With the cost of living rocketing, we are all hunting for ways in which we can save money. You may have thought about how best to feed your pet on a budget. Below we will discuss how to implement changes into your dog’s feeding routines to help save pennies. 

Table of contents

Some things are too important to skimp

First of all, you need to find a food product that works for your dog. You need your dog to be on a food that they are happy to eat daily and different diets benefit different dogs better. Dogs are natural scavengers and therefore, will often eat any food offered to them. Their food however, needs to be tasty and meet the nutritional requirements for your pet taking into account their weight, breed, age and any health conditions they may have. 

While a few days or even weeks of a nutritionally incomplete diet are unlikely to be harmful to an otherwise healthy dog, if it goes on too long you’re saving up more problems for yourself. Nutritionally incomplete or poorly formulated diets will impact your pet’s health, and may well leave them facing more expensive health problems later on.

Look for products labelled ‘complete’

This identifies them as products with the correct volumes of carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin and minerals for a dog. If it’s labelled complete, it should meet all your dog’s requirements. 

Don’t get hung up on brands…

Choosing non-branded products is normally the cheapest, such as a shop’s own label food. If you have more than one dog, and if suitable, try to have all of them on one food source. 

The food you choose should be easy for you to obtain. This means you know of a few local places that are easy to get to which supply this food. The shorter the distance travelled, the less petrol needed and therefore the cheaper the transportation method. 

Alternatively, you could choose a food that you are able to get delivered to your home. If finding an ideal dog food means changing your dog’s food, please do this very gradually. You should mix varying rations of one food group with the next so the switch is gradual. Be aware, if you are moving your dog onto dry food when they have previously been on wet food, they are likely to drink a lot more in order to get their water requirements for the day.

Once you know which food your pet is happy to eat, you should stick to it

Pets do not need varied diets if the diet they are eating is balanced in nutrients. You can then bulk buy products and shop around for the best discounts. Make sure you sign up to any loyalty cards that pet shops may offer allowing you to get access to the best deals possible. If your product is ever on sale, be sure to stock up! This may cost you more initially but it can save you lots of money in the long run. 

Do not change your dogs’ food suddenly 

This is a recipe for gastrointestinal problems! Gastrointestinal problems commonly result in sickness, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; which may mean your pet needs a visit to the vets which could cost money. Avoid giving your pet leftovers from your meals. Human food is much richer in nutrients than dog food and can upset the bacteria in your pet’s gut, resulting in illness. Human meat may contain small bones which your pet may choke on, or foods that are toxic to them, such as onions or raisins. Very bland food such as rice or plain pasta could be given to your pet, rather than being thrown out; providing they have never had an adverse reaction to it. 

Do not over feed your dog 

Any food not eaten is wasted. You should give your dog a smaller portion of food and see if they eat it all before giving them more. Many dogs within the United Kingdom are overweight, so be sure not to overfeed your pet. 

Asking your veterinary professional to body condition score your pet is an easy way to know whether or not your pet is overweight. A score between 4 and 5 out of 9 is good. If your pet is lower than 4, you will need to increase the amount of food they are getting. And if they are over 5/9 then you will need to reduce the amount of food they are getting. 

Go for attention and play as rewards, not expensive treats

Avoid buying extra treats for your pets. Most treats do not contain a balance of nutrients. Raw carrots are a brilliant treat for helping to move plaque from the surface of your dog’s tooth and are cheap and nutritious.

To conclude, feeding your dog whilst on benefits is possible but it does require forward thinking and planning. Find a food that is suitable. Buy in bulk when sales are on. Feed the correct volumes and cut back on treats.

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