Saving Money On Your Pet

To quote the famous Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), "Can anybody remember when the times were not hard and money not scarce?"

But with the present global financial crisis currently affecting almost all countries across the globe, the numbers of people experiencing job losses and financial difficulties are still steadily rising everyday. Unfortunately, pet owners are not spared in this respect. In their attempts to make ends meet, every extra expenditure on their pet is now a concern. By wanting to save some money, they have become penny-wise, pound-foolish and have cut down their spending on all the wrong things.

In my professional opinion, below is a list of what they are doing wrongly.

The WRONG way:

1. Feed cheaper quality pet food simply because it costs less per kg.
2. Neglect your pet because you have to work harder to sustain your job and income.
3. Avoid smaller problems that occur to your pet (ignorance is bliss)...until something really serious happens.
4. Ask friends and search the internet for answers when your pet gets sick and hope that whatever suggestions that you find will eventually work.
5. And finally when your pet is very ill, end up spending hundreds on emergency veterinary care and therapy.

A recent example is of a dog that had a mild case of acute moist dermatitis or what is more commonly known to most pet owners as a "hot spot." After reading up a little on the particular problem from the internet, its owners got advice from a neighbour to try applying an antimicrobial ointment called Polysporin, which contains polymyxin B sulfate and bacitracin zinc. They also self-prescribed a regular dosage of ibuprofen to treat the inflammation and the pain. Very soon, the hot spot spread to over a third of its body and the ibuprofen caused serious diarrhoea and vomiting with blood.

The outcome? They rushed the poor animal to the vet and their veterinary bill ran into the hundreds.

The RIGHT way:

1. Feed your pet a premium quality food, but lower some costs by making some of your pet's food at home.
2. Ensuring that you are regularly exercising your pet...and yourself!
3. Performing weekly pet health exams at home - get comfortable with examining every part of your pet, section by section, so that you are able to quickly detect and get on top of any health problems early.
4. If your pet does become ill or injured, assess if it needs veterinary care. If you are not sure, at least get veterinary consultation or a physical exam. When you do consult a vet, at least you will be aware of all your options, have all your questions answered, get to know if further diagnostic tests are needed and if there are alternative treatments. At the same time you are receiving valuable owner education from your vet. Make notes if you have to so that you remember everything your vet has told you. Do further research on certain topics if you feel you need to. All these easily justifies the minimal costs you have to pay for a veterinary consult.
5. Acquire at least basic veterinary skills so that you are able to examine, diagnose and treat common pet health problems at home. It is not as hard or complicated as you think, but make sure all information comes from reliable sources. Most vets are willing to show you how to perform a basic physical examination of your pet. Just 10 minutes spent every week could be crucial, as early detection of a potentially serious problem can really help you save lots of money spent on emergency veterinary care. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine.
   

There are many ways to cut down on pet expenses, but we have to be discerning, wise and practise good judgement. There are various other aspects of our own lives we can choose to save on, such as our personal food/beverage/shopping choices, means of transportation, water/energy wastage, high-maintenance lifestyles and such. Why choose to compromise on the health of your beloved pet? As I always advise my clients before they decide on buying or adopting that cute, adorable pup or kitten, a pet is a lifetime of commitment! Above all, I personally think spending money to help your pet lead a healthy life or to save an animal's life is still money well spent.