[nagdu] Counting The Costs

Tue Sep 18 17:39:07 UTC 2012

Grain-free.  But you have to do some research, asking handlers how a given grain-free dog food works for their dog.  For instance, I was feeding Griffin Inova Evo, and it worked great for awhile.  But the company that makes Evo was bought out, and the formula must have been changed, because Griffin's stools started going south on me.  So I checked wht the person who had originally recommended Evo to me.  She had experienced the same problem and had switched to Great Life Buffalo formula.  Happy day, the stools straightened out.  There are probably many grain-free dog foods, so there is no way to know which one woudl work best with a give dog.  There may even come a time when the current food Griffin is on stops working, but I sure hope not.  It is pricey, but I like it.

Vanessa Lowery, LGSW
Adult and Community Services Division
Adult Services Screening Unit
410-853-3550
VLowery at dhr.state.md.us

>>> Sarah <coastergirl92 at gmail.com> 9/18/2012 1:10 PM >>>
What kind of food is the best to feed your dogs to make their 
poop more firm?

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Vanessa Lowery" <vlowery at dhr.state.md.us 
To: "the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing 
List" <nagdu at nfbnet.org 
Date sent: Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:30:44 -0400
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Counting The Costs

I don't have a dog that is as large as Mark's, but I also feed a 
more expensive food because I want nicely firm stools.  I get 
that with the Great Life Buffalo formula.  Yes, it is more 
expensive, but it lasts about four or five weeks, and it is the 
closest to being a raw diet without the time needed to purchase 
and prepare a raw diet.

So some of the cost associated whit food is going to vary from 
handler to handler.  I have ordered Great Life from two different 
vendors, and the price did not vary much.

I use PetCo for a bath for Griffin about once or twice a year, 
and it has usually been about $40.00.  I sometimes have them trim 
his nails, and that runs about $10.00.  I also clip his nails 
myself.

Toy prices are going to vary, depending on where you buy them.  I 
try to get the Cuz balls and Ruffian toys because it takes 
Griffin longer to destroy them.  Actually, the two oarge Cuz 
balls are still in good shape.  Both are the Bad Cuz Balls (with 
the pointy ears), an donly one of them has lost an ear.  The 
Ruffians don't ahve quite as long of a life in the jaws of 
Griffin, but they hold up for a number of months.

Vet care is going to vary based on, in part, the dog's age.  
Griffin is almost ten, and he does have a chronic medical 
problem, so his care is slightly more expensive.  However, my vet 
does give a discount on some things.

Vanessa Lowery, LGSW
Adult and Community Services Division
Adult Services Screening Unit
410-853-3550
VLowery at dhr.state.md.us 

 "Mark J.  Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com> 9/17/2012 6:57 PM
Cindy,

I wish I could use an inexpensive dog food, however, doing so 
results in my
dog's waste product being the consistency of mashed potatoes at 
best, and
pea soup at worst.  Although this food is expensive, my dog 
appears to be
healthy, happy, full of energy, and is consistently dropping firm 
easy to
pick up, baseball sized nuggets.  Because this food has no 
fillers, if you
have a smaller dog, perhaps the food could last you longer, 
because you
would have to feed a lot less.  I feed my dog just shy of 3 cups 
a day.

Also, on principle, I don't want to feed my dog a product full of 
hard to
digest fillers, and other chemicals.  Although it is impossible 
to avoid all
fillers and chemicals unless you feed your dog a raw diet 
organically razed
on local farms, this is the next best thing I could find without 
sacrificing
the convenience of a dry food.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com 
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org 
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 5:14 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Counting The Costs

 Mark, glad you brought up the size of your dog.  And, of course, 
the dog
 food is a huge factor.  If you use some of the other dog foods 
that are
 commonly used by those of us who feel our dogs are good with 
that, and
 sometimes all of the dogs aren't, you are spending about twice 
as much or
 more.  I'm feeding three dogs, but we still go through a bag of 
food in
 about a month.  So, as Mark says, there is a variation.  
Heartworm and flea
 preventive are the most expensive part I think, and you usually 
get them
 in three to six month packages.  Well, don't know about the 
spray.
 CL

 On Sep 17, 2012, at 3:48 PM, Mark J.  Cadigan wrote:

 Perhaps I am insane, however, my dog costs around $150+ a month.  
However,
 I do feed my dog an organic dog food that runs around $85 a bag.  
He eats
 a bag every 5 weeks.

 I am feeding him origin regional red.

 I give him hart guard for heartworm once a month,

 Use a topical flea and tick control spray called buddy spray

 I take him to a do it yourself grooming place once a month cost 
only $15!

 For training treats and whatnot I feed him organic dried venison 
strips

 He shreds toys, so I end up getting a new one every month or so.

 So, you can see how the price can add up quickly.

 BTW I have an 80lb shepherd.

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