How to Save on Pet Related Expenses

Lomegakyo on 01/03/2016 - 23:23
Last edited 02/03/2016 - 10:30

Hello everyone, (first post here)

Just wondering how does other ozbargainers save on their pets. Im currently a uni student and I have a puppy and a rabbit. I always search for coupons and shops from all different websites as the price changes.

What i am doing for rabbit (mini lop over 1 yr old):
* bale of hay from local produce - $24 (last minimal 6 month)
* bag of veggies from coles -$2 (weekly)
* breeder's choice recycled paper -$23 (last minimal 6 months)
* plastic bags -$4 (monthly, can not use supermarket shopping bags as they are a bit small, using shopping bag to go over the litter tray so it allows easy cleaning everytime)
* online shopping for treats and toys -$40-$45 (above $40 = free shipping)
Total = approx $22 per month, not including vet/vaccine/etc

What i am doing for puppy (Aussie Shepherd from highly reputable breeder 14 weeks):

  • Insurance - $48 (monthly, rspca ultimate)
  • self-manage insurance -$100 (monthly)
  • Dry food, Blackhawk - $91 (20kg monthly)
  • fresh topside mince for dogs -$5.2 (weekly)
  • treats - $40 (monthly, flatulates due to whatever is on special)
  • toys - $20 (monthly)
  • grooming - $40 (last about 12 months)
    Total = approx $320 per month

Thanks in advance for all advices

***UPDATE: forgot flea, worm, tick treatment.
which is gonne cost around extra $25 a month, buying 12 packet sentinels and 6 pack nexgard from cheapest online store.

Food & Grocery

Comments

    • sickburn on 02/03/2016 - 14:32

      I'd like to buy a bale of oaten, but where would I store it?

      • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 14:36

        im using a plastic bag like these from bunnings,http://www.bunnings.com.au/mr-clean-135-x-120cm-extra-large-tough-garbage-bags-2-pack_p4520195, and just place it somewhere off the ground in the garage, im using milk crates

  • harkoliar on 02/03/2016 - 15:50

    See if you can get a kong wobbler. I feed my dog breakfast there and she is entertained at least 25 minutes a day trying to get her food.

    I find them sturdy as well.

    • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 21:32

      thanks will look into that

      • harkoliar on 03/03/2016 - 07:48

        Your puppy will be motivated once doggy knows there is food inside. :-)

  • ronnknee on 02/03/2016 - 16:09
    +1

    $20/month on toys, really? 20 kg of dry food in a month? Wow.

    • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 21:32

      they are just rough estimate based on her full size, she still a pup.

  • Flowerbomb on 02/03/2016 - 16:52
    +2

    Why don't you make home cooked meals for your dog? It's economical and easy to do. Dog food has a lot of additives and preservatives. Cook the meat in bulk and freeze it.

    For a week's worth, I usually chop carrots, sweet potato, broccoli and mix it with chopped beef blade steaks or pork mince. This is served with brown rice. Add olive oil on top which is good for your dog's coat.

    Very easy to do. If you are time conscious, freeze half the meat and precook 3 days worth of rice and leave it in the fridge. Easy as.

    • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 21:33

      i probably wont have any time for this. Im a full time uni student with two part time jobs

      • Flowerbomb on 03/03/2016 - 16:03
        +1

        If you're spending $90 on dog food per month, that's about 4 hours of part time work. It's more or less the time I spend on preparing my dog's food, about 40-50 mins per week. It's a great incentive since staples like brown rice ($6.90/5kg in coles when on special) and beef are so cheap in here,

      • D6C1 on 03/03/2016 - 16:48
        +3

        How so you spend time with your pets?

        • omegakyo on 04/03/2016 - 20:25

          1 hour a day from me, then rest of my family, usually someone is always with her

    • GameChanger on 02/03/2016 - 21:53
      +2

      Your dog eats more healthy than half of Australia!

    • Adz81 on 03/03/2016 - 08:21
      +1

      Looks like we have a similar recipe for our dogs :D

      • Flowerbomb on 03/03/2016 - 16:05

        Haha, i'm sure our dogs love the food! Mine never leaves a grain of rice behind, he hates the dry kibbles though.

  • thuper thloth on 02/03/2016 - 18:42

    I have a small dog that weighs less 10kg, but I buy Advocate marketed for dogs over 25kg and measure a suitable dose for my dog. I use a 1mL syringe with 0.1mL graduations to measure the dose (minimum dose is 0.1mL/kg, rounded up if necessary, and taking into account expected weight gain in growing animals). The unused portion I store in the fridge (not freezer) in the original tube. Advocate (and Advantage/Advantix) products for all sizes of dogs have the same concentration of active ingredients; the only difference is the volume needed to administer. In the end, flea/heartworm prevention costs me <$5 per month instead of ~$20 per month. I was a bit worried about the stability of the remaining product but after reading this I figured it was okay to do so long as you know what you're doing.

    I'm also considering getting a dehydrator to make jerky treats. Guessing it'll pay for itself in the long run, plus I'd know exactly what's inside the treats I feed to my dog, and I can always enjoy some jerky myself :D

    • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 21:36

      Im pretty sure i cant use any of those because of my puppy may have mdr1 mutation which makes some ingredient from certain drugs lethal to her. i know she is safe for sentinel and nexgard

  • CheapCoffee on 02/03/2016 - 20:08

    I think it is very much worthwhile adding a yearly visit to the vet to your budgeting (which coincides with vaccinations anyway) :) This isn't covered by the pet insurance, but it ensures that you are getting the most out of it by picking up potential problems early in its course.

    Also, I know someone has recommended home cooked food above me, but I strongly recommend sticking with a good commercial diet especially when your dog is a puppy. It really reduces chances of any dietary diseases that may impact its growth (and potentially life-long musculoskeletal issues).

    (Disclaimer: I'm a final year vet student)

    • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 21:37

      i didnt add any vet cost because its unpredictable but yearly vaccine + check up for sure

  • greypotatobake on 02/03/2016 - 21:19
    +3

    First of all great work juggling 2 animals with uni, that's definitely a challenge.

    Rabbit diets should consist of unlimited grass, hay, and lefty vegetables as they are a source of digestible/indigestible fibre. Rabbit mixes are poor since contain legumes, cereals, and nuts which will be selectively consumed hence leading to a deficiency in calcium and fibre. No supplements are required. Oxbow is the only brand I'd recommend (based on veterinary rabbit specialist recommendations and no, we do not get kickbacks). Don't change the litter tray too often as they need to eat their own poo (yum!). You might be able to save more on toys by

    Having adopted a puppy myself recently from the RSPCA (I work closely with the RSPCA as a vet), I think you are doing a very well. RSPCA insurance is good, just note that your vet will require full payment up front (this may be an issue when faced with a large bill. Petplan is definitely worth considering (more expensive monthly, but only the excess is required when faced with a large bill i.e. full payment not required). I have not heard of self-managed insurance but I'm guessing you save money in case of an accident? If that is the case it is an excellent plan.

    Dry food like Blackhawk (puppy variety is ideal) is ok, if you do plan on upgrading in the future, brands I trust are Royal Canin, Hills and Advance (again, puppy variety is ideal). There has been a study published in the Australian Veterinary Journal this month which published nutritional content of 20 different cat foods (sold in Australia) and I think 9/20 had inaccurate nutritional content. I believe a study in dog foods would prove similar.

    The RSPCA I work with uses Sentinel which I don't find effective for fleas at all (but you have nexguard). If you're finding it effective, stick with it. If you plan on upgrading, panoramis (tablets) and advocate (spot-on) treatments are what I generally recommend. Try to work out what is cheaper monthly (or get your vet to do it for you) overall and buy in bulk. Some brands have promotions where if you buy 12 your get 3 months free (I think Advocate does it). Personally, I use a yearly proheart (heartworm) injection, with 3 monthly milbemax (intestinal worms) and bravecto (fleas), mainly because I tend to forget the monthly ones.

    Lastly, please keep up to vaccinations. The latest WSAVA guidelines recommend having the their last vaccine at 16 weeks and boosting at one year of age (instead of 1 year 3 months i.e. 1 year from 16 week vaccinations). It sucks to put down dogs with parvo.

    • CheapCoffee on 02/03/2016 - 21:30

      What a great comprehensive answer :)

      Just about the pet insurance; Are there still only 2 underwriters available for pet insurance in Australia? (Petplan: Allianz / All others: Hollard)

      • greypotatobake on 02/03/2016 - 21:56

        Thank you :) Last time I checked I believe there were 3

    • omegakyo on 02/03/2016 - 21:45

      what u said for my rabbit is exactly what i've being doing :) you are wrong about eating own poo, the poo they eat is different from the poo you see. You shouldn't really see any poo that bunny eat if the rabbit is under correct nutrients, if you do see them it means you are over feeding. rabbit do not produce the two different type of poo at the same time.

      thats what the self managing insurance (just a saving account) is for, to pay the upfront fees.

      Royal canin actually scored less than blackhawk on Australia pet review and so did advance.

      Sentinel dont kill adult fleas, they kill stage 1 and 2 to break the cycle. it literally read on their website. spot on is proven less effective especially on my double coated aussie shepherd. the yearly proheart injection have a lot more side effects and doesnt really last one year, most breeder recommended against proheart.

      thanks for your comment

      • greypotatobake on 02/03/2016 - 22:14

        With regard, to royal canin, I speak from a science based perspective. Australia pet review is based on consumer reporting not science based evidence. I suggest looking at the label, comparing nutritional content yourself and checking that it is appropriate. To be honest, I myself intending about swapping to Blackhawk as it was half the price compared to what I was paying for Hills. However, after consulting several of my colleagues (with a far more in-depth understanding of nutrition), I changed my mind.

        You are absolutely correct about sentinel, I should have elaborated further.

        I haven't seen any side effects with proheart (in 8 years) except for transient swelling which resolves in days. Could your breeder elaborate further than this? Zoetis (the company which makes proheart) takes feedback very seriously and would definitely be investigating.

        Lastly, do be careful with the advice you obtain from non-professionals/ internet forums as many recommendations made are unsubstantiated. Breeders and internet forums form a large part of my income through their bad advice to clients.

        Have a chat with your vet, explain your situation and ask him for recommendations.

        • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 09:20

          cheers mate, i forgot to mention my puppy may have mdr1 mutation as well coming from moms side. I know the mom is on sentinel and nexgard thats why i want to stick with it.

    • CVonC on 03/03/2016 - 07:37

      Rabbit mixes are poor since contain legumes, cereals, and nuts which will be selectively consumed hence leading to a deficiency in calcium and fibre.

      hi, so are any of these not particularly good then in your opinion?

      • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 09:17
        +1

        yes never feed rabbit any sort of mixes, unlimited hay is cheaper and better for their teeth

        • CVonC on 03/03/2016 - 09:46

          cheers

          is this combo any good?

          http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/try-organics-oaten-hay-25kg…
          http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/oxbow-adult-rabbit-food-225…

          and at what age is a rabbit considered an adult?

          also, would you recommend carefresh for bedding/litter?

        • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 10:17
          +1

          @CVonC: I use to use this website bunnywonderlands.com.au for my hay and treats before im getting my bale of hay from produce

          first link: definitely no, because any sort of packaging are aim for long shelf life therefore their hay is usually dry and tasteless. you can smell the sroma from fresh good hays. try this link: http://www.bunnywonderland.com.au/online-store/#!/Oaten-Hay-…

          Second link is what i use but you can get it cheaper from bunnywonderlands, http://www.bunnywonderland.com.au/online-store/#!/Oxbow-Adul…

        • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 10:19
          +1

          @CVonC:

          I would say after 6 month because thats when they can breed

          check out this video for litter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2RNyL9N_7Q

          i use to use carefresh but it didnt last me very long and was expensive and since i start doing the way in the video my 30L bag of breeder's choice last me almost a year now

        • CVonC on 03/03/2016 - 10:40

          @omegakyo:

          thank you for all of your responses.

          yep i saw that video.

          where do you get your breeder's choice recycled paper?

          I was wondering what are your thoughts on the carefresh products though compared to natures eco and chipsi

          i just want to take advantage of the $20 off minimum $40 spend ($50 for free shipping but must spend $70 to get that) @ mypetwarehouse atm that's why

        • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 11:12
          +1

          @CVonC:

          carefresh is probably the best as it produce no dust but expensive and runs out really fast, i haven't used any other product.
          you can get breed'er'choice from petbarn, petstock or even coles i think. its made of paper so bunny can eat one or two, and as the video shown the litter is separated from the rabbit so i dont need to worry about rabbit eating it

    • try2bhelpful on 03/03/2016 - 20:36

      We went with Petplan, which was a godsend for us when our cat got very sick. However, I would ring up all the insurance companies and ask lots of questions on what they cover, what their excesses are, etc.

      Pets keep you sane and give unconditional love. I agree with the people on getting a good Kong for the dog and making something that can push around to get food out of.

      Best of luck with your pets and your studies.

  • RnO on 02/03/2016 - 22:08

    for ur rabbit-
    if u have a garden, plant some easy to grow veggies/herbs like kale, parsley, carrots cabbage etc and then you can give those to ur rabbit too. mine loves the occassional treat from our garden.also just buy a $2 rubber dog ball from kmart, cut a hole in it and buy a bag of seeds or grain mix. put the treat mix inside and watch ur rabbit go crazy rolling it around to get the food. hours of fun and just fill it occasional a cardboard box with different holes in it and just throw it out when he/she has destroyed it. imo all other toys are a bit of a waste of money coz mine is so fickle! i just gave mine a toilet paper roll!he'll throw it around for a while. ;)

    • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 09:23

      yeah i do that with cardboard boxes too, but i just put oxbow pellets in. I stay away from seeds because there are few thats not good for bunny and i can be bother to remember all the bad ones. My bunny gets alot of my leftover fruits and vegies but i do spend money on oxbow treats which thats probaly the only that cost me each month, right now im treating my bunny with small slices of hay cubes:)

  • niyiaw on 02/03/2016 - 22:27

    If you want to save money there's no point using Sentinel with Nexgard as why stop fleas breeding when you're killing them anyway? Drop the Sentinel down to Interceptor - same brand but without the lufernuron.

    • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 09:25

      nexgard mainly for ticks

      • niyiaw on 04/03/2016 - 10:07

        Doesn't matter what you use it mainly for. The product still kills fleas as well as ticks.

    • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 09:30

      good tips mate

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2016 - 09:48

    I have 3 cats (used to be 4).

    What I generally do is shop on sites like https://www.petcircle.com.au/ which I found to be the cheapest for what I buy (science diet and vet range royal canin, since one needs a special diet). It's relatively easy to reach the free postage limit (2 bags of kibble will do).

    Same with things like flea treatment or worming, they're usually much cheaper online.

    When there's some specials I buy them some tin foods and buy 4 or 5 slabs at once (since specials are usually 50% of the price and it keeps for months)

    For treats I buy them one kilo of chicken necks (not really applicable for dogs, but there could be similar stuff available from your local butcher) which sets me back 3 dollars.

    • omegakyo on 03/03/2016 - 10:18
      +1

      cheers, thats my plan now , now waiting for coupons from this site now haha

  • shroomish on 04/03/2016 - 11:13

    hahaha, flatulates. was that a typo or did you mix it up with fluctuates?

    • omegakyo on 04/03/2016 - 12:23

      typo haha

  • jovialjosie2002 on 04/03/2016 - 11:52
    -1

    I have one friend on a farm who spends virtually nothing except the basics. I.e. rabbis control nothing else. Food is scraps or whatever the dogs catch, mice, rabbits, anything. Fleas??? He does nothing. Castration???? Never. At any one time he has 10 to 20 dogs and maybe 10 newborn puppies. He will often kill one if it's a bad dog, just a 22lr to the head. These dogs are on the farm to protect his 100 free range chooks and his other animals like pigs and cows. His attitude is " every animal has its job on the farm" if a dog or his cat (he has 1 cat) attacks a chook, it's dead.
    I have another friend who just spent $2,000 on his pet dog. This pure bred Maltese is on medication of $5 a day too.
    Personally, I have spent big money on pets before. However, I would never do it again, it's an animal not a human. Spend your money on making your dear old grandma happy, it amazes me how many people (like hitler) treat animals so well, but treat humans like manure.
    Rabies and fleas ….ok
    Desexing…..get a boy or one of those cheap lost dogs from the dog home already desexed.
    Animal is sick….let it die naturally or get out the 22lr.

    • shroomish on 04/03/2016 - 14:52

      Well theres the quote of the day. "just a .22lr to the head" i guess that dog really "copped it sweet" thans for sharing your reverie, you lack social awareness.

  • Squidmcsproggen on 04/03/2016 - 15:58

    do you cook the mince or fed uncooked?

    • omegakyo on 04/03/2016 - 16:24

      raw,

      • Squidmcsproggen on 04/03/2016 - 16:45

        good thing you have insurance then.
        a dogs body processes raw food within a couple of hours as it has short intestines,( to stop bacteria)
        adding biscuits to a raw meat diet will slow down the process and allow the meat to grow bacteria causing the dog to become ill.

        its one or the other, raw meat no biscuits, or cooked meat and biscuits.

        • omegakyo on 04/03/2016 - 17:14
          +1

          its what my breeder said…. i will separate they from now on

        • Squidmcsproggen on 04/03/2016 - 18:51

          @omegakyo:

          I feed our dog 2.5% of its total body weight which is 500Gm per day of fresh meat fruit and veg. half in the morning and half at night.

          about 30% fruit and veg and 70% chicken, ground knecks, beef, lamb mince etc.
          whole egg, fish oil tablets and multivitamins.

          the dog never wants anymore and has a constant weight, best of all its poops are small.

        • Squidmcsproggen on 04/03/2016 - 19:15

          @omegakyo:

          yes indeed very interesting,

        • omegakyo on 04/03/2016 - 20:31

          @Squidmcsproggen: well for the last 4 weeks of feeding her at the same time, all her poo are very consistent and small too. My mince from local butcher instead of a pet shop. Called my vet earlier and she said there are not scientific proof or research on that matter

  • Cluster on 04/03/2016 - 17:14

    I found feeding an animal and tending to its everyday needs is actually quite a small cost. The really expensive part is vet treatment if and when the animal gets sick. Bills for more serious ailments easily run into thousands of dollars.

    Two suggestions: visit the vet when you see a problem developing. The cost to fix an issue can rise exponentially the longer you wait in the hopes of the condition clearing itself up. The second suggestion is to buy a mongrel. They have hybrid vigour. Many dog breeds have a laundry list of genetic conditions and health issues you're likely to encounter. Every 'mongrel' dog or cat I've had has been healthy. Every pure breed animal brought with it a bucket load of vet bills and great heartache.

    • omegakyo on 04/03/2016 - 17:15

      i think its bit late now for me to give her back

  • Marcsie on 04/03/2016 - 20:05
    +1

    Very simple solution, get rid of them all :)

    • Squidmcsproggen on 04/03/2016 - 23:19

      People?? Yes good idea get rid of them all

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