Many people aren’t aware of the all costs associated with having pets. The cost of food and supplies can grow quickly if you’re not aware – after all I made sure mom created a special treat and toy fund just for fun stuff for me! While you can plan and budget for most of these items, what about medical emergencies?
Statistics show that dogs end up in the vets office twice as much as cats (we tend to get into things more). 😀 With all the new medical advances today, vets can help sick and aging pets live longer, however this also means it can become more expensive. Cancer treatments, emergency surgeries, and other medical issues can cost thousands of dollars.
So what are ways you can prepare?
First of all – create a separate savings account and put some money in there each month. Don’t touch it! This money is for your pets medical emergencies only! According to an MSN Money article pet owners may actually spend more over time on their animals than those without, however regardless of what you choose – you can prepare for those unexpected costs. You should also ask yourself, how much are you willing to spend on their health?
There are other ways to also help trim the fat and save money on your pet’s medical costs:
- Use low-cost clinics for shots. Your vet may host one or two such clinics each year, or you can call your local Humane Society chapter, animal control department or veterinary hospital for leads. Most Pet Food Express stores in the Bay Area holds weekly shot clinics – this saves you the cost of a vet appointment and some shots are cheaper through these clinics!
- Get second opinions. You’ll have time, with most conditions, to consult another vet before committing to expensive treatments or drugs. You also can consult The Merck Veterinary Manual online for a rundown on your pet’s condition and recommended treatments.
- Ask for samples. Your vet may have free starter packets of many popular medications. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
- Shop around for meds. You can call around to other vets, check out pet catalogs or search the Internet, many online places offer free shipping and larger discounts than vet offices.
- Don‘t cheap out on pet food. An investment in better-quality food can pay off in fewer health problems, particularly with cats, which can be more susceptible to urinary tract infections if fed inexpensive cat food. Check with your vet. Just like eating healthy and exercising for humans reduces medical problems, the same works in animals as well! This is an investment in your future, there are articles put out by the Whole Dog Journal and in Bark magazine that help you read food labels.
- Keep their weight down. Just as with people, obesity in animals can trigger health problems.
- Keep your pet indoors or on a leash. Free-running animals have more accidents, contract more illnesses and take a bigger toll on the environment than pets that are kept under control. (In other words, Fluffy will live a longer, healthier life indoors, and the songbirds of the neighborhood will thank you.)
- Keep their teeth clean. Dental health is related to physical health so keeping your pets teeth clean is another way to cut down costs. Look for pet friendly toothbrushes and toothpaste (DON’T! use human toothpaste it can hurt them). Check out our past post on dental health.
This list was compiled from the following sources: www.furryfriendsrescue.org, moneycentral.msn.com
This is part 1 of a 3 part series, to go to part 2 or 3 click the links below: