Alright, so you want to get your pet on a good food, but you're scared by the cost of raw after buying a bag of food and realizing that this endeavor is going to cost you. The following information, which was very time consuming to calculate, will help you on your journey to feeding your pet the best possible way that you can.
This Blog is affiliated, and I used the images below so that you could follow the link to the food I am talking about and further investigate if need be, because I can legally do that without getting the rights to the photos. HOWEVER, if at all possible please go to your local pet store and find these foods on the shelf there. Here in St. Petersburg, FL we have some amazing local pet stores. Shopping at them, for virtually the same price, helps keep money in our local economy. It also helps keep these small business going so that they can be there when you need them because you forgot to order your pet's food online. Many times when I walk in to local pet stores, I find the owner's behind the counter and they know more about what goes into the foods they offer, than most veterinary professionals, because that's what they do. So just click the links, and buy other things that you can't get at a local pet store =) Or use the info online to do your own research and save your money for that high quality pet food, purchased locally.
Note: I use one example of the calorie content of one can/bag of food/protein. Every can/bag has a different calorie content just like every burger has a different calorie content. So this is all average estimates and not entirely accurate down to the calorie. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to be able to calculate the cost per calorie in EVERY single variety of canned food and every variety of bagged food. I notice that there are variations, however, overall most of the other varieties of both canned and dry are very close for cost comparison.
FIRST Before you get started, you are going to need to know how many calories your pet needs in a day to MAINTAIN their IDEAL weight. To do this, please fill out the following information.
These calculations are the same for cats and dogs (Thank goodness!)
If you don't know your pets ideal weight, ask your veterinarian what they think during your next veterinary visit! There is no standard ideal weight per species.
#1 What is your pet's ideal weight in pounds: _______lbs
NOW Take the number (Ideal wt in pounds) and Divide it by 2.2 to covert their weight into Kilograms.
#2 (Ideal Weight in pounds)/2.2 = Ideal weight in Kilograms: _______kg
Now for the average pet (average energy level) use this formula to calculated their daily calorie requirements. This may need to be adjusted up if you have a dog that gets a lot of exercise (a paralyzed person would require fewer calories than an athlete to maintain their weight). There is no calculation for this, but if you can see your pet's ribs, they need more food.
Formula = (30 x (Your pet's average weight in Kilograms i.e. #2) = _______ + 70 = Daily Maintenance Calories: _________ kcal (calories) per day required to maintain weight.
For Example: For my 20lb Jack Russel Terrier:
#1- Her Ideal weight = 20lbs (says me)
#2- 20lbs/2.2 = 9.09kg (Ideal weight in Kilograms)
Formula = 30 x 9.09kg = 272 + 70 = 342 Daily Maintenance Calories.
So in order to support my dogs weight of 20lbs I should feed her approx. 342 (I round up to 350) calories every single day.
**************************************************************************
DON'T READ UNLESS YOUR PET HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING OVERWEIGHT (i.e. there's more of them to love, but not indefinitely)
Now if you're trying to get your pet to lose weight you will have a calorie deficit (just ask any woman about this - or man who yoyo diets like I have all my life). So to feed at a deficit of 20% you want to take the Daily Maintenance Calories and Multiply that by 0.8 i.e. (80%). So If my Daisy girl had some extra fluff and weighed 25lbs, but I wanted her to weight 20lbs. I would consider 20lbs her ideal weight. I wound understand that it took 342 calories to maintain that weight and I would feed 80% of those calories to get from 25 lbs to 20 lbs and THE MINUTE she gets to 20lbs I would increase her calories back up to 342 calories or 100% of necessary maintenance calories.
So 342 Daily Maintenance Calories x 0.80 (diet) = 273.6 Daily Diet Calories. We want slow weight loss. Then in a month or two when she weighs 20lbs I will increase her food intake to 342 Daily Maintenance Calories.
***********************************************************************
SO The next most important thing to know, after knowing how many calories you will need to feed your dog, daily is how many calories you will need to feed your dog monthly so that you can calculate the cost of a diet that YOU can sustain.
Daily Calories required to maintain ideal weight:_________ x 30 days
For Daisy (20lb ideal weight) = Approx 350 (actual 342) calories x 30 days = _______ cal/month
350 x 30 = 10,500 calories every month for my little monster, Daisy.
When you read the following information use: ______ cal/month x $______ cost per calorie = Total monthly cost of dog food.
For the Example directly below:
10,500 calories per month x $0.0058 per calorie dog food = $60.90 total cost to feel exclusively Dave's Premium Beef & Chicken dog food every month that she is the perfect weight. That's totally doable for me!!
TIP TIME: You should switch up your pet foods regularly. To do this you may need to do the math I did for you below with other pet foods or try to stick with pet foods that are in the same realm of calories per bag as the following examples.
Please don't try to be perfect, this is meant to give you an idea of the different cost effective (maybe) diet options of healthier than kibble foods.
My Pet's Monthly Calorie Requirement is:_______________ cal/month
DOG FOODS I LIKE AND HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH
*** Buy Local When Possible - For Your Community***
Fresh is always best and you can't order the following foods online with any certainty that they will arrive in prime condition. Personally my box would likely sit on my front porch in the FL heat all day. But fear not, these high quality foods can be found in your local pet stores (Or at least I hope they can - call ahead and ask if you can special order)
Answers Pet Food Detailed Raw Chicken Nibbles 35oz box (2.2lbs)
68 calories/ounce = 2,380 Calories per Box
Box Cost = $17
$0.0071 per calorie
So for a 20lb dog this food would cost $2.48 per day to feed and $74.55 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Check out the website for a local pet food store locator!
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0071 = ___________
Don't want to make the leap to a raw diet? How about a gently cooked diet from your local pet store (I had a client who paid top dollar for a nutritionist formulated home-cooked dog food recipe, then they found this with very similar ingredients. No need to home cook!)
AllProvide Gently Cooked Turkey Dog Food 2lb Bag
2 lbs = 32 ounces
45 calories/ounce = 1440 calories/bag
Bag Cost = $12
$0.0083 per calorie
So for a 20lb dog this food would cost $2.91 per day to feed and $87.50 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Check out the website for a local pet food store locator!
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0083 = ___________
Dave's Premium Beef & Chicken 95% Meat for Dogs, 13 Oz Can (Case of 12)
1 case = 12 cans
1 13 = 445 calories x 12 cans = 5340 Calories per Case
Case Cost = $31.46
$0.0058 per calorie
So for a 20lb dog this food would cost $2.03 per day to feed and $60.90 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0058 = ___________
Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties Chicken- 25oz bag
25 ounce bag = 50 patties
1 patty = 60 calories x 50 patties = 3000 calories per bag
Bag Cost = $50
$0.016 per calorie
So for a 20lb dog this food would cost $5.83 per day to feed and $175 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.016 = ___________
Steve's Real Food Freeze-Dried Raw Nuggets Turkey - 1.25lb bag
1.25lbs = 20oz
139calories/ounce = 2,780 Calories per Bag
Bag Cost = $35
$0.0125 per calorie
So for a 20lb dog this food would cost $4.37 per day to feed and $131.25 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0125 = ___________
Ziwi Peak Air Dried Beef for Dogs 8.8lbs
8.8lbs = 140.8 ounces
312 kcal/2 ounces = 21964.8 Calories per Bag
Bag cost = $145
$0.0066 per calorie
So for a 20lb dog this food would cost $2.31 per day to feed and $69.32 per days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0066 = ___________
For dry dog foods, use this calculator to find the lowest carb bag (I know it's a feline website, but it gives a good rough estimate): http://fnae.org/carbcalorie.html
P.S. I never found a dry dog food that isn't loaded with at least 25% carbs and when I did find that food, it was being researched as a possible link to increased incidences of heart disease.
So make sure the bag you picked isn't listed here (just in case):
CAT FOODS I LIKE AND HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH
*** Buy Local When Possible - For Your Community***
Answers Pet Food Detailed Raw Chicken Formula 16 ounce Carton
50 calories/ounce = 800 Calories per Carton
Carton Cost = $9.99
$0.0124 per calorie
So for a 10lb cat this food would cost $2.60 per day to feed and $78.12 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Check out the website for a local pet food store locator!
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0124 = ___________
Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Chick, Chick, Chicken Dinner Morsels Cat Food, 18 oz. Bag
125 calories/ounce = 2,250 Calories per Bag
Bag Cost = $40
$0.0178 per calorie
So for a 10lb cat this food would cost $3.73 per day to feed and $112.14 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0178 = ___________
Don't want to do raw? Try a low carb canned, the only downside here is preservatives. I'll do one example of canned, because there are a million options. For a while I was feeding Friskies Mixed Grill because it only had 3% carbs (Best to stay under 2%, though). Any canned food under 2% fillers is better the most expensive dry processed food.
Here's an old chart of canned cat foods and carb contents (try saying that 3x fast) that someone made and posted online, so we don't have to do the work:
Here's a canned food calculation and I'm using a food that my cat LOVES:
Rawz Shredded Tuna & Chicken Cat Food 5.5oz
(Case of 24)
1 case = 24 cans
1 can = 129 calories x 24 cans = 3,096 Calories per Case
Case Cost = $62.99
$0.020 per calorie
So for a 10lb cat this food would cost $4.27 per day to feed and $129.17 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.020 = ___________
Dang, that was more expensive than I thought it would be, so let me do one more of a less expensive, high quality canned cat food with less than 2% carbs/fillers.
Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Chicken Frick 'A Zee Chicken Recipe Au Jus Grain-Free Canned Cat Food 6oz cans (Case of 24)
1 case = 24 cans
1 can = 143 calories x 24 cans = 3,342 Calories per Case
Case Cost = $44.99
$0.0134 per calorie
So for a 10lb cat this food would cost $2.82 per day to feed and $84.81 per 30 days to feed exclusively.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0134 = ___________
IF your cat must eat dry, I recommend feeding a dry diet with the lowest amount of fillers as possible. Below are two examples, please comment if you find any additional diets that appear to be low in carbs/fillers.
Dr. Elsey's Cleanprotein Chicken Formula Grain Free Cat Food 6.6lbs
6.6lbs = 2993.71g (1 cup = 132grams)
544 kcal/132grams = 4.12 cal/gram = 12,337.71 calories/bag
Bag Cost = $38
$0.0031 per calorie
Cost per day to feed a 10lb cat = $0.651 x 30 = Cost per month = $19.53
This ones seems too good to be true, but I've done the math several times, so maybe their math is off.
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0031 = ___________
ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Chicken Cat Food 2.2lbs
2.2lbs = 35.2 ounces.
312 kcal/2 ouces = 5,491.2 calories/bag
Bag cost = $45
$0.0082 per calorie
Cost per day to feed a 10lb cat = $1.72 x 30 = Cost per month = $51.66
Monthly cost = ______ cal/month x $0.0082 = ___________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Okay, so you get the idea. I provided lots of options, but please don't stop here. All I did was calculate the cost per calories of the different foods above, which are some foods that I have experience with, meaning either I or someone I know has experienced benefits from trying out the food. But there are THOUSANDS of other pet foods out there and they could be better for less money!
Here's how to calculate the cost per calorie of any pet food, you totally GOT THIS!
A (bag/carton/box/etc size) = Weight of pet food bag in lbs, ounces or grams
B (calories) = Amount of calories in x C (servings)= amount of ounces, grams or cups. This is trickier because sometimes you learn what the bag size is in lbs and the calories are listed in calories per ounce. But all you have to do is convert the lbs to ounces by googling "lbs to ounces" or "lbs to grams" and a converter will pop up.
D (calories per bag) = Now you have to find out how many servings of B (calories) are in each bag.
D (calories per bag) = [A (bag/carton/box/etc size) divided by C (servings)] multiplied by B (calories)= Calories per bag.
E = Cost per Bag
F (for Finally the calculation is over and also cost per calorie) = E (cost per bag)/D (calories per bag).
Okay here's an example: P.S. If you're still reading this, I appreciate your due diligence.
The food from my freeze box: Answers Detailed Chicken Formula for Cats
16 ounce carton. Good for 7d once refrigerated.
A = 16 ounce Carton
B = 50 Calories per C = 1 ounce
D = (A/C) x B (calories per carton)
D = (16/1) x 50 = 800 calories per carton.
E = $9.99 per carton
F = E/D = Cost Per Calorie
F = $9.99/800 = $0.0124 per calorie
So for my 11 lb cat ((11/2.2) x 30) +70 = 220 calorie per day to maintain weight.
220 x 30 = 6,600 calories per month to maintain weight
Monthly cost = 6,600 cal/month x $0.0124 = $81.84 every month to feed this diet exclusively.
Update: Honorable Mentions - Client ideas or new foods that I've tried recently - Small Companies.
Raw Dog Food at a Decent Price and a good place to get organ meat delivered:
Note: I haven't tried this food myself, however, a client gave me this tip as affordable raw food delivered.
Home cooked DOG food delivered:
Note: I have not personally tried this food, however, I have clients that have and they like it and we have seen positive effects from it.
Home cooked DOG and one CAT food that is cooked and delivered to your door:
Note: They now have one diet for cats, and veterinary diets as well. I feed my cat the cat food as it includes fish and he LOVES it. We'll see how long it lasts, but so far so good. Also my dog eats the fish, however, this diet seems heavy on higher carb veggies and starch so I mix with 1/2 Answers Raw Pork Patties.
****BEST HOME COOKED FOR CAT/DOG HOUSEHOLDS - ORDER FROM THE SAME PLACE
Since I'm feeding this to my cat I can tell you it's approximately $3/day to feed this to your cat exclusively AND that's if you buy enough for free shipping (Shipping is insanely $22)
Home cooked CAT food delivered:
Smalls Cat Food
Note: I tried this one too and at the time my cat liked the chicken and not the turkey or beef and they didn't offer fish alone, but said they soon would and now it looks like they do. This may be better than the chicken/fish diet above (fish just makes more sense to me), but I won't know for a while because the Just Food For Dogs offers a discount for veterinarians so I ordered enough for 6 months. My experimenting will be over for a while.
Simple ingredient CAT food delivered - Preservatives present with fewer ingredients:
Note: My cat LOVED the broths - but it's expensive. My average sized cat would eat three of the broths containers per day (approx. 70 cal each) and that would cost $4.35 per day. Considering my dogs are about $4 each per day with raw/cooked combo that's too steep for me. Especially when it's not a fresh food.
Okay so now, TWO rules. TWO.
1) Please do not ever ask me to calculate how much a certain food will cost to feed your pet per month. I will immediately refer you to this blog that took me HOURS to research, calculate and write. If I can do it, you can do it! If I have hours, you have hours =)
2) Don't think that you have to feed any one food exclusively. If you want to mix and match, say two different diets, then divide the monthly cost of each food by two and add those numbers. If you want to stick with the food that you are feeding, but feed your pet 50% better, then just divide the monthly cost by two and know you'll have to buy half as much of the food you're already buying. The goal is to just do the best you can.
I truly hope that this helps you budget for a healthier diet for your pet! We all have budgets, so just focus on doing the very best that you can do. P.S. Sometimes I add a 90 calorie raw egg to my dog's food to reduce the cost and meet their daily calorie requirement.
If you're still with me, THANK YOU and GOODNIGHT =)
Written with love
- Dr. J