About Skip the Vet

I started Skip the Vet to save dog owners from the heartbreak of having to be prematurely parted with a pet because they simply didn't know what to do or couldn't afford medical treatment.

I've loved animals all of my life however my very best friend was a German Shepherd dog I named Kenya. She came into my life when I was fifteen and was the only thing that got me through some of the most difficult times of my teen years until she got sick with worms and we couldn't afford to treat her.

I realize how that sounds, however, when you can't afford dog food, you most certainly are not going to be able to afford to see a vet. At 16 and a half my parents drove us down to a German Shepherd rescue and I had to give up my best friend.

My heart died that day, I was a lost and lonely teenager without the dog with whom I shared such a special bond. The agony I felt, lessened, but I never forgot her, nor the lesson that I would later learn as a result.

After many experiences with animals growing up and seeing lots of what works and doesn't I had a different perspective when my family decided to look for a pet as it was very serious to me. After my experiences I didn't take the responsibility of bringing in a new family member lightly. In fact, I was very methodical in my approach.

I identified exactly the type of dog we needed for our lifestyle; targeting energy levels, confidence, dominance, ease of training and many other criteria.

We were on a budget and so I started researching ways to bring down the cost of dog ownership. I started with the Vets but quickly realized that was not the way to go, their puppy packages could be done at home for a fraction of the cost. This really got me going and I researched everything I could, obsessively referencing and cross referencing materials in the two months prior to the arrival of our puppy and what I found doing this became the inspiration for this site.

The day came when I needed to research intestinal worming medication and that's when I learned that for seven dollars I could rid my dog of intestinal worms for over a year and half simply by purchasing the medication in Australia, likewise over two years worth of heart worm medication cost me 27.50 and I didn't have to have a prescription from my vet to get it. I started comparing veterinary procedures in Australia and Canada to the US and found some things that just didn't make a whole lot of sense.

I started thinking about my dog whom we'd given up over worms and how more people could keep their animals and be saved the heartache of having to give them up if they knew about some of the discoveries I made through my journey of wanting to give our new dog the best care possible in the most affordable way.

I continue to research, learn and understand what makes a dog healthy...absolutely determined to "Skip the Vet" as much as possible not because I can't afford it (as was the case with my parents) but because I don't see any reason for my dog to need it if I am doing my job correctly!

My journey with our new dog, Zelda continues. She teaches me more every day and I am committed to providing excellent care for her and I'll share all of my discoveries here in this site for you to use as well.

May you enjoy many years of love and companionship with your special dog! Here's to keeping them in great health!

Sincerely,

Paula Kawal