Cheap Healthy Dog Food - How to Feed Your Dog for $1 a Day!

Do you know how much it costs you daily to feed your dog?

Most pet owners don't realize that they may be spending up to $10 a day on dog food. Tinned dog food, fancy designer dry dog food, dog biscuits and treats really cost a small fortune. We are led to believe that our dogs need all this man-made stuff for a balanced diet and shiny coat. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many leading Veterinarians have pointed out that ALL commercially made dog food is damaging to the dog's health causing everything from obesity to cancer.
Dogs are after all, wolves! And what self-respecting wolf is going to search in the forest for a cooked rice-and-vegetable meal fortified with fiber and synthetic vitamins and minerals?

So in the interest of your dog's health and your wallet's, here is a guide to feeding your small to medium dog for about $1 a day and a large dog for about $2 a day.

Now, obviously the size and age of your dog will determine how much dog food you are going to feed your dog and how often. So this is a VERY rough guide. You'll need to play around with the amounts to ensure your dog does not start gaining weight.

Dog Breakfast Food

Some pet owners feed their dogs once a day, others more often.
I find raw chicken wings, chicken wing tips, chicken necks, chicken carcasses make best dog breakfast food. Here they all cost about $2/kg, less if you buy in bulk.

Large dog will need 1 raw chicken wing OR 3 chicken necks OR 1 Chicken Carcass. Approximate cost =30 cents.

Small to medium dog will need 1/3 raw chicken wing OR 1 chicken neck OR 1/3 Chicken Carcass. Approximate cost = 13 cents.

TIP: never give your dog cooked bones! Dogs are not designed to digest these.

Recreational Dog Bone

Dogs need bones. The synthetic ones you get at pet shops are expensive and have ZERO nutrition. Here a big marrow bone costs $2. Not only does it have the nutritionally packed marrow, but it cleans your dog's teeth and alleviates boredom. Ask your butcher to cut the marrow bone into 4 pieces (lengthwise and in half). So you have 4 portions. Give a fresh one every 3-4 days to your dog regardless of the dog size. Cost = 20 cents per day. Long term, this will save you thousands in dog dental care.

Dog Food - Main Meal

Raw chicken mince, chopped kangaroo or any chopped or minced meat you can find for less than $4/kg should form the basis of the dog's main meal. I buy this in bulk from a pet food supplier for between $1 and $4 per kilo. The chicken mince they make is from the whole chicken, bones and all. This is different to the chicken mince you get from a regular butcher.
If you don't have one of those pet food suppliers in your area, I find that Chinese butchers are far cheaper than butchers in conventional supermarkets.

Dogs are omnivores and must have RAW green vegetables to stay healthy. So, raw leafy green vegetables must be added to the mince. In fact about 20-30% of the total mixture should be raw vegetables. These must be totally crushed or pulped. The easiest way is to put them through a juicer or a blender.

To the mince you can add organ meats like liver, kidneys and hearts from any animal. These are very cheap and your dog will only need a small amount of these occasionally.

Once or twice a week add a raw egg to the mince. Eggs are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes and make very nutritious dog food. Do not cook the egg!

Large dog will need 300-500 grams of meat and vegetable mixture. Approximate cost = $1.50 per day.

Small to medium dog will need 100-200 grams of meat and vegetable mixture. Approximate cost = 65 cents per day.

TIP: Do not feed your dog cooked food!

Natural Dog Food Daily Cost

So let's add it up!

Small to medium dog $0.13 + $0.20 + $0.65 = $0.98 cents per day

Large dog $0.30 + $0.20 + $1.50 = $2 per day

For an excellent book on dog nutrition you can't go past The Barf Diet by Dr. Ian Billinghurst.

If you would like to know how to feed your cat for less than $1 a day click here.