The Real Cost of a Raw Diet

In early October 2024, we reached out to our Instagram followers wanting to understand their reservations and preconceptions when it came to adopting a raw diet for their pets. To our surprise, 83% of the responses highlighted a common concern - the perceived cost of raw food.

It's no secret that raw pet food isn't always the most budget-friendly option available, however, it's essential to challenge this assumption. When comparing it to popular kibble brands such as Hill's, Montego, Royal Canin and others, you might find that raw feeding is more affordable than you think.

Before we delve into the price comparisons, this blog is not intended to judge or shame anyone for their choices; rather, we aim to shed light on the potential benefits of feeding a higher quality diet. There is no doubt that everyone reading this is doing the best for their animals by feeding within your price bracket.

With that said, below is why you might consider investing in a higher quality diet for your canine.

Here’s what you need to know:

Improved health: Higher quality diets improve digestion, coat/skin condition and energy levels. These diets are also more nutrient-dense, ensuring your dog gets the most out of each meal.

Long-term benefits: The higher cost of quality ingredients and nutrient rich diets often translates to a longer and healthier life for your dog, making them a worthwhile investment. This also means reduced risks of serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis, among others.

Reduced vet visits & medications: A healthier dog also means less vet visits and fewer medications. If you're currently spending money on allergy medication or anti-inflammatories, switching to a raw diet might alleviate the need for these medications altogether. As our ethos, we believe in addressing the root cause of disease rather than trying to minimise symptoms. Many of our clients have said goodbye to medications and supplements once their dogs are on a high quality diet.

Free of harmful additives: High-quality foods like Emmarentia Raw do not contain the harmful or unnecessary ingredients often found in cheaper options, such as fillers, dyes, artificial flavourings, and synthetic additives.

If you know how good raw food can be but are still concerned about the price tag, let's address the misconception about the cost of raw feeding. 

After doing our research, we have compared the prices of popular kibble brands with Emmarentia Raw. We have based our findings and comparisons on the cost of feeding 1 x 25kg dog with a regular activity level. 

Hill's Science Plan & Royal Canin vs Emmarentia Raw: 

Cost Difference - 7% 

Comparing feeding guides and costs, we have discovered that switching to Emmarentia Raw would only cost you an additional R70 (based on a spend of R1000p/m). We conclude that if you are currently using this kibble you would only need to add an additional 7% to your budget to switch to a table grade, nutrient dense raw diet from Emmarentia Raw. 

Eukanuba vs Emmarentia Raw: 

Cost Difference - 1% 

Based on the same spend of R1000p/m for one dog but following the Eukanuba feeding guide, when we compared these two brands and discovered the following: 

You will only need an additional 1% for your budget to make the switch, that’s only R10! If you are able to add that to your budget you will be providing your dog with table grade, easy to feed, raw meal. 

Montego Karoo & Ultradog vs Emmarentia Raw: 

Cost Difference - 23% 

This comparison (same as previous brands stated) found that you would need to add 23% more to your monthly budget, meaning an additional R230 to your monthly spend of R1000p/m to make the switch to raw. Even though this comparison is slightly higher a high nutritional raw diet is still within a similar price bracket to premium kibble brands on the market. 

Acana vs Emmarentia Raw: 

Cost Difference - 35% 

Now this is where things take a turn, as Acana is more expensive on average than Emmarentia Raw. Meaning that if your monthly spend on Acana is R1000, on ER you’d only be spending R650! So if you’re already paying an Acana price tag, switching to raw could actually save you money.

Orijen vs Emmarentia Raw: 

Cost Difference - 39% 

Like Acana, Orijen is also more expensive on average than Emmarentia Raw. So if you were spending R1000p/m on Orijen, changing over to a raw diet would save you R390p/m! If Orijen is in your budget, the fresh-food diet Emmarentia Raw provides defintely is too.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to be feeding your canine a premium kibble diet we hope that we have debunked the myth that raw food is unattainable. At Emmarentia Raw, we believe that pet owners should have access to all the information they need to make informed decisions about their dog’s health and happiness. We hope that by dispelling the myth that raw feeding is excessively costly, we've empowered you to consider the numerous advantages it can bring to your canine companion. 

Want to know more about Emmarentia Raw and making the switch? 

Please Note: The above information was done in a private capacity based on information that we could attain about the kibble brands mentioned above. Emmarentia Raw does not take any responsibility for misinformation or inflation costs, feeding guides, canines with special requirements or the likes. The purpose of this blog is only for informative reasons and Emmarentia Raw cannot be held liable for any differences in information.