If you’re here with us right now, then it’s probably safe to say you’re a dog lover, or at the very least interested in dogs. Dogs can sometimes give people some of the happiest days of their lives and we all know how valuable some canine companions can become.
However, does it feel like it’s getting harder and harder to afford to take proper care of your dog? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. There are very many things you can do to safely save some bucks.
While it’s true that dog expenses can ultimately increase your monthly bills, they don’t have to increase it that much. There are several budget-friendly ways one can take care of a dog.
Below are a couple of ways you can properly take care of your pet without having to break the bank.
Be Smart With Your Dog Food
There’s a wide variety of dog foods available to choose from so you need to be careful and consider the ingredients and contents found in each one of these particular products.
Avoid compromising on quality and going for cheap dog food because the quality of food you feed your dog will eventually determine its overall health. Cheaper dog food sometimes contains artificial components and often lacks the nutrients required by your pet in order to stay healthy. Saving a few bucks on dog food can cost you way more in the future.
Vaccination
Ideally, you need to take your dog to the vet for a check-up at least once a year so that you can catch any complication before it becomes a big problem. Annual examinations are very important if you want to monitor the health of your dog. I’m sure you’ve heard about how prevention is way better than cure.
Well, it’s the same with pets. Make sure to vaccinate your canine as recommended by its vet. This is very important if you want to protect your dog from harmful diseases that’ll probably end up costing a lot more to treat.
Failure to vaccinate your dog can lead to your canine companion suffering from lethal diseases which, in turn, could end up with you having to pay expensive medical bills. This makes it seem like it’s expensive to keep a pet dog.
Doing Your Own Grooming
Your dog will need to undergo grooming now and then. Some common services include trimming of fur, especially when it’s shedding excessively, and clipping nails. There are plenty of professional grooming service providers that can get this done for you, but they rarely come cheap.
Instead of getting a professional for pet grooming, why not learn how you can do it yourself? With a proper grooming kit, it really isn’t that difficult. Plus, you can always seek your vet’s advice on how to safely groom your pet.
Furthermore, make sure to thoroughly clean your dog’s teeth, coat and ears to eliminate the breeding grounds for fungi and bacteria.
Neuter Or Spay Your Pet
If you don’t want your dog to strain your budget, then you should strongly consider neutering or spaying your pet. Neutering or spaying your pet is important because it’s an effective way to control overpopulation, especially in your local community.
Neutering or spaying your pet is strongly advised if you want to save a significant amount of money on reproductive health complications. Besides, most experts claim that this practice reduces the risk of your beloved canine companion suffering from specific cancers and other hormone-related diseases.
Pet Insurance
Getting pet insurance for your dog can help save you a considerable amount of cash in case of emergencies. If your pet falls sick and you’re forced to take it to the veterinary, treating the sick dog won’t come free. If your dog lacks pet insurance when this happens, then you might end up having to settle expensive medical bills.
However, if it does have insurance, then it will receive proper treatment which can save its life. Sometimes, you may not even be required to part with a single cent at the vet. Before you get insurance, make sure you conduct adequate research to ensure you get the best policy possible.
Buy Fewer Toys
Dogs certainly need toys to keep their minds engaged as well as keep them active. However, a lot of dog owners tend to purchase more toys than their pets actually need. Just buy a few toys and engage your dogs often so they don’t lose interest in them.
While pets can lose interest in their toys, the trick is to keep a stash of around 5 to 10 toys and rotate them so your pet can play with a “new” toy each time.
Planning For End Of Life
Most dog owners will not want to think about something like this, even though it’s an inevitable part of owning a pet. Planning for their eventual death will not just allow you to save when the time comes but also help you prepare a proper send-off for your beloved canine companion.
Euthanasia will cost you a few bucks, and then you’ll have to put some thought into how your planning to bury your beloved canine companion. If you go the cremation route, your dog’s weight is what will directly determine how much you’ll need to part with.
For instance, an English Mastiff will cost way more to cremate as compared to a Shih-Tzu. Furthermore, if you choose cremation, then you’ll probably want an urn, right? That will cost you some more which is why you need to properly plan for it. If you just opt to bury your dog, you’ll either have to bury the grave yourself or have someone do it.
Conclusion
Dogs are widely known as man’s best friend, however, taking care of them is not as affordable as most people often tend to think. With that said, this doesn’t mean they’re too expensive to take care of either. There are numerous ways you can care for your pet even on a budget. In this article, we’ve highlighted a few of the most common ways you can do this. Hopefully, it’ll be all you need to get started.