Six Ways to Save on Veterinary Costs

If you're looking for ways to save money on veterinary expenses for your pets, check out these ideas for how to save money and still give your pets the veterinary care they need.

1. Buy Pet Health Insurance. If you have a puppy or kitten, now is the time to purchase pet health insurance. The reason is insurance rates are low for younger pets than older, so the cost is lower per month. Pet health insurance companies include the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, VPI, Pets Best Insurance and the AKC Pet Health Insurance Plan. Alternatively, you could take the money you'd pay in premiums and open up a special savings account that will not only save money in case there's an emergency, but will also earn interest while it's sitting in the bank.

2. Use LowCost Spay/Neuter Coupons. Regardless of whether you have an adult pet or a puppy or kitten, spaying and neutering will greatly reduce or eliminate certain types of cancers and medical conditions associated with intact animals. To save money on your spay or neuter, contact Friends of Animals, Spay USA or Pets 911 for help on spaying or neutering your pet. What's more, the ASPCA has a comprehensive database for locating local low-cost providers. Just enter your zip code and select the number of miles you're willing to travel from your home.

3. Vaccinate Your Pet. Sure, vaccinations can be expensive, but a sick or dying pet is worse. The good news is that there are plenty of low cost vaccination clinics out there and they may be in your area. Many shelters and humane societies offer low cost clinics - so call up your local humane societies and ask. There are many low-cost veterinary clinics that offer vaccinations at a reasonable price, including veterinary clinics inside of pet supply stores.

4. Buy Pet Medications Online. Sometimes you can purchase pet medications cheaper online than from your veterinarian. Drs Fosters and Smith, KV Vet, and 1800PetMeds offer lower priced medications for your pet.

5. Buy Medications at Discount Human Pharmacies. Some pet medications, such as antibiotics, actually have human equivalents. If your dog or cat needs medications that a person could get going to Walmart or Walgreens under their generic pricing plans, ask your veterinarian if he or she would write a prescription so you can get the medications for less there.

6. Negotiate with Your Veterinarian. Many veterinarians are willing to reduce their prices to match something you find online to keep your business. What's more, sometimes you can get away with doing less diagnostics or switch to a less costly procedure. Ask your veterinarian whether or not a particular procedure or diagnostic test is really needed. In many cases they are, but in some, they're not and are just extra cost. Just telling your veterinarian the truth - that you're limited on funds may make all the difference in how he or she approaches the problem.

References

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance

VPI

Pets Best Insurance

AKC Pet Health Insurance Plan

Friends of Animals

Spay USA

Pets 911

ASPCA Comprehensive Database for Spay/Neuter

Drs Fosters and Smith

KV Vet

1800PetMeds