by Paul Knight

Created on: May 11, 2010   Last Updated: May 25, 2010

As those close to me will know I have been a dog owner and lover for years but it was not until I became a parent I started to think about the things I buy and what they cost. I spent a good year and a half diligently bringing down my costs and making smarter purchases on everything from my gas supplier to the car I drive. Sadly for Fred (the dog) it meant my eye was focused in to the cost of his food, vet bills and insurance cover and something had to change and it’s these things I wish to outline to you in the hope they help whatever the pet.

Let us begin with the bills as it is these that we often get the “got to pay it” attitude. I discovered that pet insurance is like any other and if you shop around on sites like www.bluecross.org.uk/web/.../Veterinary/VetIntroduct ion.asp .

The second and I think harder job to tackle is what we feed our pets after all it is common to stick to a particular brand of dog food and there is also a lot of debate as to whether much of it out on those shelves has real nutritional value and health benefits that are claimed. Personally I like to buy pre-prepared dog food and dry food but for those who want to try some pet recipes I have friends who have had success with a selection of dog cookery books such as the “everything” cooking for dogs book which you can pick up from www.petplanet.co.uk both of which are well priced and usually have a good rotation of special offers.

The same applies both with toys, leads, cages and just about anything else you may need for your pet and don’t feel bad about looking in a shop and then trying to find the same product cheaper elsewhere. For dog and cat owners it is worth it to say that some supermarkets Sainsbury’s being one of them that sell top brand wormers like Drontal generally cheaper than the local vet practice.

Whatever you can do is always a bonus and please don’t forget it is acceptable to give most pets a varied diet so it is fine to buy what is on offer at the time and experiment with their tastes as I am sure variety enriches their lives too.

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