Tips to save on pet care during a recession
Taking care of a pet doesn’t have to be expensive. Even with the rising costs of products and the economic downturn, we still want to pamper our pets but not spend a fortune. There are many ways to save on pet care; it’s just a matter of being resourceful.
Do the grooming yourself
Grooming isn’t just about making sure your pet looks nice. Preventive care is far less expensive than treatment. Brushing your pet’s teeth regularly is one simple task you can do yourself. This will go a long way to saving you a lot of money since a vet cleaning, can cost as much as $200. Other pet maintenance that you can learn to do on your own is trimming your pet’s claws and brushing their coat. You can ask your vet about the proper way to trim your pet’s claws and other proper pet grooming. Regularly brushing your pet’s coat will significantly reduce grooming costs. If you have a pet cat, regularly brushing its fur will lessen its hairballs. For dog owners, you can ask your vet how to clean your dog’s ears to prevent ear infection.
Reduce trips to the vet
You can ask your veterinarian if annual vaccinations are really necessary, and if there is anyway to reduce the number of times you have to get your pet vaccinated. The American Animal Hospital Association changed its recommendation of vaccinations to be done only every three years instead of yearly. This prevents over vaccination and actually improves the health of the general pet population.
Shop around
In difficult economic times, bargain hunting for your pet is more important than ever. This includes pet food, medications, and vet care. Large pet stores might be the most convenient, but they often aren’t the cheapest. Search the internet for discounts or go around your neighborhood and compare prices. Small pet shops may be offering lower prices than big chain pet stores. For pet medicines, the internet is a great place to hunt for discounted products. When price comparing, make sure that the dosage and quantity are the same before your buy the product. You may also want to consider hunting for a less costly veterinarian. Routine visits to the vet average from $150 to $210 a year. Going with a less expensive vet does not mean that you have to sacrifice quality. Some of the big and popular pet clinics are more expensive because of their image and overhead, but smaller and cheaper clinics may provide the same quality of service, if not better. Compare the prices of the services by checking out what routine visits cover. Always make sure to ask for recommendations and talk to your pet loving friends.
Choose necessity over fashion
Resist the urge of buying pet accessories that are not really necessary or are simply fashionable. Fancy pet clothes, carry bags, and lavish pet gifts are completely unnecessary, and also, expensive. Giving your pet quality time is a lot more invaluable. Remember that many cats are far happier to play with the bag the toy came in than the actual toy!
By following these simple tips, we can make sure that our animals are taken care of in even the most dire of economic times. Just as we as humans have to sacrifice, our animals have to give up a little as well. Don’t worry, they won’t love you any less.
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Don’t forget pet insurance. You can get a policy on a young, healthy cat for about $65 per year with the following features:
$200 per-incident deductible
$8,000 per-year maximum benefit
80% reimbursement (you pay for 20% of covered treatments)
You can get deductibles as low as $50 and 100% reimbursement for $130/yr or so. It covers everything except regular office visits and (usually) non-injury dental care. Lots of people balk at buying insurance for their pets, but it’s perfectly economically rational, especially if you have kids. And especially when costs creep upwards – it’s not as if you are presented with a single choice, “should we spend $2,500 to save Rover’s life”. Instead it’s $250 for the initial stay, $500 for some tests and the first treatment, $250 for a second appointment and more meds, and then a decision on a $1,500 procedure. You’ve already sunk $1k into fixing this dog and your 8-year-old is bawling. Wouldn’t you wish you had pet insurance?
Dogs do cost more – about double what a cat costs. But for $5-10/mo for cats and $10-20/mo for dogs, it’s on my list of must-have insurance. It costs $5/mo to insure your *cell phone*, for Pete’s sake. Sometimes more! And you aren’t emotionally attached to your cellphone. Hopefully.
After reading reviews, pricing and policies I chose PetPlan, but there are several companies that offer this kind of product:
PetPlan: http://www.gopetplan.com/
PetAssure: http://www.petassure.com/
TruPanion: http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com
VPI: http://www.petinsurance.com/
ASPCA: http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/
PetsBest: http://www.petsbest.com
[...] is possible to purchase your pets necessary vaccinations and administer them yourself. This may seem like a good idea, but serious health issues may go [...]
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