Wednesday, Jan. 30th 2019

Budget-friendly Ways to Keep Your Pet Healthy

Budget-friendly ways to keep your pet healthy

We know all expenses just keep going up. Veterinary care is no exception. However, it is our pleasure to offer you some ways you can help keep your pet healthier without breaking the bank.

1. Less food. The majority of our pets are at least slightly overweight. Some are very overweight. You can save money on the food bill while helping your pet live up to 2 ½ years longer according to a recent study, just by feeding them less and getting them to a healthy weight. All pets should have a waist, and ribs should be easily felt without having to push inward with your fingers.

2. Better food. Yes, spending a little more on food can actually save you money in the long run. If your pet has frequently needed veterinary attention and medications for allergies, ear infections, chronic diarrhea, itching, or similar problems it’s quite likely the food they eat was at least partially to blame. Our nutritional consults help guide you to selecting higher quality food that won’t contribute to your pet’s health problems. Wouldn’t you rather spend that money on their food than vet visits and medications?

3. Exercise and “chasing” food. Both dogs and cats can benefit from more exercise, and one way to achieve this is to provide food in a different way than two meals in their bowl. Hiding small dishes of food around the house, even going vertical for cats, can help them utilize their “hunting” skills. This is good for both mind and body! There are also toys available that can have moist food frozen in them, or that dispense pieces of dry food as the pet chases them around. Regular walks, playtime, chase games, and interaction through toys like fetch or chasing a laser pointer are all ways to get more exercise into your pet’s life. We recommend at least 10 minutes of active playtime, or 15-20-minute walks as a minimum every day.

4. Training. Cats and dogs are both trainable. If there is a behavior your pet does that is a problem in your household, please consult with your vet or a trainer about solutions. The most common reason to surrender a pet to a shelter is behavior and training issues. A well-behaved pet will have a better bond with its family, which will lead to better mental health and a longer life in the home. Also, trick training is a great way to exercise your pet and help keep them mentally active into their old age.

5. Garlic for fleas (dogs only). Our clinic carries BugOff Garlic in both chewable tablet and powdered form. When used properly, this product is an inexpensive way to keep your dog from getting fleas or ticks. We’re happy to explain its use when you come in to purchase it. Sorry, cats should not be fed garlic. We recommend cats stay indoors, anyway. No exposure to fleas and ticks means no prevention should be necessary, as long as dogs that go outside are protected and not bringing any in.

6. Bone broth. There are many online resources for making your own bone broth. Once it has been made, it’s easy to pour into ice cube trays or other small cups to portion, then be given to your pet daily. Bone broth provides many nutrients that can help keep skin, joints, and gut healthy. Be sure to leave out any onions that might be in the recipe if you are making this for your pet.

7. Cats Indoors. For many reasons, cats should not be allowed to freely roam outdoors. It’s fine to let them into an enclosed “catio”, take them for walks on a leash, or let them hang out with you on the deck. But allowing them to roam exposes them to predators such as owls, coyotes, or the neighbor’s dogs. They may be hit by cars, eat poisoned rodents, or get into fights with strays that can give them serious diseases. And of course, if they are outdoors at all, you will need to purchase flea and tick products. It is also possible to reduce the number of vaccinations given if a cat is never outdoors. Cats allowed outdoors are much more likely to need veterinary care for ear mites, infected bite wounds, and injuries that just won’t happen if they are kept indoors.

8. Regular veterinary exams. Yes, spend a little money to save more. Having your dog or cat examined and adjusted (chiropractic) by a veterinarian twice a year, and having blood testing done when recommended, can actually save you money in the long run. Chiropractic care keeps the nervous system working in peak form, which then keeps other body systems working correctly. Regular exams and blood tests can detect health issues early, before they need more extensive and expensive treatment and testing. Waiting to see a vet until something is really wrong may mean needing to spend hundreds of dollars on hospitalization and treatment that might have been avoided with earlier detection. Many conditions, like kidney disease and diabetes, can easily be managed with supplements or medication alone if caught early. Waiting until signs of illness worsen can mean IV fluids, several days of hospitalization, and more intensive care will be needed to stabilize your pet before home management can be successful.

9. Prescription Medication changes: It is possible to find cheaper ways to provide prescription medications. Many human pharmacies are beginning to carry some pet medications and your loyalty cards may allow you to receive these at lower cost. We are happy to call in or provide a written prescription if you wish to use this method. Our online pharmacy also may have options for medications in different strengths, or compounded for easier administration, and also will sell you single doses of parasite prevention on auto-ship with no shipping fees. Just ask us if you need to consider these options!
We understand that very few of our clients have an unlimited veterinary budget. While we always strive to suggest everything we feel can help your pet, please be honest with us if you need to tighten the purse strings a bit. We can help you prioritize what can help your pet the most with the budget you have available.

Online Pharmacy platform modifications will affect shipping this coming month.

This is the notice we received from them: “ New orders placed between Saturday, February 2nd through Monday, February 4th will not ship until Tuesday, February 5th. Diet orders normally shipped through 3rd party fulfillment from our manufacturer partners will be paused at 10pm on Thursday, January 31st.
All shipping operations will resume as normal on Tuesday, February 5th.
To avoid disruption, all orders planned for Autoship during this period will be sent prior to these dates. In addition, from 12pm EST Friday, February 1st through Monday, February 4th, Next Day shipping will not be available as an option on your storefront to avoid charging your clients this fee. Orders placed with 2-day shipping will automatically be upgraded to next day shipping when shipping operations resume on February 5th.

Dates of Interest:

Dr Leonard will be out of the office Friday, February 22, March, 1, March 8, and March 29. Our office will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on these days for phone calls, making appointments, and purchases.

Mosquito season is quickly approaching. Is your dog current on heartworm testing and monthly prevention? We have coupons while they last for a $15 rebate on a year’s purchase of Interceptor. By the end of March, you should also be starting your favored flea and tick control.  We are also switching our supply of Interceptor to a cheaper but identical formulation from another company, to help you save money.  So supplies of Interceptor in our clinic are limited, but the coupons also apply to online purchases.


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Whole Health Pet Center
18011 E St. Rte 58
Raymore, MO 64083
816-331-1868

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