How to cut pet costs during rising inflation as the annual price of keeping a dog hits £2k

A record number of dog owners are looking to give up their dog as a result of the cost of living crisis, research shows.

Some 4,370 inquiries were made in July to animal charity, The Dogs Trust, about the process of rehoming a pet.

It said it has received 15,000 calls so far this year from people citing huge increases in their energy and mortgage payments as the reason why they can no longer afford basics such as dog food.

It’s the highest number of calls since the charity opened its contact centre in 2014, and is up 54 per cent from last year.

Rebecca Saunders of the Dogs Trust said: “We signposted one man to a pet food bank today because he can’t afford it. And a woman who passed all our checks last year to adopt a greyhound has had to return it because her rent has gone up and she’s had to downsize to a flat with her children.”

Keeping a dog costs an average of £2,000 a year, according to animal welfare charity Battersea.

However, there are ways pet owners can keep costs down, experts say.

Rob Young, head of operations at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, said: “There are adjustments that owners can make to reduce the cost of caring for a pet without compromising their health or wellbeing.

“From switching to lower-priced but high nutrient brands, to making your own treats and toys at home, you can help to keep costs down.”

Vet costs

A vet appointment generally costs between £40 to £60 although it can vary even more depending on where you go.

Treatment costs on top will depend on whether your pet needs surgery and an overnight stay, as well as what level of pet insurance you have, if you have it.

To save money, seek advice from a digital vet if the concern can be dealt with remotely.

The Joii app, for example, has a free symptom checker, offers free appointments with a nurse and charges £24 for a vet consultation. Similarly, Video Vets Now and FirstVet charge £24 for a video appointment.

You can also cut costs by shopping around for medicine online rather than buying over-the-counter at your vet, especially if your dog needs a repeat prescription.

Petdrugsonline.co.uk, for example, claims to offer discounts of up to 76 per cent on medication.

If you receive certain benefits, such as Universal Credit, your dog may qualify for free or low-cost treatment from the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) or Blue Cross.

Find out via PDSA’s online eligibility checker.

For help from Blue Cross, you must live within the catchment area of one of their hospitals or clinics.

Insurance

Pet insurance is one of the most expensive parts of having a dog with the average premium around £380 a year, according to GoCompare.

Mr Young says insurance is an area where dog owners should be wary of cutting corners.

“Pet insurance protects you from facing thousands of pounds in vet bills should your dog fall ill or have an accident.”

To find the cheapest dog insurance possible, you have to do the homework. This involves firstly checking as many comparison sites as possible as they don’t all cover the same insurers.

Check the following sites to benchmark the cheapest price for your dog: Gocompare, MoneySupermarket, Compare The Market, Confused.com and QuoteGoat.

Then check Petplan as it doesn’t appear on comparison sites. You can then get quotes from direct insurers but ensure you read the small print as the cheapest policy might not offer the best deal.

Food

Choosing supermarket-brands, shopping around for deals and buying your dog’s food in bulk are all ways to save money.

Dog food website Allaboutdogfood.co.uk lets you find the best value products alongside a percentage rating of how nutritious it is and even calculates the price per day based on the manufacturer’s recommended amount.

For example, a 15kg bag of CSJ lamb and beef champ adult costs £12.50 and costs 19p per day.

If you’re struggling to afford pet food, check to see if any pet food banks are available to you where you live or contact the Dogs Trust which is signposting people to their nearest bank.

‘I budgeted for most of Magnus’ needs – just not the £1,500-a-year dog care’

Katie Binns said: “I’d dreamed of having an Italian greyhound called Magnus for years – even saving £50 a month for 18 months before I found the dog breeder who changed my life in July this year.

“After handing over £2,000 for my puppy and gratefully accepting a free cage and puppy books from friends, I thought I had the financial side of things covered.

“Dog insurance and a vet care package that includes his vaccinations cost £38 a month. I learned how to clip his nails from YouTube, stuck to the free version of the puppy training app Zigzag and look for bargains when it comes to food and toys.

“What I didn’t anticipate was the need for any dog care – I imagined Magnus and I enjoying playtime and walks around my working-from-home-hours. But I have since realised that he’ll sometimes need a walker or sitter.

“My local daycare centre costs £30 a day – or £1,560 a year, assuming one day a week. A local dog-walker charges £12 an hour – or £624 a year, assuming once a week. With every household bill rising astronomically I’m hoping a cute photo of Magnus on Borrowmydoggy.com will reel in volunteer walkers and playmates.”

Dog-sitting

When it comes to dog-sitting, asking friends and neighbours who also have pets is a no-brainer: everyone benefits as you help each other out.

If that’s not available, day care costs £390 a year, according to Battersea, assuming a 14 days of pet sitting a year at £35 a day. You can pay more than that: Rover, a popular website and app for booking dog-walkers and sitters ad hoc, charges up to £60 a day.

For less than a pound per week (£44.99 a year), dog-sharing service Borrow My Doggy lets you meet locals who love to look after dogs. The platform has 750,000 members so there’s no shortage of people happy to walk, sit or even have an overnight stay with your pooch.

For £100 a year TrustedHousesitters gets you free, verified pet-sitters for longer periods: its 100,000 members worldwide are animal lovers who are happy to care for pets for no charge in exchange for staying in a new place.

Toys

You simply don’t need to buy expensive toys for your pet. Charity shop bargains and recycling old clothes into tug-of-war ropes are a cheap alternative.