If dog food feels expensive, the government data agree on the level and disagree on the momentum. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) consumer price index for pet food and treats reached 194.687 in July 2026 and 194.485 in August, the highest readings since BLS began the series in December 1997. But the August figure was only 1.6% above August 2025, less than half the 3.4% rise in the all-items index over the same months.
That gap is the story of 2022 through 2026: a sharp jump in 2022, a flat-to-falling 2024 and a slow climb since. Here is the price trail, what pet food companies report about their own pricing, and how the owners in APPA’s surveys are adjusting.
Trend Signal
44/100 Steady momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
Record index level, but only 1.6% above a year earlier
The BLS pet food and treats index reached 194.687 in July 2026, its highest monthly reading since at least 2019, yet August 2026 stood only 1.6% above August 2025 while all items rose 3.4%.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- 194.7BLS pet food and treats index, July 2026: highest monthly reading since at least 2019BLS
- +1.6%Pet food and treats prices, August 2026 vs August 2025 (all items: +3.4%)BLS
- +21.4%Rise in the pet food and treats index, December 2021 to May 2023 peak (our calculation)BLS
- +11%Year-over-year rise in dog owners feeding basic dog food, to 21% of ownersAPPA
The 2022 jump set the price floor
Pet food prices barely moved from 2019 through 2021: the BLS index started 2019 at 151.723 and ended 2021 at 158.730. Then it jumped. Between December 2021 and May 2023 it rose 21.4% to 192.666, by our calculation from the published index values. In August 2022 pet food prices were 13.1% above a year earlier, well ahead of the 8.3% rise in all items that month.
Prices did not fall back in any meaningful way. By our calculation, the index slipped 1.7% from December 2023 to December 2024, while overall consumer prices rose 2.9%, then gained 1.2% over 2025. The result is a new, higher baseline: on the same basis, August 2026 pet food prices were 25.3% above August 2020. Over the same six years, the all-items index rose 28.9%, so pet food has now lagged general inflation since 2020 after leading it in 2022.
The painful increase happened in 2022 and early 2023; the 2026 price level is mostly that jump, not a new surge.
Where the index sits in 2026
Month to month, 2026 has been a slow grind higher. The index opened the year at 192.551, reached 194.383 in March, eased to 193.229 in May and set its high of 194.687 in July. By our calculation, the year-over-year rate stayed between 1.3% and 2.3% in every month from January through August 2026, and the index has been above its year-earlier level in every published month since July 2025. One gap to know about: BLS published no October 2025 reading for this series because of the 2025 appropriations lapse.
Company reports show no pricing surge behind the index. Freshpet’s price and mix subtracted 0.8% from its first-half 2026 sales growth even as volume rose 15.1%. General Mills credited favorable net price realization and mix, plus lower input costs, for a 14% rise in fourth-quarter pet operating profit, but its organic pet net sales fell 3% for fiscal 2026.
| 12 months to August | Pet food and treats | All items |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +13.1% | +8.3% |
| 2023 | +8.7% | +3.7% |
| 2024 | –0.4% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | +0.2% | +2.9% |
| 2026 | +1.6% | +3.4% |
Supplies, tariffs and the rest of the aisle
Pet supplies have been calmer than food. The BLS index for purchase of pets, pet supplies and accessories stood at 133.257 in August 2026, up 1.9% from a year earlier and, by our calculation, 14.4% above August 2020, about half the pace of overall inflation over those six years. Its high for January through August 2026 was 134.986 in March.
Tariffs are the swing factor for hard goods. Petco said in its September 2, 2026 earnings release that it had received substantially all refunds of tariffs it paid under IEEPA in 2025 and 2026, a $6.8 million net benefit in the quarter. Petco did not say whether any of that would reach shelf prices, so the supplies index is the place to watch.
The steep price increases in pet care are in services, not goods. The BLS veterinarian services index was 5.7% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, which is a separate story from the food bowl but part of why owners feel squeezed.
How owners are trading down
APPA’s surveys show owners adjusting where and what they buy rather than cutting back on the pet. In its 2026 State of the Industry report, 22% of pet owners said they spent less on their pets in 2025. Its 2026 Dog Report, drawn from the 2025 National Pet Owners Survey, found basic dog food feeding up 11% year over year to 21% of owners, supermarket food buying up 7% to 32% of owners and discount-retailer buying up 22% to 22% of owners. Average treat spending fell 11%.
Food is still a protected line: it took 27% of dog owners’ spending in the same APPA report, second only to veterinary care at 29%. Subscriptions are locking in routine purchases, too. Autoship customer sales made up 84.6% of Chewy’s net sales in its quarter ended August 2, 2026.
None of this means premium food is fading. Premium food remained the most commonly fed option at 31% of dog owners, and fresh brands are still growing, as our pets coverage tracks. But the shift toward value is new, and we read it as one reason the pet food index has risen only slowly since 2024.
Buy now or wait?
There is no sign of a price drop to wait for. The index has been above its year-earlier level in every published month since July 2025, and Freshpet is growing on volume rather than on price. The useful levers are unit price and waste: compare the price per pound across bag sizes, store large bags airtight so the last scoop is as usable as the first, and measure portions instead of pouring by eye.
If you buy premium or fresh food, look for multi-pack and larger-size offers rather than expecting list prices to fall. Freshpet’s price and mix turned slightly negative in late 2025 and the first half of 2026, meaning it collected slightly less per unit sold, though the company does not say whether promotions, pack sizes or product mix drove that.
What to watch next
- The next monthly BLS CPI releases, for whether the pet food and treats index climbs past its July 2026 high of 194.687.
- APPA’s next State of the Industry report, for whether the 22% share of owners spending less keeps growing.
- The BLS pet supplies index after Petco’s tariff refunds, for any easing in hard-goods prices.
Where to start
Paid links: we earn a commission if you buy through the buttons below, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ways to cut the cost per bowl
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Airtight pet food storage container | Fits large-bag buyers | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Pet food measuring scoop set | Fits portion control | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Large-bag dry dog food | Fits value-first budgets | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
Airtight pet food storage container
Where to look: Amazon
The bigger bag usually wins on price per pound only if the food stays usable to the end. An airtight bin sized to your bag is what makes buying in bulk pay.
- Makes big bags practical
- Keeps pests and moisture out
- Takes floor or pantry space
- Needs washing between bags
Pet food measuring scoop set
Where to look: Amazon
Pouring by eye is the quietest form of waste. A marked scoop turns the feeding chart into the same portion every day.
- Cheap way to stop overpouring
- Works with any food
- Only as good as the feeding chart
- Easy to misplace
Large-bag dry dog food
Where to look: Amazon
Basic and value dry food is where APPA sees owners moving. Compare the unit price, not the bag price, and buy only as much as your dog will finish before the date.
- Lower cost per pound in larger sizes
- Fewer store trips
- Heavy to carry and store
- Must be used before the best-by date
More: Pets trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- Pet food and treats in U.S. city average, CPI-U — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Purchase of pets, pet supplies, accessories in U.S. city average, CPI-U — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Consumer Price Index News Release, August 2026 — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- All items in U.S. city average, CPI-U — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Veterinarian services in U.S. city average, CPI-U — Bureau of Labor Statistics
- America’s Dog Owners Are Becoming Smarter Spenders — American Pet Products Association
- U.S. Pet Industry Reaches $158 Billion in 2025 — American Pet Products Association
- Freshpet, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results — Freshpet via SEC
- Freshpet, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results — Freshpet via SEC
- General Mills Reports Fiscal 2026 Fourth-quarter Adjusted Results — General Mills
- Chewy second quarter fiscal 2026 results, Exhibit 99.1 — Chewy via SEC
- Petco second quarter 2026 results, Exhibit 99.1 — Petco via SEC
Questions readers ask
Why is dog food so expensive in 2026?
Most of the increase came between December 2021 and May 2023, when the BLS pet food and treats index rose 21.4% by our calculation. Prices slipped less than 2% from that peak at their lowest, and the index set a new high of 194.687 in July 2026.
Are pet food prices still rising?
Slowly. The BLS pet food and treats index was 1.6% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025, compared with a 3.4% rise in the all-items consumer price index.
Have pet food prices risen more than general inflation?
Not since 2020. By our calculation from BLS index values, the pet food index rose 25.3% from August 2020 to August 2026 while the all-items index rose 28.9%, although pet food rose faster during 2022.
Are pet supplies getting more expensive too?
Less than food. The BLS index for pets, pet supplies and accessories rose 1.9% in the year to August 2026 and, by our calculation, 14.4% since August 2020.
