Any penny-pinching pet tips?

I can't even begin to fathom.... I just don't need to know.

My biggest tip would have to be to not get a collar addiction. Those things add up! My dogs aren't big on toys (Em only wants frisbees, and Teenie just babies the stuffed toys I  have), so I don't spend a lot there. I rarely buy chewies. I do probably spend too much on treats. I could start making them, again.

Learn to groom, bathe, and trim nails yourself. Keep your dog's teeth clean with daily brushing or some other regimen. Teeth cleaning by the vet is Expensive!
 
Keep your dog in tip-top shape. Exercise and proper weight are healthy for your dog just like people. Being overweight and sedentary puts your dog at more risk for arthritis, diabetes, heart problems, etc. Healthy fit dogs spend less at the vets.
 
Look for crates on Craigslist and the classified. The thrift store is a good source for stuffies. Instead of throwing dirty toys away, throw them in the washing machine. Empty personal water containers make a great toy. Put the cap back on, some people add pebbles for noise. Most dogs like the crackle noises when they bite down on them. (throw away before the dog starts chewing pieces off.) Cardboard boxes can make great toys, if you don't mind cleaning up cardboard shreds.

You can turn the "carcuss" of the old toy into a new toy.  I usually take the old carcuss of a de-stuffed stuffie & put another toy inside it.  Like say, a ball.  Depending on well it fits inside Copper could be trying to get it out for a while.  Or you just have a new tossing toy.  Unfortunately, Copper has wised up to this & decides to tear a new hole to get to the toy inside.  [8|]  Um......I'll have to think some more on this one.

I re-stuff toys, once there is a hole in the toy, I replace the squeeker & stuffing & sew it back up for round 2.  I also buy stuffed animals from a local resale shop, they sell stuffed animals for $1 a bag. (there are usually 7-8 toys per bag)  You have to look for the shake factor. I shake the toys rather hard to see how well it holds up.  When I get the toys home, I was them with bleach, and then I put squeeker inside then & sew it back up.  I ususally spend $5 per month on stuffed toys & I always have leftovers from month to month. 

Definitely don't get a collar addiction if you don't want to spend a ton of money on your dog. Just don't be me might be better advice. I don't even want to try to estimate what percent of my income last year was spent on dog related expenses.

Don't have a dog with food allergies and helath issues!

With that said, I'm proud to say that Ben only spent ONE weekend at the "hospital" last year - much better than his usual three or four. As he ages he actually has been spending less time at the vet rather than more, hooray!

Anyway, more money savers -

Buy "dog towels" and linens from thrift shops.

You can also make your own dog beds from the cushions of dead couches! Alert the relatives . . .and ask the thrift store if anyone has donated unusable couches with sound cushions. I tend to get mine from relatives but I do have a whole debugging and sanitizing routine I got from my friend at the thrift store, in case I ever go that route. Couch cushions are worth the trouble if you have a heavier dog since they are more supportive. The people who lived here before had clever and attractive frames built from scrap lumber.

Make your own "toppers" for food - crock potting bone in meat for 20 to 30 hours will turn it to mush, add some mixed veggies (I puree) and some organ meats and you've got something more than balanced enough to jazz up many meals worth of dry old kibble.

Get your vet to write a scrip for a year's worth of HW meds and flea meds - take the plunge and buy bulk. Before I got permission to start using the cattle wormer, I puchased Interceptor by the vet pack, at a substantial savings. There are places online you can do the same - or use the generic HArtguard.

Put your foot down on vet services. OUr yearly visits are HW test, DHPP, rabies if needed, and the onceover from the doctor. [i[And that's it!. I don't recommend minimalizing things if you are new to dog ownership, but those of us who have a long-standing relationship with our dogs (and our vets) and know them inside and out, don't need the doc to tell us our dogs are free of worms, and a lot of those new vacs are pretty much like warmed/cooled cupholders, in my opinion.

I agree with learning to do a lot of grooming yourself. Not only can you avoid paying a groomer for routine stuff, you can also spot problems, or avoid them, easier if you know how to handle nail clippers, electric clippers, and of course the basic coat maintainance tools of your breed.

Cheap Walmart or Target collars and leashes. Better yet, nice durable leashes at your feed store.

Things NOT to cheap out on:

Kibble. OK, you can, but I really think it will add up. I tried, trust me. Most expensive year at the vets I've ever had. [&:]

Shampoo and grooming equipment. An $8 bottle of shampoo will last twenty times as long as the $5 one, and it will be better for the dog.

I too like the marrow bones from the butcher at the grocery store, and lots of times they are free.  I ask the butcher if he has any scrap beef  bones for my dog and he'll bag a bunch up and mark "free" on the bag.

I also do all the grooming myself.  Meaning, ears, nails, brushings, bathings, teeth. 

We also use old furniture and mattresses for dog beds inside and outside. 

I also agree with spending the money on good quality food.  The money you spend there will more than likely NOT be spent at the vet. 
 
ETA: that bone in the sig. picture is a bison femur from the Amish farmer's market.  Dirt cheap as well.  Get them occasionally for a treat.

be very carefull. trying to save money can be very expensive.  If u buy the cheapest say microwave, and it breaks u have to buy another one.  if u purchased a good one it would be cost less then two cheap ones.
 
 

The most important thing you can give your dog is free, that is your time.
 
This is what I wish I would have learned sooner:
-my dog just needs a durable collar to keep her tags on.  It doesn't need to match my outfit or change for seasons or holidays.  It doesn't even need to match her leash
-lots of clothes are not needed either, just one warm sweatshirt if its cold and kid clothes work (this only applies to some dogs in some climates, many don't need clothes)
-don't choose dog food based on price, but do buy the bigger bags of your brand to get more for your money, of course don't buy more than your dog can eat 
-fancy bowls are not needed
-don't pay for things you can do yourself such as bathing and poop pickup.  See if you can trade.  One of my friends cuts Abbi's nails in exchange for her manicures.  (Yes, I do people nails, but I won't do my dog's)
-If you can sign up for a savings card, for example at Petco you earn free food for every 8 bags you buy and they send lots of coupons
-most importnatly, keep your dog in shape to avoid costly health problems (for both of you) and to avoid your dog getting bored and destructive
-your local library may have helpful books on training and other things that are interesting to us, no need to buy everything
 
I have also learned to avoid the pet aisle whan I am in deptartment stores, too many impulse buys.

Stainless steel bowls and leather leashes & collars purchased online. Ours are seven years old and doing fine. Crate bedding of old towels from a thrift store, garage sale etc. I bought a 3 inch memory foam topper at a huge discount and some fabric and made four nice dog beds for the price of one Wal Mart bed.
 
Resist impulse buys. A shedding blade works well and is cheap.
 
After puppyhood, don't vaccinate every year unless required by law.
 
I haven't found soup bones that cheap. Around here they seem to be $1.39 to $1.49, but I got a dozen free range, organic turkeys for .29 a pound the day after Christmas!
 
But yeah, they are expensive, and I've given up Starbucks and don't go out to eat as often anymore. My car is now five years old and, it needs to last another five years or more. Next time, I probably won't have three dogs that are becoming seniors at the same time.

I started saving the most money by making treats at home instead of buying them at pet stores. Because the nutritional value is important to me, and we are doing a lot of training, I was spending a fortune on the 'new age', healthy dog treats.
 
So I started making a few recipes, mostly liver with egg & flour & water baked, that sort of stuff. It's messier but our family grocery money was all going to Pet Valu!

Murphy is on PB for seizures. The vet charges us $26.00 for 100 pills. I decided to ask my pharmacist if I could get Murphy's prescription filled at his store. Yep. The cost? $7.50 [] I was really shocked! Sometimes a people pharmacy is cheaper than the vets office. 

Use an old large, thick, folded-up blanket instead of buying a dog bed. Learn how to cut your dog's nails and hair and brush his teeth yourself.

With 4 dogs, a mess of other animals, and an income of about $2,000 a month total, we've definitely learned to budget. []
 
-Keep a budget of exactly what you are spending on your pets. Take note of everything you buy for them and add it all up. Then you have a very clear picture of what your money is going towards, and where you can possibly cut some costs.
 
- 88 cent toys from Wal-Mart. Some of them are really flimsy and dangerous, but I dig through them every time I go and always manage to find some surprisingly nice, durable stuff. I once found some really strong rubber rings that all of my dogs love to chew that have held up for months now. They've even withstood the puppy's merciless jaws.
 
-Collars and leashes from the dollar store. They're even cheaper than the ones at Wal-Mart. [] You can also MAKE collars out of old belts. My mother gave us several nice, leather belts that no longer fit her and I cut them all into dog collars. Just measure your dog's neck, and cut some of the length off of the belt to fit. Then Paint a little glue on the end you cut to prevent any fraying, and viola! Free, pretty, leather dog collars!
 
-If you feed raw, always buy in bulk. I have an extra freezer that I use JUST for pet food. I buy my meat in HUGE bags and boxes, 40-50 pounds at a time. Going straight to a supplier helps too...you'll save alot if you go straight to the source rather than a grocery store.
 
-If you know anyone who hunts, ask if they'd be willing to give you anything extra that they don't need...bones, organs, etc. I once got half of a whole deer from one of my dad's friends. Deer processing places will give you their offal for VERY cheap, or even free. It's seasonal, but still an option....and you'd be surprised at what you can get. And deer meat is organic and environment friendly too! [] 
 
-Always be on the lookout for sales! Our Petsmart recently had a huge clearance sale and alot of amazing stuff was priced as low as $1. After several trips, we ended up getting over $400 worth of toys, collars, leashes, chews, bowls, supplements, and a ton of other stuff for under $100.
 
- Take it from me and don't buy nice, expensive ceramic bowls. My dogs managed to shatter FOUR SETS of beautiful, expensive bowls. Finally I went to Wal-Mart and picked up four $98 cent plastic bowls for them. They've lasted months and are still like new.
 
-Make your own training treats. I can spend $8 on a dog food meat roll (their favorite) to crumble into treat sized bits, or I can make some homemade liver treats out of stuff I already have around the house.
 
-You can also invest in a food dehydrator. I paid 30 bucks for mine, and I use it to make dog treats all the time. I just take bits of muscle or organ meat, cut them into tiny pieces, stick them in the food dehydrator, and forget about them. About a day later, I have a ton of nice, healthy dog treats....and it's MUCH cheaper than all of those high priced tiny bags of jerky you get at pet stores....and there are no preservatives or flavors or colors added either.
 
-Instead of spending money on expensive collars and toys, take that money and put it into an account reserved just for vet bills. Trust me, you'll thank yourself later.
 
-I know alot of people don't like this idea, but if you know your dog won't have a reaction to it, you can use swine or cattle Ivermectin instead of Heartgaurd or Interceptor for HW prevention. One bottle costs $40 and will last for years....that alone is going to save me hundreds on HW prevention. But of course, always get your dogs tested FIRST, research it thoroughly, and never use it on collies or herding breeds.
 
-When I'm too broke to buy Frontline (this has only happened once) a LITTLE garlic added to their food is a decent flea preventor. Definitely not as good as Frontline or Advantage, but it'll do in a pinch.