How a YouTube Veterinarian Helped Me Save Money on Vet Bills
As pet owners, we all want the best for our animals. We also know that veterinary care can be expensive. Between annual checkups, medications, and unexpected health issues, pet expenses can add up quickly. There are so many emotional and physical benefits to having a pet, but when you are trying to save your money, veterinary bills can be one of the most expensive bills.
My Sweet Dog
I have a sweet dog that is a 10.5-year-old Black Lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix. Her name is Harlee, and she has been such a gift to our family. She has quite the personality. She can be very sweet and cuddly one minute and ignore you completely the next. Since my husband retired, Harlee has become quite taken with him and follows him everywhere. I never expected this, since my husband always claimed he wasn’t an animal lover, but now you can’t separate the two. It’s quite sweet to watch.
Harlee
She is my 10.5-year-old Black Lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
Who Is Dr. Andrew Jones?
Over the years, I've learned that one of the best ways to save money is to become a more informed pet owner. You must do your own research when a health issue pops up with your pet. That's why I enjoy watching Dr. Andrew Jones from Veterinary Secrets on YouTube. Dr. Jones is a veterinarian who shares information about common pet health concerns, natural remedies, preventive care, and ways to support your pet's health at home. The link to his channel is below.
Treating My Dog’s Ruptured Cyst
I first discovered his channel while searching for information about a health issue affecting my dog. Since then, I've personally used some of the information he shares on two separate occasions. The first involved a ruptured cyst, and the second involved a hot spot. In the case of the ruptured cyst, I did take Harlee to our veterinarian. Years ago, I had taken Harlee to the vet when she first had this cyst. I was told it was not attached, so not to worry about it. Five years later, that’s when it broke open. The veterinarian showed me how to clean the cyst and gave me medication. He told me that the cyst would probably need to be surgically removed, and he wanted me to come back in a week. Surgeries on dogs can cost upward of $5,000.00.
After one week, the ruptured cyst had not closed up and was not looking any better with the medication from my vet. That’s when I started researching online. I found that a ruptured cyst is not all that uncommon. I will leave a link to the video I watched to completely heal Harlee’s cyst, so much so that I can’t tell where it was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHLGWbMIap8&t=64s
Treating My Dog’s Hot Spot
In the second case, Harlee developed a hot spot (A common occurrence with dogs; it is a red, painful, inflamed spot on your pet’s skin). I believe she developed this hot spot because she loves swimming in the lake during her walks with my husband. Her fur is so coarse; it’s hard to completely dry her, and I believe the water sat on her skin for a time, causing the hot spot. I’ll leave the link to the video I followed for her hot spot. This mixture of aspirin and tea completely healed her hot spot. It was amazing that something so simple cleared up Harlee’s hot spot within four days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uZRC8N2QGA
In both cases, his videos gave me ideas and information that helped me care for my dog and potentially avoid unnecessary expenses. Because he treats his own dogs the way he recommends in his videos, I felt more comfortable trying it out. However, always do your research about some of the products that he uses. I have no affiliation with Dr. Jones. I just wanted to share some of his simple home remedies to help heal your pet’s issues without spending a ton of money.
Always do your own pet research
Research at-home-remedies yourself, checking more than one site.
Research Online Veterinary Care
One thing I appreciate about Dr. Jones is that he encourages pet owners to become active participants in their pet's care. He explains common conditions in plain language and often discusses affordable approaches that pet owners can explore.
That said, I believe it's important to use common sense whenever you're getting information online. Just because someone has a YouTube channel doesn't mean every piece of advice is right for every pet. Animals are individuals, and what works for one dog or cat may not work for another.
Veterinary Secrets
Use common sense whenever you’re getting information online.
Serious injuries, severe illness, emergencies, or worsening symptoms should always be evaluated by a qualified veterinary professional.
For me, Veterinary Secrets has become a valuable resource because it helps me ask better questions, understand common pet issues, and learn about options I might not have considered otherwise. Even when I ultimately choose to visit my veterinarian, I feel more informed and better prepared.
If you're looking for ways to become a more knowledgeable pet owner and potentially save money on routine pet care, Dr. Andrew Jones's Veterinary Secrets channel may be worth exploring. Just remember to do your own research, think critically about any advice you receive online, and work with your veterinarian when your pet's health requires professional care.
Our pets depend on us to make good decisions for them. The more informed we are, the better equipped we are to keep them healthy while managing the costs of pet ownership. I hope the information in this blog post helps you save a bit of money on pet care.
Here are the items I bought for the two occasions when I used Dr. Jones’s home remedies, as mentioned above, to treat Harlee’s cyst and hot spot. These are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I only share what I love and trust. Thanks so much!
These are Canadian Amazon site links.
For Harlee’s cyst:
https://amzn.to/4vz9JQE Witch Hazel for cleaning the area
https://amzn.to/4eGcYyr Castor oil acts as an anti-inflammatory
https://amzn.to/4oLZVQw DMSO for treating the cyst
For Harlee’s hot spot:
https://amzn.to/3SYtTEU Chlorhexidine shampoo for cleaning the hot spot
https://amzn.to/4eZR5eA Bayer Aspirin for treating the hot spot
https://amzn.to/3QYBaUL Red Rose tea for treating the hot spot
These are the United States Amazon links.
For Harlee’s cyst:
https://amzn.to/4w4bvsH Witch Hazel
https://amzn.to/4y04Vp0 Castor oil
For Harlee’s hot spot:
https://amzn.to/3SXv33v Chlorhexidine shampoo
https://amzn.to/44s17iw Bayer Aspirin
https://amzn.to/4xHZryO Red Rose tea