Tips for Lowering Your Cat Vet Bills

Cat vet bills can be overwhelming if your pet suffers from a major illness or needs a surgery. However, it's easy to lower vet bills by keeping up with vaccinations and regular health checks.

Regular Health Checks

The most expensive vet bills are those that come from unexpected serious illnesses, many of which could be prevented with regular health checks. Cats live an average of 15 years, so it's important to keep your annual or semiannual health checks to maintain your cat's health.

Observing your cat's normal habits is also important. If you know how much your cat eats, grooms, eliminates and interacts with you on a daily basis, you'll be able to quickly recognize changes in that routine. This can alert you to a problem much sooner, before it gets serious.

Many illnesses can be prevented by vaccinations, so keep your cat up-to-date on his vaccines. If you are concerned about the cost of vaccines, many veterinarians and pet stores offer vaccine clinics at reduced costs. You can also purchase vaccines online and administer them yourself, but consult your veterinarian before you attempt this.

Alternative Medication

Just as some vaccines can be purchased online, many medications can be purchased from alternative places to save money. Ask your veterinarian if he is willing to call prescriptions in to a pharmacy. Many pharmacies have generic brands that can be purchased for less.

Look for your medication online and consult your veterinarian about purchasing it from an alternative source. Many flea and tick preventatives are also available online or at local pet stores, where they may be less expensive.

Many holistic veterinarians offer treatment plans that don't require surgery or expensive medication. Though herbal remedies may also be costly, the cost can be significantly less compared to traditional medicine. These alternative therapies may not be as effective, so discuss this route with your vet first.

Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

Many illnesses are caused or made worse by pet obesity or poor diet. Feed your cat a high-quality pet food, one without meat byproducts, corn, wheat, preservatives or food coloring. This will improve your cat's health and keep you out of the vet's office. Feed the proper amount to reduce obesity, which can cause many illnesses and joint problems that can lead to costly surgeries.

Though cats are known for their grooming skills, quality grooming can also improve your cat's health. Poor dental care can cause expensive veterinary care, as well as illnesses such as liver and kidney damage, so brush your cat's teeth regularly.

Keep your cat indoors and keep toxins in a safe place where she can't access them. This includes human medications and garbage that could be harmful to your cat.

Interact with your cat. Mental stimulation is an important aspect of health, so play with your cat and make sure she gets the proper amount of exercise.

By providing a healthy environment for your cat and maintaining a regular schedule of veterinary appointments, you can improve the health of your cat, reducing those expensive vet bills.

 

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