If you’ve got a furry friend in your life, you know the joy that a pet brings. But you also know the bills that pets bring, too!
Here on Team Clark, we love our cats, dogs and fish. And we know a thing or two about how to save money on them, as well.
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Favorite money-saving tips on pets from the staff at Clark.com
Set up a pet emergency fund
"We started a savings account for our two dogs, Casey (Dachshund) and Abby (Yorkie). We have pet insurance that helps offset large expenses — like Casey's $3,000 back surgery — but knowing we have money set aside keeps us from panicking and dipping into our own emergency fund when there's a large, unexpected bill. We contribute to their savings account just like we do our own only we had a set goal amount we wanted to reach. Once we hit our goal we stopped putting money away but maintain the balance goal by replenishing any funds we have to withdraw."
– Chelsea
Look for vet schools
“If there’s a university veterinary school nearby, it’s probably worth it to bring your pet there for surgery.”
– Beth
Comparison shop vet prices
When I first started looking for vet offices to take my dogs for their annual checkups, I got quotes from four different vets to find the best price. The cost varied by about $200 between the most expensive and the least expensive vet.
– Sarah
Check with your local shelter about free & budget care
A lot of shelters offer free or low cost spay, neuter and vaccinations. They can also give you a list of low cost veterinary clinics in your area.
Stay current on your pet’s preventative medicine
Paying a little bit now for your pet’s flea and heartworm prevention is much less expensive than paying thousands of dollars for heartworm treatment later on in life.
Shop online for prevention medicine
I always buy my pet’s monthly medicine on 1-800-PetMeds. It’s much cheaper than buying straight from the vet and there is always a 20% off coupon.
Think outside the (cereal) box
"Sometimes we run out of koi food and we give them Cheerios instead."
– Grace
Save on toys, buy raw bones
If you have big dogs, you know toys don’t last very long. To solve this problem, start buying raw soup bones from the grocery store. Just leave them in the freezer and give them to your dogs as treats every once in a while. It keeps them entertained for hours! These bones are also available at local pet shops, but they’re usually less expensive at grocery stores and farmers markets.
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Make your own DIY toys
“My friend who’s an arborist showed me a neat way to make your own toys. He uses his leftover climbing rope and ties it in knots to make toys for his pup. It lasts much longer than rope toys you buy at the pet store and it’s so much cheaper! You can find similar rope at hardware and home improvement stores,” Sarah says.
Wait for the deals
"At first I didn't think I had anything for this article, but I did get an awesome deal on a cat tree. Just looking for a deal or waiting until a sale to buy your pet something can save money. I got this as a daily deal on Amazon!"
– Charis
Buy dog food, cat litter and more from seed and feed stores
Local seed and feed stores sell high-quality bulk dog food for about $10 less than PetSmart or PetCo. Those savings really add up over time.
But the savings don’t stop with dogs. If you have cats, try the pine pellet horse bedding that your local seed and feed is bound to sell.
It makes a wonderful odor-neutralizing cat litter and you can generally get twice as much of the stuff for less than you'd pay at the supermarket for pine litter.
In addition, if you need to deworm a dog, most seed and feeds sell the same active ingredient (fenbendazole) in paste form for horses at a cheaper price. The seed and feed can tell you how little of it you need for your dog, based on weight.
Measure the food you’re giving
A lot of people just fill up their dog’s food bowl without paying attention to how much food they’re giving to their dog. But using a measuring cup along with the portion size recommendation on the back of the bag ensures you’re not feeding your dog (or cat) too much. That way, you won’t use the bag up too quickly.
Add some raw veggies to your dog’s diet
If your dog doesn’t have dietary restrictions, you can try adding fresh veggies to their kibble. Research has shown that adding veggies like carrots, peas, green beans and broccoli can help reduce a dog’s cancer risk by up to 70%.
Skip the pill pockets and get this cheaper alternative
Products like Greenies Pill Pockets make giving your dog medication so much easier, but that convenience comes at a steep price — about $10 for a 30-day supply. Here's a cheaper way: Just dip your dog's pill in a $2 jar of peanut butter from Aldi and have them lick it off your finger or a spoon.
– Michael
Just one word of warning: Anytime you're giving peanut butter to your pet, you'll want to read the label carefully. The Food and Drug Administration says this common sugar substitute can be lethal to dogs.
Meanwhile, to save even more money when it's time to give meds, compare prices to see if you can find cheaper pet medications. Free tools like GoodRx for Pets will do the hard work for you.
More pet stories on Clark.com:
- Should workers get paid time off to care for their pets?
- Can you afford to adopt another pet?
- When is a service animal not a service animal?
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