Pets are expensive when they’re healthy. The cost of collars, and anti-flea (excluding extra costs such as toys and clothes) quickly increased. In a difficult economic environment, spending money wisely is really more important. We ask author of: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Healthy, Happy, Longer Life, to share her tips to keep vet bills down as well as your pet insurance bill, but the quality of medical care high.
I recommend consideration of the following, when on a limited budget:
Vet’s tips on keeping medical costs down, insurance or not
- Consider getting pet health insurance. According to the policy, the premiums usually costs $300-$400 per year, but it can usually cover about 80% of the out-of-pocket expenses. Given that the cost of any significant surgery these days can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, Having a pet health insurance policy can save you a lot of money.
- When talking with your veterinarian, place your financial cards on the table. As difficult as it is to discuss your personal finances with your veterinarian, Such candor is apt to save you money without jeopardizing the health of your pet. There is rarely only one way to diagnose and/or treat a medical problem. As an example, Maybe a $20 antibiotic instead of a $120 antibiotic can be prescribed.
- Do you have a product or service that you think would be worth bartering for veterinary services? Perhaps you wash or paint windows. Perhaps you create artwork that your veterinarian might want for his office or home. It never hurts to suggest the prospect of bartering in exchange for payment for veterinary services.
- Before providing veterinary services, ask them to provide written cost estimates. How else would you possibly know if your bill will be $200 or $2000? With a quote in hand, You will avoid the element of surprise and will not end up paying for things you deem to be needless. Requesting an estimate has nothing to do with how much you love your pet; it’s simply a matter of fiscal responsibility.
- Avoid over-vaccinating your puppy. We used to assume that distemper and parvovirus vaccines had to be given every year. Now, we know that these vaccines can provide protection for at least three years (once the puppy series vaccination is completed). Get rid of the once-a-year vaccine habit. If your vaccine reminder card indicates otherwise, have a face-to-face conversation with your veterinarian.
- Be a savvy supplements consumer for your dog. Some supplement suppliers want you to believe that the health of dogs depends on their products from an early age. Consult your veterinarian to decide which supplements are worthy expenditures for your Pet. Then only use the recommended products instead of paying for the other three or four products that may be present in the combination supplement.
- Prescription shop for your dog. If the medication prescribed is a human drug, compare the cost of the drug at a human pharmacy to the cost at your veterinary hospital. Big-box or chain pharmacies buy medications in bulk and pass the savings on to you. Costco has some of the best prices, and some human pharmacies offer significant AAA discounts on pet prescriptions. For the veterinary prescription medicaments that your dog receives regularly (prevention of heartworm, fleas, and lice control products, prescription diets), you may find the best savings through online pharmacies (remember that not all such pharmacies are Reputable, it’s worth doing) some research). Yes, your veterinarian’s permission is still needed. You can ask the veterinarian for a written prescription and use it as your own prescription. Another option is to send your request to an online pharmacy, which will send a fax to your veterinarian requesting authorization. Veterinarians are certainly used to receiving such requests these days.
Final say: If your pet is injured or sick, pet health insurance can help you pay for expensive veterinary expenses. The cost of each plan varies, depending on the company, the breed and age of the pet, and the coverage you choose.
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