How to Avoid 5 Ridiculously Expensive Vet Bills

According to the Synchrony Pet Lifetime of Care study, 25% of pet owners will experience financial hardship due to an unexpected $250 vet bill. Another 21% would be severely stressed by bills ranging from $250 to $500. If you’re one of nearly half of pet owners, you’d rather avoid costly vet bills than figure out how to make it work later.

You can’t avoid all costs associated with your pet, but there are many expensive veterinary bills that you can avoid if you’re careful. With a little extra work, you can save a lot of cash and help your pet live a healthier, happier life. Depending on your size, try these tips:

1. Be careful about giving your pet food to eat or chew.

Believe it or not, worried pet owners are spending a ton of money every year on the things they give their animals. Dogs are notorious for swallowing pieces of rope, bones, and indigestible food like corn cobs from their litter and requiring emergency surgery to remove them. But it doesn’t end here. This is because foods like grapes can kill your dog quickly and treats can damage their teeth.

When my dog ​​was younger, my vet constantly reminded me not to give him anything too hard to chew. How hard is it? He said if it’s hard enough he doesn’t want to hit his elbow with it and risk breaking a tooth (he’s also a registered veterinarian). Pet insurance can help cover these events, but it’s always best to do your best to avoid them so your pet can live his or her best life.

2. Stay up to date on vaccinations

Vaccinations are the most important thing you can do to keep your pet healthy long-term. There are all kinds of things in the environment that can make your pet very sick if left unprotected, and rabies vaccines are required by law pretty much throughout the United States.

One of the most preventable and tragic diseases a young dog can contract is parvo. It arises from microorganisms in the environment and can persist for years. Without proper vaccinations, this can be a real gamble as even the best pet insurance cannot always save your dog. Too many dogs lose their lives from preventable diseases simply because they are not vaccinated.

3. Always have your pet neutered.

Although spaying or neutering your pet is taken for granted in most cases, spaying or neutering your female pet is absolutely important. Female animals can develop a fatal uterine infection called uterine dystrophy, which, if not treated immediately, can lead to sepsis and painful death.

The treatment is usually spay or neuter surgery along with antibiotics and other supportive measures. Routine neutering is inexpensive, and emergency neutering at 3 a.m. when your cat or dog is going downhill quickly is even more expensive.

4. Regular dental checkups

I mentioned above that my doctor is also a registered veterinarian, so I am constantly reminded about dental checkups. This is very important for your pet’s health. A co-worker could end up billing you a hefty bill for something like oral surgery on your cat, without knowing that your pet was suffering from dental problems.

One of my terriers almost lost a canine tooth in a freak accident (he’s prone to that), but luckily his teeth were in great shape thanks to regular dental check-ups. In my case, if I didn’t have regular dental care, I could have saved my teeth for a few hundred dollars, which would have otherwise saved me a four-figure bill.

5. Keep your pet at a healthy weight

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to avoid very expensive vet bills is to get your pet’s weight to a healthy level and keep it that way. High-quality pet food is a good start, but it is also helpful to feed your pet a regular meal rather than a free meal. Not all pets are able to self-limit their intake, which can lead to severe obesity and increase the risk of problems such as arthritis and diabetes.

I have a friend who has a diabetic cat, and insulin alone is scary expensive. Not to mention the blood sugar testing, dealing with complications, and the endless parade of shots the poor creature gets (and my stressed-out friend having to be present to give them all). If your cat has pet insurance, you may be able to cover some of these costs, but with many plans you’ll likely meet the limits.

Super expensive vet bills don’t have to be in your future.

According to USA Today According to a Blueprint survey, 91% of pet owners have experienced some degree of financial stress due to dog bills in the past year, but you can avoid many costly veterinary bills simply by actively caring for and caring for your pet like a child.

Simple measures like getting regular checkups, making sure he gets all his shots, feeding him nutritious food, and making sure he doesn’t put strange objects in his mouth will come back to you in the form of lower pet-related costs. Enjoy a longer, happier life for your pet.