With luck, your dog will live for many years, growing old by your side. However, with the age of your pet comes higher costs associated with caring for your senior dog. Between normal age-related changes and an increased risk of illness, caring for an older pet can be expensive.
The last thing you want is money to get in the way of caring for your senior pet. Fortunately, there is no need. With these tips and a few discount codes, you can save money on all the necessities of senior dog ownership and prepare for the unexpected expenses of an aging pet.
Keep Your Pet Comfortable at Home
We all slow down as we age and dogs are no exception. As your dog’s mobility declines, he may need extra help getting around the house. Elevated feeders, pet steps and ramps and an orthopedic dog bed keep your senior dog comfortable at home. The cost of buying pet equipment adds up. You can find second-hand senior pet supplies through local marketplaces on Facebook and Craigslist. Otherwise, look for sales and deals to save money on new products. Big box stores are great places to find reasonably priced pet supplies.
Keeping your dog comfortable is about more than just making accommodations at home. It is also important to maintain your pet’s joint health. Older pets are prone to arthritis. Supplements like Glyde™ Mobility Chews promote healthy joints so your dog can enjoy more youthful mobility for longer. Quality supplements don’t come cheap, signing up for an automatic subscription is a smart way to save. And usually like anything else, you get what you pay for.
Once you’ve set up your home to accommodate your pet, you may not want to send your puppy to a kennel the next time you’re gone. If so, consider hiring a pet sitter who can care for your dog in your own home. Your veterinarian’s office is always a good place to ask for pet sitter recommendations. But if you value the ability to comparison shop, try online tools that let you screen pet sitters based on location, price and experience.
Preparing for Rising Veterinary Costs
Older pets need more frequent checkups than their younger counterparts. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends increasing your senior dog’s annual wellness visits to twice per year.
In addition to semi-annual wellness visits, older dog owners should prepare for the costs associated with age-related canine illnesses such as cancer, kidney disease, and heart disease. Although many dogs do not develop chronic illness, it is always better to be prepared.
Consider getting pet insurance to help reduce out-of-pocket costs associated with treating major illnesses. This helps you avoid the difficult situation of being denied veterinary care due to cost. It’s worth looking into coverage if you don’t already have pet insurance; however, you may encounter obstacles due to your pet’s age.
If you find yourself in a veterinary emergency and don’t have the funds to cover it, check out Care Credit. Care Credit allows you to finance your pet’s veterinary care at 0% for 6-60 months depending on the terms. However, with deferred interest rates that can exceed 25%, Care Credit is a smart strategy only if you pay off the balance in full before the promotional period ends.
At the end of the day, caring for an older dog costs more on average than raising a younger pet. However, with the right planning and money-saving strategies, you can take the costs of senior pet ownership in stride.
Whether your dog is an adult or young and energetic, start thinking about how you will handle the costs of caring for your pet in their old age.
— Submitted by Special Guest Columnist Cindy Aldridge, a writer from ourdogfriends.org.
