Who doesn’t like to save a little money now and then? When it comes to your pet, you can save your hard-earned dollars while actually benefitting your animal companion’s health. Westside Animal Hospital, your Savannah, GA vet, is here to tell you more—read on to discover five easy ways to save on pet costs.

Practice Preventative Medicine

Preventative care isn’t just cheaper than treating a disease or health issue—it’s also less expensive. The costs of monthly preventatives to banish fleas, ticks, and parasitic worms are less than the cost of eradicating infestations or infections again and again. In the same way, keeping your pet up-to-date on essential vaccinations is more cost-effective than treating dangerous illnesses like parvovirus, distemper, influenza, hepatitis, and Lyme disease.

Spay or Neuter

Spaying and neutering isn’t just about controlling pet overpopulation. It’s also a cost-effective healthcare step. Spaying and neutering eliminates or reduces the risk of various cancers—genital, breast, and prostate cancer, for example—and even makes urinary tract infections less likely to occur. What a great way to save money and benefit your pet’s health at the same time!

Control the Portion Size

Paying careful attention to your pet’s serving size is important not only for your companion’s health, but for your wallet. First of all, overfeeding wastes food, and causes you to have to buy more food more often. Secondly, when your pet overeats, he puts himself at risk for obesity. Obesity can be time-consuming and costly to reverse down the road, so it’s best to avoid it in the first place. Consult your veterinarian for advice on the proper portion size for your animal friend.

Keep Up With Dental Care

Dental health issues are rather common among pets, and they can quickly sideline your companion’s health. They’re also some of the most expensive problems to have corrected! Maintain your pet’s dental health at home by brushing the teeth regularly—always use a canine- or feline-formulated shampoo—and providing a healthy selection of chew toys, dental sticks, or dental chews.

Don’t Shop—Adopt!

Last but not least, adopting your pet rather than purchasing them is a simple but effective way to save money. Adoption fees are almost always less expensive than the price tags at pet stores and breeders’ facilities! Does your companion need pest medications, vaccinations, or a checkup? Call Westside Animal Hospital, your Savannah, GA vet clinic, to schedule an appointment.