Any penny-pinching pet tips?

     This is my area of expertise, lol ...
Healthy leftovers & raw meaty bones are the two best money savers. I have multiple dogs so I save up leftover meat & veggies over the course of several days before I dish it out. Also, there are many RMBs that I can get on sale for .39 - .69 per lb., which is quite a bit cheaper than the cost per pound of any kibble I use. I'm also a rabbit hunter, and when I gut the bunnies I've bagged, I save some of the organs in a seperate ziploc from the rabbit meat, which gets cooked up for the dogs ... half the time, they also get the rabbit meat, as well ... its only fair, since they helped kill it!
     I save money on grooming by doing it all myslef. I clip nails, coats, clean ears out with vinegar then dry 'em with baking soda. Listerine works wonders to knock out ear infections, as does yogurt. All the shampoo I buy is by the gallon, which can be diluted and lasts forever!
     For yearly HW tests and physicals, I use a low cost Vet clinic that travels to a local pet store twice a month. I opt not to give HW prevention, as I had two dogs who had a reaction to Interceptor a few years back. I use Brewer's Yeast, and it does work well as a parasite prevention tool. If we ever need to use flea/tick prevention, I go with Bio Spot which is half the price, and IMO safer than Frontline. I giv emy own shots, wormings, etc. They only see the Vet for rabies shots, yearly physicals, and the older ones have routine bloodwork done.
     Old smelly socks tied in a knot make the best pet toys. As do rabbit pelts (and if you don't hunt, you can get these off E-bay dirt cheap) and RMBs. Rubber balls are cheap and make for hours of fun ... my guys love the Kong ball ... its indestructable, lol. 
     For collars, I buy the day glo type, which are easily cheaned and are another product that lasts forever. I buy one sturdy chain or leather leash and use it with a coupler for all the dogs instead of everyone having an indivigual leash. It adds up, with nine dogs ...
    

As do rabbit pelts (and if you don't hunt, you can get these off E-bay dirt cheap)

How do you play with these? Do they chew them, or play tug, or fetch? Do you roll them and tie them, or leave them flat?

That's a toy that I doubt either dog could resist. It'd be a funny thing to put in a doggy Easter basket, too[sm=devil.gif][sm=devil.gif][sm=devil.gif]

For dog blankets/crate pads, go to the Walmart fabric section and buy remnant of fleece. My last trip I got almost 1/2 a yard (18") of 60" wide cream colored fleece for just under $2. I have a few other remnants that are cuter patterns too. They are super easy to wash, usually just the right width for a crate, and if they shred them they aren't ripping up a whole blanket (plus fleece seems harder to shred than some fabrics imo).

For dog treats I go to my local pet supply place and pick up the free sample baggies of dog and cat food - all high quality brands and FREE! I mix them all up w/ a smidge of jerky or pb biscuits (or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese), store in a ziploc baggie and I have a great 'doggie trailmix'!

I too use walmart for soft toys and online for the more expensive things. I also found out their towels are cheaper than goodwills and fluffier too.

For a mind bending toy, I wrap Maggie's stuffed kong or treatball in a towel or two and leave it in the middle of the floor for her to play with when I'm out.

Kids toys from the local kids resale shop also work great from training cute behaviors and learning new skills.

I use chewed up leashes for agilty tabs or traffic leads and rabbit fur braided into tug toys. Fleece can also be braided w/ nylon pieces to make a fun leash and/or tug toy that lasts forever!

Same things as others but here's one I'm surprised no one has mentioned
Our vet will price match flea/tick and HW meds, just print off the online price and that's what you pay there.  Often our vet has bonus packs so you get one extra - still at the cheap price.

• For those of you with strong chewers as others have said real bones are cheaper and better for them
• admittedly Bugsy's grooming needs are few but I do his nails, baths and ears
• We have found a few toys that last and thats that - air kong football or ring, Cuz balls, and an occasional retriever toy reduced at Target.
• Used to resew his stuffies but it was a joke, he just doesn't get them except on rare occasions (Xmas)
  
• found a great pet blanket at Costco for $16, its huge, great quality, and serves many purposes.  We have on in his crate & one in my car - he ate several beds at a rate and cost that was heading to a bare crate!
• feed good food and exercise your pups
• buy simple cheap collars - we go through them due to them being very exposed on his neck and him rolling around with his buddies on a regular basis.  I get the nylon ones and through them in the wash.  They last at least 6 months before being retired
• we don't do a lot of treats - we have a small bag of official training treats that we have tried when he decides hunting is much better than returning to owner, but he loves his TWO bison so much that when that bag is gone that will be his training treats or string cheese.Other than that we have a 14lb box of large milkbones from Costco ($7 !).  Those get broken in half and plug the hole of his black kongs better than anything else
• we feed cheap ground beef, beef heart, or fish with his kibble.  Fish is fresh caught from DH & friends or cheap canned fish.  Place called Aldi has canned sardines  for 39 cents - just avoid the post dinner kiss!
• he gets some healthy scraps from our stuff, sweet potatoes (cheap here in NC), carrots, celery etc.

Its all much cheaper since we figured out his allergies - now I'm guessing we'll see the vet at annual check ups and to but meds!

I forgot to mention that chews are much cheaper at the feed store as well.  $3 for a 12" bully stick that I can make last a week.  I usually let them chew for about 30 minutes and take it away.  Today, I let them chew as long as they wanted.  Much cheaper than the $6 at work.  I try to save healthy leftovers for the dogs and put them in their food.  For bowls, they have ceramic bowls from the household section at Wal-Mart.  Less than $1 for each bowl and they match their water fountain.  Now, for the bunnies, I did splurge and buy them nice ceramic bowls from work.  I tried to find cheaper ones made for people, but they weren't shaped right or were too light.  With the bunnies, that makes a difference because they either tip them by digging or pick them up and throw pellets everywhere. 

I am really really broke this winter but I hardly spend any money on the dog. His collar and leash are in good shape and only about 6mo old. He doesn't need treats... I clicker train with kibble. I don't buy him new toys... he has toys that he likes already, and if he's bored we just play a game. I am skipping clipping his coat this winter and just stay on top of brushing him. I get his nails done because I'm a wimp but it's only $5 a pop. He is healthy and almost never goes to the vet (knock wood). Pretty much the bag of food is our only dog expense.

For crate bedding I use old towels, flannel sheets, bathrobes, etc.  Just as comfortable for him and plus he can chew on them and I don't care. 
 
When he's de-squeakered his stuffies, I clean out any stuffiing left and give him back the floppy shell . . . he is perfectly happy to play with and chew on those. 
 
Like anything else, buy in bulk and on sale when you can -- jumbo packages of tennis balls, on-sale dog beds, etc.
 
Costco has some pet stuff that is very discounted.  I don't like their food, but they have dehydrated chicken strips (like doggie crack!) much cheaper than anyplace else I've found, and other treats and bedding cheaper as well.
 
People food can be a lot cheaper than dog treats.  Using small cubes of cheese as training treats, for example, is much more economical than buying commercial training treats. 

I have on tip, instead of buying frosty paws (for two dogs now) I make my own with
low fat vaniliia yogurt-the cheap store brand, a really ripe banana and a scoop of
peanut butter. Mix or blend it and put it in little plastic or papper cups like you use in
the bathroom and freeze them. You can also put the mixture in kongs, or sometimes I
keep the filled bones you buy at the petstore after they've eaten the inside and replace it with
the yogurt mix and maybe add a little bit of kibble and freeze them as well. You can reuse them
all you want.
Pam

Is it better to cook the butcher bones you buy at the supermarket or give it to them raw?
Pam

ORIGINAL: pamdb

Is it better to cook the butcher bones you buy at the supermarket or give it to them raw?
Pam

 
RAW.  Always raw.  NEVER give a dog cooked bones -- cooked bones can splinter and that is very dangerous.  In addition, if you have not given raw bones before, supervise carefully until you are sure the dog is not ingesting big bone chunks.  Dogs who gulp and do not chew (like mine) may not be able to have raw bones safely. 

Please NEVER give you dog a cooked bone.  Heat changes the molecular structure and makes bones very likely to splinter, and VERY dangerous.
 
I keep my eyes open for crib mattresses on freecycle and at yard sales.  I either pick up crib bedding at the thrift shop or whip something up with fleece....quick and easy doggie beds

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.

We found the same thing w/PB.  Def cheaper to just get directly from the pharmacy.
 
I get stuffies (stuffed animals) from yard sales.  Just choose stuffies w/no bead/button eyeballs, or beanbag "stuffing", remove ribbons, etc.  Also get towels and other bedding from yard sales.
fish oil from Wal-Mart.

i think buying a good quality food will save a lot in the long run. we buy kenny good food and b/c there isn't a lot of crap in it, we don't have to feed him as much and its healthier for him. my parents buy a normal dog food and have to replace it often, plus their dog is overweight too.
 
we also buy huge bottles of fish oil tablets from walmart. kenny has such a soft and shiny coat!

ORIGINAL: jennie_c_d

As do rabbit pelts (and if you don't hunt, you can get these off E-bay dirt cheap)

How do you play with these? Do they chew them, or play tug, or fetch? Do you roll them and tie them, or leave them flat?

That's a toy that I doubt either dog could resist. It'd be a funny thing to put in a doggy Easter basket, too[sm=devil.gif][sm=devil.gif][sm=devil.gif]

 
 
     LOL! I usually give them to the hounds in an old pillowcase, knotted at the opening ... so half the fun is playing tug/hide & seek with each other for the goodie inside! Once the pelt is out, it doesn;t last long though ... gets torn to smithereens! 
     For my pups, I will drag them across the yard & hide them, making the "game" increasingly more difficult as they get older. It acquaints them with the scent of hare and at the same time, keeps their devious little uppy brains occupied. I also do this with retired Beags ... cheap thrills [sm=biggrin.gif]  

wow, if I had to pick up every poop every day I'd get one of those metal poop scoopers instead of buying an endless number of bags.
 
We simply don't buy toys that don't last anymore. Stuffies, forget it, not cost-effective. We have Orbee balls and bones (indestructible), those rubber cow tube tugs (indestructible), soft bite frisbees (not indestructible, but last three or four months), a Wubbawubba (so far indestructible) and an assortment of close to indestructible food-delivering toys (kongs, busy buddy, busy ball).
To satisfy the destructive instincts, we use things were were going to throw away anyway-- plastic soda bottles, bird seed bags, bubble wrap, newspapers, magazines. A few minutes of frenzied shredding of a magazine is just as fun as shredding a stuffie and costs nothing extra.