A Penny For Your Thoughts…
Budgeting for your pet’s care can be a difficult task, especially when something unexpected happens. Here’s a short list of things you can do to prepare your purse for those pet pennies you’ll be spending.
Pet Insurance. Say, what? I can have health insurance for my pet?! Yep, you can. Most pet insurances don’t cover wellness visits (vaccines and preventative care) but they do cover most or all of the cost when something serious happens like fixing a torn cruciate, ligament, surgery for a twisted stomach, and even cancer treatments.
Invest in a wellness plan or membership. Most clinics will offer a wellness plan or membership that makes routine veterinary care more affordable. At BoosterPet, our annual membership allows pet owners unlimited exams and 20% off all services. Many clinics will also bundle wellness services to give you discounted pricing.
Finance your pet’s expenses. Services like ScratchPay or Care Credit allow pet owners to finance their pet’s expenses over a period of time. We prefer ScratchPay…it’s super easy to use and applying doesn’t affect your credit score. You can even get pre-approved for certain amounts and simply have that available to use in case you need it. The process literally takes less than 2 minutes…seriously.
Get expert advise. Everyone at the dog park has an opinion on what you should be feeding, what collars to buy and the best joint supplements. You can spend a lot of money on things that aren’t really that beneficial to you or your fur baby. If your dog or cat has an issue, the best place to start is your veterinary office.
Use telemedicine. Getting expert advise these days is easy with pet telehealth options. One thing we often see at the veterinary clinic is owners delaying their pet’s visit. This means the pet’s condition is often more advanced by the time the vet is involved (which translates to more expensive to treat and, possibly, a less desired outcome). Use telehealth for quick and inexpensive advice on your pet’s condition before it becomes severe. At BoosterPet, you can easily schedule a telemedicine appointment with one of our veterinarians online.
Invest in wellness. The saying a penny of prevention is worth a pound of cure is true. Making sure your pet is up-to-date on vaccinations, has healthy teeth, etc means that little problems get addressed before they become big (and expensive) problems.
Being a pet parent can be expensive, but it’s worth every penny! Cuddles during your favorite movie or just having an ear that listens is invaluable (yes, we know you talk to your best friend when the two of your are alone:). But budgeting your pet’s needs can make the journey just a bit less stressful.