I have friends who say that with things being tighter they are struggling to afford the pets they have. What do you do when this happens?

When it comes to livestock, they start going in the freezer or sold off.

When it comes to my dog, I start eliminating routine vet and groomer trips and try to do as much of it myself. One trip to the groomer is $60 alone!

With Cinnamon I could substitute dollar store dog food in place of her Pedigree and she was fine. However Myka can't have his food changed around much, and currently he is on a very expensive dog food Taste Of The Wild...it is $50 for 30lbs.....but it helps with his gastrointestinal issues and scratching. So its like preventative medicine.

One of our dogs was on a special dog food for allergies last year that got to the point where I just couldn't afford it. It was $35 bucks for 8 pounds. She hated it and kept getting into our other dogs food and the other 2 kept eating hers so I switched them all to the same dog food after checking with the vet who specializes in allergies. I now buy dog food that is $26 for 40 pounds. 2 out of 3 of our dogs have allergies ,they both take benadryl so we buy their allergy pills at Costco in a big bottle. Our vet is really good about helping us keep the costs down so he prescribed an allergy pill that he calls into Pet Health Pharmacy and they ship us a 2 month supply to help on shipping costs. It is a lot cheaper than getting it from our regular vets office.My westie only goes to the groomer about 4 times a year instead of every month. That saves me 30 bucks a month in grooming fees and tip.  Our pets are like our children and we scrimp in other areas to be able to afford what they need.

Brandy:

I have friends who say that with things being tighter they are struggling to afford the pets they have. What do you do when this happens?

Truly, if someone is struggling to make ends meet it is time to find another home for the pet(s). i have heard too many stories from Animal Control officers that either have to remove the pets from the residence because of malnourishment and neglect (local story this week about a woman's emaciated horses) or else they find owner's pet dogs and cats running the state highways where they were dumped off by folks that couldn't afford to feed themselves, let alone apet.

 I came to that point last summer. Both health and financial circumstances made it very hard to keep the pets.

I began giving away the pets that were the easiest for me to be without (emotionally). The aquarium fish had to go. The turtoise. The little Siberian hamsters. - I kept those mostly because my small pupils like to get a visit of them sometimes.

The chicken and pigeons had to go next. It cost too much to keep them with too little in return. Both healthwise and financially.

Next to go are the pet birds. They are not expensive to feed in general terms, but for me, at the moment, any small saving will do. Still, I like to hear them twitter in the morning, so I have not given them away yet. I'll see in another month or two.

I am going to keep my cats, they are the pets I like the most, so it would be hard to be without them. They also keep rodents and snakes at bay.

If there is a war, and we cannot go to work for a long time, the cats will probably have to go too, but I hope that things will not come to that! The pet shop owner in the village is fully willing to take them any day - they are beautiful Persians...

I have never fed them the most expensive foods, but keep to medium-prized dry food of well-known trade marks. I did try cheap supermarket cat food, but two of my cats didn't feel well from it, so I am back to the well-known sorts again. It's worth it in terms of saving on vet bills.

Having a lot of pets, i have had to feed a cheaper feed than i would like. Cutting down on the groomers has saved me the most. I just get the required shots for rabies, now instead of all the ones the vet recommends.

 We rescued a puppy a few months ago and it turned out that her vet bills were really high. She and my other dog also need really good dog food (not necessarily more expensive since they eat less and don't have to be treated for skin issues). I pay the price for good food and vet care, however, I cut costs with grooming. I bought good clippers (I went through too many bad ones. I keep the puppy (who has a TON of fine fur) clean and brushed and cut out any little mats in areas prone to matting so they don't grow to big mats. It is saving a lot of money in grooming costs. Since we live in the woods, I can't use the cheaper flea drops (they cost more in the end anyway). So, I spend the money where it matters most and substitute my own labor and consistent care for other costs. I would find them a good home before I neglected their care,.

Some cities/towns have pet food banks (often at pet shelters or SPCA's or similar).  I work in Indianapolis and there are a couple of them that give out food once or twice a month I believe.  Generally, this food is focused on dogs and cats -- not livestock, not small animals (hamsters, gerbils, ferrets, etc.), not birds.  The idea behind these is to help people keep their pets b/c the shelters are often overrun.

Otherwise, I agree with finding food that your pets can tolerate and is good for them without breaking your bank.  My dog likes Rachel Ray's Just 6 and Iams Small Chunks, both of which are rated "average".

Additionally, there are a few inexpensive items that my vet said are good for dogs -- green beans, carrots, and plain yogurt.  When I make homemade dog food I use brown rice, plain cooked chicken (sometimes ground, sometimes parts), a bag of frozen green beans, and some chopped fresh carrots.  Everything is cooked except the carrots which makes for a nice crunch!

Finally, some cities/towns offer low- or no-cost vaccine and nuetering clinics.  Even if "town" is a good drive from where you are living, this is worth investigating.  The savings, especially with multiple pets, could easily trump the cost in gas if it's within an hour or so of where you live.

Which clipper would you recommend that do a good job? . i have one that does not do a good job cutting the poodles hair.

The little Siberian hamsters. - I kept those mostly because my small pupils like to get a visit of them sometimes.

 

Hamster Cages