From the article: Saving Money on Dog Care
How do you cut back on expenses and decrease the cost of dog ownership without compromising the quality of your dog's care? We all know it can be done, but it's not always easy. Do you have valuable tips or personal experiences that can help others looking to pinch pennies? Share your advice here. Share Your Advice
Saving on Grooming
- We have now Car Washes, in OH, that have a seperate stall for Dog washes. Depending on your talent and relationship, it is easy and cheap - Also a good idea and biz for carwash guys/gals.
- —Guest Doug Gordon
Services at Your Local Animal Shelter
- Check with your local Humane Society for low or no cost spay/neuter programs and low-cost shot clinics. I have all of my dogs & cats (I have five) vaccinated for what it would cost for one at the veterinarian's office. Some even have vouchers to help with veterinarian bills for those in need or will give information on other agencies that are able to help.
- —HR0326
Saving money on dog expenses
- My dog Rusty is very allergic to chicken, beef, corn, and wheat so I have to be very careful what type of treats I feed him. Because his treats cost so much, I have to make them stretch as far as possible. I do this by cutting the duck, buffalo and lamb treats into smaller pieces. I also have to be sure that none of the ingredients is one of his allergic triggers. Reading the labels saves me a lot of money particularly since chicken fat or by-products is included in most of the processed dog treats on the market today. I also like to buy Rusty's special food when it's on sale so I can buy larger quantities which also saves money. I save money on vet bills because my vet gives a senior citizen discount for which I qualify. I don't buy flea and tick medications over the counter because they can prove very costly in the long run if your pet has a bad reaction to them.
- —Guest Marshia Riley
saving money on dog food
- I switched from a brand name dog food to EVO. It is a natural dog food you use less food a the dog is full with healthy food. Check it out with your vet and your pet shop - in the long run you will save money and vet care.
- —Guest loulipsfish@comcast.net
Saving money on Haircuts
- I didn't like leaving our girls with the groomer all day and then rushing to pick them up or taking time off from work to go back and forth, so my husband and I invested in a good set of clippers and he gives haircuts at home. We had tried several clippers (cheap ones) and finally purchased a good pair with extra blades. We have four "babies", 3 Cocker Spaniels and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, so we have a lot of hair! He's very good at giving haircuts and enjoys the hands on time with our pets.
- —Guest Shelly
Saving Money on Healthcare
- Dog insurance. I've had it for a number of years. I learned the hard way about it. I had a dog who required cruciate surgery years ago. By the time the condition was diagnosed & treated, I believe I paid somewhere around $1500. That did not include the meds he was on the rest of his life. After that one, I purchased the pet insurance. I can't tell you how much it has saved me over the years. For us, it is a blessing
- —Guest MMaxie88
free dog sitting website
- Hi, I have just signed up to a website which matches people together so that they can look after each others dogs. Hopefully it will save me a small fortune, my dog sitter charges me per hour, so if I can find someone that I like todo it for free that will be great! We will also be going away on holiday this summer so having someone to look after Sam (our dog) that we know will look after him as we do will be much better than putting him into a boarding kennel. I hope it works & I hope other people will find it helpful too. Goto www.swapadog.com
- —Guest Sally
Baking Soda Bath
- We sprinkle baking soda over our dogs coats when the odor gets a bit too strong. Avoiding their eyes, we sprinkle it on their backs then their bellies, rubbing it in just a bit. We let it stay there for a few minutes then brush it out. It gets rid of the odor without the need of using shampoos on our dogs that hate to take a bath and keeps their skin from drying out from too many baths. We also use baking soda or white vinegar sprinkled on our carpets to keep them fresh from the dogs laying on them. Baking soda and vinegar are much safer for the dogs then chemicals used in shampoos and cleaners and they are very cheap. I hear if you spritz your dogs with vinegar before they go outside it will keep the fleas, ticks and mosquitos away too, though I have no proof of this.
- —Jasaine
Money Saving Grooming Tips
- Having Springers means plenty of grooming. I use a pair of rubber gloves to rub him down and it gets out all the fur when he is molting, so I don't have to spend a fortune on different brushes. I also don't spend a fortune on specialist blunt end grooming scissors, I use blunt end surgical scissors, they are cheaper and do the same job. Finally my best grooming tip comes from a vet who worked in the Pharmaceutical industry. He told me to use diluted baby shampoo for bath time for him. Its cheaper and smells a hell of a lot nicer and despite what people think its perfectly safe to use on dogs.
- —lovespringerspaniels
