According to Insurance Information Institute, 60.2 million households in the United States own a dog and an estimated 69.4 billion dollars was spent on pet industry expenditures in 2017 alone. It is great to have a pet, especially dogs, if you’re a dog person like me because they are great companions, friendly, loving and always ready to listen to you.
But taking care of them can be quite expensive. There is so much to pay for: food, treats, vet bills, toys, medications, grooming, etc. All these costs usually continue to add up if you don’t find a way to start saving money on your pet care expenses without jeopardizing your pet’s health. Here are seven money saving tips for pet supplies that no one has ever told you about, but work very well for caring for your dog and saving money.
Coupons and discounts
Feeding your dog can get very expensive, especially when it is a dog with special needs or health issues which you must cater for. This means you have to get quality food and healthy treats for your dog which may prove to be very expensive.
One good way to save money on pet supplies is to look for discounts and coupons for your pet supplies. Just like you can get discounts to buy essays at bestessays.com.au, you can also find discounts up to 50% on pet magazines, blogs and other online apps if you’re willing to search for them. Be sure to stay current with the newest trends each year as caring for your pup can be easier with innovative doggy hair brushes, easier ways to clip your pups nails and also better games and puzzles for your pup.
DIY dog toys
Dogs can be very playful and their playfulness can lead to destructive behavior if you don’t monitor it properly. The best way to shield your furniture and belongings from being victims of your restless dog is with a dog toy. Dog toys are not super expensive but you can still save money on buying your dog’s toy by creating a toy for your dog with a simple rope and maybe a baseball.
There are many different types of DIY toys that you can make, till you create the perfect dog toy for your dog. You just have to read and learn how to make DIY dog toys like you did to write your book reports in college, whenever you don’t want to pay for one from Assignmentholic UK. You can try out any of these DIY toys.
- DIY flirt poles
- DIY tennis ball with rope toy
- DIY tennis ball muffin tin puzzle
- DIY rope sail dog toy
- Interactive feeder toys and so on.
Groom your dog
Paying to get your dog groomed can be pretty expensive, even more expensive that getting essays from Ninja Essays. There are various grooming needs you should consider, depending on the type of pet- regardless you should get the best dog clippers out there if you’re going to groom your pup yourself. If it’s a dog, there are grooming issues like nail trimming, bathing, teeth brushing, etc.
Brushing your dog’s teeth may not seem like a priority but it’s a good way to save money on vet bills later in future. This is because 85% of pets get periodontal disease when they get to age 3. If you weren’t doing it before, you can start brushing your dog’s teeth today.
Another grooming need is trimming your dog’s nails. It can be quite difficult and dangerous, trying to cut your uncooperating dog’s nails with traditional clippers. To avoid injury for both parties, Leah from Bestdissertation.com suggests that you use nail dremel. You can use the dremel to slowly grind down your dog’s nails.
Many dogs hate taking baths, but just like you and I had to go to school when we were young even though we didn’t want to, your dog needs to bathe regularly. However, bathing doesn’t always have to be a night mare experience for both you and your dog, there are a few things you can do to make bathing an easier exercise for you and your dog.
- Prepare the supplies you will need for bathing your dog before your dog even realizes that it is bathing time.
- Fill the tub with warm water before getting your dog to the bathroom.
- Be careful to protect your dog’s eyes, ears and nose when washing your dog’s face. You can use a washcloth to prevent water from entering your dog’s ears, eyes or nose.
- Use toys or treats in the tub. Make bathing time a nice experience with toys and treats.
Make your dog’s treats
You can save money by making your dog treats with simple DIY dog treat recipes. It’s also a great way to make sure that they’re not consuming anything harmful from the ingredients that may be present in commercial dog treats. By making your own dog treats, you can ensure that every ingredient in the dog treat is good for your dog’s health.
Exercise
This may not seem like a saving tip for you, but trust me, when I say that your healthy well-exercised dog equals less money spent on vet bills. It also helps you prevent your dog from being overweight or developing destructive behaviors like chewing on your furniture which usually results from boredom and restlessness. Giving your dog daily exercises keeps your dog healthy and helps you save money.
Regular wellness examination and vaccinations
These cost a lot of money, but it would cost a lot more money if your dog falls sick. Trust me, from experience, it’s much cheaper to pay for shots and give your dog healthy food in addition to preventative treatments for pet’s flea, tick and heart worm prevention than to pay a visit to the vet when your pet has heart worms or lyme disease or even worse cancer. Therefore, you’re saving money by opting for prevention, because curing is more expensive.
To make costs cheaper, you can visit a vet shop closer to your house. And you can also buy some of your pet’s medications online from trusted sources or go the alternative remedy route with CBD oils. You would need to be careful with this because just as there are fake drugs for humans, there are fake and harmful drugs for your pets online. This is why you should stick to buying simple medications like flea prevention meds, rather than sophisticated medications.
Pet insurance
Many people think that having pet insurance is the best choice to cater for a pet who may eventually fall sick, but it may not be the best choice. Firstly, it’s very expensive. Secondly, there’s also the fact that pets hardly ever fall sick, except you’re not caring adequately for them.
However, if you own a dog breed or even a pet that is somewhat susceptible to health challenges, you can choose to pay for pet insurance. You can also put the money you would have used to pay for insurance into a savings account with a good interest rate.
Conclusion
Owning a dog is a big responsibility. It’s not an easy task, but it’s not a task that is too difficult either and you don’t have to spend too much money on your dog. If you just use some of the saving tips listed above, you can save some money and still give your dog the best.
Bio
Scott Matthews writes dissertations at Pro Essay Writing and provides assignment writing help at Nerdywriters. He has many years of experience as a consultant at Essay Writing Land. Scott enjoys writing about pets. He has two favorite dogs and he loves traveling.
