Dog Food Buying Guide: Look Beyond Price Per Pound

In today’s economy, every dollar counts, and as a pet parent, you want to ensure your best friend gets ideal nutrition without breaking the bank. It’s tempting to judge dog food by its cost per pound, but this strategy can be misleading. Let’s explore why cost per pound isn’t the most effective way to determine the value of your dog’s food and how you can make better choices for their health and your wallet.

The Hidden Costs of Low Price Per Pound

Nutritional Density Matters

It’s crucial to understand that not all dog foods are created equal. Foods with a lower cost per pound often have ingredients that provide fewer nutrients per serving. This means you might end up feeding your dog more to meet their nutritional needs, leading to higher overall costs.

Additionally, pet food labels do not provide information about the food’s digestibility. This is why we require our brands to conduct third-party digestibility testing on all their finished formulas. Some brands rely solely on the digestibility of individual ingredients. However, these individual values do not account for processing losses, ingredient interactions, or the impact of fiber on nutrient bioavailability. Full digestibility trials for each formula provide a more accurate assessment.

Caloric Content

Higher-quality dog foods typically have a higher caloric density, meaning each cup of food contains more calories. This allows you to feed your dog less while still providing them with the energy they need. Cheaper foods often have lower caloric content, requiring larger portions and increasing the cost per serving.

Furthermore, the higher price tag often reflects the extensive testing that pet food undergoes before reaching our shelves. This includes formulation by a board-certified nutritionist, pathogen testing, and comprehensive nutrient analysis just to name a few. These measures ensure that pet food brands deliver products you can trust for their quality and safety. (Spoiler Alert: You’d be amazed how many brands do NOT conduct these tests!)

Long-Term Health Benefits

Investing in high-quality dog food can save you money in the long run by promoting better health and potentially reducing vet bills. Foods made with premium ingredients, including minimally-processed animal-sourced proteins, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, and natural additives, often provide better nutrition. This can contribute to a lower risk of developing health issues such as obesity, allergies, and digestive problems, which can be more prevalent with lower-cost foods that may contain vague ultra-processed ingredients and less digestible proteins. 

A Better Way to Evaluate Dog Food Costs

Cost Per Serving

Calculate the cost per serving or per day based on your dog’s caloric needs. Remember, feeding recommendations are based on moderate daily activity, which often exceeds the exercise most pets actually get. It’s important to consider your dog’s age, weight, daily activity level, breed, gender, and neuter status to accurately assess their caloric needs. This provides a clearer picture of the true cost of feeding your dog and allows for a more effective comparison between different brands.

Ingredient Quality

Look beyond the price tag and consider the ingredient list. High-quality proteins, fruits, vegetables, and lesser processed ingredients generally provide higher quality nutrition and are often more digestible, leading to better overall health for your dog.

Another factor to consider is the quality, sourcing, and processing of your pet food ingredients. For example, protein products such as meat meals and carbohydrates like grains and potatoes often undergo significant processing before being combined with other ingredients. When these processed ingredients are included in the food formula, they are subjected to high-temperature processing multiple times, which can increase the formation of cooking toxins known as advanced glycation end-products (known as AGEs) and raises the risk of potential health issues.

Making Informed Choices for Your Dog

A myriad of factors can make choosing a pet food challenging. However, we encourage you to consider the long-term benefits of a pet food that has been tested for nutritional adequacy, has reputable ingredient sourcing, and contains quality, minimally-processed ingredients. The upfront cost may be higher, but the investment pays off in the form of a healthier, happier pet and fewer trips to the vet. Feel free to visit us in-store for personalized guidance for your dog’s nutrition.