Wednesday, September 23, 2009

How to save money on vet fees

Of all his exploits, Cowboy the cat's most daring stunt was getting stuck at the top of a power pole. The local fire brigade kindly turned up and gave Cowboy a fireman's lift back to ground zero. Thanks to them he was none the worse for wear and a donation to the social fund was my only expense. Not so the times he was hit by a car and mauled by a dog. Both were costly but they were emergencies and I happily forked out the vet's fees (with excellent results in both cases).


When your pet is ill you do have a choice, however. Always get a second opinion if the vet proposes expensive tests and treatments. OK, you have to cough up for another consult but it may save you $$$ and the animal from unnecessary trauma.

Cowboy's friend Keats had a lump on her tummy. The first vet said "It's cancer" without even checking the cat and was pushing for surgery that day. Her human companion Toyoko consulted another vet who correctly diagnosed a simple cyst and drained it. Keats is doing just fine two years later. London friends took their cat Zaggi to a vet who barely looked at the animal but wanted them to commit to a barrage of expensive tests. They took Zaggi elsewhere, for alternative treatment this time.

When I can, I treat my three cats with homeopathy. It's great for minor ailments and we are now less frequent visitors to the vet. The cost of doing a first-aid course will probably be about the same as a consultation but you have the knowledge for life and the remedies are inexpensive. Visit www.homeopathyoz.com.au for your nearest registered practitioner.

Or check out www.homeopet.com.au for ready made scientifically approved (yes!) mixtures for a variety of conditions: first aid (fantastic to have on hand -- saved Cowboy's eye after a fight); digestive (works so well I use it myself); anxiety; joint pain; respiratory; and more. Homeopet is well known in Europe, Asia, NZ and was the first natural medicine to receive FDA approval in the US. No mean feat.
PS Dizzy Gillespie said: "There have been two great revelations in my life. The first was bebop, the second was homeopathy."

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