Cheap dog food doesn’t have to mean cheap ingredients that are harmful to your dogs health, and while the very cheapest brands contain low quality ingredients like byproducts, corn and wheat there are still some very affordable foods on the market that are both healthful as well as wallet friendly.

The main thing when seeking out cheap dog foods is finding one at a low price that contains a larger quantity of high quality ingredients. Keep in mind ingredients found on the bag are listed in order of density inclusive of water weight. Also, meat should be the  primary ingredient in any dog food.

When selecting a cheap dog food make sure the brand you choose does not include certain ingredients.

Ingredients To Avoid In Cheap Dog Food:

Corn, corn gluten meal
Animal by products, chicken by products, by products of any kind
Wheat if at all possible

Examples of Good Ingredients:

Meat listed simply (chicken, beef), meat listed in meal form (chicken meal, salmon meal)

Stay away from grocery store brands.

While it can be convenient and often times inexpensive to pick up cheap dog food while shopping at your grocery store, the brands found in such stores tend to be not only cheap but filled with unsavory ingredients such as by products, corn and other fillers, as well as an over abundance of fat (cheap dog food brands are often sprayed with animal fat in order to make them palatable). Instead, opt for a trip to your local pet store where there are affordable dog food brands available, and while they may not be top of the line, they contain a much higher quantity of better quality ingredients than you’ll find in cheap grocery store dog food brands.

A couple of cheap dog food brands that you may consider are Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul (which we did a write up about on our Dog Food Ratings) page, as well as Kirkland which is available at Costco. Both of these brands are easy on the wallet while being safe food choices for your dogs.

Also, you’ll certainly want to keep an eye on your dog’s general overall health, and if you notice anything out of the ordinary such as lack of appetite, loose stools/diarrhea, vomiting or lethargy consult a veterinary professional immediately. Even if you are low on funds, a phone call costs nothing and a veterinarian can let you know if there is cause for alarm. If you are concerned that there is something wrong with a batch of your pet’s food, you should also call the manufacturer and inquire whether or not others are reporting the same or similar issues. Furthermore, a quick Google search will often indicate whether other dog owners are also experiencing issues with the same brand of food, or if your dog may be suffering symptoms from another cause.

Unfortunately, there are likely to be many more dog food recalls in the future, and just like with human food recalls they should be taken seriously as they directly effect the health of your dog.

Of course, many will say that dogs descend from wolves and so they then should eat an amount of protein similar to what a wolf would receive from their natural diets. However, most dogs now have lifestyles that are very different from their wolf ancestors, and while most good dog owners take their pet on a daily walk, they do not receive the kind of exercise that would warrant a very high protein diet. In fact, there have been many reports of supposed high quality, high protein dog kibbles contributing to kidney issues in dogs, as the protein found in such foods is too high to be compatible with the lifestyles of dogs today.

Others would say that dogs who experience kidney issues on a high protein diet must have had a preexisting condition in the first place, and that said diets should be fine for dogs in good health. The truth of the matter is that there is no consensus and much debate over which of these points of view is true. However, few would debate that foods found at the top of any dog food ratings should contain high quality ingredients free of byproducts, fillers and allergens (many dogs are allergic to ingredients like corn and wheat, which are major ingredients in many low grade dog foods).

We at GoodDogBreeds.com tend to take a more conservative approach in our dog food ratings, and prefer to give top marks to foods containing top quality ingredients (human grade is best), with a protein level that is adequate without being likely too high for the lifestyles of most family dogs. We note that working dogs may be able to process higher protein diets effectively, however our dog food ratings are designed with the family dog in mind. With all that said, here are our dog food ratings:

Halo Spot’s Stew Dry Formula – This is the dog food brand affiliated with Ellen Degeneres, and if you watch her show you may have even seen her sample some herself. We place Halo high on our Dog Food Ratings because they use high quality human grade ingredients, no fillers or by-products, and provide an overall well balanced formula for dogs to enjoy.

Wellness Super5Mix Small Breed – A great option for small breeds. While Wellness in general uses good quality ingredients in their dog foods, we are weary of  many of their formulas due to their inclusion of canola oil. However, the small breed Super5Mix is free of canola oil and features high quality meat ingredients without overdoing it on the protein content, so it warrants a high placement in many dog food ratings.

Timberwolf Organics Southwest Chicken Canid Formula – Timberwolf Organics Southwest Chicken Canid Formula is another well balanced kibble that uses high quality ingredients such as chicken, turkey and salmon. This formula lists meat as the first three ingredients, however does not go into too high of a protein amount for the average dog. Our Dog Food Ratings team likes that salmon oil as well as flax seed are included in the Timberwolf Organics Southwest Chicken Canid Formula, as those ingredients provide for healthy Omega 6 and Omega 3 properties in the kibble.

Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover’s Soul – This is a great choice for families on a budget, as Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover’s Soul is a higher quality food with a price comparative to many low grade foods. So, instead of trying to save money by compromising your dog’s health with brands like Pedigree,  Purina Beneful or Dog Chow, you can keep your budget in check while feeding your dog a higher quality food like Chicken Soup for The Dog Lover’s Soul.

Artemis Fresh Mix Adult – Artemis Fresh Mix provides one of the most well balanced, high quality kibbles on the market. They use quality ingredients like real chicken and turkey, and have meat listed at the top four ingredients in their food. Add in a variety of fruit and vegetables and our Dog Food Ratings team is confident in giving this kibble high marks.