Introduction

For pet owners, going to the pet store can be a fun and exciting experience. You get to see new products and meet other animal lovers, but it also has its share of pitfalls. As a veteran shopper with over 20 years of experience under my belt, I’ve made some mistakes along the way that could have cost me time and money. However, after learning from these errors (and talking with other pet parents), I’ve put together this list of seven common mistakes that people make when visiting their local pet stores:

Buying too much food up front.

You should buy the smallest bag you can.

This is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s important to keep in mind that buying a large bag of food up front will end up costing you more money over the long term. This is because those larger bags are often filled with more air than actual food! In other words, they don’t contain as much product per dollar as their smaller counterparts do. So if you’re thinking about buying a 40 lb bag of dog food for your Great Dane (who eats a whopping 6 cups per day), think again! That might sound like a lot right now, but once he hits his growth spurt and starts eating 8 cups per day—and let’s not forget that he’ll be getting older too—that 40 lbs won’t last long at all! Look for something closer to 20 lbs instead; it will save you time later on when it comes time to restock your kibble supply.

Letting your pet pick out the food.

• You shouldn’t let your pet pick out the food. Pets are not good at making decisions, and they don’t know what’s best for them. If you let your pet choose their own food, they’ll probably pick out the easiest-to-reach option or one that looks visually appealing to them (i.e., colorful packaging).
• Make sure to check with your vet before switching up their diet too much or introducing new foods into their routine.

Being too brand-loyal.

There is a saying that goes something like “the brand is the man.” In other words, the integrity of the person providing you with your product (or service) is more important than any feature or characteristic of their product itself. This can be applied to pet ownership in a similar way: loyalty to your pet’s health should be more important than loyalty to any particular brand of food or treat.

For example, if you get a new puppy and he’s eating his first bag of dog treats, it would make sense for him to eat them all at once before moving on to another flavor. However, if he eats too many treats at once and has an adverse reaction (such as diarrhea), then it would be better for both parties if he doesn’t become too loyal too soon!

Remember: your pet comes first; so do what’s best for him/her when selecting products from which store shelves!

Assuming that expensive is best.

• Good food isn’t always expensive.
• Check the ingredients list.

If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it!

If it’s cheap food, chances are you’ll be getting good value for your dollar.

Not reading the labels properly.

When you walk into the pet store, you might be tempted to just grab the first bag of food that catches your eye. After all, it’s probably not going to kill your cat right?

But before you make a decision, take a look at the label on their food. Don’t just glance over it—read it carefully! If they’ve been eating the same brand for years and are healthy and happy, don’t worry too much about what’s in it (though if there are any allergies or issues with digestion, talk to your vet). But if this is new food, read carefully:

• Is there anything weird or gross-looking on here? If so, why does this company think we should feed our pets something like that? Also check for allergens like corn or wheat; if your pet has an allergy or sensitivity to these things already then he/she might need something different than what’s on offer here today.* How do they explain why this food works better than other brands out there? Are they saying something specific such as “our vitamins are made with real salmon,” but no one else uses real salmon because “the price is too high.” Or perhaps there’s some science behind how different amino acids work differently when mixed together versus another brand that might say things like “this formula contains probiotics which help reduce gas” without actually explaining how those probiotics work.* What about claims like “100% organic” vs “organic ingredients:” does that mean anything specific other than being grown organically without pesticides (which is great!) So again we have two products claiming similar benefits but one has more information

Avoiding grain.

• Grains are a necessary part of a balanced diet.
• Grain is not just for cats and dogs. It’s also for puppies and kittens, too!
• Grain is not just filler; it has many nutritional benefits (like protein) that you may be missing from other foods you’re feeding your pet.

Buying only dry food.

Buying only dry food.

Dry food is not a complete diet. In fact, it’s not even close. Protein-rich wet, canned or raw food is the only way to satisfy your dog’s instincts for chewing and eating real meat. Dry kibble can cause health problems in dogs because of its high carbohydrate content (which promotes inflammation in the body). It can also lead to obesity and diabetes later on in life—especially if they’re given human foods like cheese puffs or crackers as treats!

It’s also more expensive than wet foods, which are typically half the cost of kibble products. And while some dry products do include vitamin supplements to make up for what’s missing from their ingredients list, those vitamins are likely synthetic forms that don’t work as well as natural ones found naturally occurring within fresh foods or whole grain carbohydrates (like brown rice).

Making proper decisions at the pet store will help you save money and help you make sure your animals are properly fed!

• Make sure you are buying the right food for your pet.
• Make sure you are buying the right amount of food.
• Make sure you are feeding your pet at the right time.
• Make sure you are feeding your pet in the right way! This includes things like whether they eat dry or wet food and how much they should get per day, etc…(see next section).

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many things to consider when you’re shopping for your pet. It’s not always easy to know what the best choice is, but if you keep these tips in mind, you should be able to make good decisions that will benefit both your wallet and your animal companion.