The veterinary care sector has been increasing for some time now as people pay more attention to the health of their pets. The vet care has increased by almost a billion US dollars from 2007 to 2008 and it is increasing in a constant manner. But there are times when the economical crisis, the jobs disappearing and the crash of the stock market are making us forget about vet care and delay the treatment or the checkup for our pets. This shouldn’t be like that. Here are some ideas that will help you save some money on your dog’s health.
1. Do not vaccinate the dog if it is unnecessary.
If the dog is mostly sitting in the home and he is not likely to catch any diseases, you can stop vaccinating him for no reason. Try to do only the required vaccines. The non-required vaccines can be a huge waste of money and they can also ruin the dog’s health by compromising its immune system. A great way to prevent this over vaccination is the titer test.
2. Give the dog only quality food.
You may think that spending money on quality food is a waste but that is not true. You may not have known this but most of the dog health problems are created by the bad food. If you are keeping the dog food healthy, the pet will also be healthy and you will not pay that much to the vet. So, feed him wisely and you will see the difference. Avoid cooked food and use only dog approved food. A study conducted by Purina on Labrador Retrievers showed that they did not develop the same illnesses as the dogs that were fed home cooked food.
Also, do not over feed the dog. The fat dogs are not cute at all and they tend to get sicker than the other dogs.
3. Brush the dog’s teeth.
Dental procedures are expensive. They are expensive in humans and they are even more expensive in dogs. So avoid getting your dog in trouble and brush his teeth at least three times per week. In this way he will keep his teeth and gums healthy and you will not pay for dental interventions. Also, use dog tooth paste and a very soft toothbrush.
4. Do not over medicate the dog.
Meds have side effects that can really mess up your dog’s health. Do not give your dog medication if he doesn’t need it or if the doctor hasn’t prescribed that. Owners tend to give the dogs arthritis medication or steroids and that is not recommended if the vet hasn’t prescribed it.
5. Do a blood test.
Blood tests are very important for your dog’s health and a normal dog should get one blood test a year. Senior dogs should do the test two times a year. The test is easily done and it doesn’t cost much. The test could reveal many incipient problems that can be easily treated. Also, test for heartworms.
6. Do not give tasty but dangerous treats.
It is great when the dog is happy if he receives a treat. You get a good feeling seeing him happy but remember that the same treat can cause him some health problems. Do not give him sweets, cooked bones or poorly designed toys. If the dog has its stomach obstructed, the surgery will cost you a lot of money. Also, the hard to chew items like pig’s feet or some toys, could get your dog into surgery to repair some broken teeth.
7. Keep the dog away from toxins and poisons.
After a walk, you can wash the dog’s paws when he comes inside. There are many things that get stuck on its paws and many are chemicals from the street. This way you will avoid getting your dog contaminated because most of the times the dog will try to wash his feet by licking them and all the substances will go in his body. Also, make sure the dog doesn’t eat garbage food or other things from the street. He can easily get infested with something if he has this habit.
The bottom line is that you must always think ahead before you spend any money. Always consider the alternatives and investigate before buying anything.
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