Crypto Blog

The Rising Price of Dog Food

In its February report, the World Bank noted “sharp increases” in the global prices of wheat, maize, sugar, and edible oils over the last six months, with an accompanying rise, albeit smaller, in the price of rice. The bank’s food price index surged by 15 percent over the last quarter of 2010, and stands only three percentage points below its peak, reached in June 2008. Since then, an estimated 44 million people in developing countries have fallen below the poverty line.

With that said and all the horrible weather this winter that destroyed crops or agricultural products I am sure you have seen a rise in the cost of your grocery bill. While many people might just grumble over the fact that the tomatoes never seem to go on sale or the milk seems bit more expensive then last year people are becoming vicious when it comes to Pet Food. We buy a bag of food and know within a day or two how long it will last. Do I like the fact that the price of the food has gone up? No But do I understand it if I take into account the price of my groceries? Yes. Do I like the fact that the food I buy for Davinia and Indiana seems to go on sale so rarely now or that it is more expensive overall then it was a few years ago? No I don't.

But I also realize that if I insist on not feeding the dogs pork, Davinia refuses to go near lamb, and have a feeling Indiana's tummy can't tolerate beef that my food choices are going to be more expensive. I am also fully aware that much of the salmon in America right now is from China (even if some companies are hiding that fact) and is not the best quality anyway and the salmon from South America is none existant this year and the Wild caught salmon being sold at Whole Foods is so pricey I will not even give it a second glance after choking the first time I looked at the price. If we need to feed a specific protein source or have a limited list of which ones we will feed then when prices for that protein goes up it makes sense that the price of the food will go up.

Is there a way to combat the price hike for dog food?

There are always options it just depends on what you are willing to do. I personally am not willing to sacrifice quality of food any more then I already have (meaning there is a food I would rather feed but it is way outside of my budget). I could go homemade if I lived in a rural area or a more suburban area that has access to a low cost butcher though I am honestly not sure I could feed for a cheaper price given our protein restrictions. Right now the girls eat a Duck based food and at least here in the US I have never seen a cheap duck. I guess I could let ducks swim in the pool and let the girls catch their dinner (no I don't mean that but it would be cheaper).

Chicken can be pretty cheap if purchased in bulk and the dogs do like it but I think I would need to be a lot more disciplined in the use of the meat and grains and vegetables and fruit if I were to do it on a daily basis and keep to a budget. For those who feel for any number of reasons that buying pre-made dog food at the store is the best option for us right now we will just need to grumble and deal with it that the price of dog food is going up. If food prices where going down but pet food was going up we could get mad and either stop feeding that brand or write to them about our feelings.

But to flat out accuse a Pet Food Brand of Criminal Behavior because their food price increased $5 in the past 2 years is a little ridiculous. I have actually seen that written on several Pet Food Brand Facebook walls lately. Whether the brand is generic or the highest quality you can find it is completely unfair. If your monthly grocery bill has gone up doesn't it stand to reason eventually your pet food will too? Do you accuse your grocer of Criminal Behavior when the price of rice goes up or the price of your chicken? What about your favorite resturant who had to raise prices or stop serving a certain item because they couldn't afford it.

Those who watch the news or read a newspaper or online news source know the price of food has gone up and is only expected to continue to go up this summer. We can be prepared and make educated decisions for ourselves based on that forecast.

Have you come up with a plan if you have please share as it might spark ideas for others of where to source food from or give us options we didn't realize exist. What is the best option for your family budget?

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/07/economists-urge-obama-overreact-high-food-prices/#ixzz1G1Xkux1a

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