Welcome to another topic-specific Open Mic post. These special Open Mic posts give us a chance to have a more in-depth conversation about the area, share tips and tricks and build a great archive of ideas that we can all refer to when we need them down the road.
Today we’re opening up this post for a conversation about pet care. You can ask questions, share ideas and answer questions left by others. The only stipulation is that 100% of the conversation be focused on stockpiling and decluttering. Save off-topic posts for Thursday’s general Open Mic; any off-topic posts here will be removed.
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Your turn: How do you save money on pet food and pet accessories? What do you do to keep vet care costs down?
About Laura Wales
Vet Care: If anyone has not checked into Banfield’s (inside PetSmart) Wellness Plan you should! It covers office visit charges, all shots, spay/neuter if you have a puppy, teeth cleaning, routine deworming, and a lot of other things I can’t even remember. You also get 15-20% off all other services if you are signed up which is nice in case something big happens to your pet. We have two dogs on the plan and we have saved about $2,500 over the last year and a half (as compared to their normal prices of all the services we used). It only costs about $20-$25 per month depending on which level of plan you choose. I wasn’t sure if the vet care would be inferior to other clinics, but so far we have been very happy with the care our dogs have received. Hope this is helpful! We love our dogs:)
I totally agree with Bethany! Banfield’s wellness plan is a great value. I believe preventative care helps you save money in the long run. Especially with the teeth cleaning. People put a lot of effort into training their pets, so why not help them live long healthy lives and get your moneys worth! :) Some might be concerned that when you sign up for a plan like this, they might want to “overtreat” the dog, to make money. I have not experienced that at all in the past 3 years I’ve taken my 2 dogs there.
I highly recommend the Banfield in The Quarry in Minneapolis.
Our family got our first dog, a puppy, back in August of last year and we too, signed up with Banfield puppy plan. I have to say I’m not the least bit impressed. From the hour wait time for each and every appointment I’ve ever been to, to when he decided to eat a porkchop bone last month and the enormous pressure to sell every test under the sun to me…(he was fine without a single intervention), I can say I will not be renewing my year when the time is up!
In the meantime I’ve been looking at pet insurance which seems somewhat resonable depending on who you go with. I just looked at Purina’s plan and they wanted around $60/month which is ridiculously high! Other plans I’ve found are as low as $12-15/month. The deductible is typically around $500 out of pocket.
Another thing I’ve found I like for our dog, is shopping at Chuck and Don’s for his food. I think their rebate programs is worth mentioning, and the coupons that come out 4 times a year I use every time I buy food. Now the only thing I need help with – is a good and not very expensive training class!!
I’m sorry you had that experience there! I surely didn’t! They’ve even been great to call me back for appointment reminders and I have never had to wait more than about 10 minutes which is to be expected. Even when we went there as sort of an emergency… our dog ripped up her pads at the dog park on the ice and was bleeding everywhere we only waited about 5 minutes with no appointment! I go to Eden Prairie, which on do you go to Angie?
My friend goes to EP Banfield too. She is very happy with them also!
I go to the Banfield in Eagan. And once you’re locked into a location, that’s where you have to stay for a year. It’s the closest one to me.
I concurr with Angie about the Chuck and Don’s experience. Plus they actually TRAIN their staff for nutrition and educated advice.
Anyone want to share what their rock bottom prices are for dry cat and dry dog food? Thanks!
My sister and I have a combined household of seven (yes that’s 7) dogs and our best price on high quality dog food has been through MembersPetSupply.com. Our savings with them has been $12-$15 per bag vs the prices at our local retail pet stores. They deliver to your door within 3-5 days, as well. Check them out…you’ll be very glad you did!
A couple of questions:
1: What is the best deal out there right now for dog food? I have all coupons from the inserts.
2: Does anyone know of a inexpensive puppy training class in the north metro? I’m near Forest Lake.
Priscilla, are you familiar with Katie K-9? She has a show on 107.1 and she also writes a column in one of the local papers (I think it’s the Quad Community Press). Anyway, she is located in Hugo and I have looked into her training classes. They seem reasonably priced but I haven’t had a chance to sign up so I can’t recommend them yet. If you google her, you’ll find her website.
I’ve used Katie K-9 for Level 1 obediance training & was happy with it. I think her prices are fair & are in line with other trainers. She also gives you info about pet nutrition during the training classes.
I’m also a Chuck & Don’s fan. I spend about $70 a month for my 70 lb dog & my 14 yr old cat. I just used a $10 coupon (had to spend $50 which I would have done anyway) & the month before that used a 10.00 rebate. I should be about due for a free bag of dog food too. I use Nutrisource Purevita & you get a free bag (I think it’s 25 lbs) after you buy 10 bags.
I also use Nutrisource (Large Breed or Senior Formula). I buy it at Houle’s in Stillwater and every 13th (?) bag is free. I think I pay $40.40 for a 40 pound bag. I am not sure if that is a good price or not but I go there as that is close to my house and I am not sure of many stores that carry that brand.
Also— I used Katie K9 and she was fantastic. We trained our golden ret. there and I was very happy with her and her prices.
I took Charlie to Katie for puppy classes and really love her style of training. In fact, if you have questions, you can call her and she’ll always respond to you for any aftercare.
I love Katie K-9! I’ve been listening to her Sunday program (on FM 107.1, then its newer version, MyTalk 107.1 FM) ever since the station began, and have learned a tremendous amount over the years. After hearing about Nutrisource dog food, and all of the related nutritional info, we switched our Yorkie over to it, after feeding him Science Diet, etc., and we’ll never go back. It’s worked real well for him. We get our Nutrisource and treats at the Fluegel’s Feed Store in Rosemount. I’ve heard great things about Chuck & Don’s, and may go there someday. It’s just worked out fine going to Fluegel’s. A friend of mine swears by Chuck & Don’s. Sounds like a super place!
We’ve been using the same vet’s office for 32 years, and are very happy with them. I don’t know what I’d do without them! When I had to have my dog put down, I experienced wonderful compassion and kindness from all the staff. I’ve learned a lot from the vets, and in turn, they appreciate and admire the fact that I try to educate myself on pet care, as best I can. I always come in with questions and concerns, and never blindly attend the appointments. It sure helps in the care of our pets! They’re also forthcoming/upfront with info, when needed, and don’t treat us like dingdongs, nor rush us through. :-)
I second the no grains for dogs thing. Also, no onions, grapes, and anything green, no spicy stuff, so vets have told me. Unfortunately, I don’t remember *why* those things are bad. My Yorkie loooooves baby carrots, more than dog treats! Super, because they’re good for dogs, as I’ve also been told by our vet clinic. I often add them to his “breakfast” of Nutrisource.
Sorry, the correct name and link is: http://www.memberpetsupply.com/
http://www.memberpetsupply.com/
On the bottom of this website it discusses inhome training for puppy’s. Not sure if they are any good or not. I hae had success with Petsmart…I have a 1 year dog that is well rounded and the classes helped out.
Thanks for this website!! I get high quality dog food and am always on a lookout for a little price break for my pup! This website is awesome!
There is a great place for puppy and obedience training in Hugo, MN called Total Recall.
Here is the link: trdogs.com/
Feeding your pet a high quality (not high price) dog food can really make a difference too. Look at the ingredients and also see how much you need to feed the animal. With a lower quality food, you may need to feed larger amounts to provide your pet with the same nutrition as a smaller amount of premium food. When you compare the cost on a per-serving basis, and realize how quickly you go through a bag, economy foods may actually cost more in the long run.
Amen! And I don’t say that lightly. Poor quality food is usually what’s cheapest. After 25+ years of pet ownership, I can honestly say that you get what you pay for. Purina nearly killed one of my cats 25 years ago due to a vitamin mix up at their plant (it was a big story back then). It was then that I learned that top quality food can be found at reasonable prices and pays off with healthy pets, not unlike our own bodies.
I spend about $75 a month for one 3 yr old dog (115lb lab) and one 12 year old cat (10lb?). I also highly recommend Chuck and Don’s for their Frequent Purchase program and the quarterly rebate program. I will get about one free bag a year and about $8.00 back every quarter (to spend in store).
Three interesting discoveries this year – my large breed dog who borders on overweight does better on a high calorie, high fat formula dry food than the low-fat, low-cal version. He eats less (costing me less overall), is satisfied and doesn’t hunt around the house for “food” in between meals. It also dawned on me that there is good savings in getting the largest bag possible ($10/month savings!). Finally, I started buying Nature’s Variety frozen food for my cat. It is very economical and cuts down on the dry food needed. Nature’s Variety gives new customers a BOGO offer to begin and then a few weeks later (registration required).
Funny side story about quality food. Nature’s Variety has kept my cats so healthy that I didn’t even know one of my cats was dying of cancer until 12hrs before he died. It’s the nature of cats to hide symptoms, but even the vet said that he was so healthy it was difficult to know he was sick or to predict how far along the cancer was. Dang high quality cat food!!! ;) Death was very hard on me, but I was very thankful for the quick end and for the high quality of life he had.
We have 2 French Bulldogs so the PetSmart Banfield Wellness Plan has been a great cost savings for us too! We also have supplemental pet insurance through VPI http://www.petinsurance.com/ which costs about $21.00 per dog each month & has also proven cost effective since one of our dogs is having spinal issues…..
I too shop at Chuck and Dons. I have 3 large dogs and 4 cats. I feed Nutrisource to my dogs. The company is located in Perham, MN and is made from ingredients from around the state. It runs $33 per 33 lb bag. A bag lasts a good three weeks and I am feeding a 90lb, 60 lb, and 50 lb dogs. I also have 4 cats and feed them Felidae made by Canidae. Cost is $27.99 for a 16 lb bag which lasts 6 weeks. It is the only food that I can find that has low magnesium and no corn in the ingredient list. Corn is known to contribute greatly to hairballs. The Canidea is made in an FDA approved facility in California. Both foods are part of the frequent buyer program at Chuck and Dons. Nutirsource is buy 10 bags and get the 11th free. Canidea is buy 12 bags get the 13th free. They also have a rebate program that gives you a rebate on a quarterly basis based on the purchase amount for a given quarter.
With all of that being said, one of my dogs has a skin condition and has a mild problem with incontinence. I shop online using http://www.kvvet.com and DrsFosterSmith.com for all of their health care needs. I find prescription meds to be 50 to 70% cheaper than purchasing from the local vet including flea and tick and heartworm products. My vet faxes over the prescription and it is taken care of. Drs Fosters and Smith has free shipping on healthcare, pharmacy, and flea and tick products and a $5.99 flat shipping rate on everything else. KVVET has free shipping on orders of $50 or more. I combine my orders with that of my friends and coworkers so shipping is never an issue. Both companies have excellent articles on just about every subject so it is a great resource as well.
My vet is Dr. Foster of Southview Animal Hospital. Their prices are competitive and they over a multi pet discount of 15% off all services. Check with your vet to see if this option is available.
I have to concur that feeding a quality food is very important. Not only does this minimize your oop up front, but can save you down the line from the better nutrition your pet has had. PLEASE remember that most pets (cats & dogs in particular) are not designed to be vegetarians. So when you are choosing a food, look at the ingredient label and AVOID ANYTHING that has corn or corn by products in the for 5 ingredients. Or find one that leaves it out completely if you can. There was an online retailer that I was purchasing my dog food from that had very reasonable shipping ($15 for 140 lbs of dog food), they have undergone a website upgrade and it looks different now and I’m waiting to get a response.
Another note about Banfield, they vaccinate too much. I believe that we are over vaccinating our pets and our children these days. If your pets are homebound and don’t often have company, think about reducing the vaccines to the minimum required by state law (I think that is only rabies and parvo)
Banfield does OFFER a lot of vaccinations, but they have always asked me if I’d like them or not. I ask questions and decide whether I think it is necessary.
I would take the point of asking questions for any vet you go to. Ask questions if your not sure about what they are going to inject in your pet. You know your pet best and what they are exposed to. Especially if they are ever boarded at a kennel, they may require more vaccinations than the average pet that stays at home.
Thank you Jaime for your posting!! I too own a pit bull (and Lab mix) but she looks entirely pit. She is the most gentle loyal sweetie. She is great with cats, does awesome at the dog park, and loves kids of all ages. I think the breed is genereally misunderstood with many dog attacks being blamed on pit bulls because of their reputation when in actuality most people couldn’t pick a pit bull out of a line up! I absolutely love my almost 2 year old Lab/Pit even if people treat her like she did something wrong the second they see her. She has never bitten anyone or reacted aggressively. Anyone who doesn’t knows much about dogs says “Wow, I never knew pit bulls could be so sweet and submissive to their owner” when they meet her. It takes a strong owner for this type of dog, someone who can take responsibility of their training. Not the best first dog:) I agree, people should do breed research before reporting alleged “pit bull attacks”. It only continues to give good well cared for pits a bad name.
Thanks to everyone for helpful comments and advice. We purchase our dog food at Costco. We had our vet look at the ingredient list for the Kirkland Select brand and found it to be equivalent to the High end brands such as Science Diet. It is about $20 for a 40 lb bag. We have two relatives that are vets and have cautioned us to use high quality food (as many of you have said). They’ve both also cautioned strongly advised against using Banfields. One of them interned there and was very happy to get away – comparing it to sort of the “K-Mart of pet care”. Sounds like lots of you are happy with them – but passing along advice we got early on with our dogs. Vet care is just so darn expensive!!!
What happened to your two vet relatives that they cautioned you about Banfield? I’m happy with them, but if there is something I don’t “see” I would like to know. I would appreciate any insite.
Cindy, I’m sorry I don’t have any real details to share with you. One vet in the family just compared it to a sort of “K-Mart of vet care” – like going to a clinic for humans that is questionable. The other one did some interning at two different Banfield clinics and did have some specific stories (about 4 years ago), but I don’t remember. He just reminded us to continue going to our vet clinic which has a good reputation, and he said he’d never take a pet to any Banfield. It sounds like lots of people are having good experiences at Banfield and reporting them on here, though, so that’s reassuring.
Then I don’t think it’s fair to give a poor review Banfield if you don’t have first hand experience.
I appreciate your comment, Cindy. If it had been a general “friend of a friend’s vet relative” kind of thing, I probably wouldn’t take it too seriously. Because it was 2 professional people that I know and trusted, I took the recommendation seriously. It kind of reminds me of many years ago when our pediatrician told us not to use a Now Care free standing medical place that had opened up (we had taken our young daughter there for something on a weekend); he told me that if something comes up on a weekend or night to take her to the Mpls Children’s ER for care due to the high quality. And he told me this other place had inferior medical care. I trusted him, so I trusted his advice as a professional since we have no medical training. I hope that makes sense, and I apologize for sounding negative about Banfield if that was wrong without a specific personal experience. It’s just that, because I have no vet. training, I am clueless about the quality of the services. Just for the record, we don’t use the vet services of either of the relatives I mention (one is out of state), so it’s not a situation of either of them seeking us a client in their clinics : )
Thank you. I just worry about my dogs. They can’t tell my what goes on behind the doors in back. If someone has a bad experience, I’d like to know! I’ve read Banfield reviews online and they are mostly disgruntled customers, like maybe didn’t read the contract. I judge my Banfield on the vets themself. Most of them went to the U of M and I know they have a good program there. So I hope they wouldn’t want to work for a corporation that conflicts with their values. I’m sure it’s not easy to start up your vet practice after college, you have to start somewhere!
I just read Shelly’s comment & would like to add that we have been buying Costco’s Kirkland brand dog food also! Such a reasonable price! The first thing we did is look at the ingredient list thinking “there’s no way this can be healthy at this price…..” and were very surprised to see it was good quality with lamb or chicken listing as the first ingredient.
Also, we found a flea/tick/mosquito alternative that works since both of our dogs are house pets. Instead of the topical agents that are expensive and have been under scrutiny http://www.springtimeinc.com/t_EPAwarning , we give our dogs Bug Off Garlic Chewables from Springtime, Inc. http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/35/2 At 10 cents a tablet & 2 dogs it costs $6 a month for flea/tick/mosquito protection VS the $26 – $30 we were spending a month for the topical agents. That was a nice bargain find when my husband’s hours were cut in half!!
If you do need to buy anything from Banfield such as heartworm pills, they will price match. If you find the same type of product & quantity online (like from 1800petmeds) and bring in the printout showing the lower cost plus estimated shipping charges, they will give you their brand at the lower total price you found. I found a generic brand of heartworm online with free shipping, brought that printout in and ended up paying half of what I would’ve if I had paid Banfield’s regular price.
This may sound silly, but with the “garlic bug off”, does the dog smell like garlic?
No, but don’t sniff inside the container! Peeee-U! :)
All dogs & breeds are different ~ but we smell it a little bit on our dog’s breath right after they eat (we feed it to them with their food). They can also get a little gasy…. but bulldogs have that tendency anyway, so we’re not sure if it’s totally the garlic or just genetic ;)
Does anyone have reasonably priced boarding suggestions? We barely go away for a weekend let alone a vacation because we don’t know what to do with our 2 dogs. We don’t want relatives or friends to watch them because nobody really likes animals as much as we do! We’re not comfortable having a stranger come into our home either; I know that’s an option out there with pet sitters. We want the 2 dogs to be pampered and played with and attended to as much as possible :) We have brought them to PetSmart PetHotel in Maple Grove and Roseville and they are awesome, but they are also expensive…… I’ve tried to keep an eye out for places to try, but they all seem costly. A referral to a place/person someone has used before would be great!
Melissa- We do in-home dog sitting for $30/day. Trust me, your dogs will be pampered and loved! We only take one family’s dogs at a time, they are welcome to sleep on our bed, we take them to the dog park or for walks, feed them lots of treats, basically we treat them like our pets for the time they are with us. If you are interested, I can find some way to get you my contact information.
Thanks KB!! Where do you live? We live in Ramsey. Is it $30 per pet per day? Or $30 for them together? Can we post our emails on here to get ahold of each other? Not sure if that is allowed…. Let me know, thanks!
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. We live way down in Rosemount! It is $30 together and we usually charge in full day increments (if you drop off at 6:00 at night, no need to pay us). My e-mail is barkerkari at hotmail . com
My advice on dog and cat food is quality-
They best thing to look for are the first three ingredients, they should be meat. Try to avoid, at all costs: corn. This is used as a filler and a lot of animals have allergies or other problems with corn.
Also, if you really want to find a nutritious healthy food that is cost effective, for your pets Google the Barf diet, Bones And Raw Foods. There are a lot of forums out there and advice on how to administer a healthy diet using the Barf method- contact your vet if you have questions- they may be able to assist as well. My friend does this diet for her two dogs, one a large dog and one a medium dog and only spends roughly $50 every 2-3 months. Her dogs are also really healthy. Best of luck.
Fleet Farm has the best prices I’ve seen on the big crusty shrink-wrapped bones and kneecaps.
Chuck and Dons’s prices for dog food seem in line with other stores, their rebate program is easy to use (no cards, just give them your phone number and name), and if you watch the coupons in their mailings and online, you can often get freebies. Plus they are knowledgeable, pleasant, and will carry the heavy bag of dog food to my car – love that store!
Nthing the suggestion to avoid grain in dog food. My friend who is a vet says that many dogs do not tolerate grains well, and a lot of dogs skin, ear, and anal gland problems can be eliminated by changing to a grain-free food. Happier healthier dog, less vet bills, good all around.
I found this website’s ratings really helpful when choosing a dog food. http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
It is based on an objective analysis of the ingredients, and is done by a group of dog enthusiasts without ties to the dog food industry.
Which leads to another thing I learned from my friend: the college materials on veterinary nutrition are literally provided/taught by the major dog food manufacturers, so vets can easily wind up with a questionable education in this area (imagine having Kraft teach doctors nutrition).
Thanks, Janna! Guess our dog will have to be content with her 3 star food (Kirkland from Costco). However, I was pleased to see that it is two stars ABOVE the Science Diet we used to use! That is a helpful link.
We’re a small animal family – not quite up to the cost/commitment for cats or dogs right now.
We’ve been happy with all the Wardley fish food coupons on coupons.com. We have a great stockpile to feed our goldfish for a long time to come — for FREE.
We also have guinea pigs. Sales on their food and hay are few and far between – though it’s not that expensive to begin with (esp since they love veggie scraps, which we’d otherwise toss, and all their bedding is shredded newspaper). However, we’ve discovered that Fleet Farm seems to have the best prices, esp. if you’re able to buy big bags/bales.
As a small animal veterinarian, I find this week’s Open Mic discussion very interesting. I would like to add a few points to the discussion.
- Pet food: I agree that feeding a “high-quality” pet food is best. There is a lot of debate, even in the veterinary community, over what the “best” food or diet is. Recommendations can vary greatly depending on the pet, their lifestyle and any concurrent medical issues. While corn may be the culprit for some dogs with a possible food allergy, other carbohydrates or even proteins (beef, pork, chicken, etc) may be to blame. Keep in mind that many pets can have environmental allergies (pollens, grasses, etc) that contribute to chronic allergy issues as well (ear, skin and anal gland problems as mentioned above). Although dogs are obviously not vegetarians, they are considered omnivores. While some dogs do not tolerate grains, such as corn, well in their diet many dogs do very well eating a complete and balanced commercial dog food that does contain grains, throughout their lifetime.
So here is my money saving tip to you: Feed your pet a high-quality food that your veterinarian recommends. But here is the most important part…feed that diet appropriately. The vast majority of pets that I see in a general practice setting are overweight or even obese. Carrying too much weight puts your pet at higher risk for many issues including diabetes and orthopedic diseases like arthritis and knee ligament ruptures. Feeding your pet the appropriate amount of food will not only make your pet healthier and live longer, but also save you money in the long run. Talk to your vet about how much food to feed your pet (the instructions on the bag tend to overfeed pets) or to design a weight loss plan, if needed.
- Online Pet Pharmacies: Please use internet pharmacies with caution. Many vet clinics will write prescriptions for medications to be filled online and some will not. Keep in mind that many of the manufacturers of veterinary pharmaceuticals only sell their product directly to licensed veterinarians and will not guarantee products bought online or at other retailers.
- Vaccinations: I believe that vaccination protocols should be tailored to each pet depending on their lifestyle. Find out what your city/county requirements are regarding Rabies vaccination, as they can vary. Discuss with your veterinarian what vaccine protocol is most appropriate for your furry friend.
Okay, that became longer than I thought it would! Trust me, most vets (at least the ones I know) are not out there to run unnecessary tests or give every vaccine under the sun…they truly want to do what is best for your pet. :)
We feed our two 90 pound German Shepherds Exclusive dry dog food. (http://www.pminutrition.com/main.html) We get it at the Elk River Farm Supply store at approx. $1 per pound. I have found this price comparable to buying Iams at Sam’s Club, but the nice thing about buying the Exclusive brand at ER Farm Supply is that for every 6 or 7 bags you buy (my husband always picks it up so can’t remember the number for sure), you get one bag free. That really helps since we go through a lot of dog food!
Melissa ~ Thanks a ton for the info on the Bug Off Garlic Chewables. I had heard about these a while back, but then lost the information before I ordered the product. I am definitely going to give these a try and hopefully get my dogs chemical free. One of my dogs has sensitive skin and chronic ear infections, so I am hopeful that the garlic will help her in those areas. I figure it’s worth a try since nothing else seems to help long-term.
We’re a 2-cat family and started using Banfield until we realized the vets are young and very into selling you services you don’t need and love to get you in there twice a year for checkups so they can get you to spend more and more. Guilt is a strategy they employ, when I prefer a common-sense approach. I believe indoor cats (except for kittens) generally only NEED to get in there every 2 or 3 years or so for vaccines and only annually for the once-over (dogs and indoor/outdoor cats get more interaction with strangers and arguably DO need more care). To drag cats into the vet when they are healthy TOO often can actually make them sick (I’ve had cats who get so upset they’ll come home and throw up or have other physical illnesses from going to the vet.) Therefore, the “old, country” vet approach works well enough for a balance between quality of life and our pocketbook. We specifically sought out vets who give two or three-year rabies vaccines so that it would be an option to “stretch” vet visits out if necessary. We feed our cats Iams (supplemented with the same chicken and tuna we’d eat) and use the World’s Best Cat Litter (cheaper in the long run than others, though the initial investment isn’t too low), but they’re CATS, not people. Veterinary medicine has come a long way, which I applaud, but the sales techniques from the young vets have left much to be desired. I can’t afford my OWN medical care and I’m hoping to live more than 18 years!
CIndy, I responded to you in an above post.
Training in St. Paul? Any ideas? I have done Katie K9 for puppy but would like to stay closer to home for some more classes.
We show, breed and raise dogs. I’m a convert. I fed a grain based dog food when I first started showing and raising dogs. Now we feed almost an exclusively raw meat diet. The dogs do great, we don’t have problems and they are so healthy. Chronic ear infections, anal gland problems, and allergies of all kinds can be greatly reduced or eliminated completely by feeding a raw diet. We understand the raw diet doesn’t fit into all lifestyles so for the families we place dogs with that don’t want to do raw, we recommend a grain free diet. Raw is actually cheaper than a grain free kibble. http://www.rawsforpaws.com is where we buy most of our dog meat. http://www.thenaturalk9.net/ can give you a very comprehensive nutritional consultation. Keep in mind that while the bag may say organic or natural, arsenic is all natural too. Doesn’t matter if its all natural if its all natural corn!
Regarding vaccinations you need to outweigh the risk of your pet catching what you are trying to prevent against the risk of the vaccine. Some vaccines aren’t proven effective at all and others are really unnecessary for the lifestyle of the pet. http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/education/duration-of-immunity-to-canine-vaccines is attached to a study that is proving rabies immunity lasts much longer than the 1 or 3 year label on the vaccine bottle.
The next part is 100% my opinion. Vets, while great at what they do, do not receive enough training on nutrition. They have to keep up on so much education I don’t expect them to keep up on nutrition. Science Diet is primarily corn (a.k.a. maize) and that is what you see sold in vet offices. If I want nutrition information I contact http://www.thenaturalk9.net/ or talk to a manager at a pet food store (like Chuck and Don’s). When you find a good vet, just like a good doctor, you hold on with both hands! We are fortunate to have several good vets in lives. :)
Hi
If anyone is interested I own a dog grooming business Shear Elegance Pet Grooming in East St. Paul, MN 55119. (651) 528-1157 I have been in the business for 20yrs .We have afforable dog grooming. Get a $5.00 off coupon on our web site (shearelegancepetgrooming.com)