If you can't afford the very best in animal food, but don't get the worst, should you own a et?

I would say do not buy anything that you can get at a grocery store. I like California Natural or Canidae.. they both run about 40.00 for a 40# bag but I find I can feed my 80 lb pit bull about 2.5 cups a day and he looks great.

Personally I would not feed any Nutro products. They have been involved in a couple of food recalls.

I think Petsmart own brand Autority is ok, if you do not want to spend $1.00 per pound.

You don't have to spend $40 a bag to feel you're doing the right thing. At the same time, I would never, EVER, after doing my research, feed anything produced by Pedigree, Purina, Iams, or some offbrand grocery offering.

If you want to do the right thing - feed your pets (and yourself!) nutritious, natural foods that won't poison them - rid yourself of processed foods. Everything natural is the most highly nutritious food you can buy/grow. Your pets will do marvelous on a diet of muscle/organ meats and a bit of vegetable/fruit. On a good diet, pets display a beautiful, stink-free coat; minimal or no "doggy" breath; less, more compact stool; change of behavior due to proper balance; bright, shining eyes and healthy teeth. This applies to all food-consuming mammals.

I could go on and on, but instead, check out my posts on other foods here on this site, under Pet Products. Everything I tell people is to the best of my knowledge, backed up by numerous research over the past 5 years.

Just remember this - there are a lot of smoke and mirrors in this world, even in the pet industry. Research for yourself how pet food is made, what goes into it, and how you can provide the best nutrition, and thus, the best life for your dog.

Researching pet food has led me to re-evaluate how I eat myself, and I'm proud to say I've been McDonald's-free for 4 years this Christmastime. Read "The Dog Bible"'s section on pet food. Read Ann Martin's "Food Pets Die For." And look into adding raw, healthy food into your dog's diet. You WILL notice a difference, and your pets will thank you for it!

Best of luck to you and your pets!

My dogs won't eat dog food: they eat Purina Indoor Formula for cats!!!! They also eat 9 Lives beef tender cuts (for cats) and they are in fine shape! My Yorkie is 10 years old and my Doxy is 3 years old! My other Yorkie Poo, Elliot, lived to the ripe age of 18 years and he would only eat Alley Cat!! I give them some cod liver oil 1 time a week, and they all have great coats! I also have 5 cats to go along with the cat food. Don't let the people put you down about what you feed your pets. At least you are feeding them and your children!!!!

I found a really cool website called dogfoodanalysis.com. I feed my dogs Canidae.

I don't believe the brand or type of food you feed should determine your ability to be a good pet owner. Meeting your pets nutritional needs, vet care and providing a good safe loving home is what is important.