By Carrie Hyde, The Spaw Pet Life Coach | August 31, 2022

It’s never been more expensive to own a pet. Not only is inflation driving up the cost of every procedure and medication, but vets are asking more of pet owners than ever.

Annual checkups have suddenly become twice-yearly checkups. The list of recommended vaccinations goes up every visit. And dentals are no longer reserved for dogs with dental disease, but something pushed on every pet as a yearly expenditure.

If you’re finding it harder and harder to afford care for your pet, you’re not alone. But that doesn’t mean this is a trend you should accept without question either.

Owning a pet doesn’t have to be this expensive. There are a number of things you can do at home to reduce how often your pet needs to see the vet. Each of these things will cost you a little upfront, but the long-term benefits and savings are well worth it.

The Most Costly—and Avoidable—Vet Expenses

Accidents and illnesses happen. When they happen to your pet, the results can be pricey. But the vast majority of vet expenses don’t come from emergencies, but from more routine procedures and treatments made common thanks to poor diet and care.

The first step to lowering your pet-related expenses is to understand why each of these common procedures is done and what steps you can take to assure your pet won’t need them.

Teeth Cleanings

Dog teeth cleanings cost, on average, between $500 and $3,000 depending on the vet and the number of extractions needed. Yes, pets are anesthetized during these cleanings, which accounts for some of the added cost. But $3,000 compared to $200 for an expensive human dental cleaning?

It’s no wonder most pet owners struggle to afford their pet’s “standard” care.

While there are situations in which dentals are warranted for pets, most cleanings are done as baseline care. Vets argue that this kind of annual dental attention is necessary to avoid dental disease later on. And this is true in pets who are fed diets high in carbohydrates and not allowed to engage in normal chewing behavior.

The fact is the bacteria that destroy teeth and cause dental disease thrive off sugar. Dogs and cats’ wild cousins don’t have to worry about getting dentals because they eat very few carbohydrates and almost no sugar as part of their natural diet. They also spend ample time chewing on and chomping through bones.

Teeth cleanings are necessary for the average pet eating the average commercial kibble. But they are by no means unavoidable if you’re willing to put some of that $3,000 toward buying biologically appropriate food.

Ear Infections

Ear infections drive dog owners to the vet more often than any other health issue. This problem is most common in dogs with floppy ears, but it can happen to any dog as well as to cats.

While some ear infections are caused by foreign objects, the vast majority arise when bacteria or yeast in the ear grow out of control. Because there is no great medical treatment for yeast-based ear infections, most vets will prescribe antibiotics without taking the time to identify the cause of the issue first.

This leads quickly to a dangerous cycle of repeat infections as the good bacteria in the ear get thrown further out of whack while yeast continues to grow unchecked. Repeat infections mean repeat vet visits and more bills you’ll have to pay.

Whether your pet’s ear infection is caused by bacteria or yeast, the root cause is usually the same. Your pet is experiencing an imbalance in their system that is causing these microbes to grow out of control.

Allergies, poor diet, stress, and overuse of medications and vaccines can all cause disruptions to your pet’s internal biome. One of the first signs of this disruption is usually an ear infection.

Medicated Shampoos

Skin infections, such as hot spots, dermatitis, and mange, are another common reason for dogs and cats to visit the vet. Like ear infections, these issues are usually a sign of a much larger internal problem.

The gut and the skin are formed out of the same tissues during gestation. Because of this, they both contain a high number of mast cells. These specialty immune cells play a large role in inflammation and allergic reactions.

When pets are exposed to diets that cause inflammation or reactions, it doesn’t just create trouble in their stomachs. The first visible sign of gut inflammation is usually a skin reaction.

Vets often prescribe medicated shampoos to care for these problems. But this does nothing to address the root of the issue. To make matters worse, medicated shampoos contain harsh chemicals that can further irritate the skin and cause even worse biome imbalances. Just like with ear infections, this “treatment” often causes a repeat cycle of issues that will land you in the vet’s office more than once.

Organ Disease

Organ diseases, such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease, and liver enzyme imbalances, are becoming more and more common in pets. These issues rely on costly medications to manage and often require frequent lab work and even surgical intervention. All this is to say, these diseases are expensive.

But, like the other procedures on this list, they can often be avoided with a little focused care at home.

Pancreatitis and diabetes are common in dogs fed the lowest quality commercial diets. These diets lead to chronic inflammation in the digestive tract, which includes the pancreas. This inflammation leads to cell death and mutation over time.

The preservatives, dyes, and other chemicals added to low-quality food must be filtered out of the body through the liver. This organ is also responsible for cleansing other chemicals from the body, such as medications. Vaccines, topical medications, and IV treatments, which are sometimes necessary but more often overprescribed, must be cleansed through the kidneys.

The more you can do to reduce your pet’s exposure to toxins, chemicals, and inflammatory substances, the less likely they will be to develop chronic organ issues.

How to Keep Your Dog Out of the Vet’s Office

Without a doubt, trips to the vet are one of the biggest expenses pet owners face. With the cost of annual checkups increasing exponentially by the year, most people can’t afford to tack on additional visits for ear infections, dentals, and other unexpected trips.

Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to support your pet’s health and decrease how often they need to see a vet.

Feed the Right Diet

Cheap food may seem like a good way to save money on pet care, but we can almost guarantee you’ll spend more than you’re saving on vet fees down the road. After all, pets that are fed poor diets are more likely to need yearly dentals, experience frequent ear, and skin infections, and have to deal with chronic disease and illness as they age.

With all the money you’ll be spending on those vet visits and extra medications, you could easily afford to feed your dog a raw meat diet every day and still have money left over.

By feeding your dog or cat a commercial or homemade raw or fresh diet, you can avoid many of the additives that cause allergic reactions and inflammation. You’ll also be giving your pet real food that’s packed with antioxidants, enzymes, and natural nutrients to help them combat the inflammatory substances they’ll encounter in the environment.

Giving your dog raw bones to chew on will improve their dental health dramatically while helping to reduce anxiety and burn calories—more things that support overall health.

You can get even more health-supporting benefits by adding nutrient-packed superfoods to your pet’s diet. Whole oily fish, like sardines, provide a ton of healthy omega fatty acids and calcium and are much cheaper and more beneficial than processed fish oil supplements. Raw goat’s milk has been shown to reduce allergies and inflammation in dogs and cats and does wonders for reestablishing balance in the gut biome.

 

Avoid Unnecessary Chemicals

In today’s world, it is impossible to avoid chemicals. They are in our pet’s environment, most commercial pet food, and just about everything your vet is likely to give them.

This is why it is so important to avoid giving your pet chemical-laden products whenever possible. This starts at the vet’s office.

Before you agree to give your dog any vaccine or preventative medication, such as dewormer or flea treatment, you should do your research. Find out what your pet’s specific risk is for contracting whatever the vaccine or medication is meant to prevent. Then, talk to your vet about what would happen to your pet if they did get sick.

Many diseases vaccines and preventatives are meant to target, are much more dangerous to puppies and elderly dogs than they are to healthy adult dogs. And in some cases, the preventative itself is more likely to cause issues to certain dogs than the pathogen or parasite.

If your dog or cat is at low risk for contracting something and low risk for getting sick if they do, then it is worth skipping the preventative to avoid the chemicals inside it.

You should be just as discerning when it comes to medications, especially long-term treatments and antibiotics. Anything that threatens to throw your pet’s system out of balance is likely to cause secondary complications, such as digestive problems, ear infections, and organ damage. If there are more natural alternatives or if the condition can be treated by addressing the root cause, these are the better approaches to take.

Of course, if your vet doesn’t see eye to eye with you on these options, then maybe it’s time to find a new veterinarian or even switch to a holistic vet.

Keep Them Active

What goes into your pet’s body is important. But so is keeping that body healthy through appropriate, low-stress activity.

Active pets are more likely to be a healthy weight than those who are cooped up inside the house. Since obese pets are more likely to suffer from organ diseases, this is one very important step you can take to reduce medical bills as they age.

Pets that get plenty of activity are also less likely to experience stress and anxiety. When stress becomes chronic, it can lead to serious imbalances in the gut and body. These imbalances are one of the main causes of skin ailments and ear infections.

By getting your pet out of the house for walks and providing plenty of mentally stimulating activities indoors and in the yard, you can help fight stress, burn calories, and support their long-term health.

Know Their Vital Signs

Supporting your dog’s health through diet, exercise, and avoiding unnecessary chemicals will all help to keep vet bills down. But none of these things guarantee your dog will never get sick or that they won’t have an accident that requires veterinary care.

If you know your dog’s normal vital signs, you will be much better equipped to differentiate between a situation that requires vet care and one that can be dealt with at home. Since emergency vet and urgent care trips are some of the most expensive vet visits you’ll deal with, this knowledge can go a long way to saving you money.

Here are four vital signs you should be familiar with in your pet so you can use them to determine if they’re experiencing an emergency:

• Temperature – A normal temperature for a dog ranges between 101 and 102.5. Cats run a little lower, between 100.5 and 102.5. You should have an anal thermometer at home for your pets and be familiar with their normal body temperature so you can distinguish if they are running a fever or not.
• Heart Rate – A cat’s normal heart rate should be between 120 and 160 beats per minute. Dogs’ heart rates run between 60 and 140 with bigger dogs being on the lower end and smaller dogs on the higher end. Lay your palm on the left side of your pet’s chest and count their heartbeats to determine what is a normal rate for them.
• Respiratory Rate – Dogs and cats typically take between 10 and 40 breaths per minute. Try counting your pet’s breaths while they are resting to find out what is normal for them. Labored or quick breathing is a sure sign your pet is in pain or distress.

Knowing what is normal for your pet will help you better be able to identify a true emergency and avoid unnecessary trips to the vet.

Owning a Pet Doesn’t Have to be Expensive

Unfortunately, many vets have lost sight of what their primary goal should be: to help you keep your pet healthy enough that they rarely have to see them. Instead, most vets today seem to want to give you a million reasons to bring your pet in more often. While we all want what is best for our pets, most of us don’t have that kind of money to spend.

Instead of relying on your veterinarian to keep your dog or cat healthy, you should focus your energy—and your money—on providing a healthy, biologically appropriate diet, avoiding unnecessary chemicals and medications, keeping them active, and learning what is normal for them so you can identify an emergency when needed.

Doing all these things will help you avoid unnecessary veterinary expenses like dental cleanings and medicated baths while keeping your pet healthier and happier for life.

By Carrie Hyde, The Spaw Pet Life Coach | August 31, 2022

Written for The Spaw by Sara Seitz, Professional Freelance Writer and Novelist with Pen and Post

Carrie Hyde is the founder, owner, and Pet Life Coach of The Spaw in Tustin, CA. Carrie’s extensive experience and understanding of pet nutrition and coaching enabled her to create The Spawdcast, a podcast dedicated to educating pet parents and pet industry professionals on ALL the options available to their pet. Her mission is to open pet-owner’s eyes to the questions they may not even know to ask, to shine a light on the many myths that have been part of pet care for decades, and to offer whole solutions for their pets. Carrie Hyde is a certified pet nutritionist with the goal of helping pet parents & pet professionals with a new understanding of how to care for pets in a “whole and natural” way.