Comparing the cost of pet foods
submitted: 2008-04-08 20:08:22 |
by: SusanThixton
Total views: 13 |
Word Count: 730 |
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I recently received an email asking my opinion of a couple of brands of pet food. Both of the foods the pet owner asked about were what I considered to be very inferior. When I informed him of this, his response was they could not afford one of the better quality foods.
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.
Many pet owners experience 'sticker stock' when looking at a better quality pet food. They look at the price tag and gasp when thinking how fast Fido or Fluffy goes through that bag of food. What they don't understand is that with better quality dog or cat foods, you don't feed nearly as much as with the cheap pet foods. Cheap foods have cheap 'filler' ingredients that doesn't satisfy the nutritional needs of the pet - thus they tend to eat a great deal more attempting to get the nutrition their body is telling them they need. On average, dogs and cats that eat higher quality pet foods (higher quality ingredients) consume about 1/3 less than that of a cheaper inferior food.
Breaking it down to cost per mealIf your pet currently eats one cup of food per dayA 20 pound of food will provide you with about 50 meals. If the pet food costs you $15.00 for a 20 pound bag, that costs you about $.30 per meal. With a high quality pet food, feeding about 1/3 less per meal, a 20 pound bag will provide you about 80 meals. If the higher quality pet food costs $30.00 for a 20 pound bag (double the cost of a inferior quality pet food) - that costs you less that $.38 cents per meal.
Even when the price tag of a pet food looks to be twice as expensive, it's actually far from the truth. With the example above, at $.30 cents per meal, two meals a day - in one month you will spend about $18.00 to feed your pet with an inferior food. With the apparent twice as expensive high quality pet food, at $.38 cents per meal, two meals a day - in one month you are spending about $22.80 to feed your pet. That's less than $5.00 per month difference between a high quality pet food and a inferior cheap pet food. It is necessary to consider the cost per meal of the food before you think it's too expensive.
With better, higher quality pet foods, your pet does not need to eat as much as with the cheaper inferior quality foods. Don't let that old habit of feeding more sway you when you change to a higher quality pet food - again, with higher quality ingredients your pet will just not need as much food. In most cases, if you switch your pet to a high quality pet food and continue to feed the same amount as with the lesser quality brand - your pet will gain weight.
The exact serving size varies from pet to pet. If your dog or cat has no 'figure' or shows no waist, chances are they need to lose a few pounds. Just cut back the serving size a little. Or, if you can visibly see ribs, then you probably need to slightly increase the serving size. Also, a cup of food a day for a two year old pet will probably be too much food when they are a little older. It is best to continue to monitor your pets weight.
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 information about how to select a healthier pet food for your pet visit www.TruthAboutPetFood.com. Sign up to the free newsletter and Petsumer Report.
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