The Cost Of Veterinary Care: How To Keep A Lid On It, Part II

We brought you the first in this series to help you save money on veterinary care this spring, with some excellent tips from The New York Times. Reacquaint yourself with those savvy cost-saving measures here: www.boccibeefs.com/2011/05/cost-of-veterinary-care-how-to-put-lid.html.

The cover story of today's USA Weekend paper, written by financial expert Jean Chatzky, is titled "How to Save 10% On Almost Everything", which provides a solid overview of some of our costliest expenses and how to trim their impact on our budget. Of course, one of the areas she tackles is the cost of pet care, particularly routine veterinary procedures, and some of her tips surprised us.

For example, did you know that some vet hospitals offer discounts to senior citizens (we guess that refers to the owner's age, not the pet's!) or if you bring in more than one pet at a time? Vet hospitals may also offer discounts on specific procedures during certain times of the year, like routine dental care during February, which is national dental month.
And if your pet needs medicine? Many veterinarians receive free drugs, just like human doctors do, so it doesn't hurt to ask for samples and/or a prescription for the generic version.

You know what we learned from this? That it doesn't hurt to politely ask for a small discount from a business, particularly in these tough economic times. While we understand that many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, too, they often have access to at least some free medications and/or products, and sharing these products and offering some discounted services often helps businesses both retain and attract new customers in the long run. So in theory at least, it's a win-win for both the veterinarian/business owner and the consumer. But what do you think? Do you ever ask for discounts  on veterinary care or other products and services if they're not otherwise offered? Let us know right here and now!

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