Pet
Food
Choice

Money Saving Tips

Feeding a pet can be expensive, particularly if you have a dog or cat, and there's plenty of advertising and marketing pressure to get you to part with a lot of money to feed the many different foods out there on the pet shop and supermarket shelves. Add the words 'Natural' 'Holistic' or similar to a brand and watch the price go up!

Bear in mind that big brands such as Pedigree, Iams, Eucanuba and Royal Canin spend £millions on advertising, research and sponsorship through the year (How much does it cost Pedigree to sponsor Crufts? A lot!) This money has to be recovered, and that's through increasing sales but also larger profit margins - it's common sense if you think about it.

However, there are several ways that you can feed a good quality food and save a considerable amount of money. Here's one or two, and maybe you have some more, in which case let us know!

Buy in bulk!

Buying a 15kg bag of dog food works out cheaper per meal than buying a 2kg bag (Eucanuba Adult is listed on one site at £39.99 for 15kg, £21.49 for 7.5kg and £11.29 for 3kg - do the maths and see what you save.)

If you can't carry a big bag home then have it delivered - several brands and online pet shops offer free or minimal postal charges, and you get the food delivered to your door. Other pet shops have their own delivery service in their catchment area - check them out!

Some shops offer bulk deals - Pet Planet in Jan 2008 list Eucanuba 15kg as buy 2 save £20!! If you can store it and use it in a reasonable time, then why not save a few well earned £££s?

If you are feeding a cat, the same applies - many pet shops or online stores will deliver tins in bulk. Ask, and they should offer you a quantity discount that you can offset against the delivery charge if there is one.

Buy Pet Shop Brands

Some pet shops offer their own brands, particularly on bags of dog food. Are they cheaper because they are poorer quality than the more well known brand? Not necessarily, because of two factors.

Firstly, they are probably made by the same company that makes the well known brand! A handful of pet food manufacturers make food for brands like James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange and Burns Pet Nutrition but also make food for hundreds of other companies and pet shops, using the same machinery, similar ingredients and following the principles of the trade organisation PFMA.

The easy way to check is look at the ingredient list and see what the food is made of, then compare the cost between the shop food and the branded food - similar ingredients but £s cheaper? Then why not try the shop brand - if it doesn't suit, a good pet shop will replace the food.

Secondly there's the profit chain. Pet Shop brands are cheaper because there are fewer middlemen taking a cut of the retail price (A prime example would be the new premium Pets at Home food in its shiny new bag. A 15kg of dog food retails at under £30, up to £9 cheaper than some others for a recipe which is as natural and hypo-allergenic as any premium food on the market - and a money-back guarantee!) It works like this:-

Treats for Dogs

You don't need to buy expensive treats for dogs. Have you discovered the delights of giving them small pieces of carrot or brocoli/cauliflower stalk?

No? Why not, because they are cheap, natural and actually do your pet a bit of good, unlike some of the other stuff on the market. These are all naturally sweet, and many dogs simply love them!

Essentials

• Home Page

• Dog Articles

• Cat Articles

• Rabbits

• Small animals

• Our Pet Shop

• Pet Bookshop

• Pet Accessories

• Advertise

• Contact

• Links

• Link 2 Us