You can’t avoid vet bills altogether, but you can use these savvy tips from our very own staff and volunteers to help you save money. Find out more below, including getting second vet opinions, free weight clinics, and at-home tips.
Protecting your pet from pain, injury, suffering and disease is one of your pet’s five welfare needs.
This welfare need is expensive, but it’s absolutely vital.
When your pet needs to see a vet, it’s important to take them as soon as possible. Some trips can work out pricey, but luckily there are ways to save money, sometimes in large amounts, without compromising on welfare.
Click on the headings below to see individual tips, or scroll down to see them all!
Registering with a vet might sound like an odd way to save money, but if your pet suddenly needs urgent treatment, you’re likely to be charged a fee for being an unregistered client (around £100).
Getting registered usually involves a quick health check. This health check can help you avoid expensive unplanned litters of small pets, too. It can be tricky to tell males and females apart, so this is also a good opportunity to confirm the sex of your pet.
Regular health checks are a great way to spot any issues early, before they become more serious, more expensive, and harder to treat. Visit Woodgreen’s pet advice to watch videos on how to do this yourself at home.
For pets who need claw clipping, you don’t need to pay – a nurse at your local vet practice can show you how, or you can book a call with our team. Simply invest in a pair of suitable pet nail clippers and get some great training!
De-matting is an expensive business, and it’s uncomfortable for your pets. Regular brushing that suits your pet’s coat and length can help avoid matted fur and save you money.
If something isn’t right, speak to a vet. If your pet’s behaving differently, or they’re not eating or drinking as normal, there’s a cause.
Visiting the vet when you first notice a change is key. Problems that get left can get worse very quickly, making them much more difficult and possibly more expensive to treat.
Online vet services are also becoming popular. While they can’t diagnose, treat or give medications, they can give quick advice if you’re unsure about something. Some pet insurance or vet pet health clubs come with this support included. Keep the details somewhere handy so they’re easy to find when needed.
If something doesn’t feel right, get a second opinion and don’t be afraid to talk money. Vets, like doctors, are trained to present you with a whole range of treatment options. It doesn’t mean they’re all the right things to do for your circumstances; they’re just options.
You know your pet and you know your finances, too. Asking for the costs of each option, along with what you’ll learn from any test results, will help you work out what to do. If you still aren’t sure or would like a second opinion, arrange to see a different vet. This is increasingly common and can give you confidence you’re making the right decision.
“When my 18-year-old cat, Humphrey, started struggling to eat, I took him straight to the vet. The vet I saw wanted to run lots of tests.
I’d already agreed with a previous vet I had seen at the same practice that given his multiple, serious health conditions, and senior age, we wouldn’t put him through any more testing, and keep him as comfortable as possible. The vet said she wouldn’t be doing her job if she didn’t present me with all my options.
It was difficult to refuse, but definitely the right thing to do. Humphrey went home with some new medication that suited him really well in his final few months.” – Anna, education specialist at Woodgreen
Many vets offer pay-monthly schemes that cover a whole range of things for less than the normal price. This often includes annual vaccinations, flea and worm medicine, and six-monthly check-ups.
Many schemes also include discounts on regular medicine and prescription food, plus reminders for when treatments are due. Dogs, cats and rabbits can all be covered under these schemes, just ask at your local vet practice.
Free weight clinics are often run by vet nurses on a monthly basis. You can take your pet for a weigh-in and general health check-up. Obesity is linked to many health problems, so helping your pet maintain a healthy body weight is not only a key way to a longer and happier life for your pet but also saves you money!
Local to Woodgreen? See if one of our weight clinics is coming up soon!
Pet weight clinics are a great way to pick up handy hints, too, like the tip below from our own Christina:
“I use a pinch of plain porridge oats when training my chinchillas to step on the scales so I can monitor their weight.” – Christina, small animals behaviour and training specialist at Woodgreen
For more information on fleas, including when to treat, take a look at our fleas and ticks article. Below, you can find a few tips to help you save money.
A trip to the vet for flea treatments can be expensive. But prescribed treatments work brilliantly. Cheaper brands, for example those picked up from supermarket shelves, often aren’t as effective as vet-prescribed products and don’t work as well, which isn’t a good use of money.
Another option is to visit a trusted pet shop or pharmacy and ask for staff with special training to dispense effective flea treatments (known as a Suitably Qualified Person). They’re qualified to advise about and sell flea treatments that suit your pet and aren’t available straight off the shelf. What a great result!
You may need to treat your house (and even your car), too, to avoid more outbreaks. Once fleas are in your house, they like to make themselves at home and can be very tricky to get rid of completely. It takes time and patience. So, the sooner you act, the better.
Remember, large or prolonged flea infestations can cause fatal flea anaemia in some pets, such as young kittens. If you think your kitten may have fleas, or you’re concerned about any pet, speak to a vet as soon as possible.
It’s also a good idea to invest in a flea comb, often for as little as £2. Keep an eye out for fleas and check your pet weekly so you can catch any infestations as early as possible. The base of the tail is a good place to start looking (the part of the tail near the pet’s back, not under the tail). Just follow these simple steps:
Some vet-prescribed medicine is expensive. If your pet needs long-term medication, you may be able to ask for a prescription from your vet (often costing in the region of £12) and then buy the medicine online from a trusted pet pharmacy website. This often works out much cheaper, even with the cost of the prescription included.
How does an operation save me money, you might ask? For many female pets, including dogs, cats and rabbits, being unneutered puts them at risk of pyometra – a common infection of the womb that can be fatal.
In particular, older pets are at a real risk of this life-threatening condition, and we are increasingly seeing cases of it at Woodgreen.
A vet’s bill to save your pet’s life from pyometra can easily reach £2,000. Neutering costs just a fraction of that. It can also help your pet live a longer, healthier life, and avoids the cost of unplanned litters to care for and clean up after!
It’s important to choose the right bedding for small pets. Wood shavings and sawdust often contain lice and mites, leading to itchy pets and expensive vet trips.
For rabbits and guinea pigs, use newspaper to line hutches, then pile the hay on top instead. Rabbits and guinea pigs need to eat a pile of hay the same size as themselves every day, so this is a great way to give them plenty to pick through.
See on article on pet insurance for a full lowdown on how insurance saves you money – lots of it!
Looking for more tips? Visit our page on how to save money as a pet owner.
At Woodgreen, our dedicated team of behavioural and training specialists offer expert pet advice online, on the phone and in person – helping at every step of the pet ownership journey.
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