All large organisations have an obligation to make sure their first aid kits are well stocked every year and all the items are in date. In your area you may be able to approach the organisation itself or St.Johns or whichever service re-stocks the kits and obtain items that are very good but unfortunately will be thrown out because they are out of date. These items can be used for treating injuries on your pets. With horses that can be often :) Things such as antiseptic creams, saline washes, bandages and gauzes are great things to stockpile in a sealed plastic box and have handy in your tack shed. The often expensive bandages you purchase specifically for vet use are the same material and as our furry friends are prone to chew, play and destroy their bandages the cost mounts up very fast.
We buy our good quality pet food, flea and tick treatments and other pet products from online pet supply stores. Even with the postage cost, a lot of things were much cheaper online. We've found www.vet-pet-supplies-online.com and www.vetnpetdirect.com.au to be good. I found Revolution online for half the price charged by the big discount store nearby.
Vinegar is even good in the farmyard, cows benefit greatly if you add a small amount of vinegar to their daily feed, they will produce more milk. When you add a new cow to the herd, a quick spray of vinegar and water will ensure it is easily accepted into the group and if you want to produce better beef, add two teaspoons of vinegar to their water daily to tenderise the meat.
​ We have recently purchased a puppy and have had many costs to deal with this first year. I was due to get her micro-chipped at the vet in the next few months at a cost of $40 but I noticed in my local paper that our local council was hosting a pre-Christmas pet event (Santa photos with your pet) and offering a $10 micro-chipping service available on the day. By looking through my local paper and taking advantage of this council event I made a saving of $30 or 75% less than what it would cost me at the vet. Most local councils and pet shelters hold pet events several times a year e.g. million paws walk, fundraising for RSPCA or your local pound, pet expos etc so keep your eye on your local paper or contact your local council for details of the next scheduled pet event.
My hubby and I were shopping at our local market when we passed the cutest little bunny rabbits in a pet store. After instantly falling in love and making such an emotional decision we were on our way home with a new member of the family. We purchased a small cage for him to live and agreed that he would live indoors with us. After a month he started to grow quite big and we found out that he was a giant breed. I starting finding out all the information I needed to properly care for my giant rabbit and soon realised that he needed a larger home than the small cage he was cooped up in. I checked out the prices of larger hutches in the pet stores and they were expensive! The cheapest was $80 and it wasn't much larger than the cage I already had. The size I needed was around the $200 mark and we just didn't have that kind of money. I then was thinking of other things that I could use instead for a home and thought that a cheap portacot would do nicely. They were around $98 for a basic one at Kmart which was half the price of a hutch but then I had an even better idea. I went to my local op shop to look for second hand portacots and managed to find one for $8. My bunny loves his home and he has lots of room to stretch out and even run around whilst doing the happy bunny hop dance. I saved myself $192 and its always a funny site when people come over and find a bunny when they are expecting to see a baby in the portacot.
For cheap livestock buying and selling www.farmstock.com.au a free site.
​Pet accidents can be taken care of with bi-carb soda. If the pet has an accident, sprinkle with bi-carb soda and let dry, then vacuum. The bi-carb soda will take care of the stain and the odour. This is much cheaper than the store bought pet cleaner, and does just as well.