Pet food: Three ways to save money

Pets are our constant companions. They give us love and affection asking little more than a loving home and food in their bellies. Speaking of food, it isn't cheap, is it? Our German shepherd has quite the appetite, and feeding her healthy brands of dog food is costly. No matter which brand you use, you can save some money on pet food costs following these tips.

Make your own

Making your own pet food can be an affordable solution, especially if you can find good deals on the meats, healthy grains and other ingredients involved. It not only saves money, but is much healthier than many of the commercial dog food products. Before you start making food for your pet, ask your vet's advice about creating wholesome, complete meals to ensure your pet's nutritional needs are being met.

Use store brands

Store brands are not always the best choice nutritionally, but if you feed your pet one of the popular brands of food, odds are there's a generic form to match it. A higher price doesn't always mean higher quality. If you're considering switching to a generic brand of pet food, keep in mind that a pet's food shouldn't be changed often. To make the switch, do it gradually over the course of a week or so by introducing increasingly larger amounts of the new food mixed with the brand you're getting rid of.

Stop overfeeding your pet

Those big puppy eyes make it tempting to refill the food dish or toss treats to your pet throughout the day, but it's not good for their health. Read the instructions on the bag for your pet's weight or ask your vet about the optimum amount of food for your pet. You'll probably find out that it's less than you think. Animals, as with humans, will often overeat if there's food available for them to do so. Keep your budget and your pet's weight in check by giving him only the amount of food he needs and no more.

How do you save money on pet food?

Photo courtesy wheany via Flickr.