Our pets are family, and we want to feed them the best diet possible. The reality is that high quality diets can be expensive. In this article, I am going to give you some tips to help you save money on pet food while still feeding your dog or cat a healthy diet.
1. Subscription plans and auto-renewals
If you’re shopping online, sign up for the subscription plan or auto-renew option available. These plans almost always offer a discounted rate and free shipping and are a great way to save money on pet food. Plus, you can avoid the hassle of reordering and never stress about running out of your pet’s food again. Score!
A great example is the autoship plan available through Chewy.com.
Find your favorite product, and take a look at the savings you will receive when you participate in their autoship program.
At check-out, just choose the autoship schedule that works best for your cat or dog, and you’re ready to roll. Saving money feels so good!
2. Whole foods
No, not the grocery store!
Adding whole foods into your pet’s meal plan is a great way to boost the quality of their diet and keep things interesting. Consider adding small amounts of foods like egg, shredded chicken, and sweet potato. Chances are they won’t even notice you’ve found a substitute to their favorite carb-heavy snacks. Get creative and use what’s already in your fridge!
Pro tip #1: Be sure to avoid foods that are toxic to dogs and cats like onions, chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, and foods that contain xylitol (an artificial sweetener).
Pro tip #2: Add only small amounts and single ingredients to start. Don’t exceed approximately 10% of your pet’s diet. If you want to home cook for your dog, check out Dr. Angie’s blog here.
3. Go halfsies on diet formulation
It’s not always financially practical to solely feed a raw diet to your pet, and that’s okay. Don’t shame yourself. Remember: You are doing an amazing job!
When this is the case, save money on pet food by going halfsies with kibble and raw food. This may look like offering an expensive raw diet (your dog or cat’s version of tartar!) in the evening, with a less expensive kibble breakfast. You can always switch it up on occasion and offer breakfast for dinner! Some kibble diets have raw nibbles already included in the ingredients, like Stella and Chewy’s Raw Coated Kibble.
4. Make your own probiotics
Probiotics are amazing. They are a great way to repopulate the gut with good bacteria after a course of antibiotics, and they increase gut healing for our pets with gastrointestinal upset like chronic vomiting or diarrhea. Get your DIY on, and make your own probiotics by using Dr. Angie’s recipe here. Making your own probiotics is not only a great way to save money, but it also offers a wider variety of bacteria!
5. Couponing!
There is nothing wrong with doing your homework for some good ole fashion coupons! Consider subscribing to your favorite pet food company’s newsletters, making sure you are informed of the hottest and latest deals available. This is also a great way to hear about new products they may be releasing! Pssst….Dr. Angie often puts on a great supplement sale and you can stay in the money saving loop by subscribing to her newsletter here.
Saving money feels good, but so does feeding your dog and cat an optimal diet. I hope these 5 tips let you see that you can do both! What creative ways do you save money when feeding your cat or dog a healthy diet? Let me know in your comments below!
With love!
Claire
