Maro: Penny

Who doesn't love a bargain? Unfortunately, bargains can come with expensive consequences, especially when the health of a beloved pet suffers as a result of cost-cutting practices.

Some common ways owners try to reduce expenses include:

1. Skipping annual pet exams

2. Purchasing low-cost vaccines or DIY vaccines

3. Using medications prescribed for another pet or flea/tick copycat or "fake" products purchased online or through discount stores.

Veterinarians frequently report how owners looking for small cost savings have ended up with expensive emergency veterinary bills, and in some cases, fatal results for their pets.

Regular vet visits help your vet become familiar with your pet's normal exam findings, including healthy blood work ranges, which are patient-specific.

I recommend a minimum of twice annual physical exams for healthy, young pets. These exams should include taking your pet's weight, evaluation of a BCS or Body Condition Score (muscle and fat levels), dental and gingival health, skin and coat, heart and lung sounds, stool samples, pulse and respiratory rates, gait (how your pet moves and walks) and joint health, in addition to changes in behavior.

Vets can detect subtle changes in physical findings, when they have complete records and have seen healthy pets twice a year.

Unfortunately, I often examine sick pets who have missed annual check ups.

A case example is a pet cat which was last in my office prior to COVID (that's three years ago). When she visited recently, she weighed 2 pounds less than her prior visit.

A cat that is "not acting like herself," vomiting, drinking "a lot" and has lost weight over a 2 year period as compared to a cat which may have lost weight over a few months has different considerations for possible diagnoses.

In this case, the owner was surprised her pet had lost 2 pounds and authorized testing for diabetes, cancer screening, thyroid disease, kidney and liver diseases. Lilly had developed pancreatitis, diabetes and hyperthyroidism over the prior three years. All those conditions, being untreated, led to a hefty vet bill and some bumpy days for Lilly. Her owners also feared that she wouldn't recover. Fortunately, after a hospital stay, Lilly is on the mend.

It is likely that regular blood work would have brought about earlier diagnosis and treatments which would have been less costly than the care Lilly ended up requiring.

The lesson which Lilly's owner stated herself was that regular exams could have helped Lilly stay healthy and would have ultimately saved her owner money.

I am happy that so many pet owners are interested in keeping their pets healthy with preventive care, BUT not everyone understands the value of getting that care from a trusted veterinarian.

Low-cost vaccine clinics, a friend or breeder who buys their own "shots" or a feed store do not customize vaccines schedules and types of immunizations for pets.

Many times I read the records of those patients and find they are being over-vaccinated more often than under-immunized, vaccinated for diseases which don't occur frequently in our region area, or vaccinated with ineffective products (perhaps obtained from a catalog or feed store, but not stored properly) and may still contract infectious diseases like Parvovirus. Many pets have been getting inappropriate types and numbers of shots because their owners have not visited a vet who has regularly spoken about risk factors and the pet's lifestyle to guide vaccine choices.

Good guidelines for pet vaccines:

1. Obtain your pet's vaccines from trained, licensed veterinarians who have a reputation to stand behind. Visit a clinic which will be open to treat your pet in the event of a post-vaccine reaction.

2. Work with local vets to decide which vaccines your pet actually needs. DO Not get vaccines for every disease possible at one time, because it seems like a better value for your money. Excessive vaccines can be worse than some of the illnesses they are designed to prevent.

3. Avoid committing to purchasing vaccines as a package price, prior to seeing the vet for their recommendation.

Be aware that the AVMA has recommended reducing the number of vaccines pets are receiving as compared to some label recommendations, over the past 10 years. They also suggest working with local vets to establish vaccine programs which are specific for each pet and region.

For medication advice, when it comes to using prescriptions, avoid using prescriptions made for another pet. Toxicities and over or under-dosing can be life-threatening.

Also, medications can be safe for a particular pet, but in another, older pet of the same weight they can become toxic, especially in cases of reduced kidney or liver function.

Prescription flea and tick medications are types of medicines which require your vet's prescription, because they can have negative effects.

In the case of over-the-counter flea and tick products, vets see less effective control with more adverse reactions. Be sure to ask your vet for parasite product recommendations and follow her advice. For example, products which contain permethrins are safe for most dogs, but very toxic to cats.

Veterinarians treat lots of cases of topical parasite medication toxicities, in which "safe products," purchased for lower prices, produce seizures, tremors or negative side effects. Remember that "compare to Frontline," "similar to veterinary products" and "contains the same ingredient as prescription flea control," are misleading. Active ingredients may be the same, but the carriers and inactive ingredients can make a huge difference in effectiveness and toxic properties.

Never apply dog products to cats AND never split or divide larger doses between pets to save money. Do not apply any products to sick, pregnant old or young pets without your vet's advice.

Your vet is a great partner in helping your pets stay healthy and can best do so by seeing them (with YOU) regularly!

Dr. Cynthia Maro is a veterinarian at the Ellwood Animal Hospital in Ellwood City and the Chippewa Animal Hospital in Chippewa Township. She writes a biweekly column on pet care and health issues. If you have a topic you’d like to have addressed, email [email protected].