Saving on pet bills: It’s not as hard as you think

Living with pets isn’t cheap. Everything from the basics (food and veterinary care) to the little pleasures in life (toys and the occasional indulgent purchase) seems to go up in price almost every day.

But put in a little time and some extra thought and you can save hundreds of dollars from your regular pet expenses every year — without sacrificing a whisker of quality. It can even be fun to find the bargains.

Here are some ideas to try:

Shop discount stores: You may already be going to Ross Dress for Less to, well, dress for less. Check out the pet section, and you’ll see an array of items, ranging from the practical to the playful. Their pet bedding, dishes and collars sell for about 40 percent of the manufacturer’s suggested price.

Tuesday Morning, a discount store that mostly carries home decor items, also has an extensive pet section. This chain often has quality brands at bargain prices. I’ve been looking for a pet carrier that I could sling over my shoulder and recently found a Sherpa-brand bag that would retail for $70 for $19.99.

Even the dollar stores sometimes have good-quality pet toys — it’s worth checking them out if you’re in the neighborhood.

The trick to discount store shopping is to look carefully for damage to the merchandise. Make sure it’s good quality — and something you need. Even if you’re spending only $5, that’s wasted money if you never use the pink leash or the princess doggie pillow.

Shop clearance sections: The best time to shop is at the end of a season. Pets are happy to play with toys that sport Santas in January. Now is a great time to find summer apparel for pets, and January will be a fabulous time to get a sale coat. Don’t feel guilty when you walk past the spendy stuff and go to the bargain bins.

Shop unexpected places: Sometimes the least expensive place to find pet supplies is the human section of a store. Baby gates (which keep animals or children confined to a room) often sell for dollars less at stores that cater to babies than they would at pet stores. Supplements (such as essential oils or glucosamine) often are less expensive in the natural food section of the grocery store than at pet stores.

Thrift stores are a great place. Many kids toys — available for a dollar or two — make wonderful pet toys. Some of my friends buy inexpensive squeakers and sew them into the toys they buy at Goodwill.

Urban dwellers usually pass by farm and feed stores. That’s a mistake if you’re a dog lover. They offer a much larger range of sizes for big dogs for half the price of the pet store. If you have a really huge dog like a Great Dane, go to the horse section and get a foal blanket.

Rotate toys: Sometimes the best toys are already in your overflowing toy basket. Most dogs and cats have piles of toys they never use. Pick up two-thirds of them and put them away. Every couple of weeks, rotate one-third of the toys back out on the floor. Your pets will feel the fun of new toys — and you’ll have the fun of giving them something — without spending a penny.

Save on food: When it comes to food, you don’t want to sacrifice on quality. You probably do want to reduce quantity. Because most pets are overweight, reducing their portions will save money on food bills — and on veterinary bills down the line.

Good-quality food actually costs little more than poor quality food per portion (because animals need to eat less good food), so don’t skimp on the good stuff. Sometimes discount grocery stores carry premium brands; it’s worth keeping an eye out for those bargains.

Save on veterinary bills: About a third of our pet expenses go to our animal’s health care.

Ask your veterinarian’s office about discounts. Many veterinarians offer them once a year (usually in February) for dental work. Some celebrate “senior pet month” by discounting the cost of routine blood work and exams for older pets. Also, see if your vet will give a discount if you bring in multiple pets at one time.

If your pet gets medication that’s also taken by humans, you might be able to get big savings by asking your veterinarian to write a prescription to your local drugstore. Many offer deeply discounted prescription rates.

It may also be possible to save money on expensive flea medications. If you have multiple dogs or cats, buy larger size tubes of flea medications and ask the vet to provide you with dosages and a syringe so that you can measure it for each pet. Because my dogs are very small, I was able to purchase a single dose of large-dog-sized flea medication and measure out the small-dog-sized dosage. It saved about $30.

Pet sitting: If you have multiple dogs, it may be less expensive (and nicer for the dogs) to hire a reliable person to spend the night rather than board your pets. A good place to look for qualified people is at your veterinarian’s office or your doggie day care. Also, you can find licensed and bonded pet sitters (including those who will stay overnight) at various Web sites.

Do it yourself: Clever cooks and crafters are finding the fun of do-it-yourself recipes and toys. Search for dog biscuit recipes on the Internet. Consider making your own dog toys using knots you find online and rope from a home-improvement store.