You'll have to excuse my style tonight. I've been sick since Sunday an last night it came crashing down on me like a tidal wave. I'm still trying to live the same life and write a guide on top of that and I think I just wore myself own a bit. I still wante to get this piece on record asap since it was brought up recently.
Our dogs are our best friends. Mine is not only a family member but also a teammate, so I want to take care of him the best way possible but avoid high costs whenever possible. So here is my list of the inexpensive ways I provide care for Doggo:
Vaccinations. They have to have them! Whether to avoid disease, or just be boarded for a night, they have to happen. In the state I live in, which is Pennsylvania, rabies can only be administered by a veterinarian. An office visit and all the extras can run upwards of $80 to get the rabies vaccination in-office. I found that Tractor Supply has vet clinics Saturay mornings and got Doggo's rabies done for less than $20. On the way out, I visited the dog section and got him a 6 in 1 vaccination and bordetella nasal spray vaccine, all together for less than $23. A simple Youtube search led me to the procedure on giving a dog an injection and it went off without a hitch.
Between the higher fees the vet charges along with the office visit, etc, there was a huge savings and the mission was accomplished!
Dog treats. I don't trust store bought dog treats or dog food. Even with the higher end stuff you hear about recalls. I'm not big on taking chances with him. So what do I do for treats? Baby carrots can be found for 1lb-2lbs for .99 when on special. I cut them up and freeze them. I also freeze canned green beans as treats. Both are safe an healthy for dogs! I simply lay wax paper on a cookie sheet, lay them out individually and freeze them. Once they're frozen, I gather them up and put them in a ziplock style container for use.
Sometimes I'll get creative and either make homemade dog biscuits (various recipes abound on the interwebs) or I slice up sweet potatoes, lay them out in the oven and dry them like chips. No salt needed and they are extremely healthy!
Doggo toothpaste. I use a regular dog toothbrush and the following recipe. Thick bones also help keep their teeth clean an he usually gets any rib bones from bbqs!
Mix Beef Bouillon, Baking Soda, Salt and Parsley. Use a small amount of water to make the paste. I use fresh parsley I grow.
Dog food. Like I said above, I'm paranoid about dog foods, so I make my own. I use turkey burger (less than $2 a lb) or chicken gizzards (about 1.42 a pound) and boil. I also hard boil 12-18 eggs I get from friends who raise chickens. That's become very popular around here. Then I add 3 cups (dry) of white and brown rice (each) and cook an mix in. Also I heat up a few cups of oatmeal and mix in to the batch. White and sweet potatoes are really inexpensive and Doggo loves them! Finally I add in 2 cans each of green beans, carrots and peas. So to recap I have burger or chicken gizzards, eggs, white rice, brown rice, oatmeal, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots and peas.
Normally I cook in batches in the oven in an old turkey roaster. It's much easier than doing it on the stove top. I originally use the slow cooker but now I make batches lasting me 12 days or so each. I divide the food in to two wash tubs, mix and bag it from there with dollar tree store brand quart bags and freeze.
Seasonally, I have access to free protein sources as well. Every deer season in my area, is a huge activity and the butchers are up to their necks in deer. They unfortunately are in it for speed and time and miss a lot of meat. They are also more than willing to let me take home carcasses. I simply take a few home at a time and strip them clean. I can get 5lbs-10lbs of free, lean venison per carcass. By the end of the season, I typically have enough meat frozen raw to keep Doggo fed from November through March. I portion it out per pound and freeze it in the deep freezer. When I'm making food, I pull it out of the bag an boil it. Simple, free and nutritious!
Rule of thumb is to keep the dog's food at around 30% protein.
I dog most of his grooming at home but sometimes I like to have it one. He's doing better at letting me trim his nails and brushing him out.
The county dog license. No way to get around this one but I think it was only like $6 per year.
Microchipping. I don't ever want him lost and not found, so I found a deal at the local animal shelter and had him chipped and registered for $15. This price halved the Tractor Supply vet and was well under the regular vet.
You can find heartworm treatments and other extras online for a lower price than the local stores.
No matter what. we're going to have costs for our dogs, but if you shop food deals and get creative your dog can be eating like a king and in terrific health!
PS-I do spend $20 monthly for his insurance, but that includes certain complimentary checks an tests for free.
Enjoy!
-SGSD
@rulesforrebels here's the dog stuff.