There is no doubt that just about everyone looks for all kinds of ways to save money during tough times - especially when there are pets to feed as well as people.

Unfortunately many animal shelters are literally overrun with dogs and cats that have been surrendered because of financial problems for the owners.

While it is true that finances of most families are much tighter than they were even just a few months ago, there are some great options for saving money on dog food. Using just a few of these cost saving tips can save hundreds in dog food purchases throughout the year and mean that your budget can still handle your own grocery bills plus the cost of dog food.

There are many easy to access sources of coupons for dog food and dog care products. Some of the major areas to check on a regular basis include the:

• Internet
• Newspaper
• grocery store circulars
• mail out advertising

You may also be surprised to find out that some manufacturers websites are also offering discount coupons so don't forget to look at their sites as well. They are well aware that many dog and pet owners are struggling and that sales are dropping, so incentives for staying loyal to their brand are much more common. Checking back to these sites as well as simply Googling your brand name and the word "coupon" can provide a wide range of discount options.

Whatever options you choose to reduce the cost of your dog food, the one major mistake that you need to avoid is switching to a cheap or discount brand. These foods are high in fillers and non-nutritional components that swell up in the dog's stomach, making them feel full without any nutritional benefits. This would be the equivalent of humans only eating bran cereal; you may feel full but you won't be eating a balanced diet. You would also have some other problems that can be easily imagined on this type of diet. Dogs too will have issues with excessive gas, loose stool, diarrhea, vomiting as well as poor coat, skin and overall health issues.

It is important to stay with at least a mid range premium type of kibble. Dogs on wet or canned food can be switched to high quality dry kibble to save money, but it does have to be high quality. It will take a few weeks to make the switch but it will save you a lot of cash plus it is better for your dog's overall health.

Of course there is one obvious option to saving money on dog food and that is to switch your dog over to a natural or raw foods diet. This can include bones from beef and poultry along with organ meat, lean meats and butcher scrapes. Included in this diet are small amounts of vegetables, fruits and whole grains, very much in keeping with a diet that a wild canine would have consumed. It is both very healthy for your dog plus you may be able to find butchers and markets that will provide you will the bones and butchering scraps for little or no cost. You can also take advantage of meats that are on sale and even use grocery coupons to get both your food as well as that of your dog.

Dogs that are fed a natural or raw diet, sometimes known as a BARF (bones and raw foods) diet are generally healthier and have beautiful teeth and coats. Of course there are some very minor drawbacks as well, which can include some digestive issues during the initial transition. Usually within a few weeks these problems are resolved and your dog is well on his or her way to eating healthier and cheaper.

by Julie-Ann Amos, professional writer, and owner of international writing agency www.ExquisiteWriting.com

Why not create your own HubPages? It's fun and you can make revenue from Adsense and other revenue streams on your pages. JOIN HUBPAGES NOW - SIMPLY CLICK HERE...  (or contact me to write one for you!)

This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to CreativeCommons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California94105, USA.