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Old September 14th, 2010, 12:54 AM
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cassiek cassiek is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: High River, AB, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SunGurl372 View Post
I second that whole-heartedly. My "established" girl has been with us for going on five years. Feeding her a better quality diet, while more expensive per bag, has ended up being cheaper in the long run because she eats nowhere near as much as she did on poorer quality food. Add to that the fact that after a rough "pound puppy" start in life with lots of health issues (infections, mange, etc.), she's never been to the vet for anything more than annual vaccinations and checkups. DOUBLE add to that the fact that when she has to go to the potty, it can often be once every couple of days, and even then it is compact, solid, and easily picked up (I know...TMI, but I'm just saying).

Just adopted my second pound puppy, and immediately switched her to my older girl's diet (another perk for certain foods, due to their high protein content they don't have to be puppy specific). Within a couple of weeks, her stool is getting firmer, WAY less stinky, and more consistent....no accidents in the house!!!
I agree, SunGurl, I think in most instances it actually will work out cheaper to feed your pets a higher quality diet. You usually feed less as the animal is able to digest more of the nutrients in the feed, and thus does not have to be fed as much. Because of this, generally the stools are much smaller and less frequent. With four dogs, in my books... less poop = less pick up = happier me!

Can animals survive on a poorer quality diet? Certainly! But I always say, there is a difference between SURVIVE and THRIVE. I want my pets to THRIVE and be the healthiest they can. I am one of those on a tight budget, and sometimes cringe when I need to buy dog food again. But, I believe I am being paid by ten-fold, so it's worth it in my mind.
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