Cosette is my first dog since childhood, and my wife's first dog since college. When were were deciding among the various types of food available, we opted to go with dry kibble, but we also wanted to do something from the premium end of the spectrum. We wound up choosing the Canidae brand of grain-free products.

Well, part of our calculations was the fact that Canidae grain-free was a high-quality food (5 stars on dogfoodadvisor.com), but not at the insane-o end of the scale as far as price. Well, that was the case when we first switched to it three months ago! Since, the price has gone way up for some reason. We got our first 25-pound bag for $35 or so, and then the second for $45. Now, the price is approaching $60 (regardless of the variety).

Is this normal for premium dog foods? Both the high price and the fluctuations in price, I mean. We shopped around to see if we could maybe find a different brand this time around, but I noticed that most grain-free premium brands are now in the same price range. Should I expect the prices to keep mounting? Or is there something going on in the world of dog foods that's driving prices up at the moment?

Thanks...

Okay
24 pound bag on Chewy.com: all under 50 (and cheaper with auto refill)
https://www.chewy.com/s?rh=brand_facet%3ACanidae%2CSpecialDiet%3AGrain-Free%2Cc%3A288

Amazon much more expensive, but Foster&Smith also in 50 range.

But doesn't shipping kill you? I have Amazon Prime, so it's often cheaper to get the food from them.

And any idea about the broader trend? Am I crazy to think the prices have gone up across the board lately (regardless of brand), or have big bags always been in the $50–$60 range?

@Baba-Bamidele .. most of the places have free shipping after a certain price. Some give decent discounts and free shipping.

And NO you are not wrong... it has truly go up a lot the last year. I don't know I'd do if I still had my houseful of Rotties, a chow and 2 basenji. I used to pay $56 for a 50 pound bag that I now pay over 50 for a 24 pound bag. My daughter just got a Samoyed and am I glad she is responsible for his food!

I buy the Verus brand and its $60 for the 25 lb bag. But Verus offers a deal of buy 12 and get the 13th bag free. My dogs love it!
Margie

I tried to get to the bottom of it, but I didn't find much. I did find an article that said food prices in general may be rising due to El Niño, so that may be a factor. Also, an article about general consumer dissatisfaction with higher pet-food prices: http://www.petbusiness.com/January-2016/The-Cost-of-High-Prices/

And, stats from last year that show that pet food prices fell to a fairly low point in August 2015 (which may explain why they're going back up now): http://www.petbusinessprofessor.com/petmarket/buying-pet-products-price-matters-petflation-update-and-more/