A pet can bring us so much joy and, as we know, they are the best companion and member of the family that anyone could ask for. But they also require a lot of care, and maintaining your pet’s healthy lifestyle can become very pricey. There are several ways to ensure that your pet is healthy and happy when your budget is low. Some of these tips are very easy to do and guarantee big savings in the long run. Take a look at our top ten ways to save money on your vet bills.
1. Paying Your Vet Bills with Finance
We all know that sometimes vet bills can be quite expensive. Did you know that some vets offer finance just like when making a large purchase for your home? This is a solution that helps you spread the cost with interest rates often as low as 0%. This option is certainly worth considering when faced with unexpected expensive vet bills for emergency treatments or costly procedures. It may not save you money in the long run, but it will enable you to pay your bill over a set payment term to budget your outgoings.
2. Healthcare Plans for Your Cat or Dog
Many vets now offer monthly direct debit healthcare plans for their clients. These plans usually cover routine preventative care such as vaccinations, worming and flea treatments and annual check-ups. Many plans also offer discounts on a variety of other services such as neutering, microchipping, dental procedures etc. They are usually a great way to spread the cost, keep your pet healthy and get significant savings. Some veterinary practices don't advertise their healthcare plans, so ask your vet or shop around to find one that suits your pet’s needs and budget. If you have a senior cat or dog, ask about senior pet healthcare plans. They often include an extra check-up per year to keep a closer eye on the health of your ageing pet.
3. Shop Around
It’s not unusual for vet surgeries to welcome new clients with a deal or an offer. Common ones to look out for are free first consultations, vaccination amnesties or neutering discounts. Check out what their existing clients think about them by asking your friends, visit forums, and read their reviews to find a good but also reasonably priced vet. Shop around your local area and don’t be afraid to get written quotes from vets to compare prices and make the best decision for you and your pet. Some vets might even do a special discount to attract you as a new client.
4. Save Money on Emergency Care
Emergency out of hours veterinary bills can be more costly than you might expect. However, many vets are open seven days a week at standard rates and late evening opening is also quite common. Also, many vets offer their own out of hours service. You could save money using these vets over an emergency veterinary service, as emergency vets charge a premium not only for consultations but also for other procedures.
5. Offers and Discounts
We all love an offer. Well, the good news is that vets often have seasonal offers and discounts. Look out for deals on neutering, vaccinations, dental procedures and microchipping. One of the most common offers is a vaccine amnesty which is useful if your pet’s vaccinations have lapsed as this offers a vaccination restart for your pet for the price of a booster, effectively a 2 for 1 deal! Often these offers are posted on the surgery’s Facebook or website. If in doubt, call the surgery and see what is available for you and your pet. Additionally, check with your local charity or animal welfare organization. Many will offer discounted neuter and spay as well as other discounted procedures if you receive certain benefits.
6. Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is a must! We have all seen tv programmes such as Super Vet and the fantastic treatments that can improve and save animals’ lives, but these often come at great cost. If your pet is unwell or needs surgery, the best way to pay is to claim on a pet insurance policy! For a small monthly expense, the savings across your pet’s life are almost certainly going to be significant. There are many pet insurance companies offering different levels of cover to satisfy all budgets and needs. Compare prices and services and choose the option that is right for you and your pet. If you consider that you may have a dog for around 12-14 years or a cat for up to 20 years, there are likely to be a multitude of times that pet insurance will save money!
7. Corporate vs Independent Vets
Often, but not always, some corporate groups rely on making their profits by inflating prices. It is not always immediately evident that a corporate group owns a veterinary surgery, so it is best to shop around. Often, independent surgeries owned by vets have the care for your pet as their primary focus, and their prices can be more reasonable.
8. What about Discount Vets?
Several ‘budget’ vets started appearing during the credit crunch. Take care as sometimes you get what you pay for. Always check the vets level of experience, read reviews and be aware of the standard of care your pet will receive. If you want to check the credentials of the vet or veterinary nurse that will be treating your pet, you are more than entitled to do so! You can ask at the vet surgery or check on the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons website.
9. Keep Your Pet Healthy
There are plenty of ways to ensure your pet stays healthy throughout their life. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Good preventative care can save you the cost of expensive dental treatment or lifelong diabetes treatment.
- Keep your pet up to date with vaccinations — not only will they be protected from disease, but a vet will thoroughly check them over!
- Ensure you apply their flea and worming treatments at the recommended times. These preventative treatments keep harmful, potentially fatal, diseases and illness at bay.
- Gum disease is one of the most common health conditions among adult pets. Take care of their teeth! Brushing your pet’s teeth regularly with a pet toothpaste will result in healthier teeth and a lot less money spent on dental treatments.
- Make sure you feed them a good quality, vet recommended food! Low-quality food can sometimes lead to urinary problems, obesity and arthritis, so you will end up spending more at the vets helping them get better.
Preventative care may require a little more effort, but it pays off as you will have fewer big vet bills and a happier friend. To choose from a wide variety of products, visit our website!
10. An Online Pharmacy Could Save You 40% on Vet Bills
Online pharmacies are probably the most effective way to save money at the vets. The online pharmacies can offer massive discounts, with medicines often costing almost half of the price that a vet will charge. Vet surgeries have to stock a small amount of many medications and only purchase the medicines they need, which means that they pay a much higher price than an online pharmacy that can buy in bulk. An online pharmacy can negotiate products at a lower price and pass these savings on to their customers! TIP — Speak with your vet about getting a longer date on the prescription even if checks are needed regularly so you can save yourself the cost of incurring additional prescription charges. For MASSIVE SAVINGS on your pet’s medicines head to the VetScriptions Website.