Top 6 How Much Does Raw Food Diet For Dogs Cost Top Answer Update

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Commercial raw dog food – about $210 per month.Raw diets are typically more expensive than either canned food or kibble. Most people do not craft their own raw meals for their dogs because it takes so much more time and maintenance to ensure their continued health. Instead, they usually purchase premade raw food meals, which can cost $2 to $4 each.Simply put, a raw diet for dogs is expensive. This goes double if you buy commercial raw diets like Stella & Chewy’s, if your dog is big or you have several dogs. While I personally feel the benefits of feeding raw outweigh other feeding options, a dollar is still a dollar — and it adds up.

Is a raw diet for dogs cheap?

Raw diets are typically more expensive than either canned food or kibble. Most people do not craft their own raw meals for their dogs because it takes so much more time and maintenance to ensure their continued health. Instead, they usually purchase premade raw food meals, which can cost $2 to $4 each.

Is feeding a dog raw meat expensive?

Simply put, a raw diet for dogs is expensive. This goes double if you buy commercial raw diets like Stella & Chewy’s, if your dog is big or you have several dogs. While I personally feel the benefits of feeding raw outweigh other feeding options, a dollar is still a dollar — and it adds up.

Is a raw diet more expensive?

Generally speaking, a raw diet is more expensive than canned food or kibble. When you purchase premade raw food, you’re paying for the sourcing and balancing of ingredients as well as packaging and delivery.

Do vets approve of raw diet?

Raw diets, especially raw meat diets, are not recommended because of the risk for salmonellosis and other infections that can affect pets and their owners.

What is the cheapest way to feed your dog?

Dry diets are by far the most economical and healthy way of feeding your doggo and saving some coin.

How do I start my dog on a raw diet?

We recommend feeding a small raw minced meal in the morning, followed by a meal of your pet’s old food later in the day. Gradually increase the amount of raw food being fed compared to the old food each day. After around 3 days you will be ready to feed 100% raw.

Is it OK to mix raw and dry dog food?

Mixing raw and kibble does no harm, short-term or long-term beyond the effects of the kibble itself. Humans have many foods mix all the time: think eating croutons on a fresh salad or a sushi roll that has raw fish and cooked rice.

Why do vets dislike raw food?

The American Kennel Club (AKC), American Veterinary Medical Association and other groups discourage pet owners from feeding dogs raw or unprocessed meat, eggs and milk. Raw meat and dairy can carry pathogens, like E. coli, listeria and salmonella, which can make pets and people sick or even cause death.

Do dogs poop less on raw food?

With a raw food diet, dogs are able to absorb more of the ingredients. Therefore, dogs poop less frequently and overall produce less fecal matter. Your dog is able to go longer on less food, compared to a kibble diet.

Is frozen raw food good for dogs?

“If raw dog food is contaminated before it’s frozen, it will still be contaminated after it is frozen. Cooking is the best way to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.” Raw foods especially can be harmful for animals (and people) who are very old, very young or immunocompromised, adds Dr. Coates.

Is feeding raw cheaper than kibble?

Is feeding raw cheaper than kibble? Kibbles are relatively cheaper than raw feeding. You can buy dry food once and sometimes large packets will last for at least 3 months. Even if feeding raw is cheaper than kibbles, it is better for your dog’s health in the long run if you place it in a raw diet.

Can I feed my dog raw meat from the supermarket?

Raw meat is likely to contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli and more. Cooking meat to a safe temperature kills off those harmful bacteria. By feeding uncooked meat, there’s a higher risk your dog will develop a foodborne illness or other type of bacterial infection.

What raw meat should I buy for my dog?

According to most raw feeders, dogs should eat muscle meat (hamburger, chicken, turkey), as well as a healthy array of organ meat (heart, liver, kidneys), whole fish, and raw meaty bones (aka, RMBs).

What is the best raw dog food?

PetsRadar’s pick of the best raw dog food
  • Nutriment Complete Raw Dog Food. …
  • Natures Menu Country Hunter Raw Nuggets. …
  • Bella & Duke Raw Dog Food Complete Premium. …
  • ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Beef Recipe Dog Food. …
  • Luna & Me Puppy Power Patties. …
  • Natural Instinct Natural Chicken. …
  • Pure Brilliant Beef.

Raw Feeding – How Much Does It Cost?
Raw Feeding – How Much Does It Cost?


How Much Does it Cost to Feed My Dog Raw Food? – ThatMutt.com

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Commercial raw dog food – about $210 per month

Homemade raw dog food – about $120 per month

Natural dry dog food – $50 to $75 per month

Standard dry dog food – $50 to $65 per month

How much do you pay for your dog’s food

My dog eats raw dog food

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How Much Does it Cost to Feed My Dog Raw Food? - ThatMutt.com
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Feeding Your Dog a Raw Diet on a Budget (2022 Guide) | Hepper

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What Is a Raw Diet For Your Dog

Why Is a Raw Diet so Expensive

Tips for Staying on a Budget

Tips for Sticking to a Raw Diet

Further reading

Latest vet answers

Feeding Your Dog a Raw Diet on a Budget (2022 Guide) | Hepper
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How much does a raw food diet cost?

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How much does a raw food diet cost Read on!

What does Dagny eat

How much does a raw diet for dogs cost

My tips for getting a deal

Don’t skimp

A raw diet must-have A colorful snood!

And who wouldn’t want a happy dog

How much does a raw food diet cost?
How much does a raw food diet cost?

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Raw Pet Foods and the AVMA’s Policy: FAQ | American Veterinary Medical Association

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Raw Pet Foods and the AVMA's Policy: FAQ | American Veterinary Medical Association
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How Much is Raw Dog Food 2021? | NimbleFins

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Average Cost of Raw Dog Food

How to Save Money on Raw Dog Food

Cost of Dry Dog Food

How Much is Raw Dog Food 2021? | NimbleFins
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How much does it cost to feed a dog raw food per month? – Mi Dog Guide

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How much does it cost to feed a dog raw food per month? – Mi Dog Guide This typically costs somewhere from $20 to $60 per month ($250 to $700 per year). Food expenses vary …
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Is it more expensive to feed a dog a raw diet

How much is it to feed a dog raw

How much is a month supply of dog food

Why are vets against raw diet

Is it OK to mix raw and dry dog food

How much raw food should my dog eat daily

How do you calculate raw dog food

Should I feed dog raw meat

How much is a dog per month

How much does dog food cost per bag

How much does adopting a dog cost

Do raw fed dogs live longer

Can a dog get worms from eating raw meat

Can you warm up raw dog food

How much does it cost to feed a dog raw food per month? - Mi Dog Guide
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How Much Does Raw Dog Food Cost? | A Helpful Guide | Bella & Duke

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What is a raw food diet

Is a raw food diet expensive

Rough cost of a raw food diet

Raw dog food cost comparisons

Raw Cat food & Raw dog food cost Summary

How Much Does Raw Dog Food Cost? | A Helpful Guide | Bella & Duke
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Cost of Raw Dog Food, Diet & Planner | Dogs First

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Feeding Raw On A Budget: The Real Cost Of Feeding Your Pet | Red Dog Blue Kat

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Making The Switch With the Right Frame of Mind

7 Ways To Save Money When Feeding A Raw Food Diet

It’s a Team Effort Find A Balance

Feeding Raw On A Budget: The Real Cost Of Feeding Your Pet | Red Dog Blue Kat
Feeding Raw On A Budget: The Real Cost Of Feeding Your Pet | Red Dog Blue Kat

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How Much Does it Cost to Feed My Dog Raw Food?

This post may contain affiliate links. That Mutt may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post.

A lot of dog owners would like to feed their dogs raw dog food but can’t afford it.

I also had to decide whether or not I want to spend $150+ on raw food for my dog each month.

To help myself and others decide if we can afford to feed raw dog food, I compared some prices for commercial raw food, homemade raw dog food, natural dry dog food and standard dry dog food.

These are just some general examples intended to give you an idea of what the dog food costs without spending time searching for sales or coupons or anything like that.

There are all kinds of ways to save money on raw dog food such as shopping at Costco, buying in larger quantities, only buying food that is on sale or working out a deal with a friend who hunts or farms or whatever. That’s not what this post is about.

When I first published this article, I had a 5-year-old, 67-pound black lab/hound mix with a naturally lean build. I keep him active, but he was not a high-energy dog.

The following examples are based on the amount of food he would eat per day (generally 1.5 pounds raw or 3 cups dry) and the cost per day and per month to feed him.

Since Ace primarily ate chicken as his main protein source, that’s what I used for the following examples.

Commercial raw dog food – about $210 per month

The prices of commercial raw dog food brands vary quite a bit from store to store, state to state, etc. I did my best to take the average prices, so don’t freak out if you find a certain brand for a lot more or a lot less. I also did not include any shipping costs if you plan to order online.

Stella & Chewy’s – Chewy’s chicken frozen dinner

$26.99 per 6-pound bag

$6.75 per day or $202 per month

Primal – canine chicken formula

$34.99 per 8-pound bag

$6.60 per day or $198 per month

Nature’s Variety Instinct – organic chicken formula

$29.99 per 6-pound bag

$7.50 per day or $225 per month

You can get 10 pounds of raw food from Darwin’s for just $14.95 and delivered right to your door! No code required. Click here.

Homemade raw dog food – about $120 per month

There is a ton of flexibility here depending on what you want to feed your dog. If you want to spend significantly less on homemade raw dog food, you really need to buy directly from a butcher or buy in bulk.

You can easily cut your costs for meat in half by shopping this way. For those of you who feed homemade raw dog food, I would love to hear your money-saving tips!

Raw dog food ebook

You’ll also want to consider my ebook 10 Easy Raw Dog Food Recipes. It is available here for $9 and includes a guide to raw feeding to get you started.

Raw dog food prices from grocery store meat

The following prices are from my standard grocery store, nothing special. I wasn’t worried about organic meat or what was on sale. I just took 15 minutes to walk through the store and jot down some prices of some foods I would use if I were to make homemade food for Ace.

Chicken thighs: $1.72 per pound, $2.58 per day or $78 per month

Ace would eat about 1.5 pounds of meat per day. Obviously you want to mix up the kind of meat you feed your dog. This is just an example.

Chicken liver: $1.99 per pound, about 1 pound per week so $8 per month

Again, just an example. You want to feed your dog a variety of organ meat.

Vegetables: $0.50 per day or $15 per month

For fruits and vegetables, I would just feed Ace whatever I happened to be eating that week (lettuce, spinach, bananas, apples, carrots, zucchini, asparagus or whatever). He would get 1/4 C. or so of veggies per meal. On the high end, that might equal out to $0.50 per day.

Yogurt: $1.25 per cup, $0.63 per day or $19 per month

Ace would get 1/4 C. of yogurt or so per meal.

Other:

Other expenses not included could be calcium tabs, glucosamine tabs, fish oil, organ meat, raw bones, raw eggs, etc. These are all things that could be included in my dog’s meals from time to time regardless of whether I’m making his food or not.

*Get our three FREE raw dog food recipes now! Click Here

Natural dry dog food – $50 to $75 per month

Ace would generally eat about 3 cups of high-quality dry food per day.

Taste of the Wild – wetlands canine formula (wild fowl)

$47.49 per 30-pound bag

$2.37 per day or $71 per month

Standard dry dog food – $50 to $65 per month

Ace would generally eat about 4 cups of standard-quality dry dog food per day.

Iams – large breed chunks (chicken)

$31.95 per 40-pound bag

$1.60 per day or $48 per month

Hills Science Diet – large breed adult formula

$35.99 per 35-pound bag

$2.05 per day or $62 per month

Just want to point out that corn is the #1 ingredient in this food highly recommended by most vets!

Purina One – Smartblend chicken and rice forumula

$35.99 per 34-pound bag

$2.12 per day or $64 per month

I didn’t realize how expensive standard dry dog food has gotten. It’s almost as expensive as higher-quality brands. All the more reason to switch to natural dog food!

How much do you pay for your dog’s food?

I’m not out to make anyone feel bad about not being able to afford the cost of raw dog food or high-quality dry dog food. Worry about yourself and your family before you worry about what your dog is eating.

Sometimes I look at my dog’s food and my cats’ food and see that all the ingredients are natural or organic and then I look at the food I’m eating – usually not organic! We definitely should not put our pets before ourselves.

Dogs can get by on a lower-quality food just like people can get by on a lower-quality diet. I do not believe someone shouldn’t have a dog just because she can’t afford the best food. That would be ridiculous.

My dog and cats ate Purina One for a good two years. Eventually I started buying higher-quality food every other month or mixing the two together to save $10 here and there.

My dog eats raw dog food

Ace did great on 100 percent raw food. I am a true believer in feeding dogs and cats raw! Ace ate mostly raw chicken but he also ate some raw beef.

Here are some of the changes I noticed when I switched Ace to raw food:

Fewer ear infections

Less itchy skin/dandruff

Less poop!

Ace was definitely not as thirsty!

*Get our three FREE raw dog food recipes now! Click Here

Let me know what your dog eats and how you save money on dog food!

Lindsay Stordahl is the founder of That Mutt. She writes about dog training, dog exercise and feeding a healthy raw diet.

Feeding Your Dog a Raw Diet on a Budget (2022 Guide)

Most of us have heard the moniker, “you get what you pay for,” plenty of times. However, when it comes to your dog’s diet, this becomes a sad truth. Companies can charge an incredible premium for foods that fall under a raw diet banner because it requires top-notch ingredients and high-quality production.

If you believe that feeding your pup a raw diet is the best option for them but don’t have the money to buy each meal, this article is for you! We go over what a raw diet is, why it is so expensive, and how to serve it up on a budget.

What Is a Raw Diet For Your Dog?

A raw dog food diet is what it sounds like. You feed your dog raw food, including meat, bones, vegetables, and fruit, to give them a complete diet. It should contain all the nutrients essential for their growth and maintained development.

The Benefits of a Raw Diet

Cutting out fillers

Cutting out fillers Keeping their food 100% species-appropriate

Keeping their food 100% species-appropriate Having complete control over their food

According to Pets WebMD, the potential health benefits of a raw food diet include:

Healthier skin

Healthier skin Clean teeth

Clean teeth Shiny coats

Shiny coats Increased energy levels

Increased energy levels Smaller stool

However, feeding a dog a raw diet is still relatively controversial. It does take more care and consideration to source, store, and serve this food safely.

The Risks of a Raw Diet

Threats from bacteria in raw meat to both humans and dogs

Threats from bacteria in raw meat to both humans and dogs More challenging to balance and ensure total health

More challenging to balance and ensure total health Bones can be a choking hazard or cause teeth breakage

Typical foods that you might find in a raw food diet include raw eggs, meat from organs like livers and kidneys, and muscle meat, generally on the bone. Bones might be either ground or whole.

Vegetables are necessary even though dogs are obligate carnivores. In the wild, dogs would get a small amount of nutrition from fruits and vegetables after consuming their prey’s digestive system.

Fruits and vegetables that you can use in a raw diet should always get cleaned thoroughly before serving. These might include apples, celery, broccoli, and even spinach.

Always look up the safeness of a particular fruit or vegetable for your pup before serving it to them. Just because humans can eat it doesn’t mean it is safe for dogs.

Why Is a Raw Diet so Expensive?

Raw diets are typically more expensive than either canned food or kibble. Most people do not craft their own raw meals for their dogs because it takes so much more time and maintenance to ensure their continued health. Instead, they usually purchase premade raw food meals, which can cost $2 to $4 each.

Why are these premade meals so expensive when technically, kibble is also “premade?”

You are essentially paying for the safe sourcing of raw meats and vegetables without worrying about bacteria that could make your dog sick. You also pay for the balance of ingredients, much like a bag of kibble or canned food would have. Finally, raw foods have to be packaged and delivered with more safety precautions to ensure continued health.

That means the primary way that you can reduce the cost of a raw diet is to do it yourself. We have tips for sticking to your budget and for simple ways to maintain a raw diet for your dog.

Tips for Staying on a Budget

Sticking to a budget can be difficult. The best way is to plan, organize, and be incredibly specific. You should set an exact dollar amount for what you can afford to pay. Then, you can figure out exactly where you have room to fudge and other areas that you need to stay strict with yourself.

Keep Coupons

After you set your dollar amount, you can start saving money to stay under that amount. That includes keeping coupons, an age-old trick to maintaining a budget. If you know that a raw meat supplier puts coupons in a newspaper, pay the newspaper’s price to save more money later.

Find Asian Supermarkets

Asian supermarkets are excellent suppliers for all kinds of meal additives for dogs. The whole animal tends to be used in Asian cuisine, whereas American and European markets tend to be much pickier. Your dog, however, is not so picky. The more parts of the animal that you can include in their meals, the more well-rounded their diet will be.

Try to find things at Asian supermarkets like various parts of birds, cows, or pigs. You can often find things in bulk, like animal hearts for less than $5, which can easily be chopped into cubes and frozen for later.

Pinpoint Budget Grocery Stores

Locate the grocery stores in your area that cater to budget buyers. In some regions, some stores get things that didn’t expire but didn’t sell the way that bigger stores wanted them to. Places like Wal-Mart might sell these “extras” for much cheaper so you can buy these unwanted food items for half their original price or less.

Tips for Sticking to a Raw Diet Tips for Sticking to a Raw Diet

Prepping, storing, and making your own raw meals is hard work. Over time, it might not seem like it is worth it. However, take note of your dog’s energy levels and the health of their body, coat, and teeth before abandoning the diet and switching to kibble. If you still struggle, here are three tips to help you out.

Strategize a Meal Plan

Planning is what a personalized raw diet is all about. You will find that it is much easier if you don’t walk into the kitchen each night with little to no idea of what you need to make.

Making a meal plan is an excellent way to stick to a budget. It helps you consistently inventory what you have, when you are going to use it, and how much. Planning also helps you know that your dog’s food is balanced.

It is best to write this information down somewhere for referral as you continue. A dog’s food doesn’t need to change dramatically every week. A weekly meal plan using what you have can easily incorporate all the nutrition that they need.

Buy Bulk and Freeze

Buying in bulk is a great way to save money for large families. It is also a good way for you to save money on your dog’s raw diet. By buying in bulk, you can plan further into the future.

Do the work to portion out meal-sized proportions, wrap them up properly, and label them with the date. Then, stick them in the freezer, and take them out as needed to thaw, one meal at a time. It will save you money and time.

Check-Up With Your Vet

Finally, take your dog to check-ups with your vet. If you need reassurance regarding how the raw diet is going, speaking to your vet is the best way to get this. They can tell you if you need to supplement your dog’s diet with anything else or if you are doing a great job.

Featured Image: thamKC, Shutterstock

How much does a raw food diet for dogs cost?

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Unless you never look at your bank account, you’ve probably noticed that having a dog can get expensive. Vet bills, toys, food and more all eat up a healthy chunk of change. Curious about the costs of feeding your dog a raw food diet? Feeding your dog a raw diet costs considerably more than a regular kibble diet — but the benefits are worth it in my opinion.

You might have heard the buzz around raw diets lately (I’ve written about why we made the switch HERE) and if you’re curious about the cost, I’m here to share my experience. Keep in mind that every dog has different needs and what works for us might not work for you.

Simply put, a raw diet for dogs is expensive. This goes double if you buy commercial raw diets like Stella & Chewy’s, if your dog is big or you have several dogs. While I personally feel the benefits of feeding raw outweigh other feeding options, a dollar is still a dollar — and it adds up. It’s also a commitment and you can’t switch between kibble and raw without seriously upsetting your dog’s digestive system. So here’s how much it costs me along with the top ways to lower the cost of your dog’s raw diet.

What does Dagny eat

Dagny eats Stella & Chewy’s freeze dried raw food exclusively. Why does she get pre-made? Well first, I find that a pre-made diet is easier. It takes the guesswork out of preparing your dog’s food and ensures the proper nutritional balance. Also, when it comes to different brands, no pre-made raw diets are available in France and I can get the best deal on Stella & Chewy’s online (read on for more on that).

A raw diet isn’t just about giving your dog random pieces of raw food and fruits and vegetables.

Calcium is an extremely important component along with other nutrients that can be easily overlooked if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t maintain the proper balance.

Why else do I feed pre-made raw? It’s also the quickest option. Just add water to the patties, mash it up and you’re done. Stella & Chewy’s is one of the few brands that makes a complete freeze-dried option. Before I decided to go the pre-made route, we did alternate with raw food diets that I’d prepare myself.

How much does a raw diet for dogs cost?

Let me break down what Dagny eats and the approximate costs based on her size and nutritional needs.

Cost of a homemade raw diet that I would make myself:

Protein sources: Depending on what types of meat I’d buy, this would run anywhere from 8 to 20 euros a week. She eats a rotation of beef, salmon and other fish, turkey, duck and rabbit (when I can find it on sale) and about 10-20 percent of her diet is organ meat. If you buy in bulk and feed your dog the cheapest protein, you can keep the costs down. Our butcher would also give us veal bones for free.

Fruits/vegetables: She’ll eat a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and whatever else is on sale and this is about 5 euros/week. She’ll get yogurt and eggs a couple of times a week as well.

Supplements: Dagny’s vet provided us with a vitamin supplement to make sure she was getting everything she needed. It’s 15 euros for a big drum of powder that lasts about 4 months. I also have an omega 3-supplement that’s about the same price and lasts several months as well.

I would make a batch for the week ahead and freeze the patties in individual portions. Our freezer is tiny, so I only did a week at a time, but it helps to cut costs if you buy in bulk and make a lot upfront to freeze for later. To further cut costs, buy seasonal vegetables and meats that are on sale. This seems like a no brainer, but it’s key to keeping your spending in check.

Cost of a premade freeze dried diet

I’ll use a 16 oz bag of Stella & Chewy’s Freeze Dried Formula for my calculations. At Dagny’s age/weight and with her nutritional needs, a large bag of this size lasts us about 10 days. Each bag is about $25 after discounts, so it costs us about $75/month in food (before adding in the cost of shipping it to myself since nothing like this exists in France). Stella & Chewy’s is comparable in price to its competitors. There are also frozen raw food patties available that are similar in cost.

Whether or not you feed freeze dried exclusively, sometimes you just don’t have the time or energy to whip up a fresh raw meal for your dog or you’ll be traveling, so having some freeze dried meals on-hand can be a lifesaver.

My tips for getting a deal:

Make friends with your butcher. Oftentimes, meat and bones that are discarded at your local butcher can be put to good use. These scraps make several meals for your pet — for free. Our butcher loves giving Dagny raw bones that are longer than she is. You won’t know until you ask. I find that people are interested in hearing about what she eats and why. It’s especially fun trying to explain this to country folks in French who don’t know anything but regular ol’ kibble. They think it’s an American thing.

Use promo codes wherever you can for raw diet foods you buy online. My go-to raw diet for dogs supplier is doggiefood.com. They’re my favorite online pet store and one that actually lets you use discount codes on food too! They have a great selection of raw diet meals for dogs and cats as well as treats. They offer free shipping and have prices that cannot be beat.

Keep an eye on social media. Following your favorite brands on Twitter and Facebook can help you to be in-the-know when it comes to savings.

Buy in bulk for savings. Buying your dog’s raw food in large quantities can sometimes help you score a deal. If you have a big freezer (or pantry for freeze dried), scour the web for deals and then stock up.

Don’t skimp

What you do NOT want to do when you’re short on funds is to skimp on your dog’s nutrition or health. Do not feed a smaller portion of lesser quality or old meats to save a few bucks. Your dog will not be happy and you probably won’t be either if you have to make an emergency trip to the vet. Your dog will be the one who pays.

A raw diet must-have: A colorful snood!

A cute snood is a raw diet must-have. This fabric head covering holds your dog’s ears back so they don’t get in the food. Check out Terri of Daydogdesigns for a great selection! Tom thinks Dagny looks ridiculous in her snood, but they certainly serve a purpose!

Also, let me wrap this up by saying that a raw diet isn’t just a passing fad, nor does it work for every dog. Be sure to consult with a veterinary professional before changing your dog’s food. If not done correctly, a raw diet could make your dog sick.

Curious about why anyone would feed their dog an expensive raw diet? Well, different dogs have different needs. For us, this is what works. Aside from stopping her diarrhea from kibble in its tracks in just a day, the positive effects are hard to miss. Dagny has a shinier coat, more energy, LOVES mealtime and just seems healthier and happier overall.

And who wouldn’t want a happy dog?

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for writing about Stella & Chewy’s. I personally love the brand. All opinions are my own.

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