[Lisa]

Does anyone make their own dogfood? I have 3 dogs and I’m considering this. Does it save you $ in the long run? Any advice? TIA.

[Sandy]

How is it that many years ago, dogs (pets) didn’t need annual vet “well” visits, vaccines, a pill for this and a pill for that, and was fed only table scraps? Grandma had a dog that lived to 17, and she was an outside dog in the midwest. The barn was her shelter and the hay was her warmth.

[Jaime]

I have made dog food x3 for years. It has saved me so much money in vet bills. I think they do much better. Before I switched my pup I had was so sick. Seizures etc.

I switched with him and never went back. It also depends on what you are feeding them too. It won’t be cheaper if your feed low quality feed? Meaning that you can buy cheap dog food.

Cooked food costs money but I save on their health.

[Julie]

Given the fact that Purina Dog Chow has decades of scientific research behind it as well as feeding studies I would consider a home made diet not under the supervision of a veterinary nutritionist to be false frugality.

[Angel]

If u are going to do this. Please Please please do your research. Dogs have different nutritional needs then people. If u do make there food. Buy a high quality vitamin supplement to add. So they don’t end up sick.

[Kimberley]

I did because pur dogs were allergic to everything under the sun. But we also had to consult a nutritionist because they weren’t getting the necessary values even though we were “doing everything right.” It’s a hard battle if you have sickly pups, and we def didn’t save money with ours, but if your pups are healthy, it should be much easier!

[Andrea]

I do. I mix it with dry food therefore saving money on the bags and still getting the vitamins or whatever is in the dry food . I use things I have and half price chicken, veggies and a carb. It’s not hard and the dogs LOVE IT. I had to mess around with how to save it and not have to make it daily but I think I have that down too.

Examples of ingredients. Carrots. Sweet potatoes. Green beans. Turkey. Chicken. Rice. Tumeric. Coconut oil. Broccoli. Snap peas. Pasta. Gravy. Split peas. Lentils. Leftovers from a rotisserie chicken carcass. It’s really not complicated. Also you can give dogs vitamins accordingly.

[Kelly]

You also have to be very careful to make sure your dog gets all the right nutrients. I weigh things on a kitchen scale and spend some time each week measuring everything for her meals. You can’t just dump some some chicken and rice in a bowl and call it good.

[Linda]

I have started making my own food. My pups senior pups seem a lot younger now.. As far as saving money, it depends on what your currently feed. I was feed very expensive kibble because of allergies so I’m not spending a lot more. There are several Facebook groups with recipes and address a lot of issues.

I believe home made is healthier than processed kibble.

[Gail]

I add appropriate leftover scraps (avoid chicken bones, etc). For dog treats this is cheaper and healthier. I get half priced markdown chicken gizzards (about $1.00/lb) and put a single layer of them in the air fryer. 360, air fry for 6 min, stir them, air fry about 4-6 min more. Until rubbery. My dog loves them.

[Kelly]

I feed a prey model raw diet. I think it saves me money on vet bills because it’s healthier for my dog. In terms of the cost of the food, that really varies for me.

Just a few days ago, someone was cleaning out her freezer and gave me a ton of free meat, including 8 sirloin steaks, a dozen pork chops, about a dozen chicken legs, 4 lbs of ground beef, beef tongue, beef liver, beef heart, ox tail, and a bunch of beef soup bones.

So I will spend almost nothing on dog food for the next month. Other months, I spend quite a bit.

[Sandie]

I use Rachel Ray kibble, but I top it with food that I make. I boil chicken, add rosemary to the water. I use frozen vegetables like green beans, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, carrots. I make enough to last 3 days at a time.

[Christi]

We make our dog’s food but I wouldn’t say it’s frugal. You have to make sure they are getting the right amount of calcium to protein and proper vitamins. It’s worth it to us. We have a beautiful, healthy girl.

[Michelle]

We make vet approved meals for our dogs it isn’t cheaper to buy the stuff to make the meals, but our dogs are much healthier and require less trips to the vet so technically it ends up being cheaper.

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