Search for savings on pet care discounts
My husband and I recently adopted a 60-pound husky mix dog. Here are a few cost-saving tips we discovered along the way of getting ready for her.
First, don’t assume that a brick-andmortar store’s price for a given item matches that of the store’s website. The 42-inch extra-large metal dog crate we saw on a shelf at a Petco store cost around $100. Oddly, prices were much lower at Petco.com, which also offered a wider selection including a double-door Midwest-brand crate for $59.71 and a one-door Petco Classic crate for $42.89 with free shipping included.
We were in a relative hurry, so here is tip No. 2: We ended up buying the Midwest-brand crate from Amazon.com, which charged a similar price and also provided free, faster shipping — one-day shipping — since we currently have an Amazon Prime membership.
Food-wise, our new dog had been fed salmon-and-sweet-potato kibble by her rescue organization. Wanting to keep her diet stable, I asked where to get it and I was told Costco due to price: Its Kirkland Signature “Nature’s Domain” salmon-meal-and-sweetpotato dog food costs $39 for a 35-pound bag at Costco.com, shipping included, which is much lower than name-brand versions sold elsewhere.
If you don’t already have a veterinarian (as we didn’t), I was glad to discover that I could print a coupon for a free first health exam at the VCA Animal Hospital chain by going to vcahospitals.com/free-pet-exam. (You can do an internet search for “VCA free first exam.”) Now, you might already have anticipated this, but I learned from experience that the freebie doesn’t include, say, blood tests or fecal tests. It’s mainly a risk-free way to let a veterinarian look over your pet while you gauge what you think about a particular veterinary clinic. Readers, how do you save money on pet care?
Deals: Miami Seaquarium is offering a variety of temporary price breaks, now that it’s newly reopened after recovering from Hurricane Irma. Examples: Normally, adult admission costs $45.99, but through October tickets cost $24.99 plus tax at MiamiSeaquarium.com.
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