We all want to feed our pets the best food possible to keep them happy and healthy. Feeding your dog the highest quality dog food, however, can come with a high price tag. To keep from going over your dog food budget, here are some money saving tips:
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Find Coupons
Does your dog already have a favorite dog food brand that you struggle with finding dog food coupons for? Often their websites or social media will offer discounts. For example, sign up for Pedigree dog food coupons on their website or “like” their Facebook page for printable dog food coupons so that you can receive discounts on the best dog food brand. Many companies, even high end brands, offer traditional dog food coupons in newspaper inserts. If you often buy your dog food at a particular store, sign up for their emails for notification of sales. You can combine your coupons with the sale for the best price possible without sacrificing nutrition.
Ask your family and friends if they will trade coupons of your favorite dog food brand for coupons they may need. Many coupon swap groups do this already, but a simple email to your friends or a notice on the work bulletin board can help you save several dollars on your dog's diet. Another source of coupons is eBay–people often sell coupons for a fraction of their face value.
Buy In Bulk
Even if you don't have much storage space, consider buying in bulk. Large bags of dry food and multiple packs of wet food usually have a much lower unit price. Dry food can be portioned into smaller, airtight containers which can be easily found at pet or department stores. Wet food cans can be stored in the back of the pantry or unused closet space. If you have a smaller dog or are concerned a large quantity of dog food might go bad before it's used, ask other dog owners if they would like to split the quantity with you. You still get the lower price and the best quality food.
Visit The Feed Store
If you have never visited your local feed store, they are a great source of the best foods for excellent prices. They carry animal feed for both pets and farm animals and are usually very knowledgeable about nutrition. See if they carry your favorite dog food brand and ask for vendor coupons. Many dog food companies distribute coupons directly to the store to be given to customers.
Higher quality dog food doesn't have to break the bank. By combining coupons and sales and by lowering your cost-per-unit price, you can continue to feed your dog the best.
I was excited to see the article, but disappointed you think Pedigree (or Iams, Beneful, Purina, etc.) is a good dog food. As a rule of thumb, any dog food sold in warehouses, but especially in food stores is NOT good dog food – it is NOT good for your dog.
On the contrary to what you’ve stated, people in pet stores and at feed and grain stores most often do NOT know anything, or much as dog food or dog nutrition. For that matter, most veterinarians (like their physician counterparts) do not know about dog nutrition either, so they will advise you to buy the food they carry just like physicians will give you prescriptions for medicines they receive free samples for or kickbacks for prescribing. It is NOT because it is in your best interest, or in your dog’s best interest. Sorry to sound cynical – this is a fact and my life-long experience.
How to choose a good/healthy dog food for your dog:
1) It must be NO-grain
2) It must be made in the U.S. with U.S.-sourced ingredients
3) The meat, poultry or fish must be ‘meal’ for the food to contain enough fish, poultry or meat to be worth paying for and to be good for your dog. So it must say ‘turkey meal’ or ‘bison meal’ or ‘chicken meal’ etc.
4) Dog food containing fish MUST give the name of the fish and say that it’s ‘meal’ such as “salmon meal’. Otherwise, the food can not only be below standards but it can contain toxins and other things harmful to your pet.
5) Know a little about the manufacturer and WHERE the food was made and/or packaged. For instance, Diamond has been packing several other brands of dog food that they don’t even make, yet many versions of the dog food they have packaged has been recalled lately due to salmonella, etc. which can be dangerous and even lethal to your dog, and to you and your kids.
6) Sign up at FDA.gov for dog food and product recalls.
7) Stay away from mass-market manufacturers, especially those who have sold poisoned dog food in the past, such as those mentioned in the first paragraph above..
8) Just as important: make sure all the dog toys, treats and products you buy are non-toxic and MADE IN THE U.S.A. to help ensure you are not unknowingly poisoning your pet or compromising their health, and paying good money to do so!
9) TO HELP SAVE MONEY: make some dog toys out of clean products you have around your home, such as old clothes/jeans made into squeaky toys, tugs, etc. You can buy the squeakers in pet stores. DO NOT include or sew on things that your dog can choke on or crack their teeth like buttons, etc. Your dog does not need colors and other ‘whistles and bells’ – just non-toxic toys to enjoy.
MAKE broth, stews, etc. in a crock pot or large pan on the stove top with PLAIN, good ingredients. Salt can damage your pet’s kidneys, as can zinc and fluoride (which is often in tap water if you do not have a tested well).
You can add stew / broth to their kibble or as an extra treat separately. Good items to include are: carrots, sweet potatoes, some white potatoes, celery, beef, chicken, fish, kale, collard greens, string beans, broccoli, broccolini, broccoli-rabe, etc. DO NOT include onions or garlic. Tomatoes are questionable. Beans cause too much gas and can bloat bellies/cause pain and discomfort. Separately, your pet may like some fruit like watermelon, blueberries or other berries, etc. NO grapes, raisins or avocados, which can be highly poisonous.
You can MAKE biscuits with non-wheat / non-white flour which is not good for dogs (or for us, really). Use brown rice (white rice is okay but it’s a big filler and higher glycemic level for pets and for us), spelt flour, quinoa, etc. and you can cook down your stew, etc. and then form into a roll and slice and cook like cookies (very low heat in over or toaster over to dry so it’s crunchy) or make into balls or you can smush them down to cook quicker. Different shapes are good and the crunch helps clean their teeth.
If you feed your dog good food, treats and water, they will have less medical problems and expenses throughout their lives and later on, just like it is for us.