I've been a Veterinarian for 10 years now and I own two clinics, I have found that if you want the best care, be prepared to pay for it.  If you want discount care ask for it.  The flip side of discount care, the chances of treatment failure is much higher if the veterinarian treats emperically(just on what he thinks). In the long run discount care may be more expensive.  Like buying a cheap shirt, it looks good until you use it. You can save alot of money at the vet by waiting for specials on routine care.  I would however not go looking for specials.  Your vet will be much more inclined to help you out in an emergency if you have been a loyal client. At our clinics we offer lower cost emergency care for our regulars. Ask your vet for this, ahead of the 2 am call.  Also make sure you follow your vets recc. on vaccinations, heartworm, flea tick etc.  If you truly want to save money follow a good yearly program and ask your vet about vaccine gaurantees, at least two of the major vaccine manufacturers offer up to 2000 dollars in reimbursment if you follow their protocols, and your pet gets one of the covered diseases.  With the cost of veterinary school approaching 300000 dollars I doubt we are going to see a decrease in the overall cost of pet care.  

It is not cheap to keep pets but we want to give them all best such as the necessary vaccination and also good quality dog biscuits  so  that  they can be healthy, being healthy means less medical bills. When come to animals, I can give up most of my wants for them  so that they have better quality of life. For eg., I can go almost vegetarian but will buy meat for them as they prefer meat to dog biscuits. I can save on myself more than I can save on them because I am their mum.

To Betty D

Sorry Betty, you fail to pass a love test for your female dog with me.  Why so many litters?  Other comments to you have said it all....

I have a 2 yr. old Jack Russell Terrier - male.  He has not been neutered.  Can you tell me a where I can have this done and how much it will cost?

Hasn"t anyone here heard that boosters for your cat or dog are not necessary after their initial shots. Only rabies shots are required by law. Twenty seven vet schools are now standing by this practice. NO MORE BOOSTERS! Look up Dr. Jean Dodd vet in your computer and read all about it.

To Betty D.  I have taught obedience classes for 14 years and I tell all my students to please spay and neuter their dogs.  Over 5 million dogs are put to sleep each year and 25% of them are purebred, as there just aren't enough homes for them.  Breeding should only be done for the betterment of the breed by professional breeders who show and selectively breed for healthy quality puppies.  If all the "backyard breeders" would quit there would be more homes available for shelter dogs.  Instead of experiencing the miracle of birth with your puppies every few months and counting all the $$$ you're getting from them, try going to a shelter and watching a happy young dog or puppy be put to sleep.

I am a personal banker and believe in the old adage of 'saving for a rainy day'. To the people who whine about hard times affecting the quality of care for your dog/pet, boohoo, you should have been a responsible pet owner and put money aside when times WERE good. I have a high yield savings account specificially geared toward the wellbeing of my 2 pug-girls Lucy and Lily. I put $50 per month into it and it is to be used for any pet emergency that comes up. Let me tell you $50 per month goes a long way over time. Everyone with a job should be able to afford this. It is the least you can do for the one person in your life who loves you unconditionally. If you gave up one fattening lunch at Mickey Dee's once per week then saving $50 would be a no-brainer.

I completely agree with Nicole.  I too work at a Veterinary Clinic and see many cases of people who do their own vaccines, or go to discount vaccine clinics, that come in with pets that have the diseases they are trying to prevent or allergic reactions.  The pet owners mean well, but end up paying more in the end because of the additional cost of exams and treatment at a reputable veterinarians.  Preventative care may seem costly now, but it's much more economical in the long run.  Veterinarians and their staff recommend the best treatment for your pet.  It's up to the owner to decide what they can afford and what they want to do.  That being said, shopping around for a veterinary clinic that fits you and your pet is very important.  You should be able to set a time to tour the clinic, meet the staff, and ask questions.  Price is NOT the best indicator of a good clinic.   Preventative care starts out the minute you get you furry friend!  Shelters have wonderful pets waiting for new homes, but if you do adopt a puppy/dog from a breeder make sure you do your research!  Visit the home where the puppy lives, see the parents and how their temperament is, and ask questions!  If the breeder doesn't have proof of veterinary care (young puppies should have a check up and at least be dewormed and started on parvo vaccines) go somewhere else.  Remember, the shelters will never run out of animals in need.

We have 2 small dogs and they have both been fixed,didn't want to bring more puppies into the world and have to worry about them going to good homes and etc.

We love our little girls,we try to feed them the best food we can afford,no table food .To anyone out there please be good to your pets,to many are abused and not taken care of.They don't deserve to hurt and mistreated.They love you no matter what so love them back.

To Andrew--Apparently you missed the important piece of the sentence, "if all you don't have the time, energy, or real estate to do anything but CHAIN A DOG IN TH YARD . . ."  No dog should be kept in that fashion and, if you can't afford the very best of care, so be it.  But to not get a pet if you can't afford the very basics is good and humane advice indeed.