Is farmers dog one meal a day

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

How Much Does The Farmers Dog Cost And Is It Worth It?

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If you have a dog, youve hopefully already factored the cost of pet care into your budget.

When it comes to feeding your dog, however, youre not always better off buying the packaged kibble thats on the grocery store shelf. It may not contain the best nutrients, especially if your dog has allergies, digestive issues or special needs.

But can you afford to pay for something like The Farmers Dog, a freshly made dog food with human-grade ingredients? I think you might be surprised.

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How Much Does It Cost to Feed Your Dog?

The average person spends up to $550 a year on food for their dog, according to Petfinder.

Food expenses vary, though. Your dogs size and activity levels dictate the amount of food consumed. Of course, the quality of the food also affects the price.

Heres the deal: You get what you pay for. When you go with a highly processed commercial dog food, you could end up paying more down the road in veterinary bills.

Not only can you see the signs of improved health with a more natural dog food, writes Jeffrey Levy, DVM, PCH, but you will also save money in the long run due to fewer and lower veterinary bills.

The healthier your pet is, the less likely s/he will be to have fleas, skin problems, allergies and many other common disease problems.

Other Brands vs. The Farmers Dog Cost

For commercial kibble from a decent mass-market brand, you will spend about $1 per day for a 25-pound dog, and around $2 per day for a 55-pound dog.

On the other hand, an adequate amount of fresh dog food made from real cooked meat and vegetables for the same dog is more expensive.

The Farmers Dog cost is:

Around $4 to $5 per day for a 25-pound dog
Around $8 to $9 per day for a 55-pound dog

But, again, this isnt exactly comparing apples to apples. First, a well-rounded meal thats made from whole ingredients is not comparable to many kibbles.

All of our ingredients are human-grade and sourced from restaurant suppliers, local farms or other human food purveyors, according to The Farmers Dog website. We never use feed-grade ingredients, and we dont process our ingredients to be shelf-stable, getting the most natural nutrients available.

In this video, I show you exactly what arrives in the box, and what my canine reviewer thought about The Farmers Dog:

Farmers Dog Review

Farmers Dog has carved a niche in the pet food industry by offering fresh, human-grade meals that cater to the health and well-being of our canine companions. The brand emphasizes transparency, quality, and personalization, a refreshing contrast to many off-the-shelf pet foods.

Pros:

Fresh Ingredients: Farmers Dog uses fresh, human-grade ingredients which are a noticeable step up from many traditional dog foods that contain fillers, by-products, and artificial preservatives. This is why your pets meals have to be stored in the fridge.
Customized Meals: The food is tailored for individual dogs based on factors like age, breed, activity level, and health needs. This personal touch can be especially beneficial for dogs with special dietary needs.
Convenience: Meals are pre-portioned, eliminating the guesswork of how much to feed your dog. Theyre packed with insulation and delivered directly to your door, making the process hassle-free.
Transparency: Farmers Dog lists all ingredients clearly and provides insights into their sourcing. The brands transparency extends beyond just the ingredients; theyre also forthright about their preparation processes.
Positive Reviews: Many dog owners have reported positive changes in their dogs health, energy levels, and coat condition after switching to Farmers Dog.

Cons:

Cost: High-quality ingredients and tailored meals come at a price. Farmers Dog is notably more expensive than many mainstream dog food brands. However, for many pet owners, the benefits justify the higher cost.
Storage: Because the food is fresh and doesnt contain preservatives, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. This might be inconvenient for those with limited space.
Limited Variety: While the brand offers a few different recipes, some dogs or owners might desire a wider variety of flavors or ingredients.

Conclusion:Farmers Dog provides a fresh and wholesome alternative to traditional dog food options. The focus on high-quality, human-grade ingredients and personalization stands out in an industry that often prioritizes mass production. While it may be a pricier option, the potential health benefits and convenience might make it worth the investment for many pet owners. However, as with any pet food, its essential to consult with a vet to ensure it meets your dogs specific needs.

If youd like a more in depth review, check out my article here.

What Type of Food Is Best for Your Dog?

Veterinarians knowledge of canine nutrition has come a long way in the past few decades. Thirty years ago, experts believed that dogs were carnivores. They now understand that dogs are omnivores.

Still, many dog food manufacturers use sneaky tricks to lead consumers to believe theyre buying balanced and nutritious products for their pets. Some proteins are not easily digestible. For example, corn, a primary ingredient in many conventional dog foods, is one of the least digestible proteins, according to PetMD. Corn is much less digestible than muscle meats, organ meats and egg whites.

Many raw materials that are unfit for human consumption can be legally added to dog food. To add carbohydrates, some manufacturers use cheap grains, which deliver energy but not many other vitamins and minerals.

Plus, most dog foods that you find on grocery store shelves are formulated to meet the average dogs minimum nutritional requirements. Your dogs health and metabolism might be very different from those of the typical canine.

All of this might make you wonder if youre better off cooking fresh dog food from scratch. Theres a convenience factor involved in feeding your pet, though. Many people would balk at the idea of spending time cooking separate meals for their dogs. Fortunately, there is a happy medium.

Is The Farmers Dog Worth It?

Yes. The Farmers Dog subscription is worth the cost, in our opinion. You get personalized meal plans formulated by veterinary nutritionists to give your dog the fresh food ingredients they really need. The recipes are made from fresh, human grade food in their kitchens before the food is frozen, and delivered in an insulated cardboard box to your door.

Instead of providing a one-size-fits-all solution, The Farmers Dog gives your pet customized nutrition. Their custom meal plans are grain-free and typically include ingredients such as: chicken, beef, turkey, pork, carrots, green beans, broccoli, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, etc.

To create your customized meal plan, they have a short questionnaire where you follow theinstructions, fill out the form (dogs name, age, weight,breed, allergies, etc.) and at the end, receive a fewboard-certifiedmeal plans for your pet.

The Farmers Dog cost varies. You might spend $3 a day for a small dog or about $8 for an energetic Lab mix. Every animal is unique, and this high-quality dog foods ingredients and pricing reflect your pets distinctive needs.

I love seeing comments like these from Facebook:

Try out The Farmers Dog. Your dog will feel the difference and youll see it.

The Farmers Dog 50% Off Trial

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Written by Dave Baker

Dave Baker, founder and publisher of Petful, is a journalist and editor who has worked at The New York Times and The Nation magazine. He was also part of the 2006 Pulitzer Prizewinning team at The Times-Picayune newspaper of New Orleans. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Petful is now based. A longtime advocate for pet food safety, Dave has been passionately tracking pet food recalls for nearly 15 years, and nearly 40,000 pet parents are subscribed to his recall alerts which often arrive faster than even the recall alerts put out by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Howmuch doesFarmers Dogcost?

Kibbletypically costs around $1 per 25lbs per day (ie a 50lbs dog would cost around $2 per day inkibble.Farmers Dogcosts roughly $4 per 25lbs per day.

Where is theFarmers Doglocated?

TheFarmers Dogs headquarters is located at 214 Sullivan Street, New York.

Why is theFarmers Dogso expensive?

TheFarmers Doguses fresh,human-grade ingredientsin their customrecipes. Their food is filler-free,grain-freeandboard-certified. Their preparation process and use of high-gradeingredientsall contribute the price of their premium dog meal subscriptions.

Where to buy the Farmers Dog food?

The Farmers Dog is a subscription based direct to consumer business model. In other words, you pay a subscription fee every couple weeks and the box of frozen-fresh dog food gets delivered to your door.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Farmers Dog creates a variety of human-grade recipes that are simple in nature using different proteins and vegetables to account for dietary restrictions. Our board-certified veterinary nutritionists carefully formulate each recipe to be 100% complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards, and we use all human-grade ingredients and processes to do so.

Every recipe has clean human-grade proteins, mixed with simple whole foods, and balanced with vitamins and minerals. Thats it. We never use feed-grade ingredients, and we dont process our ingredients to be shelf-stable, ensuring your dog is getting the highest quality, most natural nutrients available. All of our ingredients are human-grade and sourced from reputable food suppliers, local farms, and other human food purveyors that meet human-grade standards.

You can find the specific ingredient lists for the meal plan we recommend on the Your Plan section of our meal plan questionnaire.

The Pros And Cons Of Feeding Your Dog Once A Day

The most common feeding schedule for adult dogs is one or two meals daily. I recommend that most people feed their dogs twice a day. But feeding your dog once a day can work well in some circumstances.

The best feeding schedule for your individual dog will depend partly on the type of food you give them. And my advice is based on my own forty years experience of feeding both kibble and raw, to dozens of different dogs.You can check out what I feed my own dogs each day in this article

Considerations

Is it cruel to feed a dog once a day?

The short answer is no. Traditionally almost all adult dogs were fed once a day. This was the norm when I was a kid. The rationale behind this schedule is that dogs are carnivores, and it is natural for them to eat a large amount of food in one go, and then fast for many hours, before eating again.

In those days most dogs were fed on a mixture of canned (wet) dog food, and dog biscuits together with scraps leftover from human meals.

However, most modern dogs are fed on kibble. And with dry food, feeding once a day has some disadvantages. Lets dig into those, and help you decide how often to feed your dog.

Natural feeding patterns

Its true that your dog is genetically almost identical to the wolves from which they descend. Wild wolves or other dog species hunting in groups may bring down a large prey animal, and feast on it. Then not eat for a day or two.

Its also true that dogs have been catching much smaller prey and scavenging from humans for thousands of years, and have adapted well to eating smaller and more frequent meals.

Pros and cons large vs smaller meals

Feeding once a day is convenient. And with a raw diet, it can be safe and satisfactory for most medium to large dogs

The natural diet of a dog, raw meaty bones, organs, eggs, and even invertebrates such as worms and beetles, are all processed very quickly by a dogs digestive system. Its designed perfectly for the job. And because there are no fillers or carbs in this food, it isnt very bulky. Everything is digested with little waste.

With kibble, feeding once a day only, can be problematic for some dogs. Its all to do with the portion size. And of course once daily meals are twice as big as twice daily meals.

Big dogs

It can be risky to feed a large or deep chested dog their whole days ration of kibble in one hit. Thats because these types of dog are more prone to suffering from bloat.

When we feed our dogs on kibble, we are asking the dogs digestion to take on a task that it isnt quite designed for. Along with the protein, fat and minerals that your dog needs, are a lot of bulky fillers.

While the food looks and feels light and compact when you pour it into the bowl, at that point it is completely dehydrated. It starts to swell up inside your dog as soon as they start to drink.

Its worth thinking about what happens to the bowl of kibble your dog just ate, when they head over to their water dish. Try dropping a few pieces into a glass of water to see how much they expand!

Your dog needs that water so dont ration it. But be aware that they can end up with a lot of heavy food sitting in their stomach, and this may increase their risk of suffering from bloat.

Little dogs

Small dogs often need a minimum of two meals per day, in order to feel well. My own Jack Russell terrier will often vomit if she misses her breakfast, and this is quite common in little dogs.

Some small dogs also find it hard to consume enough in one sitting to keep their weight up. So feeding twice a day may be necessary for many dogs weighing much less than around 20lbs.

This rule applies with both raw food and kibble.

Puppies

All puppies need feeding more frequently than adult dogs.

Most kibble fed puppies need at least four meals a day until they are three months old, then three meals a day until six months.

Some raw fed puppies can drop a portion a bit sooner.

Food should be fun

Aside from the health and safety issues around eating kibble, food is a source of great pleasure in our lives, and dogs feel the same way. They enjoy their meals. And look forward to the next one.

Most dogs eat kibble quite fast. Its unusual for a dog to take more than five minutes over their meal. And twenty four hours is a long time for a kibble fed dog to go between meals, especially when the last meal was over so quickly!

Raw meaty bones take a lot of time to consume, and can keep a dog occupied happily for half an hour or more. But even so I think there is a lot of pleasure to be gained if this experience happens twice in each day rather than once.

Which is best? One meal or two?

Your adult dog will most likely thrive whether you divide their daily ration into one meal or two. However, if your dog is large or deep chested, and fed on kibble, I recommend you feed twice daily, dividing that ration into a morning and evening feed.

Obviously, twice daily meals doesnt mean twice the quantity. You feed the same daily ration but divide it into smaller portions

I do think it means twice the fun though!

And while once daily feeding is suitable for all but the smallest raw fed dogs, I feed all my dogs raw, and, twice daily