Pet health costs can easily spiral out of control. A sudden injury or the development of a new illness can result in hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in emergency medical or veterinary costs, which can be a huge worry. However, there are many things you can do to help keep these costs down, from ensuring you have the right pet insurance policy in place to carefully monitoring your furry friend’s everyday behavior.

As well as saving you money, this guide will also help your pet stay healthy and happy so you can enjoy life with them for many years to come.

 

The Right Diet

 

To save you on pet health costs, it’s essential to get the basics right, and this means ensuring your pet is getting a great diet. Different sizes and breeds of dogs have different food requirements, and it can be easy to overfeed your pooch (or cat) without realizing you’re doing so. Age is a vital consideration, too, and you’ll find ranges of pet food specifically formulated for animals of different ages. Speak to your vet about how much and how often you should be feeding your dog or cat to ensure their nutritional needs are being met.

Signs that your pet is eating a good diet include being a healthy weight, having good energy levels, a shiny coat, and bright, clear eyes. While allergies to food in dogs are rare, if you suspect your pet is reacting badly to an ingredient in their food, speak with your vet about this and how to follow an alternative diet.

 

Pet Insurance

 

One of the best things you can do to help you save money regarding your pet’s health is to have the right pet insurance in place. Typically, a policy will protect your pet in the event of an injury or newly developed illness, potentially saving you a significant amount of money on unexpected vet bills.

Further, the cost of taking out a policy may be much less than you think. What’s the cost of pet insurance in 2024? For a cat, you may pay as little as $14 a month, and for a dog, $37 a month. There are several different types of policies to choose from. For example, for an additional premium, you can often add a preventative package to your plan, which covers things like wellness check-up examinations, vaccines, bloodwork, and tests for parasites and heartworms.

 

The Importance of Exercise

 

Ensuring that your furry friend is getting sufficient exercise is key to keeping them healthy – thereby saving on health costs. As well as preventing weight gain, exercising your dog brings lots of other benefits, such as strengthening muscles and bones, helping with digestion, and even lowering blood pressure.

As well as walking, mix things up by playing fetch with your dog, taking them swimming, having a go at agility coursing, or teaching them scent work. These activities are a great way to bond with your pet, too.

 

Keep Vaccines Up to Date

 

It’s really important to keep your dog or cat’s vaccinations up to date to keep your pet healthy and prevent them from developing a serious – possibly even life-threatening – disease. Mark in your diary or calendar when your pets’ vaccinations are due, and set a reminder on your phone, just in case. If you’re planning on traveling abroad with your dog, be sure to speak to your vet in good time, as they may require additional vaccinations depending on the country you’ll be traveling to.

Generally, the vaccines that are recommended for dogs to have include:

• Canine parvovirus
• Canine distemper virus
• Canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis)
• Rabies virus

And for cats, “core” vaccinations include:

• Rabies virus
• Panleukopenia
• Feline calicivirus
• Feline leukemia virus

Your vet can give you all the information and advice you need on the vaccinations it’s recommended for your pet to have and when they should have them.

 

Monitoring Behavior Carefully

 

Often, there may be subtle signs of pain or discomfort in your cat or dog before other more obvious signs of an issue develop. For example, if your dog starts sleeping in a different position than that she usually adopts, or if you notice your cat panting, these could be indications of a problem. Monitoring your pets’ behavior carefully and paying close attention to anything out of the ordinary for them is the best way to spot a health issue quickly and hopefully get it resolved before it turns into a major issue for your pet.

 

Keeping Your Pet – and Your Bank Balance – Healthy

 

Taking just a few simple steps to ensure your pet stays in the best health possible and having a pet insurance policy in place can help keep your dog or cat in tip-top form (physically and mentally) and ultimately save you money on health-related costs. Meaning you can hopefully enjoy many happy years to come with your beloved pet.