News

NewsMONEY SAVING TIP – KEEPING VET BILLS DOWN
MONEY SAVING TIP – KEEPING VET BILLS DOWN

MONEY SAVING TIP – KEEPING VET BILLS DOWN

Tags: Tips and Tricks
Last updated by Kayley Harris on

One area of life that can quickly put a hole in your budget is your pets. 

6 months ago my family adopted a beautiful old Labrador called Bella. She is 14 and has significant arthritis issues.

Anyone who has ever owned a lab will agree that they will eat anything. I try to monitor what she eats but my dear old mum often takes pity on her and feeds her treats during the day whilst I’m at work.

Last week while we were at the dog park, Bella seemed to be having trouble moving. It was cold and had been raining but she was clearly struggling so we went straight to the vet.

The problem was clear, Bella is overweight and by losing some kilo’s, she will be able to move more freely and be out of pain. Here’s the cost:

  • $230 for a bag of special dry diet food
  • $38 x 4 for weekly injections to ease the pain
  • $40 for daily pain tablets.
  • $28 for a teeth cleaning kit because her breath stinks!

Then we come to the horse. Monty came to our family on the same day as Bella. My teenage daughter has been riding for 8 years and begging me to buy her a horse for 7 years and 28 days.

After resisting all these years, Monty came onto our radar. My daughter had heard about him and when he went up for sale, he ticked all the boxes…well nearly all the boxes. He is gentle, well trained and just the perfect height for her. He is also a wind-sucker.

For non-horsey people, that’s a habitual behaviour involving repeated arching of the neck and sucking in and swallowing air. It gives him a high….so it’s very difficult to get them to stop. We’ve tried collars and foul-tasting stuff on the fence but he still does it all day long.

How does this cost me money I hear you ask? Wind-sucking leads to teeth being ground down. Monty has virtually no top teeth left and 3 of his bottom teeth are worn down to the nerve and he needs to have those teeth out… now.

I’ve booked the equine dentist and by the time, dear member, you are reading this, Monty will be in the chair having them out. I’ll also be mortgaging the house to pay for it. Estimates are around $300 per tooth plus antibiotics and vet fee so I’m expecting around $1500.

Moving forward Monty will need special food as he will no longer be able to bite grass in the paddock.

Which brings me to the cats… Spooky and Toffee. Both are rescue cats. Spooky we think is around 15 and in reasonably good health apart from a bit of feline dementia…she often walks into a corner and doesn’t know how to get out.

Toffee is a ginger cat and anyone who has ever owned a “ranga” will know they are very temperamental and accident prone. Toffee has fallen out of trees and been in more fights than I can remember. He also had what the vet called a “misadventure” requiring his tail to be removed, involving a cost of $1500 about a year ago.

So how can you save money at the vet? Here’s what I’ve learnt…

Check out local rescue groups and shelters
They often offer low-cost vaccinations and procedures including desexing.

Shop around
Vet prices vary widely. It often depends on their location.

Look for cheaper prescriptions
Look at some of the online stores. Sometimes the prices will be higher if you buy directly from your vet.

Charitable Organizations
If you are still having trouble, there are several agencies that help with life-saving care including the RSPCA and the Animal Welfare League.

Pet Insurance*

Pet insurance is still a relatively new product in comparison to other insurance, it’s still in its infancy and there’s a lot of new players coming into the market. Dogs and cats can usually be insured once they are eight weeks old.

Pooch policy costs are based on the species, breed and age of the pet whereas cats are classed as all the same. The location of the pet’s home is also important and then it comes down to the type of cover and amount of excess the owner selects.

Talk To Your Vet

Let the vet know you're on a tight budget, and she/he may offer to help you with free samples, discounted services or a payment plan. But bottom line: your vet can't help you if you don't make them aware of your need. So, don't hesitate to talk about the financial side of the visit. Talking money doesn't mean you love your pet any less. It just means you're financially responsible. 

Take Advantage of Specials

People doctors may not run specials, but many vets do. If you're shopping around for a new vet, ask if they offer a new patient discount and/or a multi-pet discount. If you already have a vet that you're happy with, find out if they ever run a deal on dental cleanings or other preventative care services. My vet recently had a special on dental for a whole month!

Saving Money With Horses

Don’t bother – they are born to kill and injure themselves – just don’t buy one!

 

*FiftyUp Club Pty Ltd (ACN 166 905 175) is a Corporate Authorised Representative (AR number 465649) of One Big Switch Pty Ltd (ACN 150 963 474) who holds its own Australian Financial Services License (AFSL 455982) and can provide you with factual information and general advice only, that does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs.

Originally posted on .

Join the conversation

FiftyUp Club
MONEY SAVING TIP – KEEPING VET BILLS DOWN

Share your views with other members. 

Want to leave a comment? or .
Read our moderation policy here.
Sylvia
Sylvia from QLD commented:

Another tip is your Vet nurse can usually administer worm pills and do nail cutting if you are not able to do either/or yourself. Your Vet doesn't need to do these for you. The Vet nurse usually only costs the price of the worm pill - their services don't cost anything - I guess that will depend on the individual Vet Surgery. 

Janiese
Janiese from VIC commented:

Sian-Victoria. Since 1999 I have adopted 4 rescue staffies-I prefer to adopt senior dogs as I believe they deserve a second chance. I currently have an 8 year old staffy who has been well cared for, I give her quality food (yes I am on a pension) My pevious much loved staffy I found at the local pound she was in a dreadful state, at the time we had a wonderful vet who did house calls she really looked after my staffy very well- I use a locum vet for vaccinations, compared to other vets he is very reasonable. Because the dogs I adopted are older then Pet Insurance is out of the question. All four staffies have given me so much happiness, great company, the newest arrival is simply wonderful, a very fussy eater,she enjoys vegetables, hates kibble, I make a combination of tuna salmon and brown rice which she also enjoys- she also likes sardines! Yes she is an added expense but worth every penny. I live not too far from a good Animal Hospital, bit of a drive, but they do offer a payment plan unfortunately though those on the payment plan fall behind with their payments, now the hospital is in financial difficulties. I don't drink, smoke I am a vegan, I enjoy having dogs around the place. 

Wendy
Wendy from VIC commented:

Thank you so much, Kayley! Wish I knew all this when I had two cats! I will pass this invaluable information on. 

Someone
Someone from QLD commented:

My friend had a horse that was as you might say, nothing but trouble. It would kick, bite and carry on something awful if you tried to throw a saddle and ride it, Thing is, it won the first race it ever entered into. In a Greyhounds gut at Harold Park. 

Someone
Someone from VIC commented:

Re my previous comment on Teeth Cleaning for my Cavoodle. Just some comments and came accross Anal operations ( this is another item not covered by insurance) . How and Why do they have or indeed work out these Clauses? MargRet 

Someone
Someone from VIC commented:

I have a little Cavoodle who is 6 1/2 and it costs more to take him for teeth cleaning $650 ( nothing back from insurance as they dont insure teeth) .than it cost me for mine. He is due to go for his yearly clean in next month so I am up for another $650 ( I am 75 and a pensioner) so it is a struggle ) but we look ve our pets. I wish I could get a better deal. Margaret 

margaret
margaret from NSW commented:

Over weight pets. I did not have that problem with mine ,however my brother has, with both a cat and numerous dogs. he uses grated carrots to bulk up their food. It has worked well for many years and would be a good fit for a pensioners budget as a kilo at around $2-$2.50 will do you both for a week. HOWEVER do check with your vet before taking any advice for treatment of your pets problems. You however, can freely munch small quantities with out a visit to La Quack. 

margaret
margaret from SA commented:

1 tablet of green ,lipped mussel (Seatone or Musseltone) per day works well on arthritis in dogs - saves costly vet injections. Anonymous 

christina
christina from QLD commented:

I have three indoor only cats, all insured with RACQ. My youngest cat who is now 16 months old, became ill when he was 10 months, taken to the vet and then transferred to the vet specialist centre where he stayed on life support for 1 week. All up it was 4 months before he was better and cost us $9,500.00. Even though he had only been insured for 4 months before he was sick I got back 80%. I had no problems with the claim though it tends to be a long involved process. I recommend Pet Insurance. 

ani
ani from QLD commented:

I have had pets all of my life and despite the costs of having them looked after when needed and huge vet bills - I would not have changed anything as they gave me so much unconditional love in return. I grew up on a farm and besides the working dogs had numerous pets of all shapes, sizes and types. All of them never saw a vet except the cows if they were having a difficult birth. Several years ago my female cat became a diabetic amongst other things and that cost me just on $12,000 for her specialist treatment. She passed at 24 years of age. I didn't have that kind of money just lying around but did pay for everything in payments over approx.. three months. I didn't begrudge her at all for the cost as she was part of the family and much loved. 

Comment Guidelines