12 Tips for Caring for Your Pet on a Budget

During times of economic hardship, pet owners often look for ways to reduce the cost of caring for their pets. But some measures that seem to reduce costs may end up being more expensive in the long run, especially when they impact your pet’s health.

Dr. Rebecca Ruch-Gallie, head of Colorado State University’s community practice unit within the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, offers the following tips.

Don’t Skimp by Purchasing Cheap Pet Food

Continue to feed as high a quality of dog or cat food as is affordable. Less expensive food often has lower nutritional value. Cheap foods may be high in ‘fillers’ such as grains that are not typically digestible by the pet and provide little to no nutrition.

In addition, pets on low-quality pet food often need more food to be satisfied and to obtain good nutrition, which ultimately ends up eliminating any savings realized by not paying for high-quality food.

Over the short term, low-quality food may not impact a pet’s health. The pet owner will find themselves feeding the pet and cleaning waste more often. But in the long term, pets will experience increased health problems, such as diabetes and obesity-related issues, and owners will pay higher veterinary bills.

If a pet is on a prescription diet, it’s important to the pet’s health – and the owner’s budget – that a veterinarian is consulted before the pet is removed from that diet. Often, prescription diets are very effective treatments for a condition that is more expensive to treat with medications in the long term.

Be Creative and Frugal When Giving Your Pet Treats

If you only feed dry food, consider giving a small amount of canned food as a treat to dogs or cats. Some pets may be lactose intolerant, but if they are not, yogurt and cheese may make suitable treats as well. Also consider using your pet’s kibble as a treat – measure out a suitable amount of food each day, for example, and draw treats and meals from that amount.

Don’t Overfeed Your Pet

Are multiple members of the family giving treats throughout the day? Those treats may add up to lots of pennies, and they also may add up to an unbalanced diet for the pet. Treats should not be more than 5 percent of a pet’s diet; if it is more, the diet is out of balance.

If your pet is overweight, consider putting them and the food budget on a diet. About 30 percent to 50 percent of companion animals are overweight or obese, according to Ruch-Gallie.

Reducing the amount of food an overweight pet consumes is better for the pet’s health and stretches pet food budgets. Pet owners concerned that their pet has a weight problem should first consult with their veterinarian to identify a target weight before putting their pet on a diet.

While treats, bones, and toys may be costly in some stores, significant savings can be found online or at discount stores. Some pet-supply stores have lower pet food prices but higher treat and toy prices. It pays to comparison shop at different stores and online.

Be Wary of Online Veterinary Pharmacies

Many online sources for veterinary prescriptions don’t sell quality products, and some may sell knockoffs of medications that ultimately won’t benefit the pet.

Learn How to Groom Your Pet at Home

Brush pets daily or every other day. There are multiple benefits including increasing the bond between the pet and caretaker if such grooming is a good experience for the pet. Brushing cats and dogs also distributes oils in the animal’s coat, increasing the health of their skin and fur, decreasing matting and lowering risks of skin infections and irritations (which may lead to expensive veterinary bills).

In addition, people who groom pets often notice changes and abnormalities in their skin and coat and may spot body changes, lumps, or other indications of the early stages of illness or disease. Catching these illnesses early often means that treatments are less expensive than they would be as the illness progresses.

There is a reason why many veterinary appointments are made soon after a pet’s trip to the groomer, Ruch-Gallie said, since the groomer knows the animal’s coat and body and is likely to find changes more quickly because of the grooming routine.

Trim Pet Nails at Home Too

Trimming nails and claws at home can also save money spent on professional groomers.

Practice Good Dental Hygiene

Daily brushing of dog and cat teeth has significant benefits. Even brushing for a short amount of time, particularly right against the gum line with an enzymatic, pet-specific toothpaste, decreases the risk of infection in a pet’s mouth. Those infections often spread to the blood and into organs such as the kidney or joints.

In addition, keeping a pet’s mouth clean helps veterinarians rule out health issues during a visit. Bad breath may be an indication of a digestive issue, but pet owners who don’t brush their dog or cat’s teeth can’t help veterinarians rule out poor dental hygiene.

Often, veterinarians fully clean a pet’s teeth – a procedure that requires pets to undergo full anesthesia – before discovering that the root of the bad breath may be much more serious. In addition, pets who undergo a regular tooth brushing at home don’t have to spend as much time under anesthesia during a regular dental cleaning.

Don’t Skip Vaccinations or Flea and Tick Prevention

Vaccines protect pets from painful and tragic diseases like rabies, and fleas and ticks carry harmful diseases that may also be spread to people in contact with dogs and cats. The diseases are much more expensive to treat than the cost of vaccines administered to pets.

Many veterinary clinics now use vaccines that cover a cat or dog’s health for three years, which stretches the value of vaccines. Some vaccination clinics are offered for pets, but be aware that pets only receive vaccines and not a thorough, careful exam.

Buy Fewer Toys

Try to trick your pets into thinking those old toys are new time and time again. Pets need toys, particularly indoor cats, to keep them active and keep their mind engaged. However, many pet owners tend to buy too many toys, or pets tend to lose interest in toys over time.

Keep a stash of five to 10 toys on hand and rotate them often, allowing your pets to be stimulated by ‘new’ toys on a regular basis. Provide two or three toys for play at a time and store the others. Replace the toys every two to three weeks with some of the toys that have been set aside, and pets will find them as stimulating as they were when they were new.

Make Toys More Interactive

Consider buying Buster Cubes or Kongs for dogs and cats to give them more stimulation while they eat or enjoy treats. Hang feather dancers over heating vents so they move for cats. Move toys from room to room to provide a different venue for pets to play in.

Consider Pet Insurance

Concerned about costs related to vet visits? Pet insurance may be able to help. Use our insurance aggregator tool to compare providers and find the best plan for your pet's unique needs.