A wise owner saves funds for a pet’s health needs.
Facebook is now filled with posts of pet owners asking for financial assistance to have their dog or cat treated for an illness.
Because they do not have the funds to have their pet treated or operated on, the pets end up suffering more. Worse, the pet dies slowly, in pain.
It is thus important for an owner to save for emergency needs of one’s pets.
An owner needs to bring the pet to the clinic to find out why the dog is having a seizure, why the cat is vomiting, why the dog’s nose is bleeding, why the cat suddenly can not move.
It is sad to see owners reduced to asking online for tips on what to do to help their sick pets.
In an emergency situation, the dog or cat needs to be brought to the vet immediately.
There have been posts where the frantic owner would say his or her pet had not drank water or eaten anything for two or three days. There were owners who also reported that the dog or cat had been having difficulty breathing.
A pet who has not drank fluid or eaten anything for days needs to be hydrated immediately. The pet can die when the pet only needs an IV fluid.
A pet who can not breathe due to an unknown illness needs immediate access to an oxygen tank, or the pet might go into a coma.
Saving a few pesos can save a life
Situations like these can be avoided.
How? We save for the rainy day, just like we save for those days when members of our family might need funds for emergency situations.
Saving a few pesos a week might save your pet’s life
Tips on how to save
Many will react and say, “We can not even save for our own needs, how can we save for medical needs of a dog or a cat? “
But you can and you must if you love your pet.
Saving funds for your pet’s emergency needs will also teach you how to save for your own needs in the future, for when you can no longer work as hard as you can when you were younger.
To motivate yourself to save funds, here is what you can do:
1. Need versus wants
Do you really need that milk tea that costs P95 at the least?
If you will no longer buy one milk tea every week, that is P380 you will save for a month.
Do you know that a vet’s professional fee is P350 in most clinics?
Not drinking that milk tea weekly will allow you to bring your pet to a vet to find out what is wrong with your dog or cat. The vet can now tell you which tests you might need.
What else can you do without?
A complete blood count (CBC) costs P500 in most clinics. The CBC will show if your dog has bacterial infection, is anemic, or has a high platelet count, among others.
If you decide on a detailed blood work called the comprehensive blood chemistry, you will know how the liver and kidneys are functioning. For this, you will need a minimum of P1,100.00. The price depends on the clinic.
Vets however go for CBC first if they do not suspect a liver or kidney problem
But let’s go back to what you can do without and thus, save funds.
To save P500, you can opt not to buy that cup of coffee from a well-known coffee shop worth P195 at the least.
Choose not to buy that coffee three times in a month and you will have P585!
Sacrifice six cups of coffee a month, and you will double that amount which is more than enough for a comprehensive blood work.
If you think in terms of saving your pet’s life while choosing not to buy milk tea or coffee a few times a month, saving funds for your pet will not be as hard as you think.
As a bonus, you do get to find out eventually what you need and what you can do without.
This will eventually lead to a habit that will make you feel better about yourself and your life: You will end up saving a lot of money without even trying. This is because you have learned the art of spending on needs and doing without a lot of those unnecessary expenses. With this new habit, you will end up with a lot of money.
2. Set aside a percentage of your monthly income for the family’s medical fund.
Not just for your pet.
You can actually manage the combined income of the members of the family to ensure you have money for emergency needs.
Financial consultants have advised decades ago about setting aside part of one’s income for expenses other than “needs.”
Here is something a financial adviser in the 80s recommended:
a. Set aside the bulk of your income for needs such as food, shelter (rental or being paid for in terms of monthly amortization), transportation cost, and utilities.
b. Set aside a percentage for school needs. Do not wait for the next schoolyear to look for funds for your kids’ tuition fees.
c. Set up a medical fund for all members of the family, including your pets. Pets are family.
d. Set aside funds for a family vacation or entertainment.
Do not choose trips that are very expensive but stressful for you financially or physically.
You’ll be surprised that you can have more fun staying at home. You all can watch a movie you with popcorn you cooked and a lemon drink you prepared. This will cost you less than P200 for a family of six.
You not only get to enjoy each other’s company in a place where you are comfortable, you also get to save funds for all members of the family, including your pet.