Price vs. Cost — the Bottomline of Your Pet’s Food

From increased prices to market instability, today’s economic challenges have made us more aware of our carbon footprint and long term planning. We’re trimming costs and realizing that investments aren’t always about stocks and real estate. We’re finding it’s important to be smarter about our health and well-being, as well as frugal. And for those of us with companion animals, the same choices can be applied to our pets’ care and diets. 

So it’s important to understand there is a difference comparing price to cost-particularly when it comes to pet foods. While we used to be able to say you get what you pay for with pet foods, it’s not so black and white anymore. All of the economic stressors over the last year have impacted pet foods: sourcing, manufacturing, transportation and distribution. Prices now reflect these factors and if not taken into your decision making, can affect the cost of your pet’s health. Understanding your pets’ needs and knowing the guidelines for healthier food decisions, you will be getting more for the price and lowering costs.

 Here are a few tips before paying at the register.

• Select manufacturers want to reward loyalty to their brand and offer frequent buyer programs. Other manufacturers provide coupons. Ask your pet store for help with the brand and program that best matches your pet’s needs.
• Make sure you understand the label ingredients. Fixed formula or Open Labeling are key factors during economic downtimes. Fixed formulas are just that-the formula does not change.  Open Labeling allows the manufacturer to change the ratio of the ingredients, as long as they remain in the same descending order on the label. If the price of your pet’s food did not increase, then you need to ask how they kept the price in check?
• Think about your carbon footprint-every little bit helps. As hard as it is buying local in the pet food industry, there are a few choices in varying degrees. Starting with U.S. sourced ingredients down to fresh local foods, there are options to trim your budget and offer even healthier diets.
• Purchasing larger sizes can lower your price, but remember, pet foods aren’t everlasting, especially naturally preserved foods. Talk with your pet store about keeping your pet’s food fresh and within budget.
• Develop and support a relationship with your holistic pet store or stores. Knowledge and customer service are their specialty. Plus, many independent pet stores network with veterinarians in their community, creating a synergistic team for your and your pets.
• Try your hand at home-made diets, whether it’s raw or cooked. Visit local farm markets for local produce-maybe even some locally produced raw pet foods. You’ll be supporting your community’s resources and reducing your environmental impact, while offering fresher foods and nutrients. Remember, offering a variety of foods can be very beneficial to your pet’s long term health.

 For more information, keep checking the Diet and Nutrition section of our website . . . we’re working on more articles and tips!

© PetSage 2009