We already have a chocolate lab (and two cats), but the own of this "silver lab" didn't have the time she needed for training so he gave her to us. you can definitely tell that she hasn't been worked with too. Saddie (my 11month old) is far more advanced that Robyn is. But they are the same age.

Anyways, I give Saddie Nutro Max. However, Im afraid that Im going to go broke feeding the two of them now. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I could give them? I give Saddie raw meat/eggs on a weekly basis (in addition to the Nutro) and she loves all of that, but I want to wait to that with Robyn.

Congratulations on the new pup! I have to be honest in that I have always considered cost to be a secondary concern when trying to find a food that works for my pets. That being said, Nutro Max(at least where I live) has always been one of the more economcal foods. If cost is a primary consideration then I would go with one of the better Diamond dog foods, i.e. lamb & rice, large breed adult, etc. or if you have a Costco nearby, then their Kirkland brand(also made by Diamond) should work well for you. If you stay with Nutro, then I know Nutro will send you coupons whenever you need them and they also have a frequent buyer program that could help offset the cost of the extra mouth to feed. Good luck.

You can feed a good food while watching your budget, there's nothing wrong with that...and don't let anyone make you feel guilty about it either, especially considering you're rescuing this Lab. As the previous poster mentioned, Diamond, Kirkland, and the other sister company Premium Edge make great foods for a reasonable price. A lot of people also say their dogs to great on the Purina ONE line, but I think Diamond and Kirkland are cheaper.

According to their website, the following stores sell Diamond products in Fond du Lac:
Pet Central, Inc
477 West Johnson Street
Fond Du Lac, WI 54935
(920) 929-6500

Pet Supply Plus
806 S Main St
Fond Du Lac, WI 54935
(920) 922-7592

If they sell it around there (their website will say), Eagle Pack also has some affordable foods. The non-holistic line is less expensive than the holistic Eagle Pack varieties.

[QUOTE=Dad of Jes]You can feed a good food while watching your budget, there's nothing wrong with that...and don't let anyone make you feel guilty about it either, especially considering you're rescuing this Lab.

My intention wasn't to make anyone on a budget feel guilty about what they feed their dog and I certainly hope that lab_lover didn't take it as such. I simply meant that I buy what works, regardless of cost. Everyone's situation is different; I only have me, a big lab, & a big cat to feed. I commend lab_lover for taking this dog in. All my animals have been "last chance" rescues as well.

Bless you for taking her in....I know good nutrition is very important for your pets...but a warm bed to sleep in and lots of love and attention are just as important too....I don't feel that you have to feed the most expensive food for the best results...I used to feed My Toby a more expensive line of food...but it was way too rich for him and then he developed some minor food allergies...now he is on a more "medium" premium food and he has been doing just great...healthy as can be and skin and coat are beautiful...I personally like the Eagle Pack Holistic line of foods...it is not terrible expensive and you feed less...so it really is economical...I agree...feed what works for your dog...every dog is different...

My intention wasn't to make anyone on a budget feel guilty about what they feed their dog and I certainly hope that lab_lover didn't take it as such. I simply meant that I buy what works, regardless of cost. Everyone's situation is different; I only have me, a big lab, & a big cat to feed. I commend lab_lover for taking this dog in. All my animals have been "last chance" rescues as well.

I didn't say you did and I'm sorry you took it as such. My only point was that the poster mentioned a tight budget and I've seen people get attacked for taking money into consideration, and I don't think that's always appropriate. I was just attempting to stave off such comments. Again, I apologize if it appears that I was referring to you as that was not my intention at all.

Thanks Nick, I was actually afraid I came off that way. You make an excellent point, though. You can feed a dog well on a budget and you don't have to spend a lot on dog food to find one that suits your dog; unfortunately, I do.

i am just curious. when broken down what do you all pay for dog food per pound? i know this isnt my thread, and sorry for the interuptiuon, but i am buying eukanuba for my labs and of course two are more than one to feed. so iam too am looking for the best bang for the buck so to speak. right now i pay about, .88$/lb, 35$ for a 40lb bag of euk lamb and rice lb puppy.

Gauge..you can buy a 40lb bag of Diamond Lamb and Rice for $20 ..it feeds my 4 dogs ( 2 labs and 2 chis) for two weeks. I personally feel it's a better food..but you need to make the call on whether or not you want to feed it or not..I don't think price should ever be a factor when buying pet food..yes..your dog will live on the bottom of the barrel foods but will they thrive? Will they be as healthly as they could be? Will they have truly beautiful coats or will they itch like crazy?? Just a few things to ponder on. :)

I think Diamond LB Puppy is about $23 for a 40lb bag where we go, so about $.58/lb.

Costco!! Costco!! man buying dog food alone pays for my membership!!

i am just curious. when broken down what do you all pay for dog food per pound? i know this isnt my thread, and sorry for the interuptiuon, but i am buying eukanuba for my labs and of course two are more than one to feed. so iam too am looking for the best bang for the buck so to speak. right now i pay about, .88$/lb, 35$ for a 40lb bag of euk lamb and rice lb puppy.

Someone else mentioned Diamond, which is what I feed about half the time and the other half is Canidae. At $29/40lbs that is $.73/lb.

i was told by my vet to look at the ingredients, and to look for whole meats first, such as lamb. not lamb meal or lamb by product. he said that if the first ingredient is a whole meat such as lamb or chicken then the product as a whole is probably a good one. i have looked at all the dog foods offered here in town and so far i have only found two that have this in them. iams and eukanuba. i thought science diet would offer this, but nope its chicken meal. i do not know alot about food and the contents, but what he said makes sense. cost is not really a factor, but at 40$ every 3 weeks, i would like to find the cheapest best dog food i can. you ask some people and they say 9.994 for the 40lb bag they use and they have no complaints while others say 40$ and are looking for a better buy. its not like these food companys have alot invested after the fact. i bet they spend more on the bag than they do on the food going into it. so i guess when it come to the health of my labs, yes i would spend and i am spending 40$ but is there other stuff out there i am missing at a better price that is just as good. there are alot of people that swear by a product, but when i read through the list of ingredients and nutritional values i say what does this have that i havent got already. and i look to see what it is missing and usually if it doesnot have a whole meat product in the very first spot i put it down. i can get nutro, royal canin and such, but am not impressed. if i really just wanted to but a cheap food i coulp get some black labled dog food for around 9.99 40lb.

WOW!!!!! Awesome information everyone!! Thank you so much! And I didn't take offense to anyone. I understand that everyone is not the same with their pets. We pay $27 for the Nutro Max and I believe thats a 40 pound bag. I'll print this thread out and look it over more closely when I get to the store and then I can spend two hours in there trying to get the best bang for my buck and for my girls! :D

Pictures, pictures!!!!