Raw diets for dogs have so many benefits including better digestion and improved gut bacteria (1). However, feeding raw can be costly. There are SO many raw foods on the market, and it can be confusing to figure out how much it will cost each month. In this article, I am going to break down the monthly cost of feeding a raw diet to your dog, based off of my favorite brands.
Step 1: Calculate how many calories your dog requires.
This isn’t always intuitive, and what’s written on dog food bags isn’t always right for your dog. To calculate the daily caloric intake that your dog needs, check out our blog here.
Using this food calculator, the chart below shows the estimated daily caloric intake for dogs based off of weight. Keep in mind this is just a guideline, and the best way to figure out how much your pup needs to be eating each day is by using the food calculator based off of their specific information.
Pro tip: Always monitor your dog’s weight when switching foods, since the content of every diet will be different. For example, most kibbles are very carb heavy whereas raw diets are more protein heavy!
Step 2: Calculate the cost.
You need:
- Total calories your dog currently eats per day. You can find this on the bag of food if you are feeding a commercial diet. Multiply the number of cups you are feeding by the number of calories (kcals) in each cup.
- The number of calories (kcals) in each cup of food
- Number of cups in the whole package of raw food
- Cost of raw food package
Let’s use my dog, Aspen, as an example. She is 50 lbs and I recently switched her to The Honest Kitchen, Whole Grain Chicken Recipe. Here is how I calculated the cost per month.
- Aspen requires about 1000 calories per day.
- Each cup of Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken contains 485 calories (kcals). Aspen will require about 2 cups per day.
- Each bag of the Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken contains 40 cups.
- Aspen will require 60 cups of food per month (2 cups x 30 days).
- Therefore Aspen will require 1.5 bags of Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Chicken each month.
- Each bag costs $59.99 plus tax. $59.99 x 1.5 = $89.99 plus tax.
- It will cost $89.99 plus tax each month to feed Aspen.
There are so many great brands on the market, here are a few of my favorites. I have links and a comparison chart below. I have used the chicken recipe in each brand for the most accurate comparison.
I and Love and You:
Marty’s Meals
Stella and Chewy’s
- Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties, Freeze-dried, 25 oz: $49.99, 50 kcal/patty
- Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties, Frozen, 12 lb (~50 patties): $69.99,329 kcal/patty
The Honest Kitchen
- Whole Grain Chicken Recipe, 10lb: $59.99, 485 kcal/cup
- Grain Free Chicken recipe, 10lb: $88.19, 446 kcal/cup
Only Natural Pet
- Easy Raw Chicken and Sweet Potato Raw Dehydrated, 7 lb: $69.99, 273 kcal/cup
- Raw Bars, 16 bar box: $29.99, 107 kcal/bar
Primal
- Primal Freeze Dried Nuggets, Chicken Formula, 14 oz: $30.99, 172 kcal/oz.
- Primal Frozen Patties, Chicken Formula, 6 lb: $36.99, 50 kcal/oz.
Freeze-dried Raw Foods
*formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages except growth of large size dogs (70 lbs., or more as an adult).
Frozen Raw Foods
*formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages except growth of large size dogs (70 lbs., or more as an adult).
I hope this helps! If you have any questions or need help figuring out monthly costs for a brand not listed, let us know in a comment below!
Love,
Madison
Hi! Thank you for this article. I have recently been considering switching my German Shepherd mutt to a raw diet but I was nervous because there is a lot of bad press about raw diets with dogs. I am a plant-based eater myself so it makes sense to me to remove all the processed foods from his diet. For a long time, there was a lot of bad press about plant-based eating as well so I know to read articles with a critical eye. Are you at all experienced with Raw Dog Food & Company based out of CO? That is where I was considering buying. Thank you!!!
Hi Mariam,
I’m not too familiar with this company, which is funny since we are in Colorado! 😛 Are they AAFCO balanced? How is their sourcing of ingredients?
Did you decide on their food, or a different option? Let me know, I’m interested!
Keep me posted!
Claire
Impressive！Thanks for the post
Hi Jeff,
So glad this was helpful!
Warmly,
Claire
In doing a lot of research into the raw diet this year after realizing that feeding my dogs what I thought was a good dry dog food I am at a loss. I have a 145 pounder and a 47 pounder and there is no way I could come close to affording the raw diet for them. What are the majority of pet parents to do when (besides feel guilty) we just cant afford what is best for our pups. I already spend money on CBD, pet insurance and wholistic joint supplements on top of their food and vet appointments. I feel totally lost and inadequate that money gets in the way of doing what I know would be the best for them. It’s a really crappy feeling. Any suggestions?
Hi Denise,
First – please don’t feel guilty! It is SO clear that you are doing an incredible job. 180 pounds is a LOT of dog, and you are doing your very best (and they are lucky to have you).
Have you read my blog discussing ways to save money when feeding a healthy diet? If not, you can check it out here. I discuss a few things that may be beneficial for you and your pack.
I hope this helps! Big hugs!
Warmly,
Claire