I’ve heard tell that the only items that are recession-proof are lipstick and porn. While I wouldn’t know about the latter, the first is one I’ll fess up to. I can always dig up $7 for a new lip gloss when I need a “can’t-afford-nuthin’-else” pick-me-up.

The same, however, can’t be said for veterinary medicine.

The last month has been interesting, to say the least. Never have I witnessed such...

This is an interesting topic raised by a recent commenter who expressed some annoyance at my preoccupation with issues surrounding the money side of vet medicine. It’s not a charge that hasn’t been leveled against me before—nor have previous comments always been as diplomatic as this last one.

However it’s delivered, it’s clear that many of you are concerned with why Dolittler dwells on the...

To celebrate this week's bailout fiasco I'm offering these additional points on how to save money on your vet care. Unlike Part 1 of this post (referenced below) this one addresses the needs of slightly more sophisticated owners. Enjoy!

I know some are persnickety points some vets will roll their eyes at but here’s my list anyway:

1-Ask for scripts on antibiotics: When many big-box stores will...

Ahhh, the dreaded declaw procedure. Young vets have emailed me after reading my posts on this feline claw removal surgery to ask me how I convinced my employers to go easy on me when it comes to declaws. Last weekend’s correspondent was no different—except this time I think I convinced him to keep an otherwise wonderful job by taking my advice on the subject.

So you know, more small animal...

I’m going to jump on Dr. Marty Becker’s bandwagon today. Since this PetConnection team member was on Good Morning America today showing most of the US how to save money on their pets I thought you, my tinier audience of devoted pet people, would like a top eight from my own files (with Dr. Becker’s points added in):

1-Feed your pets what you eat as a supplement to their regular diet.

Cook meals...

There are plenty of reasons to investigate how much consumers spend on their pets’ veterinary care. My favorite reason? To determine whether pets' needs are being adequately met.

A study published in the recent JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) suggests that the divide between the haves and have-nots in the world of pets is yawning ever wider.

In a paper titled,...

Hot on the heels of our recent discussions on pet health insurance comes this post on the question of non-traditional pet insurance. It seems Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the company boasting the largest share of this still small, but growing market, is raising the stakes and reaching out to owners of companion animals outside the dog-cat norm.

How about pet goose insurance, as for Boswell...

Let me first say that I‘m not one of those vets who denies her clients written prescriptions. Nor do I begrudge them a savings on products they can buy elsewhere for less. I do, however, have a problem with unscrupulous merchants who sell products that are diverted from the normal chain of distribution.

Here’s a story that illustrates my frustration on this:

Mrs. Savapenny arrives at the...

This is a story of how two consecutive cover stories in Veterinary Economics conspired to boost my ego… and later burst my bubble.

In case you’ve never heard of this magazine, rest assured your vet has. It’s his or her version of a personal finance magazine. Though it’s geared to helping vets manage their practices, it sagely recognizes that not all vets own them. Consequently, it produces...

With the R-word in full-on over-usage across the US, the news media is grasping for any kind of story to prove that we’re really truly, honest-to-God suffering. With this American penchant for black news to back up our basest fears, some outlets are using pets to illustrate the economy at its worst.

If last year was all about low quality pet food ingredients this year it’s foreclosure...