Here are alist of tips most sussex vets can agree on.

The credit crunch has hit us and hit us hard, and animal shelters are reporting a rise in the number of animals they are receiving and most are close to full. Some owners are staring at the difficult choice with the much loved family pet. These are afew tips to getting you and Fido through the recession.

• If you dont already have a pet, do some research into how much getting one will cost. Pets do cost alot to look after in the long run, and you have to weigh up if you can look after one? Get in contact with the local animal shelters for a resuced animal, which needs some love more than most.

• Buy pet insurance -It may not be cheap, but its cheaper than the vets fees. Try shopping around online to find the best deals available.
• Downgrade their food- your downgrading the brands with your food, so why shouldnt fluffy chip in for his keep? Your pet may reject the cheaper food at first (some being picky), but if thats all they have to eat they’ll come around- usually in five minutes time.
• Take your pet to be Neutered. One pet is exspensive enough, so why risk having to go from one pet to four or five? This can help keep the numbers of animals down as the shelters cant really cope with more animals.

You’ve done these tips to try and keep hold of your pets, but sadly, what if those animal hospital bills are too much?

• Firstly, try the animal shelters, to see if they have room, dogs trust, the RSPCA.
• A friend or relative may decide to look after them -at least you’d still get to see them.
• DONT ABANDON YOUR PET out in the middle of no-where.
• Put a message in the classified section of your local paper to see if someone wants to adopt your pet.