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Step 1
Get vaccinations at a low cost mobile clinic. Although shots come but once a year, it can still be costly at the vet, especially if you have more than one dog. Mobile vaccination clinics have lower overhead and can therefore pass the savings on to you.
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Step 2
Have your dog spayed/neutered through a city-sponsored program or low cost clinic. This is a relatively routine procedure that doesn't have to be done at your regular vet's office. Some veterinarians also provide discount spay/neuters on certain days of the week.
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Step 3
Take Fido to a do-it-yourself dog washing facility if you can't bathe him at home. They provide the luxury of waist high tubs as opposed to your own that only comes to the knees, long water hoses, chains to secure your dog from jumping out and getting hurt—and for the finishing touch—pet blow dryers. This is definitely cheaper than having someone else do it and easier than doing it yourself in the tub.
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Step 4
Try an express bath. Certain pet stores that provide full service bathing and grooming offer a basic wash without the dry—for a price that’s better on the pocketbook.
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Step 5
Buy food in larger quantities. You don't have to feed your prince or princess the standard grocery store fare. Many feed stores and discount pet supply stores offer a wide variety of specialty brand dog foods (including natural and holistic) at more affordable prices and you can save even more by buying larger quantities.
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Step 6
Order non-prescription and certain prescription medications online. Basics such as flea and heartworm preventative are more costly at a vet or pet supply store. Companies such as 1-800-PetMeds offer the exact same products and will beat the lowest price you are quoted anywhere else. The order usually goes right out and is sent via USPS Priority to your door (and shipping is usually free!) It's also fun when the package arrives—for your dog too; it comes with a complimentary biscuit.
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Step 7
Take advantage of coupons. Pet Supply stores often include coupons in mailers and manufacturer's coupons can be found inside dog food packages. Certain premium dog food brands and stores have frequent buyer programs that qualify you for free food after so many purchases.
Comments
dorigillman said
on 6/20/2009 i like your article!! we tend to buy the better quality food and it is not all high priced!
diggitydogg said
on 5/27/2008 That's all great info. about the food, I completely agree. And that's why I bring up that certain feed stores have a large selection of quality foods to choose from for people who are on a budget. There's one out here where I live in California called the Red Barn that's worth the extra travel time if you're trying to save money (well, back when gas was cheaper it was). Vets and retail stores sell the products for more money than the online companies because they have higher overhead and don't sell quite the same quantity. I've also heard that the online companies sell expired products (which isn't true). You hear a lot of things from animal hospitals and vets about these online companies, so it's hard to know what is actually true. It seems like PetMeds would be taking quite a risk in obtaining their products illegally or selling counterfeit and get away with it for so long. So, who kno
gr8danemama said
on 5/27/2008 Sometimes a better quality food comes at a higher cost (but higher cost does not always constitue a higher quality though!!That is where you must learn to read labels.) but because there is less filling in the food, it takes less to fill your pet. And without all the filling, your output (feces) is in smaller quantity too because the body is using most of it. I feed a total of 9 dogs ... 4 of which are Great Danes so I totally see a difference if I must go to a lower grade of food due to money. The feces stinks, it is a larger pile of feces to clean up and it takes a little more to feed them. Best suggestion I can make is learn to read their labels and learn what everything is and what it does for your pet!
gr8danemama said
on 5/27/2008 ingredients; this is a popular filler and animals (and humans too) do not usually digest this very well. Second, meat should be listed in the top three ingredients but it should be listed as a specific meat (chicken, lamb, etc; meal is alright too but not as good as the meat itself). Lastly, no by-products .. like chicken by-product, etc. This can be anything ranging from feet, beaks, ears, feathers ,, you name it!!)
gr8danemama said
on 5/27/2008 The only problem I have with this article is that I work at a animal hospital and we have been told by the med representatives that the companies do not sell to these online pet med web sites and that what clients may be purchasing has been either gotten illegally or they may have been produced and packaged to like the real thing in another country. So you take the gamble of possibly purchasing a counterfeit. So buyer beware!! I also do want to state that when it comes to food the better quality of food that you purchase (which sometimes comes at a higher cost) the less you have to use too. If you buy a cheap food, you are purchasing a food that is packed full of filler (corn, etc)and it takes more food to fill your pet and you end up spending more money to feed them!! Vicious circle, I know. Some things to look at when looking at food label: corn should not be listed in the top 3-5 i