Cutting Veterinary Expenses
With Affordable Alternatives

Trying to cut your veterinary expenses can be difficult when you only want the best for your dog. Unfortunately it's a unavoidable component of being a pet parent. Even when you give your dog the very best care at home, your dog still requires regular veterinarian care.

The latest figures from the SPCA show that the estimated annual cost of caring for a medium sized dog is almost $1,200.00 a year. That probably seems really high but consider that a simple annual veterinarian exam cost is estimated at $120.00 per visit and this does not include your dog's food cost, potential grooming and clippings and other basic necessities.

With the economy continuing to be less than positive, most families are looking for any and all cost cutting methods and are re-evaluating their spending habits. This includes what they normally spend on their pets. Unfortunately this leads to skipped yearly checkups because if their dog doesn't show obvious symptoms of illness, many pet parents assume that their dog is in good health. However, when you sacrifice your dog's health care, you could potentially cost yourself higher veterinarian expenses later and the loss of your dog's health.

• Keeping their annual check-up appointments
• Maintaining their vaccination schedule
• Feeding a quality dog food
• Supplying daily exercise

To start with, always keep your annual checkup exams with your vet. As we discussed above, this builds an important relationship with your vet to help them diagnose your dog when they are sick or injured. In addition, this gives your vet the opportunity to thoroughly exam your dog and identify any potential problems before they become severe.

Not only do you need to watch for the major illnesses and injuries but be sure to protect your dog from common diseases and parasites. Keep their annual vaccinations current and always treat them for fleas, ticks, heart-worms and worms. When you prevent treatable health issues, you prevent an unnecessary health problems which also prevents costly medical treatments.

Be sure to take care of your dog's physical needs too. This includes daily exercise where they can run, jump and play to get the true exercise they require. This does not include trips out to the bathroom or a quick walk up and down the block.

A dog that doesn't have the proper exercising room could suffer health problems such as being overweight and as we all know, being overweight causes health ailments such as heart disease and diabetes. When you give them the proper playtime and exercise they need, you are also avoiding issues such as chewing on household items out of boredom which only add to your veterinary expenses.

Remember to take care of your dog's teeth and basic dental needs. Many people feel that brushing their dog's teeth is just going too far but dental disease can increase the chances for heart disease.

You should also know that if you are completely against brushing your dog's teeth, there are other ways to help them keep their teeth cleaner. Always keep hard chew bones and dental bones on hand and give them to your dog regularly. Chewing on bones is a natural way for your dog to assist in the cleaning of their teeth.

Another money saver is to shop around for better pet supply prices. Now this could be a daunting task if you had to drive from store to store but with the availability of online shopping, there are deals galore online for just about any dog item you can think of.

Many people also take advantage of pet insurance for their dog. Again, there are multiple possibilities and options online and you can also check with your personal veterinarian to see what insurance they accept. If you are wanting to insure multiple pets, some agencies offer a group rate. With both the savings with the insurance and lower group cost, that can really make a difference in your veterinary expenses.

Keep an eye out for local vaccination drives. This can be a huge money saver because they often only charge for the vaccine and no office visit charge. Often groups or clubs such as the the local 4-H Club will sponsor vaccination drives in exchange for donations to their club. This can be a big saver on your veterinary expenses.

A final note that is absolutely at the top of the list for saving money on future vet bills is the importance of choosing a quality dog food. This should be a top priority if not the top priority for you as a pet parent. The fact is that poor quality dog foods are directly linked to multiple health issues like arthritis and kidney failure which lead to major veterinary expenses.

You see, once your dog adjust to the new premium food, they will slowly begin to eat less and less of their food because they are being nutritionally satisfied with a smaller portion that isn't full of fillers like the commercial dog foods.

So not only will you not be spending more money on dog food in the long run but you will save on vet bills because a quality dog food allows you to avoid serious health risk that are associated with feed a poor quality dog food. It's a win, win situation. Not only will you be saving your dog's health but you will be saving on veterinary expenses.

Start by calling your vet and making an annual exam appointment. Then, mark the date on your calendar or enter it into your date book. Most importantly, start learning to read and understand dog food labels and choose a quality dog food for your precious pup. It's truly the way to save on your veterinary expenses.

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