Let's face it: Pets are expensive. And like many pet owners, you'll do whatever it takes to care of your pet - even if it means running through your savings account to do it.

However, making sure your pet stays healthy doesn't have to stress you or your savings account, even in the event of an emergency. Like most things in life, you can budget for your pet's health expenses while still ensuring they receive the best care possible.

1. Create a Budget: Create a budget specifically for your pet's health care expenses, just like you would for other regularly scheduled expenses. Know what kind of care your pet requires, such as annual checkups, and include an amount in your budget for pet medications. While you're at it, determine how much you spend monthly on food, toys, and other supplies, and budget for those as well.

2. Schedule Regular Checkups: Pets are vulnerable to a host of ailments. Some will take care of themselves, like the pet version of a cold, while others require more aggressive action. But unlike a child, your pet can't tell you "where it hurts," or even if it hurts sometimes, which is why it's best to take your pet in for regular checkups. Stopping an illness or disease before it gets out of hand can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars - not to mention, your pet will be healthier and happier as a result.

3. Get a Second Opinion: Sometimes, veterinarians get it wrong. If you'd get a second opinion before scheduling an expensive procedure for yourself or your child, do the same for your pet. You could find that a different procedure is appropriate, or there are alternatives your regular vet didn't consider.
When my dog was five weeks old, he swallowed a bone that was almost as long as he was! The vet told me he'd have to undergo an expensive (and dangerous) stomach surgery to get it removed. However, another vet told me to wait a few days to make sure surgery was necessary. Miraculously, his stomach acids were able to dissolve the bone, and he didn't need surgery after all. In this case, the extra vet visit was well worth the cost, as I saved thousands of dollars by not having to pay for the surgery.

4. Create a Pet Emergency Fund: As your pet ages, he or she is more likely to need one or more expensive procedures. But an accident can happen at anytime, so make sure you have something set aside to cover an emergency. In fact, if you have a breed of dog, for example, that is prone to specific ailments like hip problems or cataracts, have an amount set aside to cover treatment, just in case.

5. Consider Pet Insurance: If you can build up an emergency fund for your pet, you're less likely to need veterinary pet insurance. On the other hand, pet insurance can cover emergencies if you don't have the funds available to pay for them out-of-pocket. Policies are fairly inexpensive, generally costing less than $40 per month. Just be sure to review the restrictions, limitations, and coverage amount. If you don't, your pet could develop an expensive problem that is excluded from your insurance coverage. For example, not all pet insurance policies consider ailments considered to be hereditary.

6. Save Money Elsewhere: If you're struggling to save money for a pet emergency fund, or if affording the "better" pet food is just a little out of your price range, look for other areas in which to cut back. Consider clipping coupons to save on groceries, take steps to lower your home energy costs, or reduce services in your cell phone or cable plan. Aren't these small sacrifices worth it for the health of your pet? You could even look into making healthy homemade dog food recipes yourself.

Final Thoughts

In many ways, we treat our pets like our children: We love them, play with them, and care for them. One thing that is easy to overlook, however, is what we feed our pets - and yet proper nutrition is one of the best ways to prevent health issues and their associated expense.

In addition to the above tips, take some time to research what kind of diet is right for your pet. Is a diet exclusively of dry kibble, for example, best for your dog? Or should you be providing other types of dog food? If your pet experiences chronic problems, like allergies, a proper diet can be even more successful of a cure than any medicine.

David Bakke is a dog-lover and contributor for Money Crashers Personal Finance. He discusses tips for saving money, living within your means, and spending on things most important in life.