BG, where do you buy your pet supplies?

[Taera]

As a new pet owner and a long time penny pincher, I want to know where's the cheapest place to buy your food, medicines, and anything else you might need for your pet. I know there is already a pet thread but I think it's only pics. If not then please point me in the right direction.

[Killgannon]

amazon.com? pretty much the chain pet stores are going to have the same prices as any other, however if you live in a country-esque place, you may be able to find a co-op type place that sells pet food cheaper

[Sepukku]

If you got a dog, shoot it. If you got a cat, buy food in bulk and you can also get nice treat canned dishes for like 25-50 cents per at the dollar store / pet stores. Find the cheapest possible cause depending on how much you spoil your cat (and I <3 mine to death), you can save a couple hundred dollars over their lifetime if you're getting them for a dime cheaper per unit.

[Jube]

Meds like Advatick I get off amazon, food from Petco, toys from Walmart. Jackets for my dogs I shop around my local special stores since I have 2 short haired dogs and live in New England. The special meds for my old cat who has heart problems I have special made from a company 2 towns over, costs about half what the vet would charge me. The rest of health things I deal with my vet. It also never hurts to ask your neighbors who own same type of pet in your area to see how they find their deals.

[oldoldman]

The pet store.

[Chicomagiko]

Pet food supply/warehouse/wholesale. I have a few that are a bit outta ways but oh so worth it. 24cans of pedigree canned food for 18USD is too amazing of a deal to pass up(28USD at Costco).

[Silenka]

I think Sam's Club sells a lot of pet supplies, that's usually pretty cheap but might have to buy some stuff in bulk. I dunno firsthand, I just know my dad buys some kind of dog food there.

[Yabby]

It depends if you want your pet to eat the fatty/Bad for them food (Big mac) or you only want them eating high protein healthy foods. Most of the really good cat food you won't even find at any of the places stated above, besides pet supply plus.

[Taera]

Well i'm looking for Iams for my Bulldog and the area I live is majority farmland so all the feed supply places here are geared tword that and run by people who were old in 1950. I was hoping to find a good online source but there is a Sam's in the next town so I might check there.

[Callisto]

I think Sam's Club sells a lot of pet supplies, that's usually pretty cheap but might have to buy some stuff in bulk. I dunno firsthand, I just know my dad buys some kind of dog food there.

This, if you are just buying standard retail pet food, Sam's/Wal-mart typically has good prices compared to pet stores/Target/grocery stores.

[Brill Weave]

I usually go to Sam's Club just out of convenience.

[Ksandra]

cat litter =costco to get it in bulk

food = petco, but I use the good stuff that you can't get at costco

toys/treats = walmart/target/etc.

[Swarley]

For a dog?
-Bowls: grocery store (get stainless steel, especially for a bulldog)
-Crate: craigslist, not worth the high price from a pet store
-Leash/collar: Petco
-Toys: Petco
-Treats: I bake my own biscuits, and soon will be dehydrating my own treats (yams, meats). It's fairly cheap to do and much healthier.
-Food: Dog eats raw so long story there, but cat eats a fairly healthy food for cheap from Agway.

Definitely use craigslist to your advantage, you can find lots of people practically giving away pet supplies.

Edit: You said you lived in the country, check to see if you have either Agway or Tractor Supply Company there. Both have lots of pet supplies for a good price.

[foopy]

[Salodin]

Does wally world carry Iams? If I were you I'd look into reviews for dog food now while your dog is still new to you, so you can get them on a good diet that works for you and your wallet. Last I checked, all the dog food at my neighborhood walmart was some of the worst food you could give your dog. Price tag in the future is also important, cause vet bills are expensive which could be prevented with a good diet on food that is only marginally more expensive, but gives your dog a longer, healthier life.

[Boyiee]

Iams is terrible for your pets, don't buy that fatty corn additive and gluten filled food.

It can take time to ween your pets off that shit and get them onto natural food, so start using good stuff asap. It really isn't that much different in price.

When you buy food, read the ingredients. If the first few dont say beef/chicken/etc don't buy it. If corn is anywhere in the ingredients, don't buy it. Glutens? Don't buy it. That is, unless you think it's good for them to eat the equivalent of mcdonalds every single meal.

[Amelya]

www.drsfostersmith.com < pretty good deals on frontline usually

www.petsolutions.com < I don't buy a lot here but it's worth price checking at least

www.bestbullysticks.com < yummy treats for less $$$

And of course the general petco petsmart target walmart type places. Walmart has pretty decent plastic crates for around $60 instead of the $100+ they charge at petco. If you have a TJMaxx in your area they usually have some good deals on pet beds, bowls, stuff like that.

Giving your pet a decent quality food will probably save you money in the long run. I don't know how many posts I've seen with "I just spent over $9000 at the vet because my dog is chewing his paws open and his skin is all scabby, what do I do?!" And then find out they're feeding some shit food with corn as the main ingredient, which is an extremely common allergy in animals.

[Yabby]

Well its the same as normal humans. If you eat fast food shit all day every day, your ass is going to get fat and have health problems. Same thing for pets, if you want them to live long and healthy lives... don't buy that shit corn fill shit.

[Lyrai]

PetSmart, employee discount for me. Not a lot of people know we'll do a price match if you have a flyer from another store.

We also started taking some competitor's coupons (though it's more hush-hush right now. Generally, we're cheaper than PetCo, and better customer service if you need it.

Buy toys from us at the end of seasons or after holidays, usually end of the month is better too. Stuff gets clearanced pretty frequently, especially toys.

[Swarley]

I didn't really want to get into the nutrition conversation, but I have to strongly agree. Bulldogs are horribly notorious for allergy problems and even buying from a fantastic breeder will not guarantee their quality of health nowadays. Feeding a quality diet is the biggest step in the direction of bulldog health, and while it seems that you're paying more, you're usually feeding less and you'll be saving yourself A TON on future vet bills.

This is a great website:
http://dogfoodanalysis.com/