how much do you pay for your dog

[Disney Doll]

I can tell you that whatever you think it will cost, it will be more.

We had Ted, and English Springer Spaniel.

Allergic to wheat, so we had to go with California Natural dog food at $40-ish/bag which lasted about a month, and the cookies were $11.99 for a 2 lb.bag.

Two times per year vet "well" visits, usually ran about $70, depending on what she did in terms of shots, if I had to buy heartworm med etc.

Had one minor eye surgery that was about $150.

Swallowed a parking token so had some x-rays to the tune of about $400 when all was said and done.

Near his end he became much more expensive, with trying canned foods, different meds and so forth. He needed an abdominal ultrasound to the tune of $400.

Of course, special treats, toys, fancy leashes and collars. We didn't have to pay to board him when we went away because he went to "Grandma and Grandpa's" house. That was a savings.

I would say about $1000/year, but he was a reasonably healthy dog who never needed any major surgeries. He was 13, developed a brain tumor, was quickly losing all quality of life and we put him down (the worst day of our life, bar none).

Please, please, please if you think there is any doubt that you can afford to properly care for a pet, please don't get one. They are not a possession, to be kept while it is convenient and given away when it is not. They are a living member of your family. They have feelings, they understand things. It is not fair to the pet to think of them as anything less than a family member.

My DBIL & DSIL adopted 2 kittens a few months ago. They just had them neutered and one of them didn't do well, ended up in the emergenct vet specialty clinic to the tune of $1500 trying to save it, and the poor little kitten still had to be put down. While this was an unusual occurrence, it CAN happen, and you need to be prepared financially for those types of things.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Two dogs here... both large.

$15 a week in food.... around $750 a year.

$400 ( roughly ) a year in vet bills.

$200 in meds.

$600 ( roughly ) a year in grooming

$350 a year in kennels for when we go away.

$300 ( a guess ) in Misc.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

Something we did not factor in when we got our dog is medical problems. Our little one is only 3 and has had tooth extractions, a broken leg, knee surgery, and spayed. She's been worth every penny, but it was not something I even thought about.

 

[luvmyfam444]

WOW I'm amazed at the stories of the health problems in dogs - it's as bad as humans!

Thanks for all the info to think about here! IT's so easy doing research here on the DIS! All in one place great opinions from REAL people!

 

[disykat]

The most expensive thing our dog cost us is a new loveseat! She got sick and no amount of cleaning could take care of it to the point we wanted it in our family room. It's still functional and in the basement, but we have new seating in our family room.

 

[disney-inspired]

If you want to get a dog I would suggest researching pet health insurance. I know Petco has it and the first month is lik e $1. I think it could be a good investment.

 

[aprilgail2]

The dog food is the least of the expenses.
Routine shots/medications and dr visits run about 600 a year for us.
Grooming is 60.00 plus tip each time and that is every other month.
He had an ear infection a few months backand they had to knock him out to clean them out and between that and the medicaiton for it and the other visits needed it was about 600.00.
My last dog needed two 1500.00 surgeries withing a 6 month period.
Dogs are not cheap- unless of course you are my neighbor and dont care about it and just leave it out side barking all the time until the cops come and make you take it in the house!

 

[sandy6879]

Up til this year, we've been very lucky in that we've paid out almost nothing in vet bills, just their standard vaccinations. However, this year we have had one that has been diagnosed with osteoarthritis (she's 15) and steadily declining. She has cost us well over $1k in vet bills since March. One dog (she was 8 or 9) had to have emergency surgery earlier this month but ended up passing away the next day due to a blood clot. That surgery was $2k plus then the cost of the cremation. The third dog (she's 14) got pounced on by the second dog right before she passed away and the third got a cut right below her eye. She was cheap at about $150.

So - know that it can go either way and it can get VERY expensive depending what happens. We were very lucky the past 7 years since I've been with them (they are my DH's dogs) but this year has been tough.

 

[Todd&Copper]

For my three collies,

annual and bi-annual (for the old guy) vet visits, with shots as needed: $600

food ($40/month): $480

heartworm meds and flea & tick drops: $700

So, even without any extras, and assuming no emergencies, my dogs cost me over $1700 per year. I do bathe and groom them myself, and I do brush their teeth and do a bit of dental scaling to remove tartar. I cut their nails myself, too. I am sure that if I left all of this up to the vet/groomer, I'd be spending well over $3500 on the dogs per year.