How to compare the cost of pet foods | Pets and Animals

By SusanThixton
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I recently received an email asking my opinion about a couple of different types of pet foods - what I thought about the quality of the foods. Both of the pet foods he asked about (which he was feeding his 'family') were what I considered to be very inferior foods. I informed him of this and his response was that they probably couldn't afford a better food.

I know very well that better quality dog and cat foods can cost two or even three times more than that of the cheaper brands. Pet owners who feel that cannot afford it, unfortunately will more than likely pay in the long run. When their pet becomes sick with kidney or liver disease or when their pet continues to be treated for skin irritations and/or ear infections - those vet bills to 'fix' the health problem due to years of inferior nutrition cost far more than the 'few cents' a meal to provide the pet better quality nutrition. Before you scoff at the 'few cents a meal' theory - let me explain.

Most pet owners suffer sticker shock when looking at purchasing a higher quality pet food. The price tag causes them to gasp considering how fast Fido or Fluffy eats that food. What most don't understand is that with higher quality pet foods, you don't feed nearly as much as you do with the inexpensive, lesser quality pet foods. Cheap foods have cheap ingredients thus the pet needs to eat more in an attempt to consume the nutrition their body is telling them they need. On average, pets eating higher quality pet foods consume about 1/3 less than that of an inferior food.

Looking at a pet food cost per mealIf your pet currently eats 1 cup of food per day, a 20 pound of pet food will provide you with about 50 meals. If the dog food or cat food costs you $15.00 for a 20 pound bag, that costs you about $.30 per meal. Now, if you feed a high quality pet food - feeding about 1/3 less, a 20 pound bag will provide you with about 80 meals for your pet. If the better food costs twice as much as the inferior food - $30.00 for a 20 pound bag, that breaks down to less than $.38 cents per meal.

So even though the price tag of the food reads to be twice as expensive - it's actually far from the truth. Using the above example, at .30 cents per meal, two meals a day, in one month you are spending around $18.00 per month to feed a pet with the inferior food. With the apparent twice as expensive higher quality pet food, at .38 cents per meal, two meals a day, in one month you are spending around $22.80 per month. Less than $5.00 per month difference that can save you thousands of dollars in vet bills and add years to their life. You must look at the cost per meal to completely give the price of the food consideration.

With better, more nutritious pet foods - they do NOT need as much as with the cheaper foods. Don't let the old habit of feeding more sway you when you switch to a more nutritious pet food - again, with more quality ingredients they just don't need as much food as with inferior ingredients. In most cases, if you switch your pet to a quality pet food and continue to feed the same amount as the lesser quality food you were feeding - your pet will gain weight.

Serving size will vary from pet to pet. If your dog or cat has no 'figure' or shows no waistline - chances are they need to lose a few pounds. Cut back the serving size slightly. Or if you can visibly see ribs, your pet probably needs to gain a little so slightly increase the serving size. And as they get older, the serving size will probably get smaller too. Keep a constant eye on your pet's weight - a healthy weight is a healthier pet.

And please don't just look at the cost of the bag of food, look at (at least) the first five ingredients and consider the cost of the serving.

About the Author

Learn the truth about pet food. To read more articles about how to select a healthier pet food for your dog or cat visit www.TruthAboutPetFood.com. Sign up to the free newsletter and Petsumer Report.

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