How Much Does Dog Food Cost Per Month? A Complete Breakdown
If you’re wondering how much does dog food cost per month, this guide will help you determine the price to feed your dog or prospective dog. Whether you’re a dog owner or considering adopting a dog, budgeting for dog food can help you stay on track with your finances and ensure your pup is always well-cared for. Dog food costs depend on several factors, and you can expect to spend between $25 and $250 per month, depending on the size of your dog and the type of food you choose.
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As a dog owner of an Akita with some medical issues, I know firsthand how dog food costs can add up. Finding a good food that works for my picky pup has allowed me to create a predictable feeding schedule and budget for her. I feed my dog Just Food For Dogs, and she loves the Chicken and White Rice formula, which has human-grade ingredients without all the hassle of cooking and balancing ingredients at home. Her food is not the cheapest, but I have some tips for saving costs on dog food, which I am including in the last section.
Calculating Your Dog Food Cost Per Month
My dog is a picky eater but I finally found a food that works for her.
Your dog food cost per month depends on a few variables, which we’ll go over here, including:
The type of food you feed your dog
Amount of food your dog eats
Where you buy your dog food
Your dog’s size, eating preferences, and the type of food you buy all factor into the cost of dog food. Where you live and buy your food can also influence your final price. This article gives a general price range for each type of dog food so you can budget for your fur fam’s food.
Dog Food Types
The most significant factor determining your dog food cost per month is the type of food you feed your dog. Generally, pre-made dog food kibble is the least expensive option, and canned food, human-grade dog food, raw dog food, and homemade dog food cost more. Also, special diets for medical conditions, weight loss, or sensitive digestion usually cost more than the general varieties of dog food.
Dry Dog Food Costs
Common dog food brands with adult kibble formulas are often the cheapest. For instance, a 44-pound bag of Adult Pedigree dry dog food costs about $29 from Chewy. If you have a small dog, this bag will last you for over a month. For larger dogs who eat 4 cups of food per day, the bag will last about 3 weeks.
For unique formula dry dog food such as Hill’s Science Diet Food for Sensitive Stomachs, the cost is around $79 for a 30-pound bag. The exact cost of your dry dog food depends on the brand, but generally, you can expect to spend between $25 and $85 per month on dry dog food.
Canned Dog Food Costs
Many brands have canned varieties of dog food, which generally cost more than dry dog food. Canned dog food can cost between $20 for 12 cans of Pedigree Adult formula and $45 for 12 cans of Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach formula. Owners often mix canned and dry food for variety and cost savings. If you feed your dog all canned food, the cost can range from $20 to $100 per month.
Human-Grade Dog Food Costs
My dog loves Just Food for Dogs Frozen Chicken Formula and their Lamb Formula.
Human-grade dog food includes human-grade ingredients, with meat, vegetables, or fruit, and grains like rice. Human-grade foods are more expensive than regular dog food. These human-grade recipes can come in dry dog food, freeze-dried, boxed, or frozen wet form. Dry human-grade dog food is generally less expensive than moist or frozen forms.
I feed my Akita Just Food for Dogs Frozen Chicken Formula, which costs about $72 for 7 18-ounce bags. I spend over $200 a month on this food. Although it’s a high price tag, I have a large dog with a sensitive digestive system (she has EPI), and her good health is well worth the cost. Also, it is about the same cost as when I used to make her food at home.
For human-grade dog food, you can expect to pay between $40 and $275 per month, depending on the brand, form of food, and the size of your dog.
Homemade Dog Food Costs
Homemade dog food costs can vary greatly depending on the ingredients you put in your dog’s food and how much your dog eats. If you feed your dog chicken and rice with vegetables, for instance, you will have lower costs than someone feeding their dog a fresh salmon-based formula.
In general, your dog food cost per month when cooking your dog’s food can range from $30 to over $200 if you have a large dog and use fresh ingredients.
Raw Dog Food Costs
Many dog lovers swear by raw dog food. Raw food is made with uncooked meat and can come in freeze-dried form, frozen patties, and kibble. Raw dog food costs more than regular dry dog food and ranges from $59 for a 25-ounce bag (equal to a little over 3 cups) of Stella and Chewy beef patties to $80 for a 22-pound bag of Merrick raw kibble.
Amount of Food
When calculating your dog food cost per month, consider your dog’s size and how much food they eat. Here are some general feeding guidelines for different sizes of dogs who eat dry kibble dog food, according to PetMD:
Toy dogs up to 6 pounds eat ⅓ to ½ cup of food daily.
Small dogs up to 20 pounds eat ¾ cup to 1 ⅓ cup of food daily.
Medium dogs between 30 and 50 pounds eat 1 ¾ cup to 2 ⅔ cups of food daily.
Large dogs between 60 and 80 pounds eat 3 cups to 3 ¾ cups of food daily.
Giant dogs between 90 and 100 pounds eat 4 ¼ to 4 ½ cups of food per day.
Keep in mind these recommendations are based on active, healthy adult dogs, and most dogs eat twice per day to eat their total goal amount of food. For homemade food, the serving size for a portion of food should equal two to three percent of an adult dog’s body weight.
Once you know how much your dog eats and the type of dog food you want, you can calculate your exact dog food cost per month.
Where You Buy Your Dog Food
Your geographic location will also determine your dog food cost per month. If you shop locally and live in an expensive area (like me in NYC), you will pay more than people in lower-cost regions. Ordering dog food online from Chewy or large chain stores like Petco is a great way to save money.
Tips for Saving Money on Dog Food
After having large dogs for many years and living in an expensive city, I’ve found many ways to save money on dog food. I hope these tips will help you save too:
Buy in bulk. Buying dog food in bulk is a great way to save. This also will reduce your shipping costs or trips to the store if you can buy your dog food for a few weeks to a month. If you make your dog food, buying meat in bulk can also give you reasonable savings.
Stock up on sales. When there are sales on your dog food, stock up. Also, take advantage of sales online or at local pet suppliers.
Shop rewards programs. I live near a Petco and often shop there for reward points. Every so often, I get $5 off from my rewards points, which adds up to substantial savings. You may also have credit card rewards points or other store rewards options to save.
Mix ingredients. You can mix different types of food, such as wet and dry food, to save money and stretch the expensive food out longer. Another option is to buy the cheaper flavors, such as beef or chicken, as a staple and mix in other more costly varieties to add flavor. My dog has expensive tastes and likes lamb. Since it would be too expensive to buy her the lamb variety of Just Food for Dogs as her primary food, I add a little of the lamb formula to her regular chicken formula.
Add toppers or fresh ingredients to your regular dog food to make it last longer and add variety. Eggs are a healthy protein, and they’re generally cheaper than meat, so you can add a cooked egg to your dog’s food for a boost of protein. I add an egg to my dog’s breakfast every morning for a boost in B-12 and to make her regular food last longer.
How much do you spend on dog food each month? Share your tips to save in the comments.
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