Rising Dog Food Prices

This graph of dog food prices is German, but the story is the same all over.

Dog food prices are going up all over, regardless of brand or even what part of the civilized world you live in.

How much are they going up? As a general rule, dog food is 8 to 10 percent more expensive now than it was a year ago. The reason for this is not complex: energy costs.

As oil rose from $ 50 a barrel to over $ 135 a barrel, not only did shipping and manufacturing become more expensive, but so too did food ingredients such as corn and soy prices.

The price of corn and soy impacts everything from the price of chicken and beef, to the price and availability of substitute sources of protein, fat and fiber.

What can you do to reduce pet food costs?

Well, that depends on how many animals you have, their size, and your storage capacity.

Buying in bulk may result in savings, provided you do not store more than your dogs can consume in 2-3 months. Remember that pet food that goes rancid or buggy is a 100 percent waste.

Choosing where you buy your food matters a lot. Some low-margin bulk stores like Costco or Target can save you money as compared to buying food at a veterinarian, a pet store, or even some commercial grocery stores.

Changing brands may save you money, and ditching a high-cost “premium” food may actually result in better nutrition for your pet.

Remember that most of what you have been told about dog food is complete nonsense. Terms such as “premium,” “super-premium,” “human grade,” “natural,” “holistic” and “all natural” mean nothing. Most of the dog foods being sold with these monikers are simple “lick and stick” labeling jobs where marketing companies have contracted with third party manufacturers to make dog food in bulk, sight unseen. You are probably not buying a better food; you are simply paying more for hype and marketing.

Remember that third-party manufacturing is how we got into the Menu Foods toxic dog food mess to start with: nameless, faceless people making dog food out of sight and out of mind, with no institutional label to support, no historical source chain of ingredients, and no personnel on site to ensure quality control.

Dogs are not new. If your grandfather would not recognize the dog food company in question, I would give serious pause. Is this a company that does live-dog feeding trials? Is this a company that has used an unbroken chain of ingredient suppliers for decades on end? Is this a company that can buy in bulk, that owns its own manufacturing equipment, and has a long-term brand name in the pet food business? In my opinion, these are very important questions that should be asked before you read the rest of the label.

Finally, be aware that some dog food brands seem to be raising their prices more than others. This may reflect a change in manufacturers and ingredient chains following the fallout from the Chinese toxic dog food fiasco.

My advice remains as always: feed what you want, but keep your dogs at their correct weight, which is generally lighter than most people think.

Second, look over your entire budget to find savings, not just the dog food budget.

If you want to save money and increase happiness, cut back on your own bad habits, from beer consumption to speeding. Repair the hose rather than buy a new one, and sew on a button rather than get a new shirt. Wash the dog with the cheapest Dollar Store shampoo you can find rather than the expensive stuff sold at the pet shop (it’s all the same), and search this web site to find out how to save hundreds of dollars a year on veterinary costs. Dogs do not have to be expensive, but there are certain minimum costs, and food is one of them.

Will dog food costs come down with oil prices? Probably. But there will be a lag, as agricultural cycles have a 12-month rhythm and are subject to a wide variety of variables (weather, federal import and export policies, the creation of new ethanol-conversion programs) beyond price-per-barrel oil prices.

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  Related Links:
  ** No Evidence One Dog Food Is Better Than Another
  ** Dog Food: Let’s Try Science!
  **What is the Work of Dogs in this Country?
  ** Get Over It: Bagged Dog Food is Fine for Fido
  ** Murder by Can Opener: How Pet Owners Kill Dogs
  ** Why Dogs are in Better Shape Than Their Owners
  ** Treat Me Like a Human
  ** Canned Beaver as Dog Food?
  ** Dog Food Secrets “They” Don’t Want You To Know About
  ** Dog Food Blues: A Waive of Pancreatitis Is Next
  ** A Brief History of Dog Food
  
  
  

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