Expensive dog food brands: are they worth the high cost?





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With all the dog food commercials out there, it can be pretty confusing deciding what is the best food for your pup. Our options include all-natural food, probiotic food, food developed by chefs, food for fat dogs, food for skinny dogs- the list goes on and on, it never ends.

On top of that, some of these dog food brands are so expensive, that you begin to wonder: why? What’s the reason one dog food brand will cost three times more than the other?

By now, dog owners almost need a college degree to wade through all the dog food promos and find the best food brand for their pets. I’m still dealing with this daily, after being a dog owner and pet writer/researcher for decades. So while anyone can slap a “premium” or “best” sticker on their dog food, it is what’s inside that counts.

Today, there’s literally hundreds of dog food brands available, which means it’s a headache to choose the right one. Personally, I’ve been doing the research on this for years, and these questions always popped into my head:

  • Is expensive dog food truly better than the cheap dog foods?
  • Why some dog foods cost twice, or even three times more?
  • Who’s reviewing the actual value of these expensive dog food brands?
  • How can I pick the best dog food brand in my own personal price range?

Over the last decade, there’s been a lot of research done on commercial pet foods and how they affect our dogs, why they cost as much as they do and which ones are the safest for our canines. However, will all this information, many dog owners still struggle to find what exactly is best for their pets and how to feed them based on nutritional requirements.

Some dog food prices are insane…

Expensive Dog Food Cost
It costs HOW MUCH?!

InsiderMonkey.com has researched the market and actually found THE most expensive dog food brands currently on the market. It’s interesting simply to take a look at what’s out there.

Apparently, some owners can afford this type of luxury for their pets.

For example, this woman spends £27,000 every year on her dogs. That’s about $35,000 USD (post-Brexit rate). Rover.com has even written an interesting article about this and picked a few more expensive dog food brands for owners to salivate on.

And this, of course, brings the question: is all of this worth it? Do these extremely expensive dog food brands justify their high cost, and should we even care about them?

In this article on expensive dog food brands, I am going to break down the science and hopefully make it easy for the average dog owner to pick a great dog food that will be affordable, but still give your canine the nutrition he needs. I also want to breakdown the reasons why expensive dog food brands are better or worse for our dogs than the inexpensive dog foods, and why that’s the case.

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Expensive dog food brands are they worth the cost

What are your dog’s nutritional needs?

The first thing to know when picking the best dog food is this: what are your dog’s nutritional needs and calorie requirements? A dog’s needs are not that different from human nutritional requirements. They include:

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  • Protein – 22% to 35% per serving – There are many diseases and disorders that can be caused by a lack of protein. Some signs that your dog is not getting enough protein are dry/brittle fur, lethargy from anemia, poor muscle mass, growth issues and frequent illness from a weekend immune system.
  • Healthy Fats – 10% to 40% per serving – You want to make sure he gets a food high in healthy fats. If your dog is not getting enough healthy fats, he can have a dull coat, dry/red eyes, dry/itchy skin or joint problems.
  • Carbohydrates – 5% to 15% per serving – Dogs need carbs for energy. The more active your dog is, the more energy he needs, thus the more carbs he needs. Vice versa, if your dog is lazy and sleeps a lot, the fewer carbs his body requires.
  • Vitamins and Minerals – The amounts of vitamins and minerals that a dog needs vary. Most dog nutritionists agree, if a dog is eating a well-balanced food, then he is getting the vitamins and minerals he needs.

If you’re interested in finding out exactly where your dog falls in this nutritional range, for the most accurate information, do not try to find it through online articles. I recommend you schedule an appointment with your veterinarian or a canine nutritionist.

Using your dogs’ breed, weight, age, health history and activity level along with other variables, they will be able to tell you the specific amount of each nutrient your pet needs and whether or not his diet should include any supplements.

Before you do, here are a few articles you’ll find useful on this topic:

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Expensive Dog Food Brands

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