If you own a pooch or plan to adopt one, you’d be part of the nearly two out of five households estimated to own one. As beneficial as it can be to be a parent of a dog, it comes with a price. If you want to provide your beloved canine with quality living, besides the initial adoption costs, you can expect to spend about $1,500 on average annually.
Now that the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy and job sectors over the span of a year, and Australia entered into recession over some months for the first time in three decades which resulted in reduced incomes, it’s only natural to want to reduce those pet costs somehow. That is, without negatively affecting the canine’s life. If you don’t know how to go about this, feel free to use up some of the following ideas.
Pick a Pharmacy for Health Products
Most often, owners get the needed medications for their dogs from the vet, yet what they don’t know is the prices are higher than those you’d get from a trusted pet pharmacy that allows you to purchase conveniently online.
This has to do with the fact they get a bigger stock than vets and besides the branded products, you’d be glad to know they offer a variety of generic medications too, much to your advantage. This includes medications for cats, birds, horses, fish and even livestock.
In the cases of prescriptions on certain tablets and ointments, you have the chance to keep your original script on file and get quick and easy refills if needed. Though not so long ago, it was only possible to get the pet medications at the vet’s, nowadays many are catching up to the trend of purchasing from chemists much like they would for their own medications.
Instead of pharmacies being competitors of vets, the truth is they’re actually helping them out by saving them precious time what with all the pets they need to attend in the Land Down Under.
Moreover, if you have a pet that has a chronic condition, like diabetes, heart disease, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, arthritis or you want to prevent joint pain, getting pet meds from an online pharmacy saves you a significant amount of time as all you have to do is make the order or ask for a refill and receive it at your door.
Save on Food
Out of all the pet supplies you’d get to buy over the years for your dog, food is among those you’d get to spend the most money on, no matter whether you’re at home, preparing to explore the outdoors, or training which urges for the use of treats.
Same as with seeking cheaper medications and supplements from a pet pharmacy, you should look for cheaper foods. While there’s always the debate whether or not you should buy branded or stick to the more affordable alternatives, sometimes the difference may be insignificant as both options provide a balanced and complete nutrition.
If your pooch is happy, you don’t see any problems with its health even if you don’t buy the most premium brand, and your vet says your nutritional choice is good, then you have no reason to fret buying cheaper.
Buying in bulk is another word of advice that would come in handy with cutting down on your expenses food-wise. Just remember to keep the supply out of sight of Fido otherwise you risk seeing it all gone in the blink of an eye, not excluding cleaning a mess around the home.
Prevention Is Cheaper Than Treatment
Among the expenses many owners are faced with and wish they could somehow reduce, the trips to the vet come up at the top as they cost about $400 per year. While you can’t get away with skipping vaccines, as they prevent many issues the pooch may encounter with time, you can pay more attention to the food portions.
Same as us, dogs are prone to a problem of obesity lately with Australia facing a fat pet crisis. This, in turn, can lead to other serious and life-threatening issues that often result in additional trips to the vet and more medications needed from the chosen pet pharmacy.
In other words, if you want to have a happy and healthy doggo, you should skip overfeeding and treating him or her with comfort foods – resist, no matter how long they stare at you with those adorable puppy eyes, asking to get a bite of your meal.
Also in terms of food, you may not be up for introducing certain options like antlers and other types of bones, yet they can help take care of your dog’s oral health. Besides reducing gum disease, such dietary choices are key for clean teeth which equals to fewer health problems.
At Home Grooming
Since grooming is part of hygiene and health, and on average sums up to about $130 annually, why not get in the habit of doing the grooming chores yourself. Even if you don’t have a spacious yard for the baths, you can avoid creating a mess of shampoo and hairs all over your home with a spacious countertop basin.
Besides the regular brushing and bathing, the frequency depending on how much time your dog spends outside and whether or not there are skin issues, you should include paw, nail, ear and eye care among your priorities. This way you’d be able to prevent nasty infections, or nip such problems in the bud with adequate vet meds.
Here’s a handy tool after you groom your body! Using a pet hair remover for laundry can avoid clogging your washing machine or drain system with pet hair clumps from your furry friend’s grooming sessions. Furthermore, pet hair removers can help laundry dry faster and reduce wrinkles and static cling.
Get Crafty with the Toys
Play is a vital part of a dog’s well-being, so it’s understandable owners splurge on countless toys over the years. What’s important to note is your doggo can be happy even without you spending your money on expensive toys that would only get torn apart in no time.
All you need is a little creativity and you’d be able to turn some home items into prized toys for your pooch; for example, an old rope lying around with some tasty treats added inside it would make for a great chew toy. Such a move would also help you become more eco-conscious as you’d cut down your household waste.
