Here are 3 simply suggestions:

1. Your pet truly does not care about the brand or cuteness of his toys. Be creative. For dogs, visit garage sales and purchase kids' stuffed animals, cut off loose pieces, such as plastic eyes, and give Fido a much less expensive furry toy. (Consider your pet's specific needs, as some pets, especially tough chewers, do best with specially made pet toys.)

2. Take a grooming class, or read a how-to book about grooming to save costs on maintaining your long haired pets.

3. Shop for pet supplies through wholesale catalogues, such as PetEdge. This will save you the middle-man mark up of pet stores.

There are also some areas where you should not go "cheap" (because it will cost you more in the long run).

Do NOT go "cheap" on health care. Proper, quality health care is essential to the well-being of your dog. Find a reputable veterinarian, take his or her advice, and practice preventative care, and you will safely save money in the long term on dog health care. For example, it is much less expensive to prevent fleas than to treat a flea infestation.

1. Don't spray any chemicals around your pet that could get into his eyes. If you are outside and spraying any chemicals, make sure your dog is in the house or out of the area.

2. Don't let your dog stick his head out the window.

3. Keep your dog on a leash where you can control his actions (which can include running through brush that may poke him in the eye or getting into a fight with another dog).

4. When shampooing your dog - make sure you don't get any shampoo in his eyes. Clean his face and around his eye with a wet cloth with no shampoo on it.

Following these tips will help protect your dog from eye injuries..

Water of course. But why is water so important?

Let me give you a brief and simple explanation...

Water is the substrate in which all the chemicals of the body are dissolved, all cells are bathed, and all cell contents are suspended. It is also the essential vehicle of the circulatory system. Nothing in the body goes anywhere without water. As little as a 10%-15% reduction in total body water can result in death. And water doesn't just sit there in a static pool. It is constantly lost and replenished resulting in a dynamic status quo.

That is why water is so important to your dog. He or she needs to have plenty of fresh clean water available at all times.

So how can you encourage you dog to drink more?

You can encourage your dog to drink by topping off the water bowl or changing the water. This alone will stimulate many dogs to drink.  Also, it is important to make sure your dog has plenty of bowls around. If he is outdoors very often (such as in a fenced in yard) - make sure that he has a bowl of fresh clean water outside as well.

1. Alcoholic Beverages. Ethanol is the component in alcoholic beverages that can be toxic when an excessive amount is ingested. Pets are much smaller than us and can be highly affected by small amounts of alcohol. Exercise caution when drinks and pets are together. Toxicity can cause a wide variety of signs and symptoms, and may result in death. Signs may include odor of alcohol on the animal's breath, staggering, behavioral changes, excitement, depression, increased urination, slow respiratory rate or cardiac arrest and death.

2. Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums . Ingestion of large amounts of stems, seeds and leaves of these fruits can be toxic. They contain a cyanide type compound and signs of toxicity include apprehension, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation and shock.

3. Avocados . The leaves, fruit, bark and seeds of avocados have all been reported to be toxic. The toxic component in the avocado is "persin," which is a fatty acid derivative. Symptoms of toxicity include difficulty breathing, abdominal enlargement, abnormal fluid accumulations in the chest, abdomen and sac around the heart. The amount that needs to be ingested to cause signs is unknown. Do not feed your pet any component of the avocado.

4. Baking Powder and Baking Soda . Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents. A leavening agent is a common ingredient in baked goods that produces a gas causing batter and dough to rise. Baking soda is simply sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder consists of baking soda and an acid, usually cream of tartar, calcium acid phosphate, sodium aluminum sulfate or a mixture of the three. Ingestion of large amounts of baking soda or baking powder can lead to electrolyte abnormalities (low potassium, low calcium and/or high sodium), congestive heart failure or muscle spasms.

5. Chocolate . Chocolate, in addition to having a high fat content, contains caffeine and theobromine. These two compounds are nervous system stimulants and can be toxic to your dog in high amounts. The levels of caffeine and theobromine vary between different types of chocolate. For example, white chocolate has the lowest concentration of stimulants and baking chocolate or cacao beans have the highest concentration. Depending on the type of chocolate ingested and the amount eaten, various problems can occur.

1. Ear Infections - the most common symptoms are red, itchy or smelly ears
2. Skin Allergies - the most common symptoms are red skin, hair loss, itching
3. Pyoderma/Hot Spots - the most common symptom is a hairless, moist, painful area on the skin, often on the neck or rear end
4. Gastritis/Vomiting - the most common sign is vomiting and/or lack of appetite
5. Enteritis/Diarrhea - the most common symptom is loose or frequent stools
6. Urinary Tract Infections - the most common symptoms are frequent urination, inappropriate urination, or bloody urine
7. Benign Skin Tumors - the most common symptom is an abnormal lump or growth on or under the skin
8. Osteoarthritis - the most common symptoms are lameness, trouble getting up or walking
9. Eye Inflammation - the most common symptoms are a red, irritated or painful eye
10. Hypothyroidism - the most common symptoms are hair loss and weight gain

So ear infections took the lead as the # 1 problem for dogs on the Top 10 List, and benign skin tumors rank #1 in terms of treatment cost - they are the most expensive to treat.

Most of the conditions on this Top 10 List will be accompanied by a noticeable change in the behavior or appearance of your dog. Watch for abnormalities such as lumps, sores, unusual odors or drastic changes in behavior. They are a good sign that it's time to visit the veterinarian.