7 Ways to Save on Pet Costs

Large dogs run up the biggest upfront tab, but beware the high annual cost of rabbits and guinea pigs.

1. Compare prices for flea-and-tick preventative and heartworm medications from the vet and from discount sites, such as www.1800petmeds.com.

DOWNLOAD: The Kip Tips iPad App

2. Shop around for prescribed meds at pharmacies, big-box retailers and warehouse stores. Costco doesn’t require a membership to fill prescriptions, though you will pay a slightly higher price than members do.

Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Save up to 74%
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-200-80.png

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

Sign up

3. Have a technician administer vaccines to save on office visits.

4. Contact your local shelter to ask about free or low-cost spaying and neutering services.

5. Buy food in bulk from a warehouse store.

6. Ask your pet store about manufacturer savings. Some offer frequent-buyer programs.

7. Check out daily-deal sites geared to pets, such as BarkingDeals.com and Coupaw.com, for toys, treats, supplies and more.

Jessica L. Anderson
Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Anderson has been with Kiplinger since January 2004, when she joined the staff as a reporter. Since then, she's covered the gamut of personal finance issues—from mortgages and credit to spending wisely—and she heads up Kiplinger's annual automotive rankings. She holds a BA in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the 2012 president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and serves on its board of directors. In 2014, she was selected for the North American Car and Truck Of the Year jury. The awards, presented at the Detroit Auto Show, have come to be regarded as the most prestigious of their kind in the U.S. because they involve no commercial tie-ins. The jury is composed of nationally recognized journalists from across the U.S. and Canada, who are selected on the basis of audience reach, experience, expertise, product knowledge, and reputation in the automotive community.