Buying Pet Food Online: Labels, Subscriptions and Switching Foods

Ordering pet food online saves carrying heavy bags home and makes it easy to try foods your local store doesn't stock. It also makes it easy to order the wrong thing, end up with more than you can store, or switch foods too quickly. Here's how to buy with confidence.

Read the label, not just the front of the bag

The front of the pack is marketing. The useful information is in the smaller print, which a good product page reproduces in full.

• Species and life stage. Check the food is made for your type of pet and its stage of life, such as puppy or kitten, adult, or senior. Some foods are labelled for "all life stages".
• Complete or complementary. A complete food is intended to be fed on its own as the main diet. A complementary food, such as many treats, toppers and some wet foods, is meant to be fed alongside something else. In the US, look for a nutritional adequacy statement saying the food is "complete and balanced" for a given life stage; in the UK, the label should say "complete" or "complementary".
• Ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. Useful if you're avoiding a particular ingredient, but the order alone doesn't tell you everything about quality.
• Analytical constituents or guaranteed analysis. The UK and US terms for the protein, fat, fibre and moisture figures. Wet and dry foods aren't directly comparable because of the difference in moisture.
• Feeding guide. Recommended amounts by weight. Treat it as a starting point and use it to work out how long a bag will last.

If a product page doesn't show the full label, look elsewhere or ask the seller before you buy.

For anything to do with your pet's health, weight, allergies or a special diet, ask your vet. A product page can't tell you what's right for your individual animal, and foods described as for a specific condition should only be used on professional advice.

Work out the real cost

Bigger bags usually cost less per kilogram or pound, but only if you can use them while they're fresh.

1. Compare price per kg or per lb, not price per bag.
2. Use the feeding guide to estimate how many days a bag will last for your pet.
3. Add delivery costs and check the minimum order for free delivery.
4. Compare a few stores; our guide to comparing prices across stores shows how.

Auto-ship subscriptions: useful, if you stay in control

Many pet stores offer repeat delivery (often called auto-ship or subscribe and save), sometimes with a discount on each order.

• Set the frequency to match how fast you actually use food. Start slightly shorter than your estimate and adjust.
• Check how to pause, skip or change an order. The best services let you do this in your account at any time.
• Note the cut-off. There's usually a date before each delivery after which changes won't apply.
• Check whether the discount applies to the first order only or every order, and whether prices can change.
• Make sure cancelling is simple and doesn't come with a fee or minimum number of orders.

Set up a reminder to review the subscription when your pet moves to a new life stage, or if your vet recommends a change.

Store it properly

• Keep dry food in its original bag, which is designed to protect it, and put the whole bag inside a clean, airtight container if you want extra protection.
• Keep the bag's batch code and best-before date until it's finished, in case of a product recall.
• Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
• Refrigerate opened wet food and follow the label for how long it keeps.
• Check deliveries on arrival for torn bags, dented cans or broken seals, and report damage to the store promptly.

Switch foods gradually

Changing food suddenly can upset some pets' stomachs. A common approach is to mix increasing amounts of the new food with the old over around a week, but follow the advice on the new food's packaging and ask your vet if your pet has a sensitive stomach or health condition.

• Order the new food before the old one runs out, so you have both for the changeover.
• Try a smaller bag first if it's a brand your pet hasn't eaten before.
• Check the store's policy on opened food. Some will refund or exchange food your pet won't eat; many won't.

Buy from a reliable store

Food is something you want to arrive on time and in good condition. Choose a store with clear delivery times, a contact address and a returns policy. See how to check if an online store is legit, and be cautious with reviews that seem too good to be true; here's how to spot fake reviews.