Pet health care may quickly become an area of the budget where funds are tight, and cuts must be made. Thankfully, there are several things you can do help reduce your cats & health care costs, without sacrificing your cats & # 39; overall health and well-being.
Prevention, Prevention, Prevention
While unforeseen illnesses and accidents will always happen, by making prevention The cornerstone of your cats & # 39; health care program, you can greatly reduce your vet bills on routine health care, and avoid most diseases.
A preventive program is changing a healthy natural diet and supplementing it with a compliment of soil-based probiotics, pet lipids, digestive enzymes and super food supplements. This is the same program health conscious people follow.
Avoid the Temptation - Do not Skip the Annual Exam
The anticipation of bad news scares people away from annual exams. And yet, a veterinary exam is vital to access the overall health of your cat / dog. Chronic disease, can be greatly minimized, or even totally avoided by early detection.
If you want to make sure you are in a surprises come time for your cat 's annual exam, make a point of learning how to keep your pet healthy in the first place. checkup, it will get a glowing bill of health.
How Often Should You Vaccinate?
While cat vaccinations have not been exposed to vaccinations have been created in response to vaccinating needs lasts several years. If you have a senior cat, or a cat that is indoor-only, and is never exposed to other cats, talk to your vet about stopping vaccinations altogether; This is healthy for your cat, and easier on your pocketbook.
Parasite infections can cause serious and even life threatening cases of vomiting and diarrhea. By identifying and treating internal parasites before they become a problem, you can avoid expensive vet visits.
All problems which require veterinary attention to treat. We are trying to improve the quality of life. Be aware that many "cheaper" pet-store and supermarket varieties of flea treatments can cause serious and potentially deadly reactions and sudden illnesses in cats.
Hyperthyroidism, diabetes and kidney failure are three diseases that can be life threatening if left (blood) in older cats, routine blood work in the form of complete blood count (CBC) and chemistry analysis is vital in ensuring that undiagnosed, and cats rarely show signs of illness until these diseases before clinical signs appearance, can your cat to be treated before serious damage to the body can occur.
Other Money - Saving Vet Tips
Take care to your homework, and select a reputable on-line pharmacy though-out of the country pharmacies have been sold selling medicines that are fake, or contain incorrect or impure amounts of medication in them.
But you can avoid avoid most medications by adopting a proven preventive and restorative program. Most diseases can be reversed!
Home Care
, You can minimize the number of dental cleansings your cat will need in his or her lifetime by providing excellent dental home -care.
Cat toothbrushes are available at your vet or pet store, or a human toothbrush will do While your cat may be. While you can have a use of toothpaste made for pets. skeptical of what you are doing at first, most cats quickly become accustomed to the practice and become cooperative for the procedure.
Dental Chews or Bones?
There are several brands of chews available that to reduce gingivitis, and even help remove tartar from the teeth. While daily brushing is the best way to keep your cats teeth in good health, raw meat diets are a great prevention method. Raw bones are soft, good for your cat, and act like a cleaning agent.
Better Health Through Better Food
Despite supermarkets, and big box stores like Wal-Mart sell prepackaged cat foods at cheaper prices than making prepared meals made with real They are mostly fillers and meat by-products (the parts of the animal unfit for human consumption, such as chicken beaks and feathers. to its lack of quality content .
While the food is on the shelves today are currently considered safe, the best way You can need make your cat supposed to be sure to cat yourself. and soil-based probiotics to optimize their digestive systems.
Pet Insurance
There is no denying that veterinary care is expensive, and there is no crystal ball for knowing when your cat is going to experience a health crisis, though most can be removed.
Depending on your policy, insurance may help pay the bill is your cat is seriously ill or injured, or simply cover routine health care.
It is important to point out that unlike human health insurance, most Pet Insurance works on a reimbursement system - meaning that if your cat becomes seriously ill and need surgery or hospitalization, you will still have to pay out of pocket all charges associated with the veterinary treatments, and then file a claim with the insurance company to be reimbursed.
The best pet insurance is to start your your prevention program is negligible. When you factor in the cost of insurance and just 2 vet visits per year, the additional cost of a proper prevention program is negligible.
The Bottom Line
Cat health care on a budget is possible, and best implemented by learning what is the best food for your cat, avoiding commercial pre-packaged pet foods, and eliminating annual vaccines.
Spending more upfront for more food and proper supplements will minimize your vet bills in the long term, while keeping your cat happy and healthy for years to come.