MIAMI (CBS4) — It looks like the newest victims of our bad economy could be our pets. New research found people may be cutting back on more than just animal toys.

Playful healthy puppies make perfect pets, but sometimes they end up in the hospital needing extra medical attention which requires extra cash.

New numbers by the Veterinary Practice News showed 30 percent of people surveyed would cut back during a recession both on visits to their vet and on preventative medicine.

"You can provide more than adequately for your animal without a fortune," said Renee Grossman to CBS4's Jorge Estevez at a dog park in Coconut Grove. Grossman can't imagine putting her new beagle 'Lucy' in danger by cutting back on her medical treatments. "You have a responsibility to care for that animal as if it's one of god's creatures," said Grossman. But Dr. Marc Wosar

from Miami Veterinary Specialists is treating fewer animals.
"Often times the barrier between what they want to do and doing what they can do is financial," said Dr. Wosar.

Doctors say regular visits to your vet may actually save you money in the long run. "These crisis can be very critical and they can end up spending thousands of dollars to recover their pet and get them back to before the crisis started," said Dr. Wosar. So you may be putting your animal and your wallet at risk.

There are a list of things you can do right now at home to keep your animals from needing costly emergency medical attention.

Read actual CBS 4 news report