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Of course you want to get the best value for your money but I would not buy anything made in China for your pets. The risk is just too great that it's been contaminated. If you belong to Costco, Kirkland is a good choice.
When it comes to pet food and treats, cheaper isn't always better. You don't need to buy the most expensive food out there but there definitely is a middle ground that's good for both your budget and your pet.
our little girl will eat almost anything but she does like Moist and Meaty and because she is small a little can goes a long way. We also give yer semi dry or should I say semi moist mixed with the Moist and Meaty. I have never checked where it is manufactured so guess I am a bad mommy. Anyway we have found Amazon by far the best. With no shipping charges we can't go wrong.
I don't use it, I feed Fromm https://frommfamily.com/ I'm pretty sure that brand wouldn't be considered frugal. Some of the rescues that I work with use it as something that is cost effective. I didn't realize it was made in China. Thank you for letting me know.
Costco sells kibble for a low price for the quality. You can compare ingredients to name brands and the Costco is much less expensive. I suspect that the Kirkland and the name brand are made by the same company and you can figure out which high priced brand it is by comparing ingredients on the label.
However, I don't know if OP wants the best price on decent dog food or just the very cheapest dog food. If OP is feeding Old Roy, I don't know why OP bothers to buy treats since OP doesn't mind short changing the dog for nutrition.
My own personal theory is that of I spend more to buy top quality food, I save money on the vet bills and it balances out in the long run.
As fr treats, you can feed small pieces of graham cracker and that is better quality than cheap dog biscuits.
My dogs eat at the same quality level as my family. I suppose if the family is living on ramen noodles, then the dog has to make do with the cheapest possible kibble.
I would be just afraid that, like with human food, when comes to cheap - you get what you pay for.
Lots of pet food is made in China, there is no way to know what exactly is in the cheap pet food produced somewhere in Asia. Chemicals and fillers that do not provide any nutritional benefits? Is there any beef, pork, chicken or fish, even if the label says so? It means that in addition to the risk of tainted food, pet owners also run a risk of feeding foods lacking animal protein or with mislabeled levels of protein.
So, “Made in America†is a safe way to go? No. Wrong again! What does that mean for you? It means that your favorite pet food that is “Made in the USA†might still contain contaminated ingredients imported from China.
I do watch for China made items. My kibble isn't made in China. My main dog treats aren't, either. I quit buying chicken jerky and make it myself, now.
The kibble & treats I get can be obtained from Sam's, WalMart, Target, etc.
I also am on the recall alert for dog food/treats recall. I've seen over the years that expensive foods are as likely to be recalled as the cheapies. At most risk is those that are raw. Blue Buffalo has had a number of recalls over the years. My dog kibble, though, has never had a recall (Iams Naturals Chicken&Barley).
I did buy some crumbled hide chew sticks at the dollar stores, even tho they are probably risky. They were just recalled, so I've stopped buying those. But Milk Bone is made in the USA.
We should be aware, though, that even tho something is made in the US, some of the ingredients may come from China. But we can only do what we can do, when screening for unsafe products.
Of course you want to get the best value for your money but I would not buy anything made in China for your pets. The risk is just too great that it's been contaminated. If you belong to Costco, Kirkland is a good choice.
When it comes to pet food and treats, cheaper isn't always better. You don't need to buy the most expensive food out there but there definitely is a middle ground that's good for both your budget and your pet.
There is no Costco where I currently live. Even when I lived in a big city, the Costco was too far away to be practical. I suppose I could check out belonging only online, but I don't think you can see all the prices online until after you actually join.
Costco sells kibble for a low price for the quality. You can compare ingredients to name brands and the Costco is much less expensive. I suspect that the Kirkland and the name brand are made by the same company and you can figure out which high priced brand it is by comparing ingredients on the label.
However, I don't know if OP wants the best price on decent dog food or just the very cheapest dog food. If OP is feeding Old Roy, I don't know why OP bothers to buy treats since OP doesn't mind short changing the dog for nutrition.
My own personal theory is that of I spend more to buy top quality food, I save money on the vet bills and it balances out in the long run.
As fr treats, you can feed small pieces of graham cracker and that is better quality than cheap dog biscuits.
My dogs eat at the same quality level as my family. I suppose if the family is living on ramen noodles, then the dog has to make do with the cheapest possible kibble.
The cheapest decent food & treats. Not China treats & food. However, I used to buy very pricey dog kibble, until I learned that far cheaper foods & treats are just as healthy, safe, and the dogs like just as much if not more.
As for graham crackers and such, I don't give the dogs anything with sugar. Bad for their teeth.
I will also give them healthy & safe human foods sometimes, like brown rice mixed w/kibble, sometimes a bit of cheese, or the ultimate snack...baked chicken pieces when I'm having baked chicken.
For their gold level treats, I make their chicken jerky myself. They GO APE over it. Much better than store bought, and healthier, and altho not cheap, they cost less than store bought. And not from China. It's so cute...they can smell it slowly drying in the oven for hours. Then when I open the oven door, they're right there, drooling. These are so easy to make, too.
Costco sells kibble for a low price for the quality. You can compare ingredients to name brands and the Costco is much less expensive. I suspect that the Kirkland and the name brand are made by the same company and you can figure out which high priced brand it is by comparing ingredients on the label.
However, I don't know if OP wants the best price on decent dog food or just the very cheapest dog food. If OP is feeding Old Roy, I don't know why OP bothers to buy treats since OP doesn't mind short changing the dog for nutrition.
My own personal theory is that of I spend more to buy top quality food, I save money on the vet bills and it balances out in the long run.
As fr treats, you can feed small pieces of graham cracker and that is better quality than cheap dog biscuits.
My dogs eat at the same quality level as my family. I suppose if the family is living on ramen noodles, then the dog has to make do with the cheapest possible kibble.
I just checked Costco online. It's too pricey, compared to Sam's. Dentastix is significantly pricier ($5 more for less quantity). Sam's is less, even with the high sales tax here.
Plus there's just not much in the way of pet food or treats available online. There is no Costco near me. Never has been.
For their gold level treats, I make their chicken jerky myself. They GO APE over it. Much better than store bought, and healthier, and altho not cheap, they cost less than store bought. And not from China. It's so cute...they can smell it slowly drying in the oven for hours. Then when I open the oven door, they're right there, drooling. These are so easy to make, too.
We do the same... chicken strips in the oven.
Another easy treat to make is "pupcicles". Just mix mashed bananas and peanut butter and then freeze in ice cube trays. It can be a little messy when the dogs eat them, though.
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