Cost of living: Five tips to help you keep your pet bills down this winter

ITV1 This Morning’s resident vet, Dr Scott Miller, shares his top five money-saving tips to keep your pet costs down this winter

1. If you are struggling with treating or feeding your pet at home, then why not consider reaching out to local charities?

There's some amazing charities like the PDSA, the RSPCA, and the Blue Cross to name just a few that are helping to keep pets healthy and well fed in their own homes.

2. Another great way to save money on vet bills is by getting ahead of the problem. And the best way to prevent seeing your vet is by performing a nose to tail examination on your pet every single day.

By studying at the nose and examining them from nose to their tail, we can pick up issues before they become a problem.

Shelters fill up as cost of living drives struggling owners to give up pets

Could you be feeding your pet too much?

For example, in grass seeds, they're present in the summer, they get lodged in ears in between toes and simply removing them at home is far better than waiting till they puncture the skin, causing pain and infection and meeting a large vet bill.

3. In my 25 years’ experience as a clinical practicing vet, unfortunately up to 50% of every pet I see is obese.

And why? It's because they're consuming too many calories.

So a great way to save money is to just cut out treats, either reducing them dramatically or cutting them out entirely.

Dr Scott Miller explains how to choose the best pet insurance for your needs

4. Now, it's important as a consumer to remember that you want to go for a for life policy, which means that your pet will be covered against illness or injury for their natural life.

If you go for an annual policy, they are cheaper, but it does mean if your animal becomes unwell after 12 months, that will be excluded from the policy.

How are you prioritising spending on your pet's needs?

5. As a pet owner myself, a great way to save money is, rather than buying new toys, is to rotate the ones you've got.

Keeping it interesting and keeping it fresh for your pet. If you are interested in buying toys, then you can get them very cheaply at charity shops, second-hand or online, ensuring that your pet is still entertained when you're out and about.

  • Tonight - Pets: The Cost of Loving airs on ITV at 8.30pm Thursday 17 November, and will be available on ITV Hub after broadcast.

Half of Brits struggling to pay bills as debt charities see surge in activity
A headline rate of 11.1% is brutal, but has inflation now peaked?

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...