Why cheap is expensive when it comes to dog and cat food

These days there are an awful lot of different brands of dog and cat food for sale. From cheap kibble to more expensive kibble, there is something suitable for every wallet. But where exactly is the price difference, what does a good food have to meet and of course the most important question: is cheap food really cheaper? We would like to tell you more about it in the blog below.

Supermarket versus pet store

Dog and cat food from the supermarket is often cheaper than the food available in (online) pet stores. The reason for this is explainable when you compare the ingredient lists of food from the supermarket with those of dog and cat food available in pet stores. Often, kibble from the supermarket consists mostly of animal (by)products and grains or another carbohydrate source. It is not clearly stated what these animal by-products actually are, so you never know exactly what you are feeding your dog or cat. Often animal by-products consist of residual waste from animals slaughtered for human consumption. So these can also just be ground up bones, feathers and carcasses. Grain products that are added to the diet as a carbohydrate source (for example, wheat, rice, oats and corn) are often used as cheap fillers. Besides being cheap fillers, grain products in large quantities are also not healthy for your pet. Dogs and cats are at greater long-term risk of various health problems (for example, skin and coat problems, poor stool consistency or digestive problems) when they are fed poor-quality food. So when health problems come up and you are forced to take your four-legged friend to a veterinarian, cheaper food ends up not being so cheap.

More expensive food often consists of a higher percentage of high-quality meat. Attention is paid to ingredients and raw materials, which are pricier than cheap fillers. In addition, producing high-quality nutrition takes more money, time and expertise. So a balanced meal rich in quality meat is often a bit more expensive, but therefore healthier for your four-legged friend.

Fillers

In the paragraph above, we already briefly mentioned that cheaper dog and cat food often consists of a high percentage of grain products and that in large quantities, these are not healthy for your four-legged friend. This is because dogs and cats are unable to digest large amounts of grain products. This means that they will have more stools because the body cannot absorb and digest all the nutrients from the grains. In addition, grain products have a lower nutritional value than meat, for example, which is why pets need to eat more of these foods to get all the nutrients they need. Dog and cat food that is largely filled with grain products may seem cheaper to buy, but because pets have to eat more of it and the fact that this food is less healthy for your pet, at the bottom line it is not as cheap and more expensive than people think. There is nothing wrong with a kibble that contains a small percentage of grain products to supplement the diet, because grains, for example, also contain a lot of fiber and thus promote optimal intestinal function, but make sure that grain products are not one of the main ingredients in the diet.

Fortunately, for dogs and cats who have an intolerance to grains and/or gluten, there are also grain-free foods on the market. In these foods, a carbohydrate source other than a grain product is used. Examples include (sweet) potatoes, lentils, peas and broad beans. Again, this carbohydrate source does not have to be the main ingredient in the food.

Both the dog and cat foods from Riverwood contain around 50-55% of meat from three unique sources of protein; meat is therefore the first ingredient in the composition and the food has a high digestibility partly due to the meat content. In addition, Riverwood contains no grains or potatoes. Instead, we have chosen yellow peas because of their low glycemic index. These carbohydrates are broken down slowly, which is better for healthy and stable blood sugar levels. In addition to the high meat percentage as the main ingredient and yellow peas as the carbohydrate source, Riverwood is made complete with a selection of fresh fruits, vegetables and a rich blend of potent herbs. When you put Riverwood's nutrition chart next to any brand available in the supermarket, you will see that your dog or cat will need far less of Riverwood's daily than of the supermarket foods. Besides the fact that the food is highly digestible, you can see in its composition exactly what you are feeding your dog or cat, so you can be sure that your four-legged friend is being served only the very best.

To complement the above points, we have made a feed calculation of the Riverwood Adult Scottish Salmon 12kg variant for B-brand dogs. We assume for this feed calculation an adult h

¹Riverwood: 12.000/250  | Other brands: 14.000/325

²Riverwood: 365/48  | Other brands: 365/43

³Riverwood: 8x€71,95  | Other brands: 9x€47,95

The annualized difference between Riverwood and any other brand is then €144.05. This is a difference of (€144.05/ 365) €0.39 per day. From this we can conclude that for only €0.39 per day more you can feed your dog an ultra premium food.

Are you curious about all our dog foods? Then check out our range of dog food and cat food here.

Checklist for healthy food; everything at a glance

So what should good nutrition meet? Below we have listed a few important points for you:

• All nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and trace elements) must be in the right proportion and tailored to the total needs of your dog or cat;
• The specific protein sources must be listed in the composition. This is because when animal by-products are listed, you never know exactly what is in the food.
• Good food is free of favorable fragrances, colors and flavors and contains no added sugars.
• The food should not contain large amounts of grain products.

Is expensive food better than cheap food? No, expensive food is not necessarily better, but good food is more expensive. Good food contains higher quality ingredients and therefore automatically becomes pricier. The most important thing is to keep a close eye on your dog or cat at all times. Simply put: good nutrition is what your four-legged friend does well on. You can ask yourself the following questions:

• Is your dog or cat happy and does he/she have enough energy?
• Does he/she like to eat his/her bowl empty every day?
• Does your dog or cat have a nice stool, does he/she not defecate excessively and does he/she have little to no farting?
• Does your pet have a nice, shiny coat and does he/she not shed excessively?

These are all kinds of factors that determine whether a dog or cat is in good shape. In the end, you yourself are the one who knows your pet best!

Lots of pets already enjoy Riverwood every day. Would you also like your pets to feast on our delicious foods and are you curious which variety would suit your pet best? Then answer a few questions here and order an inexpensive sample pack right away.