# Ziwipeak is crazy expensive!



## AngelicMisfit13

I know this stuff has the best stuff and is basically raw food. I don't know how some of you afford this for 1 dog, let alone 2+.

If I could, I wouldn't mind feeding it to my lil one...most people would think I've gone insane spending that much on such small quantity of food but I guess that is what we do for the love of our babies.

But again, IT'S CRAZY EXPENSIVE!


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## coco_little_bear

It's expensive compared to many other dog foods, but I'm happy to pay more for a high quality food. It's lucky chihuahuas are so tiny though. I don't see how most people could afford to feed foods like that to bigger dogs, it would get ridiculously expensive!

1 bag lasts me about 2 weeks for 2 chis if I feed only that, but I tend to feed it for only one meal per day and give another pre-made raw food for dinner. That way a bag lasts one month for two and the other raw food (Natural Instinct) is a lot cheaper (but also 5 stars) so it's not too bad.


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## Hollysmom

coco_little_bear said:


> 1 bag lasts me about 2 weeks for 2 chis if I feed only that, but I tend to feed it for only one meal per day and give another pre-made raw food for dinner. That way a bag lasts one month for two and the other raw food (Natural Instinct) is a lot cheaper (but also 5 stars) so it's not too bad.


What size bag do you get?


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## woodard2009

It's always cheaper to buy in quantity, so I buy the big bag. When feeding raw, it doesn't require as much to feed as kibble and non-raw foods so when you think about how many bags of kibble you have to buy and how frequently because you are feeding more, raw foods aren't really as crazy expensive as it seems. I often wonder how people can afford more than one dog too now that I've learned to feed my chi the best quality I can find. I do many things to cut cost when it comes to feeding like buying discounted meat from the local grocery.


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## coco_little_bear

Hollysmom said:


> What size bag do you get?


I buy the 1kg bags.

Lisa, it's funny because the larger bags are more expensive than buying the same amount in 1kg bags on the website I buy mine from. I rotate between all the flavours though so it works well for me. And you're right, raw foods may be more expensive, but we also don't need to feed as much. Following the feeding guide, my chis only need about 38g of Ziwi per day each.


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## AngelicMisfit13

Well maybe my kibble lasts longer cuz my pup tends to skip meals...mostly breakfast. She sleeps most of the morning. Mine gets 1/4 cup of kibble each meal and a 4 pound bag can last about a month for me...I know it doesn't seem like a big deal since I only have 1 pup but that is how it is for me. Idk how different the prices are on different sites but the site I saw the prices on was chewy.com and i think they were even marked down prices. 11 pound bag for over $100...since I've had my puppy, I haven't even been able to spend that much money on my own food...actually in reality, she has been eating better than me in the almost 2 months I have had her.


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## Dorothy's Mom

The quality, and hence, cost of your dog food will be offset by the little you will spend in vet bills.

When my hubby was in chiropractic school they had a vet clinic on campus and the vet was a chiropractor and a vet and he was doing a research study on the quality of pet food versus health and medical costs of keeping a pet (dogs and cats). The findings were pretty conclusive - higher quality foods significantly decreases the cost of vet bills.

Pay now, or pay later - but you still pay. 

He was also big on very little vaccination and or invasive treatments as well.


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## AngelicMisfit13

Well I got the best I could afford and that I feel comfortable feeding my puppy. This would literally be my second dog ever...unless I guess you count when my first dog accidentally got pregnant and had 5 adorable little ones. I went from non-existent experience to having all the info at my fingertips (online or people that I know, never had animal lover friends when I was young). My puppy gets Wellness but I always wonder from time to time if I could do better but still not break my tiny lil bank. Especially when I come across forums like these and people are feeding their dogs even better stuff, either out of choice or they have to (for health issues).

My first dog was relatively healthy being on the lower quality foods like Pedigree or Eukanuba. She was tad bit overweight, could of benefited losing a couple pounds.

Once I get on a better financial standing, I hope to get my new puppy better and new stuff (better quality foods, more toys for her enjoyment, antlers to chew on, and essential things I currently can't afford like crates and stuff). Vet bills would be my nemesis if I had to deal with them in my current situation.

I know I shouldn't really have a pet until I can afford anything that they need but I couldn't help rescuing her from the streets that I found her. Plus she has been good for my own personal problems (anxiety, stress from drama, etc). Anyways, I'm trying to do the best for her and love her to bits & she seems to appreciate me as well.


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## LittleBeverly2015

AngelicMisfit13 said:


> Well I got the best I could afford and that I feel comfortable feeding my puppy. This would literally be my second dog ever...unless I guess you count when my first dog accidentally got pregnant and had 5 adorable little ones. I went from non-existent experience to having all the info at my fingertips (online or people that I know, never had animal lover friends when I was young). My puppy gets Wellness but I always wonder from time to time if I could do better but still not break my tiny lil bank. Especially when I come across forums like these and people are feeding their dogs even better stuff, either out of choice or they have to (for health issues).
> 
> My first dog was relatively healthy being on the lower quality foods like Pedigree or Eukanuba. She was tad bit overweight, could of benefited losing a couple pounds.
> 
> Once I get on a better financial standing, I hope to get my new puppy better and new stuff (better quality foods, more toys for her enjoyment, antlers to chew on, and essential things I currently can't afford like crates and stuff). Vet bills would be my nemesis if I had to deal with them in my current situation.
> 
> I know I shouldn't really have a pet until I can afford anything that they need but I couldn't help rescuing her from the streets that I found her. Plus she has been good for my own personal problems (anxiety, stress from drama, etc). Anyways, I'm trying to do the best for her and love her to bits & she seems to appreciate me as well.


I personally think Wellness is a great food. I feed mine Blue Buffalo Wilderness small bites and they love it. I don't want to change food because their coats are shiny, they are healthy, have no poop problems, and love how it tastes. I would like to try some of these other more expensive foods, and I could, but I am comfortable with what I am buying mine. I think you are doing great by your dog feeding Wellness. I have read good things about it.


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## Wicked Pixie

We all have to do the best we can within our means.
I feed a fresh raw diet and i actually find it much cheaper than buying 'dog food'. I have 5 chis, and feeding them on foods like ziwipeak would be prohibitively expensive. Some freeze dried foods actually work out more expensive than fillet steak, pound for pound.


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## woodard2009

coco_little_bear said:


> I buy the 1kg bags.
> 
> Lisa, it's funny because the larger bags are more expensive than buying the same amount in 1kg bags on the website I buy mine from. I rotate between all the flavours though so it works well for me. And you're right, raw foods may be more expensive, but we also don't need to feed as much. Following the feeding guide, my chis only need about 38g of Ziwi per day each.


When you figure in the shipping cost, and how many times you would have to order the smaller bag, it works out to be cheaper, but ZP is crazy expensive. I'm a lazy person and cubing up discounted meat from the local grocery store is as far as I go, so the ZP is worth it to me for the ease of convenience. I also rotate between the raw cubed meat and S&C Rabbit and Primal Duck. I also agree first hand that it's worth it to me to pay more now up front than to have a cancer-ridden dog later with massive vet bills plus all the heart-ache that goes with that. It seems like everyone around me has a dog that has cancer, diabetes, tumors and all these health issues and it breaks my heart for them. I'm not saying that kibble is causing all these issues, but I know they aint helping matters. My own mother feeds kibble and would never consider paying for a higher quality kibble than what she feeds. Midgie has some issue with allergies, but for the most part she's very healthy, so I know I must be doing something right, plus she never wants to skip a meal. Lol


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## CuddlesMom

Since Cuddles started eating raw, I noticed her coat has gotten so much shinier and softer. She also has less poop, since her body actually uses all the nutrients it gets. It took her a while to convince her to eat it, since she was on kibble for her entire life, but now she loves it. 

I would definitely prefer spending money on food instead of expensive vet bills. Her teeth are gorgeous. Not a spot of plaque on them.

Of course, she is my baby, and I would do anything for her.


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## Dorothy's Mom

AngelicMisfit13 said:


> I know I shouldn't really have a pet until I can afford anything that they need but I couldn't help rescuing her from the streets that I found her. Plus she has been good for my own personal problems (anxiety, stress from drama, etc). Anyways, I'm trying to do the best for her and love her to bits & she seems to appreciate me as well.


I don't think that's true at all! We do the best we can, when we can. It's no different than many families who have to feed their children Kraft Dinner and hotdogs three times a week. They are doing the best they can to feed the children they love. Not everyone has the financial means to eat steak and caviar every night. So we do the best we can, when we can. And when we can do better we do it.

Years ago, when hubby and I were just starting out and he was in school and we were living on one income there were feral cats in our condo complex. A LOT of feral cats. They were quite malnourished. I went to the Dollar store and bought cat food. It was cheap, low-quality cat food. But it was all we could, in all honesty, afford to just give to feral cats. We fed them every night outside our front door. We did the best we could and, in my opinion, feeding your cat or dog or a bunch of feral cats lower quality food is far better than not feeding them at all and letting those feral cats go hungry, or not adopting that dog that might otherwise be euthanized.

We do the best we can and sometimes that is all we, and others, can ask of ourselves.


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## woodard2009

I agree with Dorothy's mom. I'm so happy there are people like you out there to give these pets a good home. These pets could be worse off with people who didn't care or even euthanized. You do what you can and what you think is best for your situation. That's really all the pets want anyways. Don't ever say you wished you had wait til you had more money or you were in a better situation. Life is too short to miss out on the joy and love these animals can give. I know for my that this thread isn't made to make anyone feel bad about their situation. It's just more information on the choices that are out there. There are still many people that think the Walmart sells every brand of dogfood there is and that Science Diet and Iams are the best food. They just don't know better and that's what this website is for. Don't take anyone's word on anything. Do the research==there's so much info out there. Thank you for saving that baby.


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## Moonfall

I feed my kids Acana..and it's a great food, but I wish I could afford ziwipeak or stella and chewys or another raw food- I just can't. 

We all do the best we can. Wellness is a great food, don't feel bad.


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## AngelicMisfit13

Thanks everyone for the positive words. I heard from people that the city I found her in...that even at the Humane society (which I was originally gonna take her to but for the life of me couldn't get to) she would of likely been put down.


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## lulu'smom

AngelicMisfit13 said:


> Well maybe my kibble lasts longer cuz my pup tends to skip meals...mostly breakfast. She sleeps most of the morning. Mine gets 1/4 cup of kibble each meal and a 4 pound bag can last about a month for me...I know it doesn't seem like a big deal since I only have 1 pup but that is how it is for me. Idk how different the prices are on different sites but the site I saw the prices on was chewy.com and i think they were even marked down prices. 11 pound bag for over $100...since I've had my puppy, I haven't even been able to spend that much money on my own food...actually in reality, she has been eating better than me in the almost 2 months I have had her.


Yes the 11 lbs bag cost a fortune, but I always buy the 2.2 lb bag and feeding one meal a day to 1 chi it last me probably at least 6 weeks or a bit more. Lulu is 7 yrs old and weighs almost 6 lbs and eats 1/4 cup of ZP in the morning and 1-2 bars of Primal in the PM. I used to feed her ZP only, but I really like Primal and I like the variety in foods. Primal is another brand of raw food. I've been feeding ZP for years. The 2.2 lb bag on chewy or wag.com cost between 29.00-39.00 depending on which one you buy, and should last you an average of a month. That might sound a little better.


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## AngelicMisfit13

lulu'smom said:


> Yes the 11 lbs bag cost a fortune, but I always buy the 2.2 lb bag and feeding one meal a day to 1 chi it last me probably at least 6 weeks or a bit more. Lulu is 7 yrs old and weighs almost 6 lbs and eats 1/4 cup of ZP in the morning and 1-2 bars of Primal in the PM. I used to feed her ZP only, but I really like Primal and I like the variety in foods. Primal is another brand of raw food. I've been feeding ZP for years. The 2.2 lb bag on chewy or wag.com cost between 29.00-39.00 depending on which one you buy, and should last you an average of a month. That might sound a little better.


Yes, I've heard of Primal Pet Food. Primal Pet Foods: Wholesome Raw Food for Dogs and Cats this, right?
I think a pet supply store like 10 miles from me might hold that, I was considering trying that out...at least their chicken necks.


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## lulu'smom

AngelicMisfit13 said:


> Yes, I've heard of Primal Pet Food. Primal Pet Foods: Wholesome Raw Food for Dogs and Cats this, right?
> I think a pet supply store like 20 miles from me might hold that, I was considering trying that out...at least their chicken necks.


Yes that's it! I feed mostly if not 99% the freeze dried. I have fed the frozen nuggets, but Lulu just doesn't seem to like them as well as freeze dried. I always add water to the freeze dried and to the ZP. I really like ZP because it's air dried as opposed to freeze dried. It's like she's eating little flat squares of jerky, and she loves it, but I really like Primal because the vitamins are what is naturally in the foods not added in synthetically. To me this is very important. 

Wellness is a 4 or 5 star rated food with dogfoodadvisor.com. If you are not opposed to ordering food online Chewy carries Fromm, which is a very good kibble. Acana is also very good. They are also manufactured by companies that have never had recalls, and you can be comfortable with. Whatever you choose--add water! Especially to kibble.


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## AngelicMisfit13

lulu'smom said:


> Yes that's it! I feed mostly if not 99% the freeze dried. I have fed the frozen nuggets, but Lulu just doesn't seem to like them as well as freeze dried. I always add water to the freeze dried and to the ZP. I really like ZP because it's air dried as opposed to freeze dried. It's like she's eating little flat squares of jerky, and she loves it, but I really like Primal because the vitamins are what is naturally in the foods not added in synthetically. To me this is very important.
> 
> Wellness is a 4 or 5 star rated food with dogfoodadvisor.com. If you are not opposed to ordering food online Chewy carries Fromm, which is a very good kibble. Acana is also very good. They are also manufactured by companies that have never had recalls, and you can be comfortable with. Whatever you choose--add water! Especially to kibble.


omg, look what I found! It's kinda far but still pretty close considering there aren't that many raw food specializing places commonly near me. 

Carnivore Planet

Apparently the owner is very informative about raw diets and what would be best for each dog. I will have to check it out to see if the prices are within my small range.

Home This place looks pretty fabulous as well


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## coco_little_bear

woodard2009 said:


> When you figure in the shipping cost, and how many times you would have to order the smaller bag, it works out to be cheaper, but ZP is crazy expensive.


Yeah that's how it usually works. What I meant is that the website I order from is weird. lol The shipping is free so buying 5 small 1kg bags ends up cheaper than buying the large 5kg bag on there. 



AngelicMisfit13 said:


> Thanks everyone for the positive words. I heard from people that the city I found her in...that even at the Humane society (which I was originally gonna take her to but for the life of me couldn't get to) she would of likely been put down.


I agree with the others, it doesn't matter if you can't afford the most expensive foods. There's more to being a good dog owner than that and we all do what we can. It sounds like your chi is very lucky to have found you. And the fact that you care so much that you want to give her all the best just goes to show she ended up in a great home.


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## lulu'smom

Those places look really neat! We don't have anything like that close to me. I can get Primal locally, but I have to order any other commercial raw food I want to feed.


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