Dog food offers
The offers worth having are the ones that lower the real cost per kilogram or per meal of a food your dog already eats well, not the ones that just look big on the shelf edge, and working that figure out takes one simple sum.
Work out the price per kilogram, not the price on the bag
A large bag on offer can look like better value than a small bag at full price, and often is, but the only way to know for certain is to divide the price by the weight and compare that figure across sizes and brands. A 12kg bag discounted to look like a bargain can still work out more expensive per kilogram than a smaller bag of a different food at its normal price.
This matters more with dry food than wet, because bag sizes vary widely — 2kg, 12kg, 15kg — and a straight price comparison between different sizes tells you almost nothing on its own. Do the sum before deciding an offer is genuinely good value.
Multipacks and case offers
Wet food sold by the case, or pouches sold in bulk multipacks, are usually where the clearest savings sit, because buying in bulk removes some of the individual packaging and handling cost that pushes up the price of buying single trays or tins. If your dog is settled on a food they eat reliably, buying it by the case when it is discounted is one of the more straightforward ways to save.
The catch is only worth having the offer if you would have bought that much of the food anyway. A large discounted case of a food your dog turns their nose up at halfway through is not a saving, whatever the shelf-edge sticker says.
Larger bag sizes as a standing saving
Even without a specific promotion, larger bags of dry food are almost always cheaper per kilogram than the smallest bag of the same recipe, simply because manufacturing and packaging costs do not scale up in a straight line with weight. For a dog who reliably eats the same food long-term, buying the largest size that will stay fresh before the bag is finished is a more consistent saving than waiting for offers to appear.
Dry food does lose some freshness once opened, so weigh the saving from a bigger bag against how quickly your dog actually gets through it — a huge bag that goes slightly stale before it is finished is a false economy even at a lower price per kilogram.
Being realistic about "cheapest"
No single food is honestly the cheapest for every dog, because portion size scales with a dog's weight and the recipe's calorie density — a small dog on a calorie-dense food can cost noticeably less per month than a large dog on a lower-calorie one, whatever the shelf price per kilogram says.
Working out cost per feeding day for your own dog, using the feeding guide on the bag, gives a more honest comparison than price per kilogram alone. It takes a few extra minutes but is the only figure that actually reflects what your dog costs to feed each month.
The cheaper end of the range
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Forthglade British Classics Chicken Family Lunch
Complete Forthglade wet dog food with 75% chicken in a 395G tray
£2.45
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Common questions
- Are bigger bags of dog food always better value?
- Almost always cheaper per kilogram, yes, but only a genuine saving if your dog gets through the bag before it starts to lose freshness. For a smaller dog eating slowly, a slightly smaller bag bought more often can work out more practical even if it costs a little more per kilogram.
- How do I compare two different dog food offers fairly?
- Divide the price by the pack weight for each one to get a price per kilogram, then compare those figures rather than the sticker prices. For a fair comparison of cost to actually feed your dog, use the feeding guide on each bag to work out an approximate cost per day.
- Do wet food offers save more than dry food offers?
- It depends on the specific offer, but case discounts on wet food are often where the clearest percentage savings sit, because buying in bulk cuts down on individual packaging costs. Compare the price per kilogram either way rather than assuming one format is always cheaper.
- Is it worth switching dog food brands just for an offer?
- Generally not, unless the new food is a similar recipe your dog is likely to tolerate well. Sudden food changes can upset a dog's stomach, and a saving is not much of a saving if it comes with a week of digestive upset.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.