Animal lovers will agree that pets bring considerable joy and happiness to their owners. That is, until it’s time to go to the vet. Between checkups, vaccinations, unexpected injuries and prescription medications, the cost to care for a family pet can become a big financial burden for many owners. With vet care costs growing, it’s no surprise that many pet parents are looking for lower-priced options.
According to the American Pet Products Association, total spending on vet care in the U.S. is expected to reach $16.62 billion in 2017, up from $15.95 billion in 2016.
“Caring for a pet can be costly, and in some instances, cost-prohibitive,” says Dr. Erin Wilson, medical director of the ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City. “Poverty, short-term emergencies, illness, a shortage of pet-friendly housing and more can contribute to difficulty in caring for an animal. However, financial circumstances alone are not a reliable way to quantify an owner’s capacity to love and care for their pet.”
Although some vet visits and procedures are unavoidable, pet parents don’t have to sacrifice their pet’s health when budgets are tight. And they don’t have to go into debt to afford proper care. Here are several steps to prevent pricey treatments and some low-cost alternatives to traditional care.
[See: The True Costs of Owning a Pet — and How to Spend Less.]
Practice prevention. The best and cheapest care for a pet is to practice prevention. This means staying up-to-date on wellness visits, vaccinations, deworming and flea control while making sure to check for potential ticks or other bug bites, lumps, bumps or scrapes daily.
“Prevention is always better than a cure,” says Dr. Katherine van Ekert, co-founder of VetPronto.com, the nation’s largest house call veterinarian service. “Treating the diseases that come as a result of not paying enough attention to regular preventative care is not only much more expensive, but means putting pets through a lot of unnecessary suffering.”
Experts also emphasize the importance of paying attention to a change in behavior, which can signal a health problem. “If you know that your pet is usually highly energetic, and one day they’re lethargic, you’ll have a more clear indication that something is wrong,” Wilson says.
[See: 11 Expenses Destroying Your Budget.]
Groom at home. Learning to groom a pet at home will take practice and patience, but it can save a lot of money. Cleaning a dog’s ears, for example, will help guard against itchy and painful bacteria growth, which can lead to ear infections that often require a trip to the vet and prescription medication. Meanwhile, brushing a dog’s teeth daily, or at least three times weekly, will prevent serious health issues.
“Dental disease can cause heart and kidney failure,” says Dr. Judy Morgan, a veterinarian based in southern New Jersey and author of “Canine Kitchen Capers: A Humorous Look at Preparing Food for Dogs (& Spouses).” “Daily dental care can help prevent the need for costly dental cleaning and advanced diseases secondary to periodontal disease.”
Focus on diet. A well-balanced diet is essential in reducing and preventing health issues, and spending more on quality pet food will actually save money on pet health care in the long run. Look for a dog food label that says “complete and balanced.” This is regulated by The Association of American Feed Control Officials and ensures it contains the minimum amount of all of the necessary nutrients.
“Food is the foundation of life, and if the body is not well fed, it cannot perform optimally,” Morgan says. “Many times, I can help owners get their pets off chronic medications with simple diet changes. Most highly processed food contributes to inflammatory diseases. Keeping a pet in lean condition with good exercise and high-quality diet can really limit injuries and disease.”
[Read: Is Pet Insurance Worth the Expense?]
Exercise often. Just like humans, pets who don’t exercise regularly can become overweight and suffer many health problems, such as osteoarthritis, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which are costly to treat. Unfortunately, 52 percent of dogs and nearly 58 percent of cats in the U.S. are obese or overweight, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Pet owners are advised to provide daily activity for their cats and dogs.
“Make sure that the pet stays at a healthy weight range,” van Ekert says. “Being overweight puts pressure on the joints, increasing the likelihood of arthritis, which would require long-term pain medication.”
Find free or low-cost clinics. When it comes to vaccinations, neuter and spay surgeries, microchipping, and other preventative treatments, a little research goes a long way in cutting costs for care. For example, veterinary schools often offer free or sliding-scale services to pet owners in need, which can be found through The American Veterinary Medical Association’s database. Meanwhile, more nonprofits these days are offering mobile spay and neutering clinics for little or no charge. Check with a local animal control or police station to find out if one is available nearby. Finally, vaccination clinics are held by select veterinary practices and Petco stores regularly, reducing the cost of traditional office fees. Pet owners may even find pop-up clinics hosted by local organizations.
“As the need for veterinary care becomes more prominent, especially in highly populated cities, more nonprofit organizations partner with municipal animal controls and even police stations to provide low-cost or no-cost vaccination clinics,” says Kristina Rinaldi, executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue. “These clinics are not only a medical lifeline for pets, [but] seen as public safety efforts and aid in the reduction of communicable diseases and dog bites by encouraging microchipping and licensing as well.”
Order pet medications online. Prescriptions may be a necessary part of treating a pet for one-time and chronic conditions. Like prescriptions for consumers, some medication can be quite costly, especially if needed on a daily basis. Pet owners can save money, however, by purchasing medication through online pharmacies.
“You should always make sure that you purchase medication from an accredited pharmacy,” van Ekert says. “Otherwise, [you] risk purchasing counterfeit products, which don’t work or could harm your pet — ultimately wasting you money.”
Online pharmacies should require a prescription from your veterinarian before completing an order. In addition to comparing costs between online providers, search for coupon codes for additional discounts and waived shipping fees.
Seek financial help. For those who are faced with a major pet emergency they can’t afford, all hope is not lost. Pet parents suffering from economic hardship should apply for financial aid through programs such as RedRover Relief. Otherwise, consider creating a fundraising page through YouCaring to raise money for any necessary treatment or surgery.
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Low-Cost Alternatives to Traditional Veterinary Care originally appeared on usnews.com
