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I have a pet Shih Tzu, named Rudy. I like to think he is my buddy, but he hangs out with my wife more than me. We really love him, and consider him a close part of the family. Today, he is getting his teeth cleaned. Two days ago, he got shots. And a week ago, Rudy had a check up. Talk about expensive.

Before I considered digging Rudy an early grave to save some coin, I decided that I could do better pricewise by giving him the healthcare he needs at a lower price. Most of us aren’t aware how much care a dog needs. Pooping, peeing and feeding aren’t good enough. Many dogs need yearly shots and vaccines; some can require yearly teeth cleaning and routine exams, especially for older dogs, and depending on where you live, dogs must have monthly heartworm and flee & tick medicines. And all of this adds up pretty quickly. But there are things we can do to curtail the bill.

Handling Shots and Vaccines

When it comes to yearly shots and vaccines, including rabies, I go to Petco. Participating stores host an independent pet services company called Luv My Pet. Typically a state certified vet comes in once a month on behalf of Luv My Pet and administers a series of yearly shots and vaccines to Fido. Packages can range up to $65 for a full series of shots, depending on your location. This is an excellent alternative considering my vet charges close to $150 for just the shots. The vet then adds on another $50 for guessing Rudy’s weight and poking him in the butt. Although Rudy may be sacrificing an annual exam, that is a risk that I am willing to take as long as he appears to remain healthy.

Flea, Tick and other Vital Medicines

Since I live in Florida, flee and tick medicines for dogs is a must. I certainly don’t want Rudy itching all the time. It’s hard enough to eat dog food, but also subjecting him to the torture of scratching himself to death is just plain cruel.

There happens to be a few alternatives in finding cheaper medicines besides the corner pet store. I like using a company called Petshed. Even though the medicines come all the way from Australia, every order I have made for the last 3 years has been mailed to me within 10 days after having made my online purchase. To date, they haven’t messed up on any orders and I usually can save about $20 to $30, even after shipping as compared to local pet stores or online domestic competitors. I also purchase the generic version of Heartguard for canine heartworm protection, which can save quite a bit.

My father, who has 2 Westies himself, prefers to use less expensive flea & tick product by Hartz, rather than Frontline, TopSpot or Advantage. I am not a fan of Hartz products because of the strange perfume after application, but I know that a six months supply can be scored for cheap at any Wal-Mart or Target.

Dental Heaven

Teeth cleanings, an often overlooked supplement to a dog’s health, can be essential, especially for dogs that have shorter snouts like my Shih Tzu. The vet recommended that teeth should be brushed 3-5 times a week, which was starkly different from the once a month activity that I was taught. If this sound hard to do, imagine if you decided not to brush your teeth for a month or more (doesn’t sound too good!). For the lazy hearted, there are also some alternatives to brushing, such as a Listerine-like doggie rinse (CET Aquadent) or dental chews (like CET Hextra Chews), but they will not be as effective as brushing.

In addition to periodic teeth cleaning, some dogs need to have professional dental cleaning every year to every few years, depending on age, breed and how healthy the teeth are. As I mentioned earlier, I had to take Rudy in to get his teeth cleaned. After looking at the invoice, I swear they were going to clean my wallet instead.

Fortunately, a pamphlet caught my eye about an anesthesia-free dental service provided by Pet Dental Services. You see, a large part of the dental expense comes from administering the anesthesia. So I went to the website, and discovered they are located in my state. They happened to be a lot cheaper than the anesthesia teeth cleaning provided by my current vet. Of course, my vet dismissed this option for my pet because of his age.

Steadfast about this, I thank her for her time, and chose to call around to other vets who were listed on the Pet Dental Services site. I found a vet offering the service a few towns north of mine. I shrewdly ask about the famous “visitation” fee many vets can get from introducing this service to their patients. Fortunately, this one particular vet had a money mailer for a free visit for 1^st time patients.

When I added up the costs, I could expect to pay about $180 for this procedure, as compared to $466 at my original vet’s office, saving me $286. At the end of the day, Rudy’s teeth were clean (for the first time in 10 years) and I was able to use the savings to address some other issues.

Through my “savings” journey, I took the time to find a smaller, out of the way licensed vet who was not only cheaper, but also gave more friendly service. I ended up with the same, if not better, results.  Taking care of your Fido doesn’t have to be expensive as you thought, and you’ll be rewarded with a happier and healthier dog for years to come.

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