Budgeting for your dog in hard times

Everyone seems to be budgeting these days. And it seems - for some - everything is a compromise. Unemployment is high and many people who are employed don't feel they have a lot of job security. In addition, many people are trying to get out of debt and not incur NEW debt.

So people are making compromises

*You may go on vacation but it may not be as exotic or last as long as you'd like.

*You may go out to dinner once a week instead of twice.

*You may do only one set of vaccines - not two - on your new puppy.

*You may feed your puppy a generic brand rather than a name brand food.

Many must try to save money any way they can. I understand this. But sometimes, cutting corners can be dangerous, or it can wind up costing us more in the long run.

In fact, I was recently reading that a vet at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital offered some tips to pet owners. Dr. Rebecca Ruch-Gallie, head of Colorado State University's community practice unit within the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, offers these tips that I thought I'd share with you today

1. Don't skimp by purchasing low-cost food . Continue to feed as high a quality of dog 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 a high-quality food.???

2. Be creative and frugal when giving treats . If you only feed a dry food, consider giving a small amount of canned food to your dog as a treat. Some pets may be lactose intolerant, but if they are not, yogurt and cheese may make suitable treats as well.

3. Also, watch how many treats pets are given. Are multiple members of the family giving the dog 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. ??????

4. However, be wary of online veterinary pharmacies. Many online sources for veterinary prescriptions don't sell quality products, and some may sell knock-offs of medications that ultimately won't benefit the pet. ??????

5. Learn how to groom pets 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. In addition, people who groom pets often notice changes and abnormalities in their skin and coat and may notice body changes, lumps or other indications of the early stages of illness or disease.

6. Weigh the benefits of purchasing health insurance for pets . While health insurance may seem pricey, it can be worth the $20 to $30 monthly premium, particularly for some pets. Pet insurance dramatically reduces the costs of large veterinary bills ranging from emergency care after an accident, cancer treatment and preventative check-ups to well care including vaccinations. Insurance can cut large bills by hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

I think these are all great tips. I especially like the one on pet insurance. I've seen so many clients really fight to make tough decisions about what to do when their pets get sick. I've also seen compromises like I've never seen before in my experience as a veterinarian.

Find out if pet insurance is right for you. Go to www.petinsurance.com

This article by Dr. Jon has been provided through the courtesy of www.petplace.com, the definitive online source for pet news, health, and wellness information."

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