from Purina company. Their lobby is loaded with Science Diet, some of the worst kibble on the market.

Answer 4

The food recall was only for canned/wet foods in pouches none of the kibbles/dry food were affected, so it was not necessary to change her kibble, there is an ingredient in the Beneful that does not agree with her and that maybe why she is vommiting , you would be better feeding her the same dry kibble you were feeding before. If dhe did eat any of the canned foods that was recalled than she should be seen by a vet.

I am not a fan of the cheap foods, but if you are looking for something better but low cost , go to Costco and buy their Kirkland Signature premium brand food it is around $20 for a 40lb bag, it does not have the junk ingredients that is in Beneful and many other cheaper foods

Answer 5

is beneful her normal food? if so the no you shouldn't change it unless the vet says to.

my suggestion would be to stop feeding her the table scraps and contact her vet immediately so they can asses the situation and make sure that it isn't the food causing the vomiting.

if you are dead set on changing her food, i would go with either purina pro plan or maximum. the purina pro plan you can buy at feed stores and most pet stores like petco and petsmart and cost about $30 for about 35lbs. maximum can be bought at walmart and is around $13 for 20 lbs. my vet reccomended the purina pro plan and we found that maximum is comparable to it at a cheaper price.

another thing, do you have other animals in the house, like a cat? if you have a cat, is she able to get into the cat's food? is so then you should put the cat food where the dog is unable to get to it. my dog was eating the cat food at one point and that made him vomit.

good luck :)

Answer 6

This recall has put dogs and owners on a roller coaster. The best dog food is not cheap. You will need to check out he ingredients in your pet's food. If the first couple ingredients are meat, it is a good quality food. If they are corn, or meal, stay clear of it.

About the only thing you are going to be able to do about the recalled pet food is to keep checking the website daily for updates.

Recall Information
1-866-895-2708
www.menufoods.com

(I have heard that there is no answer at this number.)

Answer 7

Throwing up isnt normal if all is well with your dog. Number 1 concern, she may have an intestinal blockage causing this problem. Also something to be aware of is that your dog may very well have a food allergy. My dog has an intolerance to wheat, wheat by-products and fillers that are the main ingredients in a lot of dog foods out there. I didnt find this out till my dog was almost 3yrs old. Take your dog to the vet, tell them whats going on and request a food allergy test be done. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Cheap and best ...no way .
I feed Canidae . it might be a little expensiver but my Bulldog is healthy . No thrown up , the skin and the coat looks perfect and its good for the bones too .

i pay for a 40 lbs bag around $ 31 (Lamb ) . Each Dog eats 2 Cups a day . One Bag lasts around 1 month (for both ) .

With a good food your dog also gonna have less "ouput" and won't gas .

Answer 9

Your food isnt on the list, but Cosco sells a food that is better nutritionally than the purina, its called Nutra Nuggets, lamb and rice formula, it has additives for joint health (very good for a large breed dog) plus has fatty acids wich are great for numerous things like his skin and fur. Good Luck, Dont worry hell be fine, but always ask a vet if he acts sicker, like profuse vomiting or diareah for more than a couple times. I almost forgot, its only about 17 dollars for 40 lb. bag.

Answer 10

What you need to do is check the protein/fat/fibre/salt content of the various dog foods. If you check the content of the food you would feed your dog if you could afford it (eg: eukanuba etc), then go look at the cheaper foods to find a similar mix. I was feeding my 3 yr old goldie any food that was about 18% protein, 10% fat, 5% fibre and low salt. If your dog needs to be leaner, then look for a food with a lower fat content for instance. And yes, most dogs throw up now and again - and I don;t know about your dog - but my dog regularly sicked up stuff she had scavaged when out free-walking.