We all have heard about it, it’s on the news, in the papers and everyone is talking about it. Hard economic times are upon us. We are all looking for ways to cut back and not spend money. Sadly, some people will cut back on veterinary care, special diets, and medications for their pets. Unfortunately, while this may help in the short term, in the long term these pets will develop more problems, will suffer from preventable problems, and will wind up costing their owners more money and may even wind up paying with their own lives!
So, how can you afford to take care of your pet during these times? There are a number of different things that you can do. First off, make sure to bring your pet in for it’s biannual exams, routine vaccinations, parasite checks, heartworm testing. By preventing disease, your pet will stay healthier, costing you less money than it would be if your pet got something like Parvo. Did you know that Parvo treatment can cost $1500 or more to treat in the hospital and your pet could possibly die?
Second, feed your pet a high quality diet. We recommend and use Science Diet for our own pets. While it is a little more per bag, you will find that you feed less of Science Diet, therefore you will go through the bag more slowly than you will of your supermarket brands. There are less fillers in Science Diet, so your pet will go to the bathroom less. Science Diet is also calorically dense (there are more calories in a smaller amount of food) so your pet will not need to eat as much food to get the same amount of calories as they would a supermarket brand. There are no excesses of nutrients, vitamins, or minerals in Science Diet, which many supermarket brands do have that can be harmful to your pet. Also, the quality of ingredients is far superior, keeping your pet healthier. You are what you eat!
Budgeting each month for your pet’s routine care and for emergencies is a great way to be able to have money ready when needed. Even just $10 a month (that is a couple bags of chips, or a trip to Starbucks) can help ensure your pet gets it’s yearly exam and preventive care!
While we do not offer payment plans, Care Credit is another great option to pay for veterinary care for your beloved pets. They feature no interest plans if paid within 6 months. You can use Care Credit for any of our services, including food and prescriptions. Many human doctors also accept care credit. Visit carecredit.com for more information.
Veterinary pet insurance is better than ever! There are several companies that offer flexable plans with low monthly payments to meet the needs of any pet owner. VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance) at petinsurance.com, Pets Best Insurance at petsbest.com and ASPCA Pet Insurance at aspcapetinsurance.com are just a few of the companies that provide quality pet insurance for your pets.
Times are tough, so it is even more important to keep your pets healthy. Hopefully we’ve given you several ways to help you take care of your furry friends!