This is probably the most difficult piece of information to obtain when comparing brands for several reasons. First, package sizes and retail prices are different. Second, feeding directions are usually listed in cups for dry foods and not all foods have the same density, so a cup of "diet A" may weigh 3 ounces and a cup of "diet B" may weigh 4 ounces. Third, and probably most important is that manufacturers do not agree on the energy (kcals) needed to maintain an animal's weight. An example of this is shown below which is gathered caloric content and feeding directions taken from various dog foods obtained at retail.

Feeding guidelines for a 50 lb dog.

The most obvious question from the above table is, "How many kcals per day does a 50 lb dog really need?" The manufacturer of "diet B" suggests a 50 lb dog needs only 981 kcals, while the manufacturer of "diet D" thinks its 1,567 kcal/day. Looking at the chart, you can see that is ranges from 1,486 kcals for a 1 year old dog, to 1,075 kcals for a 10 year old dog. Assuming the average dog is about 5 years old we get a typical value of 1,185. So both "diet B" and "diet D" have clearly missed the mark with respect to the energy (kcals) required and their feeding recommendations are incorrect according to that chart.

The only true way to determine true feeding costs is to make a comparison based on an equal number of kcals. Unfortunately, calorie information is usually not listed on the label so one must call the manufacturer to get this information. Knowing the true energy content of these products, one can then determine true feeding costs. The actual feeding costs of the previous brands are shown below.

True feeding costs for a 50 lb dog, consuming 1,185 kcals/day.

Note that there is a wide range of costs necessary to feed a 50 lb dog, but that canned diets cost 4 to 10 times more than dry diets This is because can foods contain anywhere from 75-82% water which has no calories. This is the reason most consumers feed either dry diets alone, or mix a can diets with dry. Mixing can and dry together is an excellent way to improve palatability and may be especially important for anorexic, sick or older pets.

For cats, there is a relative agreement as to how many energy (kcals) a cat needs. That means feeding directions for cats do not vary as widely as those for dogs. Part of the reason for this is that research has shown that energy requirements of cats do not decline with age as they do for dogs. However, a good rule of thumb is that a normal 8-10 lb cat needs about 10-12 ounces of can food or 40-70 grams (1 1/3 to 2 1/3 ounces) of dry food. That means that feeding costs for cat foods are generally not as critical as they are for dog foods. That said, however, the calculation below can easily be used for cats foods as well as dog foods.

As you can see, the best way to evaluate this concept is by calculating the cost per feeding, not by how much a bag or case costs. This is often difficult to do since most pet food manufacturers do not make enough information available to evaluate cost per feeding. However, armed with the right questions and a call to the manufacturer or visit to their website to get the energy content of their food on a per pound basis, anyone can calculate true feeding costs.

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