Pets MoneySaving

Magentasue

We've always had dogs and cats and used to feed tinned food, now they all have dried. Usually a midpriced supermarket one but at the moment they're all on Iams because I got a trolley full half price from Asda a few weeks ago.

Costcutters that work for me are:

1) Dried food only - leftovers used to go to the dog but she's a springer spaniel and getting on now so puts on weight. Fortunately, the chickens eat the leftovers now!

2) Garlic - added to food in a bit of olive oil two or three times a week. Used to crush brewers yeast tablets as well when they were puppies/kittens. Supposed to ward off fleas, worms etc

3) Frontline and worming tabs from vets - supermarket versions don't work

4) Old blankets for bedding - 50p fom charity shop

5) Bag of chews from agricultural merchants or market - fraction of pet shop prices

6) Straw for chickens as 5) - hay, straw, shavings all cheaper

And to be controversial ... have never bothered with vaccinations or insurance. Have never had problems with cat flu, distemper etc. etc. either. This is just me - I haven't had my kids vaccinated either. As for insurance, the coalman left our gate open and our dog did get out and run over a few years ago. We got a £200 bill but that's the only vet bill we've had apart from neutering, flea treatments and euthanasia when they've been 16+. I do save every month for 'hard times' meaning when I have no work, when the car needs something or whatever but have only had to hand it over to the vets on that one occasion.

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi There

We have a 2 year old westie "Jake". We had to cancel our insurance 6 months ago as we had to cut back on our out goings. It was with Direct Line @ £12 per month.

Anyway, as we receive a small amount of housing benefit we are entitled to "free" vet care through our local new PDSA. They are excellent and am very impressed with their service. Jake has regular skin problems as most westies do and they have given us vit tablets, shampoo, special food supplements, booster jabs, antibiotics, flea and worm treatments etc.

You make a donation of whatever you can afford. Obviously, people dont donate money all the time and use and abuse the system, but we do care about our Jake and do contribute, especially knowing how much these items normally cost as we have paid before for them.

We feel lucky to have such a great PDSA team at hand 24/7 and am sure we would not get a better service from any other local vets. Jake is in perfect health and we are hoping to maybe stud him out in the next few months as he hasnt been snipped yet :eek:

Does anyone know how we can go about finding info on studing him out? He is a 4 generation pedigree with full papers etc..if that helps.

Penny-Pincher!!
XXX

beachbeth

Magentasue wrote:

And to be controversial ... have never bothered with vaccinations or insurance. Have never had problems with cat flu, distemper etc. etc. either. This is just me - I haven't had my kids vaccinated either.

This really annoys me! The reason you have never had problems with cat flu, distemper etc,and your kids haven't come down with anything nasty is because EVERYONE ELSE has their pets/kids vaccinated! When a lot of people stopped having the MMR because of the health scares there was a definite increase in measles in children (a horrible disease that can kill, blind and handicap, not just cause spots). If everyone followed your example these diseases would be rife and common place as it was decades ago.

So you go ahead and put your pets/children at risk and let everyone else pay for all the vaccinations for theirs that are keeping yours safe for you.

Magentasue

beachbeth wrote:

This really annoys me! The reason you have never had problems with cat flu, distemper etc,and your kids haven't come down with anything nasty is because EVERYONE ELSE has their pets/kids vaccinated! When a lot of people stopped having the MMR because of the health scares there was a definite increase in measles in children (a horrible disease that can kill, blind and handicap, not just cause spots). If everyone followed your example these diseases would be rife and common place as it was decades ago.

So you go ahead and put your pets/children at risk and let everyone else pay for all the vaccinations for theirs that are keeping yours safe for you.

I could reply to this ... but I won't because I'll never convince you I'm right just as you'll never convince me. But I will say that I thought long and hard about this, read a great deal including research Ifound in uni library before I made my decision.

And my kids have had measles. And whooping cough - caught from an immunised child although it wasn't my child that ended up in hospital, there are other factors. Will shut up now.

beachbeth

Both my kids have had measles and whooping cough too, but because they were immunised they had it mildly and not in a way that put them at risk.

I know there are a lot of differing opinions on this subject but I too weighed up the pros and cons of vaccinations and feel that it is just too risky not to have it done. My own mum has two dogs that have never been near the vets and are fine but this too is because other people vaccinate their pets and therefore aren't spreading the diseases round for them to catch.

I don't want to start a row or anything, I just think that if the whole country stopped having vaccinations as from now for themselves, their kids and their pets we would then have epidemics on our hands and a lot of people would die. Viruses and diseases would multiply very easily and spread, especially to vulnerable people such as the very young and very old. You will always get cases of vaccinated people who die from diseases and people who aren't vaccinated who manage never to fall ill but this doesn't mean this is the norm.

If there were no more vaccinations do you really think things would be the same as they are now?

Becles

I considered pet insurance on Sam (in picture) when I bought him as a puppy, but decided I would use my emergency savings if anything happened to him.

Sam (in pic) was 10 when he died, and my other dog Suzy will celebrate her 10th birthday next week. Neither had any major illnesses and vet bills have been very low. Sam had a cyst removed and a precautionary biopsy for £90, Suzy was attacked by another dog once and had to be stitched which got infected. That was around £70 for all the bits of treatment. They've had a few minor bits of things over the years which cost around £20 a time. If I'd had insurance throughout their lives, I'd be well out of pocket.

I've just bought a puppy and I'm not going to insure him, and will rely on my savings should he fall sick.

Just another thought on the matter.

I suppose it depends on if you want peace of mind with insurance, or are happy to take the chance that your animals will be healthy and have savings just in case.

beachbeth

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

Does anyone know how we can go about finding info on studing him out? He is a 4 generation pedigree with full papers etc..if that helps.

This is very irresponsible. If he has skin problems then you shouldn't breed from him and pass this on in order to make money. Before breeding from any dog you should make sure they are in the best of health and have nothing like this to pass on. My oldest girl dog has a knee cap that occasionally pops out (no other health problems) but I would never breed from her because she could pass this on. Before I bred from any dog they would have to be 100% fit and with no known defects to pass on to the poor pups.

Magentasue

beachbeth wrote:

Both my kids have had measles and whooping cough too, but because they were immunised they had it mildly and not in a way that put them at risk.

If there were no more vaccinations do you really think things would be the same as they are now?

Yes, I do. Because there are always diseases and epidemics, people get them if they are not immune. When my son caught whooping cough, he was off school but not seriously ill. Same when they others caught it. The little girl who gave it to him was immunised but ended up in hospital with it.

As for pets, one of the vets who used to work at our local practice says he would only vaccinate if his cats and dogs were going into kennels/cattery. Otherwise, he reckons once they're over a year old they build up a natural immunity - don't suppose he said that before he retired though!

beachbeth

Think we'll have to agree to differ then, Magentasue!

gemmaj

On Animal Planet I saw an unvaccinated dog die of parvo. It was a very unpleasant end, the dog really suffered. And all because its owner didn't, for whatever reason, vaccinate.

And I am oppose to breeding dogs when there are so many in rescue shelters waiting for homes.

On a lighter note I am shocked at how cheap all your vets bills have been ...

Suzy was attacked by another dog once and had to be stitched which got infected. That was around £70

I don't know whether its where I live or the size of my dog, but when Max needed stitches the total bill was £450! I spent £90 this weekend on a bit of advice and a bag of Hills prescription T/D!

So leaving aside vaccination, insurance and breeding, any less controversial ways to save money? Dog food recipes, helpful hints?