Learn The Truth About The Price Of Pet Food Secrets To Comparing Pet Food Prices

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.

While I understand that better quality dog and cat foods can be two or even three times more expensive than some of the cheaper brands, folks who think they can't afford it, unfortunately, will 'pay' in the end. When a pet is sick with kidney or liver disease, when a pet must be treated for skin irritations and ear infections - vet bills to 'fix' the health concern cost pet owners far more than the 'few cents' a meal to feed them quality nutrition. And I'm often questioned about this 'few cents a meal' theory - but before you question me too, let me explain.

Many pet owners suffer 'sticker shock' when considering purchasing a better quality food. They look at the price tag and gasp when considering how fast Fido or Fluffy eats that bag of food. What they don't know is that with better quality pet foods, you don't feed as much - cheap foods have cheap 'filler' ingredients that do not satisfy the nutritional needs of the pet, thus they eat A LOT more attempting to get the nutrition that their body is telling them they need. Better quality foods/ingredients provide the animal with quality nutrition and they eat on average 1/3 less.

So let's break it down to cost per meal...

Let's say your pet currently eats 1 cup of food per day. A 20 pound bag of food will provide you with about 50 servings. If the food costs you $15.00 for a 20 pound bag - that equals about .30 per meal.

Now with a good quality pet food - feeding about 1/3 less - a 20 pound bag will provide you about 80 servings. If the better food costs $30.00 for a 20 pound bag - that breaks down to a little less than .38 cents a 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.

Here is what has happened to us...for years and years we've watched the television commercials of pet food. They emphasize the words 'for your pet's health' or 'choice'. We've trusted them and we've followed their directions to feed our pet 2 or 3 cups of food per day. What we didn't know was that those recommended 2 or 3 cups of food was necessary because the pet food contained cheap inferior nutrition sources like by-products, meat and bone meal, and grains.

So, it has become our habit to feed more - which they do need more with inferior ingredients. Then someone like myself comes along and tells you how horrible ingredients like by-products and meat and bone meal are - and you learn that grains such as corn, wheat, and soy are inferior - and since this recent pet food recall, you learn that chemicals can actually be added to variations of these grains (glutens)...so then you look over your options at the pet store or online. And you think in terms of how much per 'bag' of food. After all, you've probably tried several different types of pet food in the past - maybe even one or two that cost a little more than the cheap brands - and you still ended up feeding the same 2 or 3 cups of food a day. Naturally, you look at the $30.00 for a 20 pound bag of pet food and gasp at the cost - you are thinking just the way they want you to think...in terms of the cost of the bag, not the cost of the serving.

The determining factor for your choice of pet food should not be cost or advertising. You must look at and understand those first five ingredients. Of course there is much more involved than the first five ingredients, but in my research...if the first five ingredients of a pet food are good, so are the rest of the ingredients. If a pet food manufacturer cares enough to make the first five ingredients quality - which is the majority of the food...they care enough to make all of the ingredients quality. Don't be mislead into any comfort zone of a pet food manufacturers advertising...do your homework and read and understand at least the first five ingredients of your pet's food.

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. 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.

The daily amount of food our pets require depends on many things such as activity level, age, breeding animals, or neutered animals. As an example, my 100 pound German Shepherd only eats two cups of food per day; 1 cup AM, 1 cup PM. My little guy (8 pound Papillion eats about 1/3 cup a day. Both dogs are active. However, my little guy is young and is fairly high energy level. My big guy is 12 years old and much more sedate. Considering his little size, the small dog eats far more for his size than the big dog. His energy and activity level requires it.

My cat on the other hand free feeds - he has access to a full bowl of food at all times and eats when he wants. He has never been an over eater and this works well for him. I could never do the same with my dogs.

So serving size for your pet is something you will need to experiment with. If your dog or cat has no 'figure' - shows no waist when looking at them from above - chances are they need to lose a few pounds. Cut back the serving size. If you can visibly see ribs - they probably need to gain a couple of pounds and you need to slightly increase the serving size. Please note too that a cup of food a day at 2 years old will more than likely be too much food when they are a little older. Keep a constant monitoring eye on them - 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.

Wishing you and your pets good health

Susan Thixton has worked in the pet industry for over 20 years helping thousands of pet owners to enjoy their pets. She's produced an internationally distributed dog training video, authored the tell all book Truth About Pet Food, and recently has begun publication of a one-of-a-kind pet owning consumer report Petsumer Report. For more information please visit http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com
Susan Thixton
Truth About Pet Food
Petsumer Report
http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com

Luxury Pet Supplies That Are and Are Not Worth the Price

From a one hundred and forty dollar wedding dress for dogs that is sold online to a ten thousand pound deluxe rabbit hutch that one Norfolk based owner made for his pets, the lengths that some people go to, to keep their beloved pets happy is starting to entering the realms of the ridiculous. But whilst forking out for your dog to tie the knot with the puppy next door is really not going to improve the life of your pet in any way, there are some luxury pet supplies that do have benefits for their health, happiness and wellbeing.

Every pet owner wants the best for their pet, be it a dog, a cat or something more exotic. Many people come to see their pets as family members and will buy them the best possible goods that they can afford. However when it comes to pet supplies, simply buying the most expensive option every time can lead to a lot of money wasted, which is money that could otherwise be spent on the little luxuries that actually do make a difference to the life of your pet.

Feeding time is a prime example. Your cat or dog really does not care if it is eating from a bowl made out of plastic or hand crafted from diamond encrusted gold. In fact, your pet probably has not even noticed the difference. They just want the food that is inside so do not splash out on a luxury bowl if it means you can only afford to fill it with cut price food.

Pet food is one area where your pet will really reap the benefits of you spending a little bit extra. Just as with humans, pets need to eat a balanced and healthy diet that includes a variety of vitamins and minerals to ensure long term health. Penny pinching on cat and dog food now can lead to very serious illnesses such as arthritis in the future that, if diagnosed too late, no amount of money will be able to cure. Opt for high quality, brands that offer natural ingredients and use dry foods only as treats or a side dish, never as the main diet.

Recently, the popularity of dog coats and other pet clothing has skyrocketed but whilst you may think Felix looks great in his new tweed jacket the truth is that it probably does not provide any more warmth than a cheaper coat and your pet certainly will not treat it more carefully. Animals have a thick coating of fur that keeps them warm and are usually more than happy to venture outside in cold weather without a coat. However if you are particularly worried about keeping your pet warm, for example if it is quite an old dog or it is ill, buy the coat with the thickest padding, not the one with the glitziest trim.

Furniture is another of the many pet supplies where owners are faced with options ranging from bargain to blowout. It is well known that dogs and cats love to scratch at and rip up furniture, unless you are happy to see that velvet dog sofa you spent your whole pay cheque on with a lovely big tear in the side after three months, it is wiser to stick to standard options. However, orthopaedic furniture such as memory foam beds cost more than your average dog or cat basket, but has been specifically designed to alleviate pain and discomfort in pets with arthritis and other joint conditions. They may not look so glamorous but your pet is going to be far more comfortable, happy and healthy, so when it comes to orthopaedic furniture always go for the best that you can buy.

To summarise, there are many pet supplies on the market ranging from the most basic to the downright absurd, but do not be taken in by appearances when it comes to buying luxury cat supplies or overpriced dog supplies. If you really love and want the best for your pet, its health and happiness should be your two main priorities, which means buying products that have some genuine benefit regardless of what they look like. Your cat or dog can tell the difference when you swap from basic to gourmet food, but believe me, they will not even notice that crystal studded collar.

Leah Williams writes for Petmeds. Petmeds are an online retailer of pet supplies from medicines to shampoos. They have cat supplies, dog supplies and many more. Petmeds only dispenses genuine UK licensed drugs and are regulated by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

Want Great Pet Health Care at an Affordable Price? Here's a Secret You Need to Know!

Do you want to take good care of your pet? Do you want him or her to be happy and healthy?

Of course you do! We all do. Pets are members of our family too!

But pet health care costs are rising, just like ours. A trip to the vet costs as much as a trip to the doctor for us. Ditto for prescription medicines. But now there is a way to keep your pets healthy and to treat them when they do get sick - all without breaking the bank.

What's the secret? The secret is...all natural, holistic pet health care products.

These products are great because:

1. They work. Just like natural medicines and vitamins work for us, they'll work for your pets.

2. They save you money. No trip to the vet and no expensive prescription drugs. And they are great as supplements to keep your pet healthy and strong. Prevention really is the best medicine.

3. They are readily available. Pet health care is a big business these days and natural products are becoming more and more popular.

4. They have fewer side effects than prescription drugs. Thus, they are often safer for your pet.

Your pets deserve the very best care you can give them. All natural products offer a viable approach to keeping your pet healthy at a significant savings to you.

Caution: Don't make you pet go without medication or health-promoting supplements because you can't afford trips to the vet or expensive prescription drugs. Use all natural pet heath care products instead.

Don't know where to get natural pet health care products? To learn more about what natural pet health care products are available, visit our site at http://www.PetHealthEtcetera.com.