Cheap puppy food, without cutting corners that matter
The bag with the lowest price on the shelf is not necessarily the cheapest food to actually feed, because puppy foods vary hugely in how much you need to feed and how far a bag goes. Working out price per kilogram and comparing recommended daily portions gives a far more honest answer than the sticker price alone.
What "cheap" actually means for puppy food
Two bags priced within a pound of each other can work out very differently once you account for size — a smaller bag of a more energy-dense food might actually cost less per week to feed than a larger bag of something your puppy needs more of at each meal. The only way to know is to do the sums rather than judge by the price tag.
It is also worth being honest that price and quality are not always directly linked in either direction — some genuinely good everyday foods are priced sensibly, and an expensive bag is not automatically better suited to your particular puppy.
How to compare properly
Divide the price of the bag by its weight in kilograms to get a price per kilo, then check the feeding guide for how many grams a puppy of your dog's current weight needs per day. Multiply that daily amount out and you have a genuine cost per week to compare between foods, rather than guessing from the shelf price.
Bags described as complete rather than complementary are the ones to compare on this basis — a complementary food or mixer needs to be fed alongside something else, which changes the real cost, so make sure you are comparing like with like.
Where corners can be cut, and where they can't
A lower-priced food is not automatically a poor one, but it is worth checking that it is genuinely complete and appropriate for your puppy's size and breed type, since a food that is not properly balanced for growth is not a saving if it needs supplementing or replacing sooner than expected.
What you should not compromise on is buying a food that actually matches your puppy's current life stage — a puppy needs a puppy-appropriate food regardless of budget, since this is about what they are fed rather than how much it costs.
The cheaper end of the range
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- Is cheaper puppy food bad for my puppy?
- Not necessarily — price alone does not tell you whether a food is well suited to your puppy. What matters is that it is a complete food formulated for their current life stage and size, which can be true at a range of price points.
- How do I compare the real cost of two puppy foods?
- Work out the price per kilogram of each bag, then check the feeding guide for how much your puppy needs per day at their current weight. Multiplying that daily amount by the price per kilo gives you a proper weekly cost to compare, rather than judging by the bag price alone.
- Should I buy the biggest bag to save money?
- Only if you will use it before it goes stale, since an opened bag does not stay at its best indefinitely, and a growing puppy's needs change quickly as they get bigger. A size that will be used within a reasonable time is usually the better saving.
- What should I never compromise on with puppy food?
- Make sure it is genuinely a complete food formulated for puppies, not an adult food or a complementary mixer fed alone. Getting this wrong matters far more to your puppy's development than the price difference between brands.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.