A dog may be your best friend, but that relationship doesn’t come cheap. Owning a dog or other pets can incur a lot of expenses. “It’s like taking care of a child. There are many parallels with taking care of a pet,” said Jessica Douglas, a spokeswoman for PetSmart, one of the nation’s leading pet store chains. “Naturally, there will be medical care expenses with the vet, the cost of food, grooming, as well as accessories, like toys and apparel.”

American pet owners will spend $45.4 billion this year taking care of their animals, according to the American Pet Products Association. And since pets often are viewed as members of the family, a recent study found pet owners are not cutting back on spending even in the troubled economy.

But there are ways to lower pet-care costs without compromising your animal’s health or quality of life. Experts say savings can be found in food, veterinarian care and other areas, if owners change just a few things.

In some cases, spending more up front results in spending less: Pet owners who buy better quality dog or cat food may find that their animals wind up eating less, since the food does a better job of meeting their nutritional needs.

They also can save by making their own pet treats and toys. And, as with people, getting regularly scheduled medical check-ups for pets can detect health problems early, before they require pricier veterinary procedures.

Cooking for a crowd

Diane Lattimer’s Grand Island home is alive with eight dogs, three cats and two birds.

She bakes her own her dog treats and biscuits to save money, and to keep her dogs healthy.

“[Homemade treats] are cheaper and healthier, with no preservatives,” Lattimer said. “I know what I’m feeding them, so if somebody gets sick, I know it’s not from what I’m feeding them.”

She makes the biscuits and treats using carrots, liver and flour, and they are a hit with her dogs. Lattimer gets the recipes from the Internet and pet cookbooks.

For those who have time, making their own pet food can be a money-saver, or it can cost even more, depending on the animal’s specific dietary needs. But it does guarantee safety from contamination, which may be a factor for some people.

“A lot of people do it,” said Gina Browning, director of public relations for the SPCA Serving Erie County. “But it has to be done under the supervision of a vet, to ensure proper nutrients and higher proteins.”

Pet owners can cut feeding costs in the long run if they buy food with a higher density — you scoop out less but your pet gets more nutrients and is less hungry.

“The price you pay for a bag of food is not a good measure of how expensive it is to feed,” said Steve Lane, owner of Steve’s Wonderful World of Pets on Sheridan Drive in Williamsville. He recommends doing a feeding trial in which you buy a bag of food and write the date you open it, how much you pay and how long the bag lasts.

Divide the cost by how many days it lasts, he said, “So if the bag cost $40 and takes 40 days to empty out, then you are paying $1 a day to feed.”

Lane also said there is a popular belief that canned food has a higher nutritional value, but it’s not so. “Canned food is not better nutritionally than dry food,” he said. “The palatability is higher, but you pay a premium for that. Cut out the canned food and you’ll save hundreds a year.” He recommends adding gravy or a little water to dry food to enhance the flavor.

Veterinarian Scott Newman said preventive health maintenance can save pet owners plenty.

“It’s no different than people [or] cars, where you have to do routine maintenance,” said Newman, who works at the Georgetown Animal Clinic on Sheridan Drive in Williamsville.

The AVMA recommends physical exams for dogs every six months. Newman’s clinic is among those offering wellness plans for dogs and cats that provide routine testing, vaccines and blood screening at a discounted rate.

“We try to make it affordable for preventative care,” he said.

The SPCA includes a lot of medical services free with an adoption, Browning said. The agency covers spay and neutering services, the first set of vaccinations, microchip identification, the pet’s first visit to the veterinarian and 30-day veterinarian insurance. For cats, it does feline leukemia and FIV testing. And for dogs, it offers four free obedience classes for puppies and rabies shots for older animals. “They are getting a real deal by adopting an animal from here,” she said. “There is a major initial savings.”

Professor Paul Maza at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine also recommends adopting a pet from the SPCA or a local animal shelter when money is a factor. People who aren’t interested in a specific breed save with the free health services, plus the adoption fees generally are far less than buying an animal from a breeder.

Maza said mixed breeds in general tend to have fewer medical problems than purebred dogs and cats because there is not a dominant genetic predisposition toward specific health problems.

“Any particular dog can be prone to any disease,” Maza said, but in the case of purebreds, the chances are higher of the animal coming down with a disease that’s common in their family line. For example, Labrador retrievers, Rotweilers and German shepherds are more likely to be plagued with orthopedic diseases, he said.

Long-hair cats and dogs require more grooming by the owner or a professional, which can be time consuming and expensive.

Maza said the size of the pet is also worth considering when calculating costs. “A bigger dog will generally eat more food than a smaller dog,” he said.

He recommends a small, shorthair dog adopted from a shelter for animal-lovers looking for an inexpensive pet. “Get one that’s easy to train and easy to get along with and with potentially low costs,” he said. “It should also be good with kids and other pets.”

And when selecting a pet, keep in mind certain pets are less expensive to own, saving you money in areas of grooming and health care.

Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils and other small mammals are low-maintenance pets that are affordable to have, he said. They also can be good “starter” pets for children. “They are low-cost, not a lot of effort on the owner’s part and not a lot of training,” he said.