How to Save Money on Pet Care

Having a pet is a gift, but it’s also a responsibility, one that comes with some financial considerations. When you take on a pet, you are responsible for their diet, enrichment, and health, all of which can become costly if you don’t shop smart.  

In this article, we outline our top tips for saving money on your pet’s essentials, including how to save money on pet food and routine healthcare.  

The most significant financial burden for pet owners in the UK is the vet, with “some pet owners have said they have been forced to cut back on food amid rising vet bills,” according to the BBC. Of course, these expenses are unavoidable and may arise without warning if your pet is injured or falls ill unexpectedly.    

Rising vet costs are just one of the reasons why having a pet insurance policy in place is essential for any pet owner. This way, when the vet bills are due, you can rest assured you’ll get some of the money back (depending on your policy).  

Pet insurance doesn’t cover routine healthcare, like your pet’s vaccination boosters, or their routine flea and worming. Still, it can take the sting out of the cost of diagnostics, treatments, and sometimes even repeat prescriptions.  

Learn more about the importance of pet insurance and what policies are available in our guide to pet insurance.  

Some plans offer levels of membership, with basic plans providing monthly flea and worming treatments, discounts on neutering pets, microchipping, and even vaccinations. With higher-level or premium plans, you can pay a little more each month and receive unlimited online vet consultations, money off life-long medications, and so much more.  

By having a routine healthcare plan in place for your pet, you could "save over £400 a year," according to Pet Health Club, offering you peace of mind when budgeting for routine health costs.  

The pet care plans available to you will depend on your vet's surgery and what they offer. Speak to your vet or receptionist the next time you’re in the surgery and see how much you could save.  

When you only buy what your pet needs when they need it, you’ll likely notice that the costs all begin to add up. If you’re looking to shop smarter for pet food, routine healthcare, and even toys, consider buying in bulk.  

For example, say you buy your dog a 2kg bag of food every other month for £12. By the end of the year, you’ll have spent £72 on 12kg of food. However, if your brand of food offers larger bags, you may find you can get a 12kg bag for £60, saving £12 overall. It may not seem like much, but just like all those expenses add up, so do those savings.  

Bulk buying doesn’t only apply to food—you could buy 12 months' worth of flea and worming at once, rather than buying it monthly, or buy a larger tub of supplements that lasts longer and costs less.

When bulk buying, ensure you follow the manufacturer's storage instructions to prevent spoilage and use all food and medicine by the stated use-by date. Tins of wet food can be stored for years in a cool, dry place without spoiling, so it’s worth buying more than you need to stock up for later.  

Buying pet essentials at full price throughout the year can be pretty expensive in the long run. Luckily, plenty of brands and retailers run regular offers on pet care, so you can still get exactly what your pet needs, just for less.  

Sometimes, these offers work on a percentage basis, while at other times, the more you buy, the more you can save. Make sure to keep your eye out for new offers dropping on your pet’s favourites and make the most of those lower prices.  

If you want to be really savvy with your savings, try to wait until your pet essentials are on offer and then buy them in bulk for less, rather than paying more for some months and less for others.  

Sometimes, it can be better to shop around different retailers to find the best price for your pet's needs, but other times, it pays to be loyal.  

Many retailers offer a loyalty reward scheme for customers who return to them for their pet care needs. Loyalty systems can work by converting your purchases into points that you collect to receive discounts, whereas others might offer exclusive or tailored discounts to their loyalty members.  

If you have a retailer that has served you well and offers all the services you need, consider checking if they have a loyalty scheme available and start saving.  

If bulk buying doesn’t appeal to you for whatever reason, then using a subscription for pet food or flea and worming can help you save more with every purchase.  

This way, you can choose your products, pick a delivery frequency that suits your needs, and save a percentage on every order made under the active subscription. It really is that easy!  

Plus, most pet care subscriptions allow you to pause or cancel whenever you need to, so if you don’t need to buy more, you can delay your order for a month to work through what you have.  

If your pet is on a regular commercial food and doesn’t have any dietary requirements, then switching their food could be a lifesaver financially.  

Many food brands on the market are priced competitively, but switching the brand of food your pet eats could help you save more money in the long run.  

Shop the best pet foods here and see if you could save more on your pet’s food.  

Grooming is an essential part of pet care for many owners, especially if your pet requires regular trims to maintain its coat in optimal condition.  

However, having your pet groomed every 4-8 weeks can quickly start to add up, so why not take the sting out of grooming bills by doing some of the work at home?  

Dog groomers tend to give your dog an all-around refresh, including a bath, brush, and blow-dry that you might not be able to do at home. However, other routine grooming can easily be achieved at home with the right tools, such as:  

Many health conditions in pets come from inadequate care earlier in life, such as dental disease, which can be prevented with the proper at-home care.  

Make sure you’re regularly:  

As much as we’d love to be with our pets all the time, sadly, life can get in the way.

Rather than forking out for pet sitters or dog walkers, why not try asking friends or family if they’re able to watch your pet while you’re away, or even pop in every few hours to let them out for a toilet break and spend some time with them.  

If you have friends with pets and yours get along with them, consider dropping your pet off with them when you need to and offering the same in return. You’ll save money on pet sitters or dog walkers, and be able to return the favour.  

Shopping for your pet’s prescription medicine online could help you save money on the ongoing costs of medication, rather than getting it directly from your vet.  

You can find more information on how to do this on our Prescription Information page, but you can easily make the switch by asking your vet for a written prescription the next time you need to pick up your pet’s medication. Having a written prescription will incur a charge, but the savings on medicine costs make it worthwhile. 

Once you have the prescription, you can find a suitable, VMD-verified retailer, such as Pet Drugs Online, and have your pet’s prescription medication delivered to your door instead.  

Loving your pet well doesn’t have to cost the earth. By employing some (or all, if you’re super-saver-savvy) of the savings options we’ve mentioned in this article, you can start saving on your pet care essentials now!  

If you’re looking to buy your pet care essentials online at a competitive price, you can find all your pet needs, from top-of-the-range foods and supplements to accessories and toys, from Pet Drugs Online.