Creature Comforts

"As a rule, cheaper foods use lesser quality ingredients," says Liz Palika of Oceanside, Calif., the author of "The Ultimate Pet Food Guide: Everything You Need To Know About Feeding Your Dog or Cat." "Instead of muscle meat, they may use meat by-products or by-products meal. Although in laboratory analysis, those foods might show the same levels of nutrients, such as protein, dog and cat foods are not allowed to post the digestibility of their foods on the label. That's how melamine ended up in pet foods and now baby foods; it was added to boost the laboratory analysis of protein. So by using lesser quality products, the lab results may show good foods, but the digestibility may be in question and as a result the dog may be lacking certain nutrients."

But Hamil, the Laguna Beach, Calif., veterinarian, says that paying more for food doesn't necessarily mean it's better. "You can buy a lot of relatively inexpensive foods and get perfectly adequate nutrition," he says. "If you go with the larger, well-known, moderately priced foods, you're in good shape."

Haggling a deal
Ingenuity and smart shopping can help you save money and still give your pets good care. With the economy on the skids, the ancient practice of bartering is back in vogue. If you have a particular skill, consider offering it in trade for pet services.

"I bartered a basic dog training session with the guy who details my van," says Palika. "His dog got some training, and my van got cleaned."

Veterinarian Debra Eldredge of Vernon, N.Y., says one clinic she worked at traded vet care for handmade pottery. She suggests offering to mow or garden. If you're not handy, Eldredge says, many clinics will offer a payment plan for regular clients.

Buying in bulk is another budget saver. Look for dog treats and chews from online dog supply catalogs and store them in the freezer until you need them.

Some cities offer free or low-cost rabies vaccinations. When pet sitter Terri Albert's dogs and cats need their shots, she takes them to a vaccination clinic at a pet supply superstore instead of the vet's office. She shaves her wirehaired dachshund's coat herself, although the Shetland sheepdogs still go to the groomer.

"I got a call from my groomer, who offered a $10 per dog discount if I brought them all on a slow day, so I took her up on it," says Albert, who lives in Poway, Calif.

But regardless of what other ways you cut back, don't skimp on preventive care such as heartworm medication, Eldredge says.

"With the financial problems many families are facing, it may seem like a great idea to drop heartworm preventive or stop using flea and tick preventives," she says. "Unfortunately, those problems can be much more expensive to treat than to prevent. Look to cut corners elsewhere, such as fewer or homemade dog toys or purchasing old comforters at garage sales for comfy dog beds. Look for coupons. If a catalog has a low price for heartworm or flea and tick preventives, see if your vet will match it. Most do. Alternatively, try to get into group orders with a discounted bulk price."

Owners put pets first
Most pet owners say they would decrease spending for themselves before they'd let their pets go without. In Fairview, N.C., clumber spaniel owner Kim Smith McLendon would do whatever was necessary to make sure her dogs were taken care of.

"My husband and I are lucky in that we only owe a mortgage. If worse came to worst, we could put the cell phones on hold, I could do without the Internet, and we'd have to cut out Blockbuster online," she says.