How to Save Money Feeding Your Dog

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By Eric Letendre
eHow Contributing Writer

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(5 Ratings)

Feeding your dog a quality diet is important for a long, healthy life. A good diet can result in lower vet bills and a happier dog. Learning about dog food is an important part of having a dog. Not all dog foods are created equal, therefore feeding your dog a high quality dog food is important. The following are ways to save a few bucks on food without sacrificing your dog's health.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Feed leftovers; this is the first healthy way to lower the amount you spend on dog food. Leftovers can be very healthy for your dog. I'm not talking about pizza crust or French fries. But if you have leftover chicken, beef or fish, you can add that to your dog's food bowl. Also, leftover vegetables are a healthy addition.
Step 2

Add eggs to your dog's food bowl to cut back on the amount of kibble. Eggs are an excellent low-cost food to feed your dog; they are full of protein that helps build muscle and are great for your dog's skin and coat.
Step 3

Compare prices between stores. Some stores will charge higher prices, so it's important for you to check which one has the lower price. A lot of pet food stores will also run specials; check your local paper for these deals.
Step 4

Find out if the pet store you shop at offers a club card. Many pet stores offer club cards and a good one will usually give you a free bag of food after so many purchases.
Step 5

Load up when you can. If the pet store is offering a lower price or a two-for-one deal, buy as much as you can at that time. Dog food has a long shelf life and will not go bad if you stock up a few bags.
Step 6

Start a community food program. Contact your dog-owning friends and family and see if they would like to purchase dog food together. If you have six or seven people buying two bags each, many pet stores will offer a discount. Sometimes with enough people and if the order is big enough, you'll be able to buy direct from the company.

Comments

CSeida08 said

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on 1/15/2009 Excellent article! Thank you! One way I've found that isn't mentioned is homemade treats. A small batch of ingredients will make a whole bunch of them, and even if you purchase ingredients specifically for the recipe, they usually are pretty cheap.

It's also pretty cool to note that the ingredients on Dinty Moore beef stew and canned Alpo are almost identical. In fact, Alpo had more veggies if I recall. Just a fact to make you chuckle!