Pets are not a frugal purchase as they take both time and money. But if the joy of pet ownership outweighs the costs for you then owning a pet on the cheap is still possible. We love our pets dearly and feel that the cost of them is worth it to have them a member of our family. Except for our bulldog, which has skin issues and requires medical care for that and special food, we have been able to have pets for very little cost.Acquiring pets. I do not recommend breeders for a pet. Yes, we got our bulldog from a breeder because after searching shelters for years we were unable to find a bulldog or even bulldog mix. But I probably wouldn't do it again. I am all for Humane Societies or shelters when choosing a pet. Not only is the price decent (on average, around $100) but they come with medical care - shots and spaying/neutering is already done. The shelter staff screens their animals so can tell you which animals would be a good fit for your family. There are purebreds at shelters (which is where we got our Pomeranian). But don't pass by the mutts as they are just as good pets and are often healthier than a purebred as they don't have as many genetic issues. The shelters are full of cats and kittens as well just waiting for a loving home.
Feeding pets. Besides our bulldog (who needs grain/corn free food) we are able to feed our pets fairly cheaply. We try to steer clear of products with any grain listed as the first ingredient as those are cheap fillers which are not good for the animals. Try to buy food with chicken,lamb, or fish as the first ingredient listed. While you will pay more in the beginning (around $20 for a 20lb. bag) the animals really do eat less of the food so it ends up being about the same in the end. Better food means better health so less vet bills. Our female cat can not eat cheap cat food or else she gets urinary tract infections and we have been to the vet too many times for that so I make sure to stick with a better brand of food for her. The better food also means less frequent waste as the animals are better able to digest the better foods, which means you are saving time cleaning the litter box or picking up outside. Sign up for PetPerks card at Petsmart to save money, be on the lookout for coupons, and check out other stores such as farm supply stores or feed stores to find better prices on animal foods.
Vet Care. Medical care can get expensive but there are ways around it. I buy the flea medicine online which saves money (Joe's Pet Meds is one of the cheapest I have found). We go to a vet who doesn't push products or shots at us and we try to keep our animals as natural as possible. I feel that many of the shots are unnecessary, or at the very least, not needed to be done yearly. We do the basics and make sure to keep them updated on their rabies (as required by law). Of course, as a pet owner you must be prepared for the bigger emergencies that may happen with a pet. Our cat, when we lived at the farm house, got her back leg stuck in a trap and drug herself home in the middle of a cold snap. It took us three days to find her, and by then her hind leg was frozen. She needed it to be amputated, which cost us close to $200 after several setbacks. It was worth it and she is going strong at eight years old and moves around quite nicely with just three legs. If you decide to own a pet you better be prepared to take care of that pet.
I have no advice about pet sitters as we have only gone on vacation once and had my family stop in to care for the animals while we were gone. If you vacation quite regularly you need to be prepared to board your animals while you are gone or have a pet sitter. Some hotels allow pets in the room with you but I can't imagine that traveling with a pet would be very relaxing, and those who you are visiting may not appreciate having an animal visit along with you.
Do you have any pets? How do you care for their needs and save money at the same time?.
For flea protection for cats and smaller dogs, you might want to talk to your vet about buying Frontline for large dogs and breaking it up into smaller doses. There isn't a huge difference in the cost of the tubes by size, so you're getting a lot more product for your money when you buy the larger doses and break them up.
ReplyDeleteThis was suggested by my parents' vet... they're able to treat all their cats (they trapped a pregnant feral and wound up keeping her and the kittens) using a single tube of the large dog stuff. To date, they've saved well over a thousand dollars on flea prevention this way... and we don't even use it year-round. It works out to be considerably cheaper than buying the OTC stuff, which can have nasty (and potentially dangerous) side effects.
The cat and dog formulations are slightly different, but our vet wasn't concerned, and we haven't experienced any problems (or fleas) as of yet (the "kittens" are 8 now). This won't work with all products (i.e. K-9 Advantix is toxic to cats), so before attempting, you should talk to your vet and have them determine the appropriate dose and product for your pet.
A few other favorites (and then I'll stop, I promise!):
ReplyDelete1) Testing diabetic pets' blood glucose at home.
I didn't start at-home monitoring because of cost, but because my cat has a number of other chronic conditions that can impact his regulation, and we (vet and I) decided it would be beneficial to be able to check him more regularly at times.
It's not difficult at all (placid cat), and it's (albeit inadvertently) saved me quite a bit of money. I use a Reli-On meter from Wal-Mart... it's just as accurate as the veterinary meter they use in the clinic (we've tested it), and it cost me as much as a single in-house reading would have ($9.99).
2) Reading the labels, buying in "bulk".
The brand of salmon oil they carry at PetSmart comes in a small bottle labeled "for cats" and a much larger bottle "for dogs". If you read the ingredients, they're the exact same product. The only difference? Per ounce, the "cat" stuff costs twice as much as the "dog" stuff. I always buy the large ("dog") bottle for my cats, and over time, I've probably saved quite a bit doing it.
3) Opting for human supplements where plausible (and safe).
One of my cats takes L-lysine on a daily basis. You can buy it in a flavored paste or chew form at the vet's office... or you can buy the human-grade stuff (which is flavorless and easily hidden in food) and invest in a pill splitter.
I have to buy it this way, because he's diabetic and the other products are full of sugar, but again... using it long-term, it's been a big money saver.
4) Using real meat instead of processed treats.
Organ meats are nutritious and cheap. During specials, around here, you can score a pound of fresh gizzards, heart, kidney, or liver for about a dollar... sometimes less. (Liver is the clear favorite in this house, but you don't want to overdo it due to the risk of hypervitaminosis A. The boys are not a big fan of kidney.) I cook the stuff, throw it in the food processor, and freeze it for use as treats and a food additive. It's good for them, they prefer it to the processed stuff, and pound for pound, it's way cheaper.
Thank you so much for those additional saving tips! I haven't had to deal with a lot of the medical issues that you have had to with your animals but it is good to know in case we run into that and need those extras in the future, and maybe some readers can benefit from it now.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of making my own special treats from organ meats. Our dogs would love that so I'll see how much they are priced at the store next time I am out. Thanks!!
No problem! I'm a student (read: short on funds), and happened to trap a young feral cat with a lot of issues, so I am always looking for ways to save without having to skimp on care.
ReplyDeleteI love that you posted this, because so many people don't realize that it is possible to care for their pets- even those with chronic issues- without cutting corners or breaking the bank.
For those with sick pets, AAA members can save 20% on some of their pets' prescriptions. Medication costs can vary widely from one pharmacy to another. (T's insulin costs $50 at the pharmacy down the street from my house, and $20 at the local Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart syringes are far cheaper, too.) For larger dogs, sometimes the size of the pills (if they're splittable) that the pharmacy stocks can have a huge impact on cost. By calling around and price checking, you can save a lot on certain medications. Alternatively, if your vet prescribes a prohibitively expensive antibiotic, don't be afraid to ask if there are any alternatives. There often are, and they may save you a lot of money. (I dropped $80 on a compounded antibiotic for one of my cats at the specialty clinic last year. When I elected to preemptively treat the other two because of T's immune issues, our regular vet's preferred antibiotic cost a whopping... $4. To treat *both* of them. Ouch.) Particularly if your vet is just handing out scripts, they may not even be aware that the medication is astronomically expensive... they may honestly be thinking they've prescribed the more affordable option, when that isn't the case. If you have to use an after-hours emergency clinic ($!) and they recommend a running a number of tests, see if any of them can be performed by your regular vet in the morning. This can sometimes save you a tremendous amount of money. (If you ask, our local ER will give you an itemized estimate so you can see how the prices compare.)
When finances are a concern, people should never be afraid to be open with their veterinarian. Most will be more than happy to work with you and help you find a way to provide your pets with affordable care. If not, look elsewhere! I've worked in the animal health field before, and we were always calling around to find the best deals on things for lower-income clients. It was heartbreaking when elderly fixed-income clients would break down at the register and admit that they'd been forgoing their own medications to pay their veterinary bills, because it doesn't have to be that way. There are resources available. Clinic staff can often help you find ways to save on care, all you have to do is ask!
Okay, stepping off the soapbox now, haha. (I promise!) Apologies for the (third) novel. :)
No apologies needed, this is all info that can help pet owners out greatly!
ReplyDeleteI agree with finding a trustworthy vet. We searched around and finally found one that we really like. The old vet that we used to use would charge us for a complete physical even when we just brought the dogs in for their shots. That could be $50+ for two dogs just to get one shot each! When I call our vet for their shots they charge JUST for the shot. He doesn't push testing or any shots that I want to steer clear of. Our cat gets urinary tract infections every one in awhile and he knows that I know what is going on so I am able to just call ahead and pick up some antibiotics for her instead of setting up an appointment, where as the other vets office always made us come in and charged a bunch just to tell me what I already knew. So I think the best piece of advice is finding a trustworthy vet who is not just in it for the money. It saves a bunch!