By Liz Moser, Community Resource Coordinator

If you’ve ever cared for a pet with a chronic medical condition, you know how costly and even frustrating it can be. Check-ups, prescriptions, expensive specialty diets and more can cause a lot of stress for pet owners. For many families, this can also come close to breaking the bank.

With the return of wellness appointments at Animal Friends, our Clinic Services team has recently diagnosed several cats with kidney failure who need a special diet to help manage their condition. Cats are often picky with their food and prescription food is no exception! There are multiple brands of veterinary kidney food, some of which is preferred over others by different patients.

By providing samples of donated prescription food from our Chow Wagon Pet Food Bank, our veterinary team has been able to send home a variety of different foods so owners can see which food will work before ordering a larger amount. Because prescription food is already expensive, this has helped pet owners save money and has helped to reduce frustration and increase compliance with the prescribed treatment plan. Time and time again, we have seen struggling pet owners facing the difficult decision to rehome their pets when they can’t afford the costly care needed. But we’re here to provide support and peace of mind to financially struggling pet owners.

Working across different programs and using our resources wisely, our Pet Retention team is able to help pet parents address complex health issues as cost-effectively as possible. Together, we are helping to support pet owners with resources that can help them provide the best care possible for their four-legged family members. And with continued support from our generous donors, we can continue to make this work possible.