[Emily94]

Hello,
My dog was diagnosed with a food allergy just the other day, I bought Medi-call Hypoallergenic HP dog food. The vet recommended it, but like all thinks bought at the vet it is VERY expensive, I was just wondering if someone knew a cheaper brand of hypoallergenic dog food(And if you've used it I'd love to hear about it).
Thank you,
-Emily:)

[Sariss]

This may be random, but how much does your dog weigh and what's the weight and price of the food?
A lot of times when you break it down as cost per day it's not too bad.

But onto other things. HP is a hydrolyzed diet. I'm not sure if there are non-perscription hydrolyzed diets on the market (ie that you can buy at the pet store).
Another common way of dealing with food allergies is trying a Novel Protein diet. There are some veterinary diets that are novel protein, but this is a diet I KNOW you can get at a pet store, but it won't be cheap.

Check out http://www.veterinarytherapeutics.co...Hydrolyzed.pdf

From that website, it explains the difference between the two diets and why you may wish to use what one.

Speak with your vet to see if a novel protein diet would be part of the plan, but I'm not promising that will be any cheaper.

[Sariss]

If you do wish to cost shop, Hills makes a hydrolyzed diet (Z/D Ultra), and I believe Eukanuba Veterinary Diets makes one as well, as well as the veterinary line of Iams, but I am not familiar with those two.

[Emily94]

My dog weighs about 7kg, and the bag is 8.8 kg.

[Sariss]

How much did the bag cost?

[Sariss]

I actually can't find how many cups are in a bag that size, but you can figure out how much it'd cost a day if you check the bag and see how many cups are in the bag (I think its near the bottom, with a number inside a food measuring cup)

Just divide the cost of the bag by the amount of cups in a bag. Your dog should be getting somewhere around 1 to 1.5 cups a day..

[shazamataz]

What is he allergic to in the food?
The preservatives?
The colors?
A specific ingredient?

Often you can just buy cheaper foods that don't have the specific allergen in them.
For example my dog had a food allergy and it turned out to be the beef in the dog food that was causing it.
I switched to chicken/turkey/lamb varieties and he was fine after that.

[Emily94]

I'm not to sure what it is exactly, but I don't want to run out and by a bunch of different bags of food to realize he is allergic to one or more.. so..

[Sariss]

A hydrolyzed diet is the way to go usually with unknowns, especially if owners are unwilling to try and go through the long and drawn out process of a food trial.

Speak with your vet about costs, though. They may be able to find a similar diet that's less expensive.

[Emily94]

I checked the bag and it says 51 cups, but the one cup he is supposed to be getting I don't think is enough, when he was on his other food I just left a full bowl out and he'd eat as he pleases, but now he seems to be ALWAYS hunger, I'm giving him 2 cups, and it still seems like not enough.

[Sariss]

He is probably just used to having a limited amount. He will get used to it over time. The feeding guidelines are just that though, guidelines. You can alter it if you wish, just watch his weight.
But yeah.. so 2 cups a day, that bag will last you about 25 days.

[Emily94]

He used to eat pedigree lamb and rice, I bought the bag beginning of December and the bags not even half gone, and it was $20, ha ha maybe I just think its a lot :P

[Sariss]

Well, with food allergies, any diet specifically for that (either hydrolyzed or novel protein) will be about the same price as the HP you are paying for now.

[Aurora_Bell]

Hehe $20 for a bag of food is NOT a lot! I had a dog who had food allergies, I fed him Holistick food, and it was $90 a month.
You could always donate the remaining bag of pedigree to a shelter ;)
If you could narrow down the allergy, you maybe able to find a cheaper replacement.
Do you have any Holistick Dog food factories around where you live?
Or a food retailer. Sometimes you can find a cheaper alternative from a whole saler.

[Emily94]

Well I looked at some of the pet stores around here and none of them have any hypoallergenic food that I could see. But would a shelter take half a bag of food? I know I gave them a bag of treats but only one was gone.. hmm? Great suggestion guess I'll look into it!

[Aurora_Bell]

Yes they will take ANYTHING you can give, old baby formula, blankets, coats, old sheets, dog food.

[shazamataz]

Yes they will take ANYTHING you can give, old baby formula, blankets, coats, old sheets, dog food.

I actually have some old cat supplies here, thanks for reminding me, I should take them in!

My mom feeds Eagle Pack Holistic to her Dane that has digestive problems. It's supposedly one of the best natural foods out there.
She has to order it in from the US because she could find a stockist here.

[Aurora_Bell]

I used to take in my daughers expired baby formula, or ones that she couldn't use. I think the shelter here will take just about anything! I know they were looking for old fur coats for the wild animal rescue part of it.
I used to feed Hollistc to one of my dogs, great stuff, I swear by it. Expensive as heck though. But it sounds like the OP has a samll dog, in which case due to the feeding amounts, it woulk out cheaper for her.

[Emily94]

Hey guys, so I found ONE other brand of dog food, it is grain free, and made with salmon (The one I have from the vet is also the same) it is $60 and 5x the amount of food... Do you think it's worth a try?

[Sariss]

Hey guys, so i found ONE other brand of dog food, it is grain free, and made with salmon (The one i have from the vet is also the same) it is $60 and 5x the amount of food... Do you think it's worth a try?

If you want, but if your dog reacts, you are going to get a big I told you so from the vet, because I bet that diet isn't hydrolyzed.