Secrets of a Vet Tech: The Guide to Low Cost Pet Care when the Cupboard is Bare

Harris doesn't shame people for not having funds and trying to save pets. The standard answer I have seen about low income having pets is, "If you can't PAY, then you shouldn't HAVE them." If only rich people kept pets, the four-leggeds would be all gone, because rich people don't love like everyone else. They don't love much at all. They do things like keep ONE animal and dress it up like a baby human. There are lots of animals out there that are starving and dying because humans are irresponsible and cruel. Harris gives practical information she has figured out through trial and error when she had no other choices but to either experiment, or walk away with a broken heart and let the animals die in pain. I am glad she chose as she did. I try to buy things to support her as much as I can.

Many people in today's economy are giving up their pets because they believe that they can't take care of them properly. And yet, what is the definition of "taking care of" our pets properly?Ms. Farris provides a common-sense approach to taking care of your pets THE BEST YOU CAN. Sure, if we all could afford $30 for a 4-lb bag of organic pet food and didn't blink at spending $200-$300 per year (or more) on each pet that we care for, there would be no need for this book. Unfortunately, that isn't reality for most people.I operate a rescue group in northern Alabama, and I currently care for 21 cats and 3 dogs. I already knew much of the information in this book, as rescue groups must be frugal by necessity due to the overwhelming numbers of animals they care for. However, I learned enough new information from this book to make my purchase price an absolute bargain. The book has detailed information, and a few photos and figures, to help determine the correct dosage for dewormers, flea medications, and other relevant topics that will help most pet owners save big bucks.What Ms. Farris does NOT do in this book is slam the veterinarian community, which earns her kudos from me. She is the first to admit that not all pet care can be done cheaply and at home, and she lets you know of a few instances in which a trip to the vet is an absolute must. She also provides information about how to save money when you DO take your pet to the vet.One of the best chapters was the one on euthanasia, which may sound a bit morbid. What made that chapter exceptional were the feelings she expressed, based on her own experiences. She deals with the subject of euthanasia beautifully by not only addressing the difficult emotions faced by pet owners when that time is near, but by giving a straightforward, tough-love approach to the subject.My 4-star review is based on the following:Pros:- subject and content of the book- the fact that she addresses cat issues and dog issues equally, and touches on other types of animals like rodents and cold-blooded species- easy reading style- obvious love that the author displays for animals**She truly cares about animals and wants people to know that you can still properly care for your pets even if you don't make a lot of money.Cons:- multiple misspellings**For the low price of this book, I don't expect perfection, but as a former English teacher, the immense number of misspellings was a bit distracting. Your mileage (and distraction) may vary. :)- lack of a table of contents or any kind of look-up method**I remembered reading something about a pet's gum color, but it took me a while to find it, because I couldn't remember which chapter it was in, and there wasn't any way for me to find it easily without skimming the entire book (which I did, and eventually found what I was looking for).- the prices of some of the products that she listed were much, much lower than I was able to find, like $5 for a 40-lb bag of cat litter (I still haven't found that deal!)**The book was printed in January 2013, but perhaps it was actually written some time ago when prices were lower.Regardless of any cons listed above, this book is worth every penny.

Wondering whether your vet is honest? Food for thought: I recently read a Consumer's Report article that stated on average, veterinarians mark up what they charge for medications by 1,000%. No, that's not a typo. One-thousand percent mark-up for pet medication. Huge red flag if you ask to fill the vet's rx at a regular pharmacy (for people), or at a reputable online pet pharmacy and they give you a hard time about it or try to discourage you in any way. If the vet tells you it's a pet-only rx, go home and Google it before letting them fill that rx for you; chances are the same medicine is available over the counter (this book gives a good list of where to find those same medicines over the counter, at literally a fraction of the price). I stumbled upon this book while Google-searching for "how to find an honest veterinarian" after becoming frustrated and fed up with vets who care more about my money than they care about helping my cats. Still looking for an honest vet in my area, but this book should hold me over in the meantime til I can afford to see one (after my current vet bled me dry without getting me any results, which I eventually obtained on my own - at less than 1/5th the cost (yes, i did the math) - after doing lots of online research). This book actually contained several of the exact remedies that I had already found and successfully implemented via my extensive online research, plus it contains much more information that makes me feel empowered to not only take care of my 2 cats for routine medical issues, but also (and more importantly) has helped me to be able to understand whether a vet's treatment recommendation is really the best/most economical/most efficient treatment plan, so that I can tell whether or not the vet is really just after my money (at which point I'd know to take my business elsewhere, to a different vet). Unlike other pet medical home care manuals I've read (which are not written specifically for the purpose of taking care of pets when a vet isn't financially an option), this book breaks everything down into easy-to-understand, pain English (with examples and diagrams), and provides clear explanations for how/why to provide treatment at home, and more importantly, the author does not shy away from letting the reader know the signs to recognize when your pet MUST head straight to the vet's office (and even discusses payment options for broke pet parents should such an emergency ever arise). I highly recommend this book.

The only problem I have with this book is that because I am not a vet tech and without any medical training, there is no way I would attempt some of the things in here. However, the book has a lot of helpful information and some original ideas. I recommend this book to anyone concerned about their pet's health.

Great book!

Lots of good information.