The Dangers of Cutting Corners for Your Pets

It's no secret the economy has us all making sacrifices. For most families, having a pet is a luxury that can become costly overtime. When it's time to tighten the wallet, we might decide to change our pet's food to a slightly lower brand and even make cuts for routine veterinary care and flea or heartworm preventative. The bad news is that doing so may cost you more in the long run.

Pet's digestive systems are really very sensitive. Changing their food can cause loose or runny stool or maybe worse. Some pets have allergies to ingredients or food dyes in certain foods. If you are looking to reduce your costs, having to make emergency runs to your vet due to a reaction to food will not help.

The same goes for flea treatments. I can't stress enough how important it is to follow your vet's recommendations. There are reasons these products can only be bought at your vet's office. Some pets have bad reactions to certain products. If you think purchasing a cheaper product at Wal-Mart is going to make a difference, guess again. Thousands of pet parents have posted their horror stories at HartzVictims.org. There have been multiple lawsuits against the company over the years, and EPA even forced them to remove one of their products for cats.

I can't stress enough the importance of monthly heartworm preventative. This year already we have treated 12 dogs for heartworms and three more are waiting for us to get the funds so they may be treated. This is the most easily preventable parasite. A six month supply will cost around $60 depending on the size of your dog. One treatment to kill the heartworm infection may cost you $600. Just last month, we took a dog from a couple who admitted they hadn't given a heartworm pill to in a few months. We had to immediately have her tested. We were lucky she was negative, but it was probably due to the fact that her coat was rather matted so the mosquitos couldn't get through. Again, this is something you can get only from your vet, and that's a good thing. Certain breeds actually carry a high sensitivity to the ingredients in certain heartworm medications. Collies in particular should not be given anything that is ivermectin-based as it could actually be fatal to the dog.

So where can you cut corners with your pets? Well, obviously my answer is that you shouldn't. Instead, curb your Starbucks or fast food habits and put that money away for your pet's care. I know it hasn't been easy for me to give up my daily ice cream habit, but sometimes, you have to give up the instant gratification for long-term happiness. Your pets give so much to you unconditionally, is it really so much for you to give a little to them?