Home Living in Mexico How To Find Affordable Pet Care in Huatulco

How To Find Affordable Pet Care in Huatulco

by Kris Broderick

Dog Jump Beach

Whether you are here on vacation, or you have decided to live here permanently, good quality and affordable care for your pet is readily available. This was not always the case but a lot has changed in the past years.

Two very well educated veterinarians have set up clinics in La Crucecita. Both clinics are well equipped and getting better all the time. I have listed their contact information at the end of this article. Both veterinarians have Facebook pages.

You will find their services are comparable to those you were used to in Canada or the U.S.  One thing you may notice is that they are more likely to use natural “medicines” such as aloe or honey for injury care – both are natural antibiotics. (This is true for human care as well.)

They Still Do Home Visits in Mexico

Dra. Norma Rivera speaks English and will come to your home for care.  She has a clinic location but her service is primarily a mobile one which is nice for people like me who do not have a car and nice for the pets who feel more comfortable in their home. If she feels she has to treat your pet at the clinic, she will pick them up and bring them back when finished.

Dra. Fredy Cruz does not speak English but often has an employee that speaks a little. He does not make house visits but his clinic space is much larger, he has another veterinarian on hand, and he will sometimes provide a kennel service for you if you are going away for a short while.

Both doctors perform surgeries (general and orthopedic), practice preventative medicine, dental care, grooming, and both have plenty of foods and supplies for your dog or cat or other critter.

Quality Pet FoodMexican Cat

In the last few years we have finally been able to import quality pet foods comparable to those available in Canada and the U.S.  The vet clinics also have foods specifically for allergies or medical conditions. The grocery store choices leave a lot to be desired but a couple of better quality brands are available commercially. The veterinarians or other pet owners can help you discover which commercial brands are better than others. 

Medicine

Vaccinations, surgeries, and tests – all are available here and the prices are pretty comparable from both clinics.  You will notice that they are probably much less than you will have been used to at home. Here is a list of approximate costs.  Your real cost will depend on your country’s exchange rate at the time and on changes that might occur at the clinics.

Vaccinations including DPPT and Rabies = $250 pesos each, $16 CDN, $12 USD

Antibiotics  = $550-700 pesos, $35-45 CDN, $27-35 USD

Spay/neuter = $900-1200 pesos, $65-85 CDN, $45-65 USD

Flea and Tick tablets = $250-350 pesos/month, $16-22 CDN, $12-17 USD

Travel papers to take a dog back to the US = varies up to $550 pesos, $35 CDN, $27 USD

The two main veterinarians and their clinics are centrally located and easy to reach by car or cab.  Depending on your language ability, write down the address and hand it to your driver. Cabs will allow you to bring your pet, I have done it several times and never yet been turned down. But I do ask before we get in (“per favor señor?”) and I bring a towel along in case the dog or cat gets on the seat but I try to keep them on the floor of the cab. I add a tip of 20 or 30 extra pesos to the regular charge of 30 pesos for the driver. It is polite to thank them (“muchas gracias”) and wish the driver a good day  – in Spanish if you can.

Cool Dog in the PoolOther Services

Other pet services are springing up here as expats are traveling more often with their companion animals. We have dog sitters and dog walkers. Word of mouth is the best referral service. Ask other expats who they use and then you can negotiate a price. Some sitters will stay at your home and others can come over just when required to feed and walk.

Because you will be in a tropical climate you will need to be more cautious about certain things. Mosquitoes and ticks carry diseases that can cause your pet lots of pain. And they are here all year! Babesia and erlichea are two that we see on a regular basis. Worms from the ground are common and transmitted easily during your dog walks.

Better Safe Than Sorry

And heartworm will kill your dog or cat. So you need to consider using parasite and worm preventatives. There are several brands available. Bravecta is a three-month protection from one application that is affordable but doesn’t cover all the ‘bugs’ out there. I use a monthly tablet called Nexgard Spectra – it prevents internal G.I. worms and all the parasites (babesia, erlichea and heartworm).

I have two large dogs and my cost at the time of this writing is 310 pesos each per month. That translates to $19 CDN or $15 USD per dog per month. I am not sure what the costs are in Canada and the United States at the moment but it is still a savings over having to test and treat your dog or cat for any of the parasites here and it will also help prevent transferring parasites to you.

 

LOCAL AREA VETERINARIANS:

Dra. Norma Rivera, D.V.M.

Civ Veterinaria Huatulco

305 Calle Palma Real, La Crucecita

958-104-0395

M-F 10-2, 5-8

Sat   10-2, 5-7

 

Dr. Fredy Cruz, D.V.M.

CVV Centro Veterinario del Valle

204 Calle Palma Real, La Crucecita

958-111-4065

M-F 9am-8pm

Sat 9am-6pm

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1 comment

Anne Rothery September 29, 2021 - 12:49 pm

Kris, thank you so much for this! We are planning to stay in Huatulco about 6 months a year once we sell our acreage in Alberta (hopefully next year) but we’re really struggling with what to do with our 2 cats and 3 dogs. This has helped a lot, although I’m still concerned about the dogs’ ability to withstand the heat.

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