Did you know that Americans spend over 45 Billion dollars on pet care each year? That’s a heck of a lot of money.
Dogs are the most popular pet with cats coming in 2nd. Surprisingly, cat and dog owners spend about the same amount on food and medications. However, dog grooming and kennel visits push the costs up for dogs, making them more expensive.
In 2014 over 4 billion dollars was spent on dog grooming and kennel visits! Luckily if you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty and shop smart there are some ways to keep your costs well below those of the average American.
Here are a few ways to save money on pet care, specifically dog grooming.
How Much Does Grooming Add Up to?
Grooming can be a huge expense. In my area, grooming can easily cost $45 per visit. Many dog owners take their pets in for monthly grooming. That is over $500 a year, per dog! Grooming prices vary based on the groomers experience and breed of dog.
Go Basic with a Cut
We associate certain breeds with certain styles of grooming which you can read much more here. Like a poodle for example is going to cost a lot more than my little rat terrier. However, just because you have a poodle doesn’t mean you’re obligated to get a fancy cut.
You can ask for a “field cut” instead. This style has the fur the same length all over the body. It will take the groomer a lot less time to shave a dog to an allover 1 inch length than the more complicated traditional poodle style. This brings your cost way down.
Alternate at Home Care
Can you alternate professional grooming with an at home bath? Many dog groomers will trim your dog’s nails for $8 or $10 dollars. My dog frequently gets an at home bath and an $8 nail trim in between professional grooming. I call this the “Shaggy Chic” look. 🙂
Do It All Yourself
You might be able to do all the grooming yourself. Watch a few videos on YouTube and see if you want to give it a try.
Caveat: nail trimmers, electric clippers, etc. are not cheap. I must have at least $100 of these products. Do they work? Yes. Did my dog cooperate? No. Did I go back to a professional groomer? Yes.
My groomer tells me that dogs are like kids and they behave better for other people! If you do want to try the total DIY route, search for good deals on the products you’re going to need.
Remember: It is not okay to use human hair shampoo or conditioner on your dog! Human products can be too strong and cause a rash or irritation to the skin and eyes. I know we like to save money here but make sure you are buying a good dog shampoo!
Use Groupon for Deals
I’ve seen Groupon deals for groomers in my area plenty of times. If you’re going to go the professional route then search for a Groupon deal before heading to the groomer.
If you’re going to go the DIY route or alternate between professional and at home care you can still use Groupon Coupons (a new feature they just rolled out) to find good deals and online coupon codes for the products that you will be using.
There are tons of ways to save on pet care. At the end of the day my doggy is my best friend so I don’t mind dishing out a little money to keep him clean and healthy!
Do you do dog grooming yourself?
I have a Sheltie mix (she has the Sheltie coat) and I go the DIY route most of the time. Mostly because I have a hard time finding groomers that know how to do Shelties! I watched a lot of YouTube videos about how to groom Shelties, I still do a pretty hack job of it still but I’m slowly improving 🙂 I did have to buy some brushes, clippers, and a dremel for the nails, but after two grooms it all pretty much paid for itself.
Love your Groupon idea; I had never thought to look for a groupon for grooming! Some groomers also give Yelp discounts for new clients, which I have used.
There are always one or two alternatives that can help you save money on grooming. I am not the best at cutting my dog’s hair, but when I really need to save money, I will do what is needed to save a little cash. Luckily for us there are a lot of cheaper grooming places around town. I think some people realized that a lot of people are hoping to find ways to save money and have made their own businesses around that concept. As long as my dog gets groomed and it didn’t take too much away from my budget, I am fine.
I get all sorts of groupon deals for pet grooming. There are multiple companies that have deals every month so you can see which grooming company you like the most while getting a deal. My pet right now could use some time at the spa. Her fur is getting a little gross and there are a lot of things that are stuck in the fur.
My daughter is an awesome pet groomer, I am very lucky my pom gets free grooms!
As a groomer myself, I am always happy to spend 5-10 min showing a dog owner some at home care tips to prolong time in between grooms. If you do want to try clipping your dog yourself remember that there are real dangers to grooming. If you aren’t 100% comfortable when using sharp objects on the dog, the dog will sense that and be more jumpy & wiggly. There’s tons and tons of YouTube videos out thers