The cost of making Bender’s food has been slowing going up. Every time I cut costs on one ingredient another ends up costing more. For a 45 day amount the cost is running me about $80. The time that it takes to make the food is also running about 8hrs between prep, making the food, packaging it, and clean up.

I recently saw a commercial for a brand called Wellness. They have been around for a while but I’ve never heard of them. I will have to make a new batch of food for Bender within next week I decided to look around for a commercial food. At $80 I’m sure I could find a great all natural food that will last 45+ days.

After looking around I narrowed the search down to Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Adult Dog Food and Wellness Super5Mix Healthy Weight. Upon comparison Wellness Super5Mix Healthy Weight has a better line up of ingredients for a diabetic dog.

Wellness Super5Mix Healthy Weight

Deboned Chicken, Ground Barley, Rice Bran, Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Rye Flour, Oatmeal, Oat Fiber, Deboned Whitefish, Tomatoes, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Ground Millet, Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Ground Flaxseed, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Garlic, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products.

This is a naturally preserved product.

Blue Buffalo Chicken & Brown Rice Adult Dog Food

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Rye, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Potatoes, Peas, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed(natural source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Turmeric, Sunflower Oil (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Fish Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium

I decided to try Wellness and for the past week I have been slowly switching Bender over.

Bender loves the food. Then again I think he loves any food. He has crashed 3 times during the night though so I’ve dialed back his insulin just slightly. He glucose levels are good so far beyond the crashing.

In another few days he should be totally on Wellness Super5Mix Healthy Weight. Hopefully this food works out because a 30lb back is $45-50. Which should last Bender a month or more.

Any one else have their dogs on Wellness or a similar brand?