Recession-Proof your Pet: Five Tips to Save Money on your Vet Bills
Dr. Ernie WardSeaside Animal Care
Calabash, North Carolina
www.SeasideVet.com
The home-mortgage crisis, stock market decline and rising gas prices have many of us worried about an economic recession. Whatever the outcome our current financial situation, most people are closely watching their expenses. Saving money on veterinary care is an important part of maintaining a healthy household budget and is easier than you may think. Follow these five simple steps to help keep your pet out of the veterinary clinic and more cash in your pocketbook.
Tip #1 – Keep up with your pet’s annual examination
While at first this may seem like an unnecessary expenditure, a thorough physical examination by your veterinarian can save you money in the long run. Your vet can identify diseases and conditions before they cause serious illness and suffering. For most conditions the earlier it is diagnosed the better – and less expensive – the treatment will be. Don’t wait until your pet is sick to visit your vet. By the time most pets show clinical signs the condition may have become advanced and costly to correct. An annual physical exam for all pets age 1 to 6 and examination plus simple blood and urine tests for pets over age 7 are typically recommended. In addition to identifying potential problems, your veterinarian can advise you on how to maintain and improve your pet’s health. A visit to the vet is certainly a good investment.
Tip #2 – Have your pet vaccinated with 3-year vaccines
In 2005 the USDA, the regulatory agency for dog and cat vaccines, approved the first 3-year distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis vaccine for dogs. The 3-year feline distemper vaccine followed in 2006. These vaccines not only help reduce the risk of vaccine-associated adverse events, they save you money. There is currently one USDA-approved 3-year canine and feline “distemper” vaccine and several 3-year rabies vaccines.
Tip #3 – Keep your pet thin
A 2007 Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (PetObesityPrevention.com) found that 45% of all US dogs and 54% of all cats were overweight or obese. That’s roughly 70 million dogs and cats at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, crippling arthritis, high blood pressure and many forms of cancer. Worse yet, all of these conditions are debilitating and expensive to treat. The great news is that it’s relatively simple to help your pet maintain a healthy weight. Visit the pet obesity website and talk to your veterinarian to calculate your pet’s ideal weight and learn how many calories you should be feeding your pet per day. The next time you feel the urge to give your pet a treat, try substituting a walk, grabbing a favorite toy or simply petting them. Many times we misinterpret a cry for affection as a plea for food. If you want to give goodies, try healthy choices such as carrots, celery stalks, or ice cubes. Avoid breads and meats unless you’re cooking a meal for your pet. Keeping excess pounds off your pet will not only help them live longer, it will dramatically decrease your pet’s medical bills.
Tip #4 – Feed a premium pet food
Many of the most common reasons pets visit the vet involve vomiting and diarrhea. Nothing gets a pet owner to the vet faster than a night spent cleaning carpets and bedding. The majority of these cases involve improper or poor diet. Gastroenteritis, colitis and life-threatening pancreatitis almost all start with table foods or a poor-quality pet food. Sure, the healthiest pet foods cost a little more, but what you saved in a year by feeding the cheaper food can be erased with one visit to vet for a GI disorder. Hippocrates said it best, “Let food be your medicine.” Consult with your veterinary healthcare team to determine the best and safest diet for your pet. In the long run you’ll have a healthier pet that costs you less.
Tip #5 – Supplements for optimal health
Proper nutritional support is truly one of the most important elements of human and pet health. What we eat helps determine how we feel, how well our immune system functions and what diseases we may develop. Most pets and people benefit from adding the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA to their diet. I recommend combining a fish oil source such as Welactin with a flaxseed source such as Missing Link. Other supplements that have been proven beneficial include glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate/avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) such as Dasuquin, and a potent antioxidant such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) contained in Oxstrin. I have had tremendous success over many years by using high-dose DHA/EPA combined with Dasuquin to treat patients suffering from arthritis prior to initiating sometimes costly prescription drug therapy. Talk with your veterinarian to find out what supplements you can give your pet to keep them healthier and save money on vet bills.
BONUS TIP – Get pet insurance
Insurance is primarily for two things: the unexpected and the expensive. Too often I see clients confronted with the dilemma of whether or not they can afford a specialist for a serious and unexpected medical condition. If only they had insurance! Many of the newer pet insurance companies such as PetPlan and Embrace offer complete coverage of all breeds and conditions. The key is to get insurance before your pet develops a medical condition. At that point, once a pet develops a pre-existing condition, you can’t get coverage for it. It’s a bit like wrecking your car and then trying to get accident insurance for it. Consider some of the new major medical coverage plans with low annual premiums and higher deductibles to help you out if your pet has a serious medical emergency.
Follow these simple tips to keep your pet loved one as healthy – and least costly – as possible. Remember, your veterinarian is there to help preserve health, not just treat illness. Consult your veterinarian before making any changes and you just may save some money in the process.
