K-9 Kids

As of about a month ago, an opportunity arose and we adopted a 12 year old Labrador, Ike. Please note that our family total now is two human adults and three senior citizen yellow labs! About a week after we adopted Ike, we learned that he would need *at least* one tooth pulled. He had a sensitive mouth and the veterinarian was unable to determine if more would need to be removed. Ultimately, nine teeth were pulled and he had a double ear infection to treat as well! The grand total for Ike’s medical bills came out to approximately $1,000!

We love our pets so much, but trying to predict and lower costs when you own animals is tricky, as expenses can vary from month to month! We have learned a few things since having several pets in our home!

1. Monthly pet care plan: We have a pet plan through a local clinic that covers two teeth cleanings per year, free check-ups, free vaccinations, and discounted medications, as needed. This is really helpful for us as we can pay a smaller fee month-to-month and have preventative care to keep our dogs as healthy as possible!
2. Food: We have no choice but to buy in bulk based on the quantity and size of the pack we have at home! We recently learned through a tip from a friend that a big box store offers a fantastic store brand of dog food that has better ingredients and is $20 less per bag than what we were paying for a “brand name” dog food elsewhere. The bag sizes are also bigger by 5 lbs.!
3. Treats: This is a great opportunity to DIY! I would always coupon to find the best deals on dog treats, then Scott pointed out that we should look for other options due to cost and ingredients in them! A few friends said that they made their own…so we gave it a try! The kids LOVE the home-made treats we make – and best of all, the recipe calls for things you typically have in your home! Please see the yummy recipe that we use!

There are some things you can’t predict, like urgent medical needs; however, we learned that we need to not only follow our tips above but also create another savings account for our amazing doggies!

Peace, love, and lint rollers,

Scott + Megan (Marley, Maggie, and Ike below!)