Pet Expert Reveals Money Saving Pet Tips
Online, April 20, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Pet owners sometimes don't realize how costly owning a pet can be until and the money starts rolling out pay for dog food and treats, vaccinations and grooming.
In fact, the 62% of U.S. households that own pets spent an estimated $47.7 billion on their animals in 2010, according to the American Pet Products Association.
While most pet owners feel their pets are more than worth the money that they spend on them, there are still several ways the pet owner can be a more savvy shopper.
1. Do it yourself:
- Take care of some of your pet's needs yourself. For instance, bathe, trim your pet's nails, brush his teeth and clean his ears.
- Purchase pet food, cat litter and treats in bulk.
- Exercise your pet through playtime and walks. Fitness and diet go a long way to keep a pet healthy-and that saves big bucks!
2. Go online:
- Visit BarkingDeals.com. Barking Deals is a new deal-a-day website that's like Groupon but just for pets and offers 50 - 90% savings on pet treats, toys, accessories, and more. Soon, pet services will be offered in major U.S. markets.
- Visit MeowingDeals.com too. Same as above but for felines.
- Visit RetailMeNot.com for discount codes that you can redeem online at PetSmart and PetCo. Simply check out RetailMeNot.com before placing an online order.
3. Check in with your vet:
- Annual wellness exams will save pet parents money in the long run. These exams include important diagnostics that can detect early health problems. Treating early, or preventing both save you money.
- It can actually save you money to do an annual checkup with your vet in terms of catching health problems early. But ask your vet whether that annual vaccinations are necessary for your pet. The American Animal Hospital Association changed its guidelines, recommending that a number of core vaccinations be done every three years, instead of annually.
- Avoid over-vaccination of your pet by asking your veterinarian to use the VacciCheck test from Biogal to see if your pet has enough immunity for infection by Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Distemper Virus.
- It can also help determine the vaccination status of a dog with unknown vaccination history or help determine if puppies have received immunity from vaccination.
The main points summed up: By in bulk, provide the proper dog nutrition and exercise for your pet, search online for the best deal and make sure your pet's vaccinations are up to date. Some good points to follow.
Source: http://www2.daytimeonline.tv/content/2011/apr/19/180600/money-saving-pet-tips/daytime-shownotes/
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