Yahoo Finance Where to Splurge and Save on Your Pets
Every pet owner wants the best for his or her animals, and many consider pets to be part of the family. That's given rise to the booming industry of pet products -- from artisanal dog treats to crystal-studded cat collars. The American Pet Products Association estimates that Americans will spend nearly $63 billion on pets in 2016 --including food, supplies, vet care and grooming-- up from more than $60 billion last year.
Anita Lavine has experienced this firsthand. Her family lives in the Seattle area with a two-year-old goldendoodle (a mix between a golden retriever and poodle) named Wally. "There are a lot of very dog-obsessed people out there that are very over the top and spend, spend, spend," she says. "We love our dogs, but we also have children we need to spend money on," she adds. Lavine prioritizes high-quality food for Wally, but she skips the fancy toys and outfits.
Wondering where you should splurge or save on your pets? Every pet owner's budget and priorities are different, but here are some general guidelines to keep in mind.
[Read: Is Pet Insurance Worth the Expense?]
Splurge: vet and dental care. Regular preventative veterinary care can keep your pets happy and healthy. "If we can catch things early, we can make your pet live a whole lot longer than if they've got three paws in the grave," says Dr. Carissa Williamson, owner of Oakwood Pet Clinic in Plymouth, Minnesota, and treasurer of the Veterinary Hospitals Association Board of Directors.
Andrea Huspeni, founder of the dog lifestyle and product review blog ThisDogsLife.co, offers similar sentiments. "My dog Bentley [a 15-year-old long-haired Chihuahua] is old, so my budget is going to his veterinary costs, and I'm going to spend less on expensive collars," she says. "Without their health, you can't really splurge on anything," she adds.
Oral health is also an important part of good overall health for pets, since bad teeth can lead to problems like heart disease. Williamson suggests brushing your pet's teeth every day and having the vet clean and extract teeth when needed (owners can opt for a root canal so the animal avoids losing teeth). "That's obviously the platinum [the highest] level of care, but there are lesser levels of care like dental chews and dental rinses," she adds. Some groomers will also brush your dog or cat's teeth, but Williamson doesn't think it's worth paying for the occasional brushing at the groomer if you're not brushing regularly at home to keep away plaque.
However, owners shouldn't feel guilty if they can't afford more invasive treatments for their pets, especially as their dog or cat ages. "We have the ability with our pets now to do some incredible medicine. There are CAT scans, MRIs, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and everything else that can be done," she says, cautioning that just because you have the opportunity to do it doesn't mean it's always the right solution.
As much as we love our animals, keeping a sick pet alive may not be the best choice if the pet is in pain and isn't likely to make a full recovery. Williamson points to one pet owner who had to make a tough decision when her dog developed canine cognitive dysfunction. "Finally, her owner made a list, and everything that made Zoe Zoe was not there anymore. It was time to say goodbye," Williamson explains, adding that pet owners shouldn't hesitate to discuss end-of-life concerns with the vet.
[Read: Why You Should Have a Pet in Your Golden Years.]
Save: toys. Stroll the aisles of any pet store and you're likely to see interactive ball launchers, remote-controlled animatronic mice and other fancy toys. Keeping your pet active and entertained is important, but it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. "You can get a laser pointer out and go to town or get the tens of dollars' worth of fun toys," Williamson says. "It's really good to enrich your pet's environment, but you don't have to splurge to do it. Give your cat a box, they will have a heyday, and they really can't hurt themselves with it," she adds.
Lavine says she doesn't believe in buying expensive toys for her dog. "If it's something he'll destroy, it doesn't matter if it was $2 or $25, it's going to be completely ruined," she says.
However, if you're buying cheaper toys, don't let your pets play with them unsupervised. "Cheaply made toys definitely break apart a lot easier and can become a hazard. I get a little worried about those things that are stuffed. Swallowing all that stuff is a problem," Williamson says.
Splurge: some foods. Just as organic, grain-free or non-GMO-verified food has become a popular option for humans, pet food now comes in a dizzying array of options. "[Pet] nutrition is important, just like it is with people," Williamson says. "But that doesn't mean you have to go berserk. There are lots of good foods out there."
Pet food isn't regulated in the same way that human food is, so seemingly nutritious labels on pet foods may not carry the same meaning as they do for humans, Williamson cautions. It may not be worth paying a premium unless your vet recommends a special diet, such as certain foods for improved joint care, or if cheap food doesn't agree with your pet. She suggests choosing food with meat as the first ingredient on the label and asking your vet for recommendations.
Your pet's energy levels and bodily functions can also give you clues about whether their food agrees with them. "Normal stools should be relatively small and compact," Williamson says. "If they have off and on diarrhea, diet can make a big difference," she adds.
Save: clothing and accessories. With the exception of extreme climates, pets are happy running around without clothes. "I've seen a lot of extravagant outfits -- ballgowns that are three feet long that people spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, on," Huspeni says. "The dog doesn't know it's wearing this nice outfit, but it makes the owner feel happy," she adds.
If it makes you happy and you can comfortably afford a ballgown for your beagle, go for it. But don't feel pressured to dress up your dog or cat just because the animals of Instagram have an outfit for every day of the week. Lavine recalls buying dog boots for hiking in the snow with one of her previous dogs. "Maybe it was user error, but it was a little bit ridiculous," she says, noting that her dog wound up using them only once or twice.
[See: 11 Expenses Destroying Your Budget.]
However, when pet clothing serves a practical purpose, that might be worth the expense. For instance, Lavine bought a ThunderShirt, which uses pressure points to help relieve anxiety, for one of her dogs and found that helpful. And other owners might opt for a no-pull dog leash depending on their needs.
More From US News & World Report
