Saving Money on Pets - Part 1

This blog is called Dogs or Dollars for a reason. Thus far, I haven't really been bringing my critters into it. Let me assure you, they play a very important role in my life. One of the key reasons, I quit my job and pursued something new and totally different is because of my love for working with people, their pets and my desire to share what I have learned from my experiences with my own menagerie.

Yes, I said menagerie. I have dogs and cats. Too many by most peoples standards. No, my house is not filthy. Yes, my critters are all happy scrappy. No, I wouldn't have it any other way. Does that about cover it?

I feel compelled to say, I am not a pet expert. I just play one at home and work. I have taught dog training classes to the public, (plus taken each of my dogs through I can't even remember how many), taken seminars on natural care and feeding, been a rescue foster home/dog evaluator/general volunteer, done pet-sitting, and been through umpteen million behavioral and medical issues with both my fosters and my own dogs and cats. Now a days, I answer pet-related questions for a living. It is my job to stay current on food, supplements and supplies. The things I get asked on a day to day basis are literally all over the map. Thankfully, I love this stuff. I spend a lot of my free time reading, researching, and talking about it. In the pet world there are always a whole lot of opinions, so take the following for what you will.

This is a sampling of my list of tricks, tips and just general knowledge which have saved me thousands of dollars over the course of the last decade. Things I wish everyone knew.

Feed your Pets the best food you can afford.
Yes, it is absolutely more expensive. I spend somewhere in the $50 to $60 range for a 30lb bag of dog food. My oldest dogs are 10, and I have been doing this for most of their lives. I also have breeds of dogs which are very prone to a whole slew of health problems; allergies, skin & coat issues, urinary crystals, and obesity just to name a few. My dogs have never suffered from a single one of these. Call it the luck of the draw, but none of my gang are from 'good stock'. Just like with us, I attribute much of their overall health to a good quality diet. Which brings me to the next point...

Don't Overfeed.
Food does not equal love. Seriously. I keep my dogs lean and mean. Once again, I attribute this to their lack of joint issues and overall good health. Their should be a visible tuck to your dogs waist visible from all sides. I can sometimes even see a rib or two if a dog is turning away from me. Awesome! Dogs should be physically fit! Plus, who can afford to overfeed their dogs? Its absolutely wasted money. My rules of thumb are to take the feeding guidelines from the food bag, and reduce it by 10%. I also look at my dogs before each feeding. Are they looking thin or thick? How much exercise have we had lately? This determines how much I am going to put in their bowl at a particular moment.


Supplement and Vary.
With variety and good products. Our pets don't need to eat the same cereal everyday for the rest of their lives. No wonder they have gastrointestinal issues with a change in food. I bet if you ate the exact same thing for 6 months and then changed it, you'd have the same problem. Keep their systems robust! I change up their diets constantly. We switch kibbles every 3-4 months. On a weekly basis I add fresh meat and vegetables, and limited amounts of dairy. The tub of spinach look a little wilty? Chop it up and throw it in the dogs bowl. Don't know what to do with the last bit of chicken broth? Soak the kibble in it. It uses up the last bits of my food, keeps the dogs happy, and helps my pet food bill. My dogs and cats can switch food with nary a sniff. No runs. No slow switches. Their systems are used to the variety and tolerate it no problem.

Raw Bones.
I can not tell you how much money this has saved me in doggy dental work. For less than the price of a latte per dog, I buy each of them a frozen beef (or bison) knuckle bone. Not the smoked or cured ones. No, a raw bone. In the summer they get them outside. The rest of the year, they are an in the kennel treat. I do this in place of their dinner once a week, and they love it. We watch a movie. They chew and gnaw and chew and clean their teeth. We have done exactly zero dental cleanings, which is really quite miraculous for as many dogs as we have. At about $700 a pop, that is a huge savings! My 10 years old dogs teeth look better than most 3 year olds. There is no stinky breath. Bones will usually cause tummy upset to dogs who have never had them before. Lots of vitamin B and calcium. The bone does need to be taken away and discarded when they are done. Occasionally, mine will chew up an entire bone, but usually I throw away the nub after an hour or two. Plus, all that intense chewing makes for a tired dog. I can not say enough good things about raw bones. Its a win-win.


Vaccinate as needed and no more.
This is another case of controversial common sense. Do you get vaccinated every year? I know I certainly don't. Why oh why would we do it to our pets? Rabies vaccinations are the law. We keep up with those for licensing purposes. Other than that, my pets get a blood test every 3 years (with their rabies vaccine) to check antibodies, and determine whether or not they actually NEED a specific vaccine. You know what? So far they haven't. Not only is this a cost savings for me, by not over-vaccinating I fully believe I am contributing to their overall good health. With that said, your pets should absolutely go to the vet on a yearly basis for an exam. Just because we don't vaccinate, doesn't mean they don't get their yearly once over to make sure everything is fine.

As I write this I realize I could go on and on, flea prevention and treatment, making kitty litter last, building a relationship with your trainer and vet, etc, etc. But we will start with the above. I don't want too much to get lost in the mix.