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Looking for the best cheap dog food? Take a look at the top 5 most affordable dog foods on the market today.
OUR #1 RECOMMENDATION: Our favorite food if you’re on a budget is Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Formula
Finding cheap dog food for your best furry friend can be one of the hardest decisions you’ll have to make. However, we are not talking about poor quality. We mean affordable, high-quality dog food that your dog will love.
After all, the furry darling is a part of your family and you can’t imagine feeding them something that is terrible for them just because the price is “right”. But you also know that price can be a big factor in the dog food you choose for your pup, and that’s okay.
At a Glance: Our Choices for the Best Cheap Dog Foods
- Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food, Hi Prairie Formula
- Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Formula
- Hill’s Ideal Balance Grain-Free Chicken and Potato
- Merrick Grain-Free Real Buffalo and Sweet Potato Dog Food
- Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Sweet Potato & Venison Formula
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But cheap dog food can often include cheap ingredients, such as meat by-products, chicken meal, and corn gluten meal. We strive to help you make the best-informed decisions regarding your dog and all things related—including finding an affordable dog food that won’t break the bank but will provide your pet with everything they need.
Here is our top 5 list of the best dry food for the price point you’re looking for right now. We know that finding the best inexpensive dog food is very important for all families and we want to be able to provide the best quality cheap dog food choices for you.
It is, in fact, still possible to find grain-free dog food with natural and high-quality ingredients. You truly can find the best budget dog food for your pup.
| PRODUCT | SHORT DESCRIPTION | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food, Hi Prairie Formula | Our Top Choice |  |
| Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Formula | Optimum Nutrition | |
| Hill’s Ideal Balance Grain-Free Chicken and Potato | Fresh Chicken | |
| Merrick Grain-Free Real Buffalo and Sweet Potato Dog Food | Real Deboned Buffalo | |
| Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Sweet Potato & Venison Formula | Grain-Free | |
Product Reviews
1. Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food, Hi Prairie Formula
Taste of the Wild Hi Prairie Formula is one of the best inexpensive dog foods on the market right now. This kibble is grain-free, which is wildly important to pet owners due to the fact that grain can cause major issues for some furry friends.
Sweet potatoes, peas, and real meat are the top ingredients in this formula. With these top ingredients, puppies are sure to enjoy the delicious taste while also benefitting from the energy boosters they receive.
Taste of the Wild Hi Prairie Formula is packed with vegetables and fruits that promote a healthy lifestyle for your dog.
2. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Formula
Omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E, and more nutrients are packed into this Hill’s Science Diet Adult Advanced Fitness Formula. This formula is exclusive to the Hill’s Science product line and promotes healthy skin and shiny coats. Dogs look for healthy immune systems as well and this formula helps to develop a healthy immune system that wards off sickness.
This inexpensive kibble also has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, which means all of the flavors and nutrition is natural. The small-sized bites are ideal for smaller dogs to chew and digest. With a price point in the lower range and a rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 stars, this is one of the best budget-friendly dog foods you can find.
3. Hill’s Ideal Balance Grain-Free Chicken and Potato
Hill’s Ideal Balance Grain-Free Chicken and Potato dog food prides itself in having chicken as its main ingredient. Chicken provides dogs with lean protein which helps them build and keep slim and trim shapes with lean muscles. Because the food is grain-free, brown rice with natural fiber is used for healthy digestion. There is no corn, wheat, soy or artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Customers rated this product at 4.5 stars out of 5 stars showing high satisfaction for a lower-priced dog food. This formula also has Omega-3 & Omega-6 fatty acids to help dogs with their skin and coats (because this can be an issue for many breeds).
4. Merrick Grain-Free Real Buffalo and Sweet Potato Dog Food
If you’re looking for the best inexpensive dog food with real meat as the top ingredient, look no further. Merrick Grain-Free Real Buffalo and Sweet Potato Dog Food’s first ingredient is real deboned buffalo. This is not a common meat used in dog food, which makes this particular brand and formula special.
The grain-free nutrition that is found in this formula is also really important to pet owners because of the sensitivities that can flare up when dogs are given grains in their food. Skin and coats are also cared for with this dog food. Absolutely no corn, wheat, soy, or gluten is found in this Merrick dog food formula. With a 4.5 out of 5-star rating, Merrick is a great choice for a lower-priced dog food.
Check out these sweet doggie friends loving their Merrick Dog Food!
5. Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Sweet Potato & Venison Formula
With 4.7 out of 5 stars from Chewy.com customers, Natural Balance L.I.D. has many great features that make this a great and affordable choice. Grain-free is highly sought after in the dog food world and having limited carbohydrates also means optimal health for your pup. Omega-3 fatty acid from flaxseed gives your dog the best and healthiest coat to make it shine and shimmer.
If your pup has a sensitive stomach, this single animal protein dog food is the one for you. Finding dog food that has all of these qualities and is affordable can be very difficult, but Natural Balance has done a great job at joining the two qualities.
Conclusion
How many times have you searched for dog food that wasn’t going to break the bank but was also still good, quality food for your best furry friend? If you’re looking for the best dog food for the money, look no further. Finding quality dog food that has an inexpensive price tag can be difficult, but here at labradortraininghq, it is our mission to help you find the best and most affordable options for your best furry friend. After all, pets aren’t just pets—they’re family.
These 5 dog food brands/formulas are sure to give your pup the taste and quality they want and deserve while also allowing your wallet to remain intact. The best inexpensive dog food on the market today will make your dog’s tail wag!
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View our dog food guide here.
Top Picks For Our Dogs
- BEST PUPPY TOY
We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. - BEST DOG CHEW
We Like: Bones & Chews Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. - BEST DOG TREATS
We Like: Crazy Dog Train Me Treats - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies. - BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.
For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining.com blog.
13 comments
You have a couple good brands on your list but being cheap means being bad for your dog most of the time.
There in my opinion are some better options out there for your dog at a good price. According to dog food advisor, Diamond Naturals is one of the best foods you can get for the cheapest price.
Here is a good list to add to yours: http://newdogowners.com/top-5-value-dog-food-brands-healthiest-dog/
I think your definition of “inexpensive” does not mesh with the majority of the US.
Not a cheap one in the list . seriously those are some of the MOST EXPENSIVE brands in Canada
These aren’t even cheap though. My family can hardly keep the water &electricity on and pay the rent.
Then they shouldn’t have a dog. Not trying to be mean but it’s not fair for the animal when a nutritional diet can’t be afforded. There are other options if one has the time. With some research meals can be prepared using human food that are as good or better for the pet than anything bagged or canned from the store but it does take some dedication and time.
These ‘they shouldn’t have a dog’ comments are so wrong. I see them all over the place. I’ve been an animal rescue volunteer all my life and all I see is pain and suffering from abused and abandoned animals. Where I live people are lined up to dump their dogs at shelters. It’s better than dumping them on the highway I guess, but they do that too. The shelters and pounds are full. So are people who love their pets and just trying to get by in life ‘not fair’? These comments are so disturbing and arrogant. Please go visit a shelter in any city. 1.5 millions shelter animals are euthanized each year in the US. Is that fair enough for ya?
Have you seen the recall notices on many of these brands?
I’d agree with the notion that these are not inexpensive foods. Merrick? Did you even price these??
I can get most varieties of Victor foods, including their excellent Hi Pro Plus for considerably less than any of these. Quality foods, my dog loves them (and thrives) and never a recall.
Diamond Naturals and the very similar Kirkland Premium chicken or lamb formulas are quality foods that are truly affordable. Costco’s Nature’s Domain is grain free and the beef formula is not much over $1.00/pound. Nature’s Domain has ingredient lists very similar to Diamond Naturals grain-free.
Great post. Thanks for adding some actual affordable brands to the comments!
You clearly don’t know what cheap or budget means….
I’m not sure how 50 dollars for a 28lb bag of taste of the wild is considered cheap.
The Buffalo dog food is NOT cheap! $65.00 for 22# bag is nearly $3 a pound. That’s outrages! I have a 110 # dog . That 22# bag wouldn’t last long.
R u sure this isn’t the expensive dog food list . Dam