Below is a quick price-comparison snapshot of popular pet‑food brands in the U.S., using current retail listings (Walmart, Petco/PetSmart, Tractor Supply, etc.) checked today (September 14, 2025). Prices change frequently and vary by recipe, bag/can size, retailer, promotions and your ZIP code — treat these as representative examples, not guarantees.

Dog — dry kibble (typical large-bag sizes; price per pound)

• Economy: Purina Dog Chow / Pedigree — about $0.80–$1.60 per lb. Example: Pedigree ~30 lb bag for ~$31.48 (~$1.05/lb). (walmart.com)
• Mid‑range: Purina Pro Plan, Blue Buffalo — about $1.70–$3.00 per lb. Examples: Purina Pro Plan performance ~37.5 lb for ~$66.21 (~$1.77/lb); Blue Buffalo Life Protection 30 lb for ~$64.98 (~$2.17/lb). (walmart.com)
• Premium / “super‑premium”: Hill’s Science Diet (some formulations), Orijen, Acana, Merrick — roughly $2.50 up to $5+/lb depending on formula. Examples: Hill’s Science Diet 30 lb ~ $83.99 (~$2.80/lb); ORIJEN 23.5–25 lb typically ~$105–$125 (~$4+/lb). (walmart.com)

Cat — wet (canned) and dry

• Budget wet (larger cans / economy brands): Friskies — example: 24 × 5.5 oz cans for ~$18.68 (≈14¢/oz). (walmart.com)
• Mid‑range wet: Fancy Feast (3 oz pate cans) — example: 24 × 3 oz cans ~ $18–$30 (≈26¢/oz for some SKUs). (walmart.com)
• Dry cat — premium/specialty: Royal Canin, Hill’s Science Diet, Blue Buffalo: expect roughly $3.50–$5+/lb for targeted formulas. Example: Royal Canin Indoor 15 lb ≈ $67.99 (~$4.53/lb); Hill’s Indoor 7 lb ≈ $33–$35. (petsmart.com)

How I derived ranges

• I used current retailer listings for common bag or multipack sizes (big-bag dry dog: 25–37.5 lb; cat wet multipacks) and converted to $/lb or ¢/oz for apples‑to‑apples comparison. Example SKUs and stores are cited above (Walmart, Petco/PetSmart, Tractor Supply). Prices were checked on Sep 14, 2025. (walmart.com)

Quick notes and buying tips

• Bigger bags usually lower $/lb but watch freshness once opened.
• Wet food: compare ¢/oz rather than price per can since can sizes differ.
• Look for autoship/subscribe & save, bulk packs, store coupons or membership discounts (Petco/PetSmart/Tractor Supply) — these frequently cut effective $/lb.
• Special formulas (grain‑free, limited‑ingredient, veterinary prescription diets) cost more — sometimes substantially. Veterinary prescription diets (Hill’s Prescription Diet, Royal Canin Veterinary) are priced separately.
• Regional stock and promotions change cost — if you want exact current prices for a specific recipe, bag/can size and retailer (and your ZIP code), I can pull live prices for those exact SKUs and compare side‑by‑side.

If you’d like, tell me:

• whether you want dog or cat (or both),
• whether you prefer dry or wet (or both), and