In tough economic times, pet owners in the UK are looking to cut spending by using cheaper petfood while simultaneously maintaining their pets' health, according to a recent  article by The London Times .

A recent survey revealed UK pet owners currently spend on average £3.50 (US$4.88) a week on petfood, 50p (US$.70) more than their (average) weekly spend on fruit and vegetables.

In the article, experts recommended that owners should purchase a well-balanced, store-bought food versus preparing homemade food.

"It is possible to feed pets homemade diets, but there are numerous potential problems that can arise if the diet is not correctly balanced," said Anne Tebb, a veterinarian at Bristol University.

Professor Edward Hall, president of the  British Small Animal Veterinary Association , said the most important thing to look out for when purchasing petfood is that the product is a nutritionally balanced complete petfood, suitable for the age of the animal, and contains vitamins and minerals.