Despite the economic downturn, Americans have not cut back on spending on Fluffy and Fido.
During the darkest days of the recession in 2009 and 2010, only 16 percent of Americans said they reduced the amount they spent on their pets, according to a survey from the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
To help consumers keep more money in their pockets during these tough times, Consumer Reports compiled six ways for pet owners to curb expenses and still provide the best of care:
- Don't pay a premium for pet food.
Food is the biggest ongoing cost of owning a cat or dog. CR's survey respondents spent an average of $36 a month on food for dogs and $20 for cats.
A big part of the national pet-food bill goes for so-called premium and super-premium varieties. But "premium" has no legal definition in terms of nutritional quality.
- Consider new options for flea and tick protection.
The big news on the flea-and tick-protection front is that the patent has expired on fipronil, an active ingredient in Frontline Plus, a leading brand, opening the market to competitors.
- Comparison-shop for your pet's veterinary care.
The best time to comparison-shop is when your pet needs a routine checkup. Call at least two or three nearby vets and ask what their physical-exam fee is.
Nationally, it can range from about $35 to $46. That difference might seem small, but the exam fee forms the cornerstone of every vet bill, and vets often set other fees as a percentage or multiple of that charge.
Consequently, the range of fees to, say, repair a midsize dog's tibial fracture can grow wider: $726 to $1,207.
- Don't automatically get pet medicines from the vet.
About two-thirds of the pet owners CR surveyed for this report said they buy their pet medicines from the vet who prescribes them.
That's often a mistake. Vets' markups over wholesale start at 100 percent and often hit 160 percent, plus a $5 to $15 dispensing fee.
If your pet is taking a medication that's also prescribed to humans, you might be able to have the prescription filled inexpensively at a chain drugstore, supermarket pharmacy or big-box retailer.
- Think twice before you buy pet health insurance.
For monthly premiums of less than $10 to more than $90, insurers promise to pay part of your pet's bills for medical and surgical treatment, and, depending on the policy, other types of care.
But only when CR looked at extreme and uncommon situations involving two very sick cats did all the policies pay out more than a pet-owner would have paid in.
- Take steps to prevent costly health problems.
Brushing your pet's teeth can be beneficial.
Tooth plaque can lead to periodontal disease in pets, which, in turn, can cause kidney and lung disease.
Other smart preventatives include spaying, which reduces mammary tumors in female animals, and neutering, which might reduce aggression as well as some diseases in males.
Consumers Union Inc.
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