This is a guest post by Justin Reames, who blogs at The Family Finances.
Growing up, I remember watching shows like “Lassie” and movies like “Old Yeller” and “Where the Red Fern Grows”. These were old movies when I was a kid, but they were free to rent from the library, so we watched more than our fair share of old movies.
Because of those shows, I always thought it would have been nice to have a dog. The closest thing we had to a family pet was a turtle that my grandfather and I caught on a fishing trip. I had to keep it outside in a small tub, and after a week or two he ended up missing. Fast forward to adulthood. After buying our house in the fall of 2008, we soon decided to get a dog.
After researching different breeds online, we decided to adopt a retired racing greyhound. He's been a great dog, and we have no regrets about getting him. He's well-trained and gets along great with our baby boy. The adoption fee was something like $250, and that included neutering, three months of heart-worm pills, a leash, and a collar. I thought this was very reasonable. We knew there would be some upfront costs, such as a bed, crate, and some toys. And we knew he would need food and vet checkups.
I “knew” that we would have all these expenses. But we were so excited about getting a dog and didn't really think too much about the long-term costs. I think a lot of people tend to follow that same thought process about getting a pet. It seems like a really good idea, and the upfront costs aren't too bad. But for a lot people the recurring costs of pet ownership are enough to stretch their monthly budget over the limit of what they can really afford.
The true costs
I just reviewed the final figures for our 2011 expenses (I'm an accountant; I just can't help myself), and the line item for pets is pretty steep indeed. We spent just over $1,300 on our dog, or around $110 a month. Here is the breakdown:
- Food: $912/year ($76/month)
- Medication (heart-worm and flea preventative): $176/year ($15/month)
- Toys and treats: $100/year ($8/month)
- Vet bills: $120/year ($10/month)
Our annual expense runs a little higher than the national average. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the average annual cost for a large dog is around $900. What drives our cost higher is food. Our dog has some kidney issues and is on special food to help process the nutrients in his food. Needless to say, this food is substantially more expensive than the Purina we used to buy him. The point is that you never know when something like this will come about and drive up your monthly expenses. Another example? In 2010 we found our dog had a small lump growing on his belly that cost $400 to remove. Thankfully that was only a one-time thing, but again you never know what's going to happen.
The benefits
While the costs are certainly significant, there are also great benefits to having a dog. We love our dog and would no sooner give him up than we would our son. He's a great companion and greets me at the door with his tail wagging every evening. When it's nice outside, he forces us to exercise by taking him out for a walk in the evenings. He even provides some security as he can look pretty intimidating (though he wouldn't hurt a thing). As our son gets older, it's nice to know that he'll have a dog to keep him company. They can play together out in the yard, chase each other through the house, and all those other things little boys do with their dogs. I remember going to my friend's house and playing with his dogs and what fun it was.
Even going beyond the intangible benefits of pet ownership, there are actual physical benefits as well. A number of studies have shown that pet owners are less stressed, have lower cholesterol, and can even live longer. See this article at WebMD for 27 such benefits. Our dog greatly enriches our lives. To us the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.
The bottom line
This is not to say that everyone should or shouldn't get a pet, but before you actually go and get one you need to seriously look into the future costs and make sure there is room in your monthly budget to handle it. The last thing anyone wants is to bond with a pet for a year or two, then realize that it's just too difficult to make ends meet from month to month.
How much do you spend on your pets each month? Do you budget for regular pet expenses and unexpected bills?
Author: April Dykman
As a freelance writer, editor, and blogger, April Dykman specialized in personal finance, real estate, and entrepreneurship topics. Her work has been featured on MSNBC, Fox Business, Forbes, MoneyBuilder, Yahoo! Finance, Lifehacker, and The Consumerist. Now she does direct response copywriting but, in her free time, April is a wannabe chef, a diehard Italophile, and a recovering yogi.
I should probably tally it up and see how much we really spend on our cat. She has a once a year vet visit around $100, and then there are the regular expenses of litter and food. I know it is little enough that we don’t really notice it in our cash flow.
One caution I want to add, for anyone trying to do a pet on a budget, is to be careful about what kind of food the pet receives. Your pet certainly can survive on cheap pet food. If you’re lucky, the pet will even do fine and never develop a health problem. But higher-quality food is considered an insurance against developing health problems in the future.
The other caution, to potentially reduce vet bills, is to get a mutt and not a pure-bred dog. Again, this is more of a statistical thing, but pure-breds tend to have more breed-specific problems. Like the author said, research on what kind of dog or cat you want is essential.
Mutts are not always healthier than purebreds.
Most mutts are a result of someone taking two dogs and sticking them together, or someone’s dog simply escaped. Breeding two dogs of unknown health to each other does not always end up so well – mutts can have just as many health problems as purebreds.
However, badly bred purebreds have TONS of inherent problems. If you want to get a purebred, that’s fine – but it really is better to do the research and find a breeder who has a history of healthy dogs. I’ve rescued dogs my whole life until I got my first puppy recently from a wonderful breeder – she breeds for health and temperament and the ability for the dog to work, which makes him the perfect agility dog. She regularly has dogs living to be 15-16 years old. With some breeds, like Danes for example, you had better believe it’s worth it to pay extra for a good breeder.
My mother has a wonderful mutt with a whole wide range of health issues caused by irresponsible breeding, unfortunately.
Agreed. Backyard breeders who sell “designer dogs” like to use hybrid vigor as a selling point, saying that the hybrid pups get all of the best genes from both breeds. And I’m not dissing mixed breeds. Absolutely not, I love them and this is often the case.
It is just as likely that a mixed-breed pet will inherent all of the predisposed genetic diseases and temperament issues from BOTH breeds. The dogs who suffer from these issues are heartbreaking cases to see.
You’re not buying a puppy or a dog. You’re buying a breeder.
I completely agree that just because a dog is a mutt and not purebred doesn’t guarantee it will be healthy. But I do believe that as Leah said, statistically, mixed-breed dogs have less breed specific problems than purebreds. I also believe there is a big difference between a mixed-breed with 2 or 3 breeds involved, and one with numerous breeds.
I’ve had 2 purebred dogs and several mixed-bred dogs. Both purebred dogs had numerous health issues that were breed specific and cost by far the most in vet bills.
Out of the mixed-bred dogs, one of them has had multiple health issues, garnering the worst of both the breeds she is a mix of. One of the others was the healthiest dog I’ve ever seen. She lived to be almost 14 and never had any health issues or vet bills beyond annual vaccinations. She was playful and energetic right until the end when a leg injury forced a tough decision. She was one of those dogs that you really have no idea what she was (maybe some Lab or Border Collie? Maybe not). With her it was definitely the case of so many breeds being involved that breed specific or inbreeding problems where non-existent.
Great point about the dog food. Our 5.5 year old American Staffordshire has never been given “grocery store” pet food. She has had high-quality food her whole life, and zero health issues. She only goes to the vet for vaccinations and check ups. And I know this will get a lot of eye rolls, but we don’t give either of our pets tap water. It’s not very high quality where we live, and the cat actually refuses to drink it.
Finally, with a 28-year-old cat in the house, I feel like someone needs to mention that you never really know how long your pet’s life will be! She’s definitely been a LONG term commitment, but we can’t imagine life without her.
What about the cost of putting up a fence? Home repair from damage? I know dogs can chew baseboards and furniture, damage carpet, and scratch nice hardwood floors. Cats can tear up all kinds of things as well (like furniture or the thin material called cambric under boxsprings, chairs, and couches).
One advantage of going purebred is that you can research potential costs for maintenance. I grew up with American Cocker Spaniels and have always had at least one in my life recently. They’re expensive to keep if you keep them well. They need to be groomed every 6 weeks at about $45 a pop if they have a heavy coat. But more than that, they have a very long, extensive list of genetic health problems. After the heartbreak of glaucoma and renal failure, my husband and I decided it was time for a healthier breed. The health issues were expensive, but we had a large emergency fund to deal with that. The heartache was what we weren’t willing to deal with a second time. English Cocker Spaniels and Springer Spaniels have all the Spaniel charm without most of the health problems found with my beloved American Cockers. And I specifically got Springers with a “field coat” so that now a three time a year grooming is sufficient.
Our expenses are similar to yours except for food. We used to buy a more expensive food (about $50/ month) but then switched to a less expensive food that our kennel uses. It costs a bit less than $30/ month. We hesitated to switch to the less expensive food for the same reason that Leah mentions above. When we first had our cat we fed him inexpensive grocery store catfood and he has had recurring UTIs ever since (even now that we feed him good, vet approved food). The ingredients on the cheaper dog food are the same as the ingredients on the more expensive kind though so this made us more comfortable.
The one thing that I worry about most is what we would do if our dog got cancer or something. I come from a farm where we had farm dogs and cats and it would have been unheard of to treat an illness like that. I still feel that way except that we are much closer to our dog now than I ever was with our dogs growing up. It would be heart breaking if something happened to her and it would be hard to know where to draw the line and stop treating.
If your cat has UTIs just say no to kibble, even the “vet approved” kibble will promote dehydration. Feed him canned food only, and avoid fish/seafood as they are supposedly high in magnesium which causes urinary problems.
Also, if you want to avoid diabetes stay clear of foods high in carbohydrate– even grain-free Wellness is made with things like carrots and pumpkins and sweet potatoes, and our cat got sick on it.
We currently feed the brat “Before Grain” cans which claim to be “96%” animal and helped him go into remission– keeping fingers crossed.
Raw homemade foods are better in theory, and they are cheaper than cans, but they are a mess to make, and if your cat is a picky eater it might be a difficult transition.
What he said! Kibble, vet approved or no, is an inferior food choice. It has it’s time and place, necessary for the huge convenience and mess factor over raw/homemade, but if you’ve a cat or a dog with health problems, particularly kidney/bladder issues, there simply is not enough moisture inherent in a kibble diet for proper processing.
That said, all kibbles are not created equal. In case you haven’t gotten the memo, skip the grocery store. In fact, skip most big box in general. At all costs. Purina, Beneful, Pedigree, Iams, Ol Roy, etc, etc, etc. Garbage. Filler. If you value your relationship with your pet enough to actually acquire one, spend the extra $$ to feed them more than byproducts and manufactured vitamin powder.
In the case of my (temporarily) diabetic cat, even top-quality kibble like Orijen was made with too many carbs, in spite of the “primal” claim (they’ve recently increased their animal component from 75 to 80%, but still…)
Dogs can have a more flexible diet but cats are really exclusive carnivores and don’t need “20% fruits and vegetables” even if they are “high quality” pumpkin, apples, carrots, spinach, etc… see: http://orijen.ca/products/cat_kitten/ingredients
20% fruits and vegetables and that’s a top of the line kibble.
I’m sticking to the 96% carnivore product for now and trying to switch to raw homemade, but it’s a very slow transition.
Marianne, I also come from a farm and recently had to euthanize my 18 year old cat due to a cancerous tumor. At that point or age, nothing can be done since (a) they probably won’t survive the surgery and (b) the 2 vets I saw (I got a second opinion) won’t attempt to treat cancer on a cat that’s over 10 years old – 18 is way past their threshold. This might be different for dogs. At some point you know what you have to do because you feel horrible and selfish for not doing it. It’s still the hardest thing I’ve ever done but we had 18 good years together.
I really love country vets, who have large animals in their practices. After I moved to the city, it took several vet-practice jumps to find a vet who didn’t treat me like a monster for considering cost when thinking about treating my animals.
We currently have a 20 year old cat who cost practically nothing for the first 15 years of her life, and 10 year old cat that had expensive early medical problems – if the 10 year old cat had been in my life 10 years earlier, I would have had to euthanize her instead of treating.
Here’s the thing. The quantitative costs of a dog were laid out, but for benefits, only the qualitative benefits of a dog were laid out. So it’s relatively easy to say that having a dog is no great benefit becuase it’s only costing you money. I think this article could have tried harder at quantizing the benefits of dog ownership. Owners are less stressed and more happy? What’s the savings on medication that goes along with that? etc.
I’m not sure you can quantify the benefits of pet ownership. I grew up with dogs, but I couldn’t put a price tag on the benefits. It’s not like I can compare my life now to what it might have been without dogs — I just know my life is richer for having shared it with four legged friends ;)
I think I used to spend about $20-$30 a month on home security monitoring before we moved. Burglars are less likely to break into a home with dogs (not always, but I’ve read that in more than one article). Right there is about $240-360 savings/yr. Also, I live in a rural area with small children. Our dogs have killed snakes in our backyard. You could look at this as a cost aversion for medical bills or even the cost of my child’s life, for which nobody can put a value on.
Yeah our current dog killed a rat that my husband discovered on the front porch. He started yelling to keep the kids away, the rat made a break for it and it was game over. Maybe he has some rat terrier in him!
One thing I notice you don’t mention is boarding. Especially for large breed dogs (we have a Boxer) where you cannot easily take them on trips with you. If you don’t have a friend who can watch your dog the expense can be substantial. We just went on a week long family vacation and the cost of boarding was $360, and that’s a bargain for my area. I take my boxer to a farm turned kennel where she can run and play with other dogs, but boarding her at a vet would cost more once you add in the extra fee for a 20min walk per day. Either way it’s like buying another airline ticket for the vacation and is a solid third of the annual expense of pet ownership.
We do save a bit on food as at less than $30 for a 40lbs bag I’ve found that the Kirkland brand (Costco) food is great for our dog (and it gets good reviews on the various dog food review sites).
That’s the major reason that I don’t have a dog. I travel for work frequently enough that a. it would be quite expensive and b. it doesn’t seem fair to a dog to board it 5-6 weeks per year, every year. Oh well, someday.
Betsy, while I don’t travel extensively, I find myself with lots of long days, between work and volunteer commitments. SO, I have cats. They can stay by themselves for longer periods of time than dogs, and I can even leave them for a weekend without having to get someone to come & check on/take care of them – extra litter in the box and extra food & water, and they’re good to go. Not always happy about being left alone, but they survive.
On one unforgettable weekend, I had a sitter who came in for an hour a day to feed and play with my two cats while I was out of town. Unfortunately, it was in the evening that one of my cats managed to turn on my kitchen sink full blast and turn the spout so that it was no longer over the sink basin but instead over the countertop. Several hours later, water started dripping through my condo to the floor below and around 4 a.m. the building concierge called the cops to my place (because I was not there answering their knock on the door). They found the scene, with my cats hiding in my master bedroom. About two-thirds of my 2BR/2BA condo was flooded. Thank goodness for Travelers Insurance!
Betsy,
I will say i dont travel 5-6weeks per year but that doesnt seem like a lot (well the expense could get up there at $400*6weeks = $2400 per year). If that’s the one thing holding you back you could look for a place that your dog would get to play and exercise like the one i found. I def agree though that sticking them in a standard kennel that leaves them in a crate just about all day every day would be a crappy experience for the dog. My dog loves to go where we take her and in fact comes home worn out. They also do daycare if you want to drop your pet off while at work or if you’re doing something big and want them worn out. I haven’t used that in a while but it is nice if we’re going on a day trip some place that doesn’t allow pets or the last time we used it was when we were getting the house painted.
Betsy- Why not put the word out with family and friends (Facebook?) that you are looking to form a petsitting group for pet owners? There would be administrative details to figure out, and you’d need to get the pets (and pet guardians!) together regularly to get to know one another and make sure everyone gets along, but you and the pooch could both make friends. My sister and I get our pooches together for regular visits, so if one of us travels, the other always has a loving home for our dog to visit. You would need to build trust in the group, but I don’t see why it’s not possible to do. There must be others with the same challenges.
You have to be extremely careful with this–I have known pets to get lost or worse(slipped their collars or ran out the door in a flash and disappeared or worse). You need to have a signed statement at your vets giving them permission to treat in the event of an emergency and a phone number that you can be reached at reliably while traveling(I worked for a vet for a time and most will not treat without owner’s permission due to legalities). I have also seen instances where the pets became upset and had behavior issues that they normally did not exhibit–a neighbor’s dog that I cared for starting going in the house despite 6 trips out per day and a cat sprayed the house despite having his litter box changed daily–both went to the vet and neither had infections. The problems stopped when the owner’s returned from vacation.)
Unless we are going to be gone for a long trip, I almost always use a pet sitter. They take good care of the animals (2 dogs, 2 cats) and they bring in the mail and rotate lights as well. The cost is typically a lot cheaper than boarding, and the animals prefer being in their own place when we are gone, if they can’t go with us!
We recently adopted another puppy from the shelter (our prior dog died 2 years earlier) and while the costs are definitely there (I have to call the vet today actually), I agree on the benefits as well. With 2 teenagers in the house, it’s definitely nice to have the dog’s unconditional love, lol. On the health side, we find that we seek out long walks/hikes on the weekend for us (and the dog) to enjoy. We didn’t do that as frequently as we’d like prior. It’s good exercise and give us (parents) a chance to chat and catchup w/o interruption from TVs, kids, phones, work, chores while the teens are still sleeping in.
“With 2 teenagers in the house, it’s definitely nice to have the dog’s unconditional love”
HA! Love it! :)
Eileen, you are *so* right! I was just thinking the same thing. Of course, we love the dogs in a different way than the teenagers, but you can count on a dog’s constancy – once he loves you, he loves you every day, and it’s almost impossible to destroy that. I got a border collie for my dad, who lives with us, and that dog is, on the whole, the happiest thing in my life. It helps me through a lot of teenage drama, etc.
Indeed, one of the reasons we haven’t gotten another dog since mine died is the money. We still have my husband’s dog, though, and we spend maybe $500-600 a year on him (as I write that I’m thinking, “Really, was money REALLY the reason for not getting another dog?” Of course, we also planned to install a fence if we got another dog). He’s fairly cheap. We buy high quality food for him, but that’s still less than $250/yr, plus a couple hundred in vet visits. We don’t buy toys for him, because little makes him happier than chasing the frisbee in the yard. Heartworm/flea/tick are fairly cheap.
I certainly underestimated the costs when I first adopted my dog, unfortunately. I had her for only five years before she succumbed to cancer, and I wouldn’t be surprised if our bills topped $10k in that time. But you know? She was the love of my life, and I’d spend every penny of it all over again.
For those who have had pets, this is sort of like asking them, how do you compare the quantitative cost of raising a child as compared to the qualitative costs?
If you have an affinity for either you can’t/won’t put a price tag on it.
When my dog was diagnosed with chronic renal failure, he was nearly 15 years old. The condition was very advanced; his prognosis for survival was slim. But I spent the $$$ for treatment and hospital stay, then continued to spend $$ on blood tests, meds, special food, etc. We had the money in savings for “a rainy day”. As I told my husband (but mostly myself), “If it isn’t raining now, then when? What kind of storm would it take to justify spending the money?” I have never missed the thousands that I spent prolonging his life, but I still think of him and frequently wish I could have him back again. It was money spent wisely.
I have two dogs that we “inherited.” I can tally up the expenses, but I can’t quantify the unconditional love and companionship they give. Not every expense can be expressed in terms of numbers. :)
traderjoesreviewer.blogspot.com
My wife and I have had a dog for a little over a year. Our costs are in line with Justin’s, but for one huge addition: day care.
We both have long workdays (about 12 hours start to finish), and take our dog to camp three days a week while we’re at the office. It costs $26 a day, which wouldn’t be bad once in awhile, but we end up buying packages of 20 visits every six weeks or so. We’ve spent a few thousand dollars on it so far.
The expense was anticipated. Neither of us wanted to get a dog just leave it home all day, and we decided to adopt her only after I got a significant raise at work. Even so, sometimes it’s hard not to think of all the things I could be doing with the money. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine that a new living room set would make me as happy as the dog does.
There are some major benefits to camp, too. Our dog gets tons of exercise, more than we could ever give her ourselves. She’s also very well socialized, unfazed by strange dogs and loving to people. When she gets home at night, she’s tired and calm.
Sometimes I feel like I have to be defensive about spending so much on my dog. It does feel extravagant sometimes. But what’s true about other areas of your finances is true here: you need to have a conscious plan, spend money on the things you value, and cut costs everywhere else. It’s been worth it.
Oh yes, quality dogsitting can be quite pricy. Normally we leave our dog with my in-laws (and their dog) when we go on vacation, but when ours coincided with theirs, we ended up spending about $400 for doggie hotel time. Totally worth it, and I actually love leaving my dog with them, but still, sticker shock!
Mitch….dude….I don’t know if there is such a thing but you–for sure— get dog owner of the year award. Scratch that. Your dog is the luckiest dog on the planet and totally scored when you grabbed his leash for the first time. Hats off to you.
Between training (I’ve started doing agility) and daycare (I also work 12 hr days once you factor in commute) I also spend an exorbitant amount on my dog. It’s averaged $350 to $500 a month for my dog over the two years I’ve owned him. I don’t like telling people because I feel I’ll get judged, but he’s my passion and my hobby. Some people have car payments, gym memberships an get their nails done. I have my dog, and I couldn’t be happier, although thinking about the yearly totals does hurt sometimes.
I don’t think you should feel guilty or crazy about paying for doggie daycare. This is very common in my area which is chock full of hard workers of long days at the office. I have paid about $300/month for the past 8 years for my dog to go to the park for a few hours and have a good old doggie time every day while I am at work. (I am pretty sure she must think that is what I am off doing when I leave her home alone..) It may sound like a lot of money, but every day I come home to a tired, happy pooch and absolutley no guilt. For people without family nearby or other free doggie entertainment options, I think it’s a great investment.
I volunteer with our local shelter, and we’ve seen a staggering increase in abandoned pets (cats and dogs) because their families couldn’t support the cost any longer. Also, an enormous rise in puppies and kittens, because spay/neuter is delayed. I know circumstances can change quickly, but I hope more people could make sure they can support the ongoing costs before they adopt.
Agreed!
I think people also need to realize that a pet’s needs are going to change as they age. Friends of mine recently had to say good-bye to their 12 year old dog, and the costs associated with food, medications and more frequent healthcare were much higher than when the dog was young. They had prepared for these expenses and were able to keep their dog happy and healthy almost to the end.
People also need to consider what would happen to their pet if something happened to them. Another couple I know adopted the sweetest, most lovable dog who ended up in a shelter because her owner died and no one could take her. This story had a happy ending, but I wonder how many don’t?
Also plan for emergencies. They happen. Our 11 year old basset had glaucoma costing us almost $5k after 2 surgeries to remove his eyes and almost a year of expensive medicine.
The one year old puppy we had had a problem with his front leg that needed a $2k surgery.
The hard part with dogs is there medical issues can be just as expensive as humans we don’t have insurance for these things.
Does anyone have experience with pet insurance? About 10 years ago a relative who is a vet wasn’t recommending it because he said they weren’t worth it because of the fact they exclude most actual illnesses your pet would get and only cover things like the pet breaking his leg or getting hit by a car.
Our pets are like family members. If the vet came back saying they needed a procedure costing $10k it would be difficult to not get it done. As the dog gets older it become emotionally difficult to make the cost/benefit calculation as you can imagine.
Pet insurance is very rarely worth it.
For example: I had a Great Dane. I looked into it – and they would not cover the most common health problems danes get – bloat, osteosarcomas, or hip displaysia. I found it better to have a Care Credit account handy, and save monthly.
Most times you often have to pay up front and then apply for reimbursement, too.
We have insurance through VPI on both our dogs and I would highly recommend it. We pay about $400/year for each, which I know is a lot, but under our plan it covers annual visits, partial shots, certain tests like heart worm, and flea and tick medication. We figure that’s money we’d be spending anyway so it’s worth it to pay a little extra and get the added security in case one of our pets gets hurt. Already we’ve used that coverage when one of dogs was hurt by another dog at a dog park (one of the reasons we don’t visit dog parks as often anymore).
Our dogs are VERY active and when they play they go all out (I’ll own that contributed a little bit to why our dog got injured). For breeds that don’t play as rough, the concern about them getting hurt may not be as great. My brother’s dog tore both his ACLs on two separate occasions, costing about $7,000 total in vet bills. I knew that if such a thing ever happened to me it would pretty much wipe me out, so insurance was totally the way to go. It is important to look at plans and see what they do and don’t cover. Some won’t cover certain things (i.e. bloat) for the first year or two but will after that.
We got pet health insurance right after adopting our two shelter cats. Within the first month one of them broke a fang (furry paws, slick wood floor, jump down from a high perch, faceplant). The insurer wouldn’t cover it. We cancelled.
Trust me on this one, I know someone who went into foreclosure because of pets.$ 18.000 on one $8,000 on the other. I ask pet owners if there is a dollar amount they won’t exceed, and yes most have a set figure. Pets can be a good fit for many but are a drain on many who don’t get it. Savings, retirement and children come in second place to the Vet. bills.
Heh, I have three dogs. Let me just chime in here…
I adopted a Great Dane from my local Animal Control for $75. She was spayed and vaccinated… and apparently had kennel cough. By the end of that week, kennel cough turned into pneumonia, and I spent over $600 on her at the ER.
Fast forward to the next winter, where she again came down with penumonia, and at such an inconvenient time that I had to again to go the ER, costing another $500.
She came down with an Osteosarcoma a year later. Surgery was not an option with her age, so we did what we could to make her comfortable on pain medication – about $150 a month.
Her food was $55/bag and she ate a lot. Her flea, tick and heartworm medication were over $200 a month.
And not once did I ever bat an eye at how much this cost. There was no question, I loved her so much. She was my heart dog, I rescued her, trained her, and showed her – even titled her a few times. She became a therapy dog and she brought love to the hearts of those in nursing homes.
By the time I lost her…. I had incurred several thousand dollars in debt between vet visits, tests and x-rays – even end of life plans like her euthanasia and cremation added up.
I’d do it again in heartbeat, if I could have her back, too.
And that cost didn’t stop me from taking in a 10 year old German Shepherd, with a multitude of his own health problems.
My other dog is 13 as well… and now I have a 9 month old puppy.
There’s something about dogs. Yes, they can be very expensive. But you can’t put a price on the value they bring to your life. My dogs have always, always been there for me. My life is better because of them.
If you’re getting into debt for them, can you really afford so many dogs though?
People go into debt for houses, cars, and medical problems all the time. Does this mean they can’t afford those things?
No, not really. I used a Care Credit account for her medical problems, and I paid it all off interest free. I incurred a debt with her that I’ve since paid (and it was more than worth it), I didn’t say I went homeless or starved.
Okay, but the general GRS wisdom is that debt is money you don’t actually have, i.e., you can’t afford it, and yes you might be able to pay it back, but emergencies should come out of an emergency fund, else you’re unprepared. Also, you can’t rationally equate pets to a mortgage.
Just because “everyone does it/has debt” or you don’t immediately go homeless or starve it doesn’t mean it makes good financial sense to have too many pets.
And I wouldn’t say “get rid of your pets” just like I wouldn’t tell someone “just get rid of your six children”, but having six kids isn’t a smart financial move either for most people in this day and age, is it?
The problem as I see it with pets is that the quickly turn from wants to needs– getting them is a choice, but after you bond with them you can’t throw Fido out the window, just like you can’t throw out grandma.
We have an adopted HIV positive cat, and I can attest we’d rather go hungry than let him down. We’re lucky we can pay for him now, but at some point in our past this was utter torment.
I always knew I would get a pet, eventually, but I never really planned it. I didn’t have to: The minute I bought my house, (in a new subdivision) I kept finding stray (dumped) animals that followed me home when I’d go out for a walk. One dog and three cats later, I have a family. And, yes, they have very high medical expenses, but I know they add more value to my life than fancy shoes or a new model car. Since they claimed me, and even though back then I couldn’t afford it, there’s no way I’d turn my back on them or give them up. I’m just glad my income has increased over the years so now I can afford them.
No, you can’t equate a dog to a mortgage, because they give you SOOOOOO much. I think it is great you have three dogs, if it brings you joy and happiness. I would be insane right now if I didn’t have my dogS. I’d spend at least as much in therapy bills, I’m sure. ;) They really bring a lot to my life.
A colleague of mine said he would never get a pet because of the costs. He has 7 children. I pointed out that my 2 cats (my husband and i do not have children) were a whole lot cheaper than his 7 kids. I am not comparing children and pets – these are very different decisions, experiences, etc. But I did say that life expenses are often a matter of priorities and choices, and like kids, pets are a choice often made for non-financial reasons. He had to chuckle and admit I had a point ….
SEVEN CHILDREN?! someone get this guy a reality tv show!!!
my husband’s friend has three kids, and if he gets a raise, his wife wants to hire a nanny and have a fourth (they earn a lot, but dude’s eyes look dead inside).
thankfully my husband doesn’t have that problem… i keep waiting for my biology to come around to liking kids, but geez i really don’t like them or want them. interesting, a lot of my back-home friends have multiple kids, i guess there wasn’t a problem there.
but there’s a problem here. i like things quiet and peaceful. ahhh :)
While costs vary widlely depending on the breed you choose, their common health issues and the foods you feed them, anyone on a budget should stick to a medium to small dog.
We have a border collie right now and I do not feed her any commercial foods, even the more expensive foods typically use meat by products not fit for human consumption, high amounts of corn as a filler, dyes and other things not really good for dogs.
A homestyle diet costs me about $20 a month for our border collie that includes her meals and homemade treats, Getting her spayed, wormed, shots and license cost $250 and her heart worm, flea and worm trio tabs cost $115 for a 6 month supply.
We spend about $50 to $75 a year on toys and chew products for her as if she does not have them, she gets destructive with the actual house ( she is only about 8 months old )
There are commercial foods out there that are WONDERFUL.
If you check out http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com you can review dog foods based on the ingredients within. You’re absolutely right that $ does not equal value – Iams and Eukanuba are both fairly expensive…. but not really the best food out there.
While I am sure there are a few wonderful commercial foods (at a nice price I am sure) I actually enjoy cooking for my dog as much as I enjoy cooking for my family. I know it is a healthy diet (my vet approves and noticed a considerable improvement in her health and coat shine) When I make it myself, I know exactly what she is getting and she enjoys eating so much more than a commercial food.
I would not go so far as WONDERFUL for any kibble. Kibble is a highly processed meat cereal. Anyway you shake it. Some are miles better than others in regards to ingredient quality. Still, meat cereal.
Whole foods, real ingredients, moisture content. Always better.
Poor to Rich – my golden was destructive around that age too and caused about $3000 of damage in my house. What worked was 2 things: (1) no balls in the house – ever, and (2) 1.5-2 hours (twice a day) of fast walking and off leash play every single day up until about 18 months of age. I spent more time with that dog than I did with my kids.
Our dogs have been the hardest on the house while they were puppies. I think it’s a matter of boundless energy, teething, and curiosity. Keep durable chew toys available (cow hooves at about $0.90 each when bought in packs seem to be the best value) and and like Jaqu says, take up running, rollerblading, biking or some other vigorous form of exercise with your dog. I like biking because I can really work the dogs without exhausting myself. You also might want to start hiding her/his food in stashes around the house instead of feeding from a bowl. Border collies are smart dogs and need mental stimulation. Once you get well into the second year, the destructive behavior should drop off noticeably.
Just yesterday I was counting up the costs associated to having a dog.
I still want one but when I get a dog I want to make sure it has a backyard to run enjoy, especially since the type of dog I want is very active.
People should consider their environment before buying a pet.
This really depends on the personality of the dog. I live in a condo – no yard – with a large dog. I walk him 2+ hrs/day, which he loves. If I put him in a fenced in yard, he’d meander for a while, get bored, and lie down somewhere. He doesn’t like to play. He likes to go on walks. (And boy does it keep me fit!)
A fenced yard is a nice convenience for the pet owner, but no boon to the pet. It’s great to let them out by themselves for bio breaks (instead of having to take them out multiple times a day yourself), and it’s a nice place to leave them while you are at work or some other place that you cannot take them. But a backyard doesn’t provide a dog with the exercise they need and crave. Unlike humans, dogs don’t exercise themselves. They look to us to provide them with that direction. Hopefully you are a runner or someone who likes daily exercise that you can do WITH your dog if you are considering an active breed. Once we’ve taken our dogs for a 3-5 mile run, they are fairly content to spend the rest of the day lounging around.
I have two big dogs, a Pyrenean Mountain dog and a Husky. The Husky got sick last year with an obscure disease (salivary gland necrosis) which left her with a huge hole in the cheek. It took three surgeries and a three weeks hospital stay to put her back on her feet. She lost 15 pounds during the ordeal and was very close to death at one point.
As the cost was gradual over several weeks, we kept hoping that each expense would be the last one, thinking that we had already spent a lot so let’s continue, this time it will work. It was a 3 month roller coaster but she healed and is back to her old self.
We ended up spending 7500$ and we are still feeling the sting of that expense. There has been no vacation travel in the last year and we had to cut spending elsewhere to compensate.
Would we do it again? Absolutely. She is the most perfect dog I have ever owned,bright and sweet, but I would do it for the Pyrenean too, even if she is the most ridiculously stubborn dog (think teenage with an attitude problem) I have ever seen.
My view is that I bought them but they are not objects. When I brought them home I took the responsibility for their life and their well being. I am simply honoring my engagements.
If I hadn’t been able to find the money and cut expenses for her treatments, perhaps I would have chosen euthanasia, but then, I would not have pets if I knew I couldn’t afford their care, including emergencies and unforeseen diseases.
I want to give a big “Thank You” to J.D. and the folks at GRS for using my guest post.
I’ve been reading the comments, and the readers bring up some good points:
My wife is a stay-at-home mom, so we’ve never really had to board our dog. Additionally, the greyound rescue group we adopted him from has many great volunteers that will watch our dog for a few days if we’re ever out of town. But it sounds like boarding can really add up.
It’s difficult to quantify the benefits of a dog, just like it’s difficult to quantify the benefits of having a friend or going on a daily walk. You know they increase your physical and emotional health, but it’s hard to put a dollar figure on it.
Justin, I also forgot to thank you for mentioning the greyhound rescue!
I’ve met many wonderful people who work with greyhound rescue. I absolutely fell in love with these dogs when I met a group of them at an adoption fair.
It’s a beautiful thing:)
My dog is also my hobby. I have a German Shepherd and compete with him. Last year I spent just under $5,000 between vet visits, training fees, trial fees, medicine and food. He even has his own jeep complete with crate and all training gear needed. My goal is to keep the dog costs under $4000 in 2012 and I am so far on track.
As far as the food, another alternative to high quality kibble is to feed raw meat. I spend $27 a month feeding him human grade quality meat (with supplements) and would spend more than double that on a good kibble. Word of warning: raw feeding must be properly balanced or you will cause serious health problems.
My dog is costly but well worth every penny spent.
Raw food diets for dogs are shockingly inexpensive. My fiance makes our dog’s food (a mix of ground chicken, berries, corn, and other supplements and approved by our vet) and while it’s a massive time commitment for him, not only do we save money, but also our dog is in better health than he might otherwise be.
Commercially prepared raw diets are typically expensive. Certainly more so than you average kibble.
Home prepared raw can certainly be cheaper. Depending on your sourcing of ingredients, bulk buying, etc,. The time commitment and up front know how required are where it gets ya.
This is fascinating. I always just assumed it would be way more expensive. Our dogs currently eat Diamond Naturals. Our chocolate lab/red tick coonhound mix has really bad itchies if he eats cheap food, so we switched to this and he’s never been so soft and itch-free. I would switch to making their food if I thought the price was comparable as I wouldn’t mind cooking it on weekends. I’m going to look into the options.
I started feeding raw because my last dog had severe allergies. I do not cook the food. Breakfast-
1 lb of chicken backbones
joint supplement
Dinner-
9 ounces of ground meat
joint pill
2 vit e
4 fish oil
This is what I feed my 90 lb dog to keep him at competition weight. I buy in bulk hormone and antiboitic free chicken from a farm and also supplement with venison during hunting season. He does have two freezers of his own though.
Thank you for writing this article as you have brought the discussion of pets beyond that of dollars and cents.
Yes, budgeting is very important. When we bring these animals into our lives, we become completely responsible for their care. Those responsibilities have real costs that must be considered.
For my tight budget considerations, I have found that I must do the following:
1. Budget for premium dog food. I’ve spent too long around the pet food industry to EVER shill out money for foods that can be purchased at the grocery store (or even most pet store foods). Yes, it costs more. Yes, it matters. You may buy time with junk Ol Roy (woo hoo, $14.99 for a 50 lb bag!) but at some point your pet’s system will crash. Or your dog will smell like a dog. Dog’s aren’t SUPPOSED to smell like dogs. This is a big clue.
2. Research your breeds. Research your breeds likely genetic problems. Contrary to popular belief, mixed breeds aren’t necessarily more healthy than purebreds. Hybrid vigor refers more to litter size and reproduction. Ask your vets how many mixed breed pets they see that suffer multiple diseases due to their varied background.
3. RESEARCH YOUR BREEDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4. RESEARCH YOUR BREEDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. RESEARCH YOUR BREEDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. While you’re researching your breed and breeder, begin setting aside savings into a fund specifically for the pet. Whatever you would pay into premiums for pet health insurance, put into this fund instead.
7. Become familiar with common household dangers, toxic plants, yard chemicals, items strewn about on the floor, dangers foods (i.e. onions, grapes, chocolate). Many vet bills can be prevented by acting proactively.
As I write this, I am planning to take my beloved 10 year old for another acupuncture session. I know that end of life discussions are in the near future and I am planning for this expense as well. It’s ripping out my heart, but I owe it to her. After all, I’m responsible for her.
And because she’s my best friend in the world, I’ll do all of this with a heavy heart, immensely grateful for all of the time that I got to share with this beautiful girl.
I agree with your approach to pet insurance. I ran into a lot of expenses with one of my pets towards the end of his life and when I was ready to look at puppies again, I was curious whether pet insurance was worth it. All of my research left me with the conclusion that they were nothing more than a forced savings plan with zero interest and that they were extremely particular for what they would pay benefits. For a disciplined saver, budgeting is a better option, because YOU decided when you are going to dip into the pet emergency fund.
I think this article is quite short-sighted for what we usually see here on grs and it is going to stir up a lot of trouble.
Putting exact figures on what YOU spend is fine, but that is really the problem. It is what YOU decided for your dog. Every dog is different and every dog will come with different costs. Why was insurance not discussed? What about boarding? What about dog walks or daycamp? Just because you may not need it for your dog, another family will need to consider it. You will always have the freak accident or slow disease to worry about – emergency saving for the dog needs to be considered.
I work very hard to get dogs adopted but adopters need to be prepared for what may come down the line and be willing to make the tough choices. My 4 year old rescue nearly died in November. I spent $5K to figure out what was wrong. Now I am spending $1600 on his RX food for the year. He is 100% healthy and happy now. Another family may have decided that they couldn’t afford this and simply let him pass/put down. I don’t disagree with either choice, but your article doesn’t even consider having to make that choice.
Yep.
And if you have a partner or children, you have to consider that you all might have different ideas about money and pets. I was absolutely shocked to find out my cheapskate partner would shell out $5k for cat surgery without even shopping around. It was OK, because we had the money – if we were looking at going into debt or (as I did when I was in my very early 20s) dumpster diving for people food to be able to afford pet food, there would have been conflict.
I don’t break out pet costs from say our general grocery, medical costs.
Our last 3 dogs were informal rescues so they were “free”. One of them had medical issues towards the end, and our current one had behavioral issues (due to being a rescue) which meant dog training (and lots and lots of patience). Now that he is doing better, the biggest downside: the hair. Walking into a pet-free home I’m amazed at how clean it looks. The biggest benefit besides the friendship and companionship: a feeling of security. He is protective of our children and house and lets us know if someone is at the door. He “sounds” vicious and that’s good enough. While neighbors have had items “missing” from porches or backyards we have not had this problem. We even get an “alarm” discount on our homeowner’s insurance from having a dog (something to look into).
A factor to think about is weight – nearly everything that a dog needs scales in cost with its size. Food is fairly obviously scaled, but so are other things, any medications required (you aim for a constant mg/kg) and even veterinary operating costs will often scale with weight. Boarding fees often depend on the size of the dog as well as do other one off costs like a collar.
As a vet, I have quite strong views on dog breeding. I find dogs bred for short or chronically diseased lives just tragic. However, there is not a simple answer (e.g. this breeds fine or all cross breeds are wonderful). In general, cross bred dogs are far healthier and longer lived that pure bred animals. In looking for good health aim for an animal that looks like a generic dog – for example that folded skin is prone to infection or that very long back in prone to disk disease or a squashed up face will pre-dispose to breathing problems. But as for the insides – all you can do is talk to a responsible breeder about any problems in a dogs relatives.
In the UK a lot of pet owners get veterinary insurance, as with all insurance most people would have to have been better off taking there chances (otherwise the insurer would go bust). But I think there is a fairly good case for this sort of insurance depending on the size of you emergency fund. Road traffic accidents or other injuries can often be fixed by really incredible orthopaedic specialists who are such better surgeons than me – but it’s highly specialised, highly complex and often very expensive. I know that if it were me I would find it so difficult to put down a young dog after an accident because I couldn’t afford surgery.
So there are my thoughts – by smallish dog-shaped-dogs from sensible breeders and consider accident insurance.
I agree animals are expensive but I find it to be worth it. I called Magoo, my beloved applehead siamese, the “Porsche of pussies” the “Ferrari of Felines” because that cat was high maintenace but a lot of fun.
We spend a little bit less on our dog than you. The only difference is the food. We spend $22 a month ($264 a year) on Purina Beyond (lamb & rice). You can get caught up in all the other more expensive formulas (double & triple the cost) but Beyond is a very good dog feed IMHO. Also, our dog was a rescue from a kill shelter and the adoption fee was super high ($450).
She’s a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog, practically unknown in the northeast.
We wouldn’t trade her for all the tea in China. Having a great dog in your life, is priceless!
I have to vacumn each and every day. Sometimes twice a day. But I get it done quickly. Even though our dog has short hair, it’s bristly and sheds. She is walked 4 miles a day: 2 in the morning by hubby, 2 in the afternoon by me. Thanks to that we are all in tip top shape!
We never board our dog. If she can’t come with us, we don’t go. We are getting an RV soon to travel America & Canada. Doggie comes with us!
My dog is my pal. It is just a joy and treasure to watch her every day, play with her and just be in her company. Truly, man’s (and woman’s) best friend.
Just remember getting ‘caught up’ in that double or triple cost food, it’s expensive for a reason. And that reason is quality and sourcing. Garbage chicken is a whole lot more expensive than human quality chicken. Simple as that. Yet, due to regulations the back of the bag will still just say “chicken”. Know where your dogs food is coming from. Is that company one that would buy garbage chicken, or one that discloses where they are sourcing their ingredients?
We all do the best be can, and certainly what works for us. But those cheaper foods, often come back to bite us in a dogs twilight years, after a lifetime of a limited, inferior diet.
Our dog, Lily, has actually pretty much paid for herself in changing our spending habits.
Before we got Lily, we used to go out most Saturdays for lunch in a nearby town and then spend the rest of the afternoon idly shopping – often in charity/thrift shops – but with lunch and perhaps coffee & cake mid-afternoon too, we’d *easily* spend £30 ($50) a week between us. That’s £1500/$2500 a year.
These days, we’re much more likely to go for a walk somewhere free and even if we’re in a town/city centre, we’ll spend less time having a big lunch or aimlessly shopping.
It’s hard to say exactly – because who knows what we would have spent if we didn’t have her – but I think those savings cover the £1000 ($1600) her regular expenses (mostly food & insurance) cost us each year.
Another benefit that’s not been mentioned in the article: having a dog is a really, really easy way to connect with your local community. We lived here for six months before we got a dog and only knew our immediate neighbours but as soon as we got Lily (which happened 2 years ago now), we instantly connected with a lot more people — it’s hard to see the same people walking their dogs every day and not start to chat. Recently, the neighbourhood has had to get together to campaign against some proposed building works – and by and large, that only happened because all the dog people knew each other.
Another thing to consider are increased costs as pets age. We at one point had a senior dog and a senior cat–the cat is still with us–and the medications, twice-yearly physicals (recommended for older pets), vet visits outside of annual appointments and more are considerable costs.
Boarding, as some have mentioned above, is another expense to take into account. We add, on average, about $350-$500 extra to projected vacation costs for boarding.
We have the older cat and a puppy now–yes, the costs are considerable, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Just want to offer up a suggestiong for people who want to be pet parents, but don’t want all the costs associated with it.
FOSTER. I know in St. Louis & Richmond, VA you can foster dogs and cats. I am currently fostering a puppy who is 14 weeks old. The organization pays for food, shots, medical care, heartworm, flea/tick, ect. I have to market my puppy and try to get her adopted. (Minimum 2 3-hr events a month). There are currently around 500 adoptable dogs in the organization.
I do own a dog and have her costs down to around $80/month (including saving for vet care and some groomiing costs) She has her own cash envelope (I’m a Dave Ramsey Follower), and her savings account stays maxed out at $500 for an emergency. By foster I only give up time, not additional cost and my dog gets a playmate for a short bit. It’s also easier to train a puppy if you have a dog t help!
You know, I didn’t think of this but this might be a good option for us. We go to petsmart with the kids to pet the dogs and play with the cats. But I don’t want a permanent second dog (really, its the hair). But my kids love animals and we could help socialize and train and take care of a dog while waiting for its forever home. Or am I fooling myself? I’ve never done this because I think I would get too attached to the animal.
You could also look into being a host family for a service dog in training. My parents host dogs that will go on to be Leader Dogs for the Blind. It is a great program and provides an invaluable service. My parents don’t do the training but host the dog until it is of age to do training. They love it because they know they will not be able to keep the dog so you don’t have to worry about attachment issues. Of course they get attached, but they know the dog will go on to do wonderful things which is rewarding.
partgypsy you can definitely foster without adopting! The key thing is you will want to set firm boundaries for your kids (and yourself) regarding keeping the dog. The way to start is find a rescue group or a shelter that works with foster homes. You want to make sure they have high visibility in your community and are actively seeking to get dogs adopted. Many shelters and some groups, sadly, do not do this, so choose carefully. The more attention your foster pet gets, the quicker they will be adopted. I propose that you look at it as community service with the side benefit that all of you have some great bonding time with the dog. Explain to your kids that the service is helping this dog find a permanent home; the quicker you do that the quicker they can get a new dog!
Just one example. My rescue group recently pulled an adorable dog who had sat at SPCA for months. They were ready to put him down due to lack of interest. Within 24 hours of being in our group and out at an adoption event he already has an application to go to a great home – obviously not all success stories are that quick but none of the dogs I’ve fostered have stuck around more than 4 months.
And yes, the side benefit of the foster is they are essentially free while they stay with you. Medical costs, any emergencies, and sometimes even food are covered by the shelter/rescue.
Here in Hawaii, come Spring time and baby kitten time, the local Humane society is always looking for volunteers to foster baby kittens so they are used to humans handling them and good for adopting. ( Wild kittens get put down because they will not allow people near them.)
We just had to put our 16 and half year old beagle down last week. Over the years that “free” dog cost us a fortune, but he was worth it to us. He had ongoing respiratory problems costing hundreds of dollars per month on medications and just one summer he put of back $10,000 for surgery on his spleen and because of his coughing he had to be operated on 5 times to try to keep his incision closed up. Had to pay it, he was family to us.
we have a ferret- i am allergic to cats and dogs but lurve the animals and can’t live without one (i tried, it was lonely and boring). we also live in a big city-apartment situation, so he’s a great size for the space. the weasels sleep about 20 hrs a day, so he’s great for working schedules- he’s up when my husband leaves for work, he’ll pop in around lunch for a hello, then back to bed until my husband comes home and the dinner commotion starts. he is about 50% of our conversation topics, and we have a lot of fun playing with him and carrying him around to keep us company (he prefers to be in the same room as the people).
that said! what an expensive little thing! the food isn’t so bad, but ferrets are prone to lots of health issues and he’s tagging them all. we took out some glands two years ago, the next summer he broke out with little skin tumors all over that we got snipped off; this spring his spleen grew to dangerous proportions and started to rupture- the vet said it was the biggest spleen on record.
so so far we’ve dropped at least 3k on him, surgery is around 1k a pop. he’s got one more procedure we’re planning on, vet wanted to take more glands but we were doing too much at once; so this summer he’ll be getting a hormone-regulating implant (hopefully less than a grand, but whatevs)
it’s all worth it- the whole point of having an animal is to take care of it, and we love him all the more now that we put so much after-market “work” into him :)
I have three small dogs (dachshunds) and I want to chime in on the pet insurance issue.
I’ve been paying for pet insurance for all three. I choose one that does cover conditions common to the breed. Dachshunds often have back problems, so I didn’t want an insurance that excluded them. I made this decision after my brother’s bichon frise needed back surgery by a specialist and it cost my brother 4 thousand dollars.
Since I have bought the pet insurance, my pets have been healthy.
It seems like wasted money, but I know that wouldn’t have to make a decision about euthanizing a pet because I couldn’t afford the surgery. I know that if I had put the money I spent in savings it would not cover the cost of a major surgery.
I think the cost of vet care is a consideration. Here in the New England vet care is expensive, if I lived in a part of the country where vet care costs less I might not opt for pet insurance.
I am active in dachshund rescue, and even foster. Let me put in my plug for a good rescue dog here. Most purebreds are available in rescue (There is a glut of dachshunds!)The cost of the vetting rescues put into dogs usually exceed the adoption fees. Rescues do fundraisers to make up the difference, and they get vet courtesy rescue discounts. (It cost the rescue less to neuter a pet then a regular pet owner) And when you rescue a pet, you are saving a dog someone else didn’t care about. When you buy a puppy, you’re encouraging breeders to breed more dogs.
And want a puppy? Its amazing how many puppies end up in rescue in a bad economy, we have purebred dachshund puppies in our rescue now waiting to be old enough for adoption. Expect the rescue to thoroughly screen you. People get irate when we won’t adopt to them, but its always for a good reason (even if it doesn’t seem like a good reason to them)
I always thought “hot dog” dogs were cute, but someone told me they are biters. Is that true?
Dachshunds were originally bred to hunt badgers. Badgers are mean mofos, so you can imagine what kind of attitude they have to have.
What I have seen happen is that, because they are smaller dogs, oftentimes owners do not believe they need to properly train their Dachshunds and stop their aggressive behavior so they develop very bad habits that sometimes include biting.
You can’t treat a hunting dog like a lap dog and expect it to turn out right, even if it’s a small, cute hunting dog. Or that’s my opinion, anyway.
Dachshunds can be a bit nippy, many end up in rescue because families with small children figured this out. Myself, I don’t recommend them as an ideal breed for people with small children.
They are a tenacious hunting breed. They are incredibly loyal and protective of their human family. They tend to be bossy, and you can’t let them be in charge.
They are also cute and funny and very cuddly
Our German Shepherd is part of our family. That said, he’s not our child and we won’t pay for him as if he were. Our costs are pretty in line with the author’s although we do pay less for food. The companionship and peace of mind we have knowing our home and family are safe is worth many times what we have paid out for our dogs over the years. We would pay for a special diet if he needed one but $5000 in diagnostics? No way. However, if one of our kids’ mental health depended upon our dog’s survival, we might pay that much, but then we would consider the money as being spent on the child and not the dog.
I used to take our dogs to a wonderful but pricey vet. Then I found a vet who was much cheaper but very hard to reach. Now I take our dog to the Banfield in our PetSmart. I’ve been very happy with them – not as cheap as the inexpensive vet but much, much cheaper than the vet we used to see.
Only Americans would talk about their dogs and spending $1300 on them.
People are dying of starvation and malnutrition all over the third world countries.
They are humans just like you and me or may be you guys think they are not.
Millions if not billions are living on less than $2 a day for their food, shelter and clothing.
Share your wealth with humans. Even in America, many folks get by only on one meal a day.
I bet you can tell the difference between a human and a dog just like you can’t tell the difference between your son and your dog.
Wake up you ignorant America.
Money doesn’t evaporate when you spend it. Vets and pet food manufacturers and pet shop owners and their employees and suppliers are people too, and they have jobs because of pets. Would you rather have these people out in the streets panhandling, instead of employed and living with dignity as they are? Why do you want to deprive people of their way to earn a living, just to satisfy your urge to lord it over others?
And you can’t keep a human the same way you keep a pet– humans will bite the hand that feeds them, unlike a dog.
Finally: what are you doing spending hundreds or thousands of dollars in a computer (which you obviously have) instead of spending money feeding other humans? I bet you can’t tell a difference between a human and your computer, etc.
If the reason that you donate to help other people in third world countries is just so that you can be smug and lord over everyone else how much “better” you think you are then you are the worse than the people that don’t donate anything. At least they are not disillusioned to who and what they are. Take you hate somewhere else.
Someone has something valid and convicting to say? Turn the hate back on them! Hate more, and change the subject!
Your statement is inaccurate, as often is the case when someone argues emotionally. The Japanese spend the equivalent of approximately $9 billion per year on pets. Germany spends around $5 billion US. US citizens are not unique in their devotion to their pets. If every cent spent on pets were re-directed to hunger relief, it wouldn’t change anything, because people are not starving because of a simple lack of money. The problem goes far deeper than that.
I’ve had quite a few dogs, cats, goats and now two horses due to rescues. I’ve had to learn to do a lot of the care myself. I give all shots (except rabies) myself. Ditto for worming. For heartworms, I mix up my own mix using common farm wormer (must be careful with the math!). Heartworm treatment for a total of nine animals costs less than $50 a year. Rabies shots are done via local $5 rabies clinics, etc. I do feed a very high quality pet food (Blue Buffalo). That’s my biggest expense.
Pets are like air, you really can’t put a price on them. if you have to, then you shouldn’t have one.
I don’t even categorize how much I spend on my cats. I’m sure it would be an eye opener. I have a general emergency fund that I would dip into for any unexpected vet bills, etc.
We got a golden retriever puppy three years ago. We did a lot of research on the right breed of dog for our family. With two small children I wanted a dog that would be very family friendly. I had no idea the amount of money it was going to cost us after the initial fee to the breeder for our puppy. The multitude of shots she needed, the spaying, and the trip to the ER when she ingested some aqauarium rocks, were not what I had intended on spending when owning a new puppy.
I was disillusioned with the costs of ownership since our past Dalmation who lived a long happy life hardly needed to see the vet at all and she cost us very little to feed or keep happy. Now I know it’s because when we got her she was already an older dog and they eat less, and are less active.
Definitely research your dog breed and take the time to find a dog that will be right for your family. A lot of small dogs are extremely high energy, so while they may not cost you as much in food and medicine, they may need to take up more of your time with walks, trips to the park etc. I have a Saint Bernard and she does cost me a lot in food, and medicines, but the fact that she is a lazy couch potato means that she doesn’t require as many walks, or as much active play, which is good for our family.
Im so glad you posted this article. I volunteer as a foster home for a rescue group, and it’s heartbreaking to see how many dogs end up as rescues because the previous owners didn’t think before getting a dog. It’s so worth it (I think) but its a big financial and time commitment that should be thought through well!
Time spent taking care of dog, walking dog, picking up poop from carpet, and allergies should also be included in the cost. Also waking up at night, and having to have a large yard to contain the dog.
‘Security’ can also be factored into the benefits of dog ownership, although more often than not, family dogs will not protect, only possibly deter a bad guy..
I believe dogs also carry human diseases, like autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Don’t forget the cost of an extra pet deposit on an apartment or other rental. Also, you will be limited in where you are able to rent if you have a dog.
indirectly I could say the dog cost me the price of my house since I wouldn’t have bought it if I didn’t have him …
A complete breakdown of my pet costs, including saving for vet expenses can be found here
http://dogsordollars.com/2012/02/01/dog-spending/
Thoughts on quality food
Here: http://dogsordollars.com/2012/01/26/dog-food/
And here: http://dogsordollars.com/2012/03/20/making-food-for-dogs/
Even a little diatribe about pet insurance
http://dogsordollars.com/2012/02/15/pet-insurance/
Course, I have more dogs than your average Jill.
In January I totaled up my expense spreadsheet and noticed I spent over $4,000 on 3 cats and 1 dog in 2011. I couldn’t believe it. That included vet bills, high quality food, meds, groomer, doggy day care, teeth cleaning, cat litter, etc. This year I said I would be cutting that drastically (for example, Fenway now goes to doggy day care sporadically – once per month, if that). Unfortunately, one of my cats got very sick about 1 month ago and I spent almost $1,000 to get her better. It appears I’ll be headed to $4,000 again. I would not give up my pets up for the world (though in the future I won’t have 3 cats at the same time). So yes, having pets is very expensive. Perhaps that is why many are given up to shelters or abandoned on the side of the road.
I liked your comment because my dog is also named Fenway! She is a 8 year old golden retriever rescue. I rescued her in Louisiana and no one had a dog named Fenway. When I went back home to Boston for a visit and brought her to a dog park, however, when I called her name, like ten dogs came running!
We have two spayed/neutered totally indoor cats, both approximately 11-12 years old (rescues, so who really knows).
We live in an area where, if you want good vet care, it is gonna cost you. Last year a “senior cat” workup for my Ragdoll, including blood tests and teeth cleaning (which has to be done under general anesthesia) was … $800.
I spend easily $100/mo per cat when you average out the medical care they’ve each received. To me, $100/mo is a reasonable amount to spend on a pet, and I love mine.
I don’t have infinite resources though, and I don’t say the sky’s the limit. There are certain diseases and conditions that would spell the end.
Animals don’t (I believe) fear death; they fear pain. And you can’t explain it to them. So incorrigible chronic pain = good night sweet kitty.
Try this on for size:
4 horses: 2 bales of hay a day, ($3.50 x 365 = $2,555), farrier 3x/annually ($30 per horse x 4 horses x 3x/annually = $360), grain 2 bags Sweet Feed, 1 bag Senior Formula/bi-weekly ($40 x 26 = $1,040), annual vet visit with shots for 4 horses ($600), miscellaneous treats, halters, lead ropes, tack, etc ($500/annually) = $5,055
2 cats: 1.5 bags of food/monthly ($21/monthly x 12 = $252), treats ($8/monthly x 12 = $96), flea/heartworm/vet appts ($200/annually) = $548
3 dogs: 2 bags of food/monthly ($34 x 2 bags x 12 months = $816), Frontline: $45 for 3 month supply or $45 per month for 3 dogs ($45 x 7 months they are susceptible to fleas = $315), random vet visits ($200/annually), Treats ($20/month = $240) = $1,571
9 chickens & 3 ducks: Food: $14/per bag (2 bags a month x 12 = $336), treats: $5/month ($60) = $396.
Thank you. I now know it costs me $7,570.00 for my menagerie. At least we don’t have an egg expense at the grocery store. Those other animals need to start contributing something!
Oh I’m sure my dogs cost me a small fortune. I have two small dogs, with two totally different personalities.
Dog #1 – lazy and mellow
Dog #2 – hyper and destructive (like Marley from Marley and Me)
They don’t cost me much in food/treats ($25/month), I live where they don’t need heartworm/flee meds,and annual vaccinations are $120/each/year.
What does cost me a fortune though is Dog #1’s dental treatments ($600 a pop) because he can’t be bothered to chew a bone and refuses to let me brush his teeth. He’s had two dentals in his 7 year life already.
Dog #2 is opposite, he chews EVERYTHING, so the amount of money I’ve spent on replacing everything from clothing, drywall, carpet, etc. to putting him in dog training, to emergency vet visits is ridiculous. I have no clue how much he’s costed me.
But their love is priceless. They’ll be my kids for life and I’d spend all that money three times over for them! :)
Life with a Dog = $1300 per year (roughly)
Life without a dog = $2600 ( $50.00 per week x 52 weeks for psychotherapy ). I’ll take the dog, thank you.
Thanks for posting this! I’m 33 years old and never owned a pet aside from fish as a child and its nice to get a realistic breakdown of the financial repercussions of pet ownership. In other words, its not happening anytime soon – if ever!
I’m happy to see an article outlining the costs of owning a pet. My kids have bugged me for years to get a dog, but I just can’t. As a single mother of three kids, I don’t want or need the additional expense and obligation. I grew up with animals, but I don’t think they were adequately played with (tied up in the back yard for the most part) and don’t think that’s fair to an animal. I’m sure that I’d love an animal if we had one, but I do not miss having an animal around, and I don’t feel like my life is lacking without one. I am allergic to cats and have an absolute complete lack of desire to pick up a dog’s poop, so I am perfectly content to be animal-less. I realize that kids swear they’ll take care of the animal, but 90% of the time it’s the mom who does.
Perhaps your kids could look into dog walking. That way, they could experience what having a dog is like. If they enjoy it and are responsible about cleaning up after it, then they can save the money they make dog walking to use toward the purchase of the dog.
I just recently put down my 15 year old Siberian Husky – still devasted over it to this day. She cost me a lot of money over the years in various ways – however, she was still cheaper than raising a child and paying for college, clothing, food;etc. And she was my “child” – so I gladly paid for it.
Besides I’d still rather use my pooper scooper and clean up dog-do-do’s any day than wipe baby butt ;)
My partner really doesn’t want the extra responsibility of a dog, so we go to the Humane Society and play with kittens or puppies every once in a while. It helps socialize them, the HS claims it helps them get adopted (because they put “good with small children” on the info sheet) and unfortunately there are always more kittens or puppies to go visit.
+1. I deeply appreciate your honesty and responsibility. No (more) pets here until we’re able to really afford the expense and give them the proper care they need.
Funny you should write about this. I just bought a puppy 3 days ago. I knew it was going to be an expensive, and would prolong my debt-free living. But I had a dog growing up, and you cannot put a price on the kind of happiness a pet brings to your life.
The cost of a dog scales directly with its owner’s income. The numbers in this article don’t mean much of anything except that Justin’s dog costs $1300. Homeless people keep dogs for essentially free (sure, they don’t get great food or vet care, but they are kept alive and healthier than strays) and rich people spend $5,000 on a designer puppy and then another $5,000 on accessories for it. You might as well ask how much housing or cars or children cost, which is pretty much almost “as much (or as little) as you are willing to spend”. The average cost of a house in the US is something like $160,000, but depending on where you’re looking and what you’re looking for, it could be under $50,000 or over $1,000,000. And the average price of a new car is around $30,000, but you could easily buy a car for $3,000 or for $100,000.
Averages and anecdotes aren’t useful numbers in situations like this.
Tyler – I would say that the costs of a pet are mostly dependant on how much the owner is willing to spend but not neccesarily directly related to income. I thought we spent A LOT on our dogs before I read this article. I have a line item in my budget – it was $130 a mo – it’s been $230 for the month for the month for hte last couple months but that is going back down to $130 in the next couple weeks. That includes food, vaccination, boardign for when we can’t take them with us on vacation – and I have 2 german shorthaired pointers. Although, that doesn’t take into account the amount spent taking them and us hunting (but that’s part of the entertainment budget), nor does it account for the amount spend to put in an electric fence atop our 6 foot privacy fence cause one of them was jumping out, or the dozen times we’ve had to reinstall the sprinkler system because they chewed up the drip line. They aren’t like a child – but they’re as close as you can get without actually being one. (IE: yes, if I chose between them the baby would win – but there would be LOTS of options explored long before we got there)
the coolest kind of dog
we think so
I’ve written about dog spending all too often.
http://dogsordollars.com/2012/02/01/dog-spending/
Course, I’ve more than your average dogs, so my numbers are skewed.
“We love our dog and would no sooner give him up than we would our son.”
Gaacckk!! Children are NOT the same thing as pets.
It’s astonishing you would make them equivalent.
gpjones says:
17 April 2012 at 11:35 am
“We love our dog and would no sooner give him up than we would our son.”
Gaacckk!! Children are NOT the same thing as pets.
It’s astonishing you would make them equivalent.
I don’t think saying you would no sooner give them up as a child means you consider it equivalent.
I took it as the author’s commitment to her pet for its lifetime. (and one should never get a pet unless committing to it for life)
Did you account for Homeowner insurance liabilities/premiums changing because of owning a pet?
Greyhounds are awesome pets. My wife and I had one for 6 years before he passed away. I too tried to quantify his cost but there’s no way to quantify the amount of fun and love that they bring in to your life.
@gpjones – a dog is the closest thing possible to an actual child and creates many of the same feelings in its owner. In my opinion it is very easy to equate the two.
It’s a shame we can’t attach photos because my little Fenway is the cutest dog in the whole wide world and I’m sure you’d all agree if you saw him.
I have to chuckle at some of the comments about your dog is like your child.
A woman I work with just had a baby and she’ll say “my daughter woke me up in the middle of the night” and I’ll say “Fenway woke ME up in the middle of the night too!” I love to watch her eyes glaze over. It amuses me so.
People don’t seem to like it when I talk about how having dogs helped prepare me for having children – if nothing else once you’ve been peed, pooped and vomited on by a dog – when you’re own child does it it isn’t so bad
Hey Justin,
a dog is for life, not just for christmas…
You didn’t mention pet insurance in your post – that in my opinion is the biggest rip-off (like most insurance) coupled with the small-print which in a lot of cases gets them out of paying up when it comes to it… but a lot of dog owners do pay for pet insurance and given that vet bills for any serious operations are potentially huge, it’s a tough decision whether to take it or not.
Aside from that there are plenty of benefits which do save costs but are intangible. A dog for example is a great burglar alarm. For this particular example, you could get a rough idea of cost savings. We lived in a big city (London) where having a dog wasn’t really feasible and we were burgled 3 times despite having a top burglar alarm – now we live in the countryside where we probably wouldn’t get burgled anyway, but even if there was a threat, the burglers would almost certainly be scared away by the dog (even though she’s a very friendly and soft dog, she does bark if she hears anyone outside).
Anyways, nice post ;-)
take care & best wishes,
Alan
My boyfriend and I joke that we bought our house for our dog…but there is more truth there than we would really like to admit. Monthly is not too bad. He is a smaller breed so I splurge on expensive food for him. The savings come in the form of my sanity at work (office is dog friendly) We also don’t take weekend vacations much anymore so there is a definite savings there. We live in a tourist beach town so it forces us to enjoy our surrounding more…and that expensive backyard.
I didn’t personally grow up with dogs or cats (my dad is badly allergic) but my husband grew up with dogs and desperately wants one. I told him, half jokingly, that he had to decide if he wanted a dog or a third child, since I wasn’t sure we could afford both, at least not for a while. Dogs (and cats) can cost a lot of money, and they may not be humans but they are living things who deserve a certain level of care. My mother-in-law and household drive me crazy because they don’t take good care of their animals and it is just sad. (there 15 year old dog suffered painfully at the end of her life because they wouldn’t put her down but neither did she get any end of life wet care. Their cat died of untreated feline diabetes. She just wasted away and died a slow horrible death). They recently got a pure bred pit bull/statfordshire terrier puppy from a friend. Sure he was cute and little as a puppy, but no one thought long term. They never bothered to have him fixed because the surgery was too expensive. No one is home most days so he is crated and unhappy, running wild when he finally let out. He doesn’t get the exercise he needs for a dog his size because it snows 6-8 months of the year where they live and no one wants to haul him around for long walks (let alone runs) in the freezing cold. He is eating them out of house and home. The dog’s behavior has degenerated dangerously because they don’t take the time to train him. I feel sorry for the dog, he is beautiful and intelligent and should be doing agility or herding animals as well as taking obedience classes. Instead he has become a terror.
At the beginning of the year I got a free puppy. (I was looking for a new pet and he’s just perfect). That being said, getting all of his shots, dealing with worms and ear infections and an upcoming “fix” he’s the most expensive free dog I’ve ever met. But he’s totally worth it. I can’t wait until all I have to pay for is food, preventative meds and a couple toys.
My cat probably averages out to $25-30 per month. He did get sick a couple years ago which resulted in a very very expensive vet bill. I wasn’t ready to put him down and shelled out more than was reasonable at the time (almost $2,000). If a similar situation occured again, I would know to 1)go to a vet that isn’t so expensive and 2)stick my ground in terms of budget. I love my cat immensely, but there has got to be a limit somewhere.
Unfortunately, I also need to account for ruined furniture, and a $100-200 carpet cleaning fee at every apartment I’ve had.
But the bottom line is that my cat has brought me a lot of love and happiness and that I think he’s had a pretty good life. Especially since I don’t have roommates anymore, it’s nice not to be completely alone.
I walk at least a mile every day thanks to my pooch…. good health and the benefits of a friend are priceless!
It is true that owning a dog can become expensive. However, going for a walk daily has probably saved me money on medical bills. You also do not need a home security system with a dog…lol
My adopted terrier Oscar has been with me just about 16 months. Boy, have I spent $$$ on him! We go to Dog School every week- so far he’s graduated from basic obedience and agility/ utility, and now we’re working on off-leash obedience. So I guess he’s a hobby as well as a companion.
Last spring he got a stomach bug that turned into Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis- he was bleeding into his gut and almost died! Huge vet ER bill. He gets itchy when he eats cheap food, so now he eats grain-free all-natural stuff, plus salmon oil as a supplement. He’s had kennel cough and doggy pink-eye (seriously? dogs get pink-eye?!). I don’t travel often but I have had to board him for a few long weekends. And of course there’s his annual checkup, flea/tick and worm prevention, and plenty of tennis balls.
He’s worth every penny to me, for the joy and companionship (and daily exercise) he’s brought into my life. But before I adopted him, I counted the potential cost and determined that I could afford him. He has his own dedicated emergency fund, and a place to go if something should happen to me. I think that’s really the key to fiscally responsible pet ownership- planning ahead, staying within your means, and being deliberate in your choices. I eat out less often so Oscar can eat healthy dog food, and it’s a worthwhile trade for me.
You only walk your dog when it’s nice out? you better watch out for karma. it might bite you in the ass when you get into the nursing. home.
I spend about $6 a month on cat litter and $30 every three months on high quality cat food.
Smith’s grocery stores brand cat litter is just $3 for a huge sack and is exactly — exactly the same as the brand name stuff that costs 8 times as much.
On the other hand, high quality, more expensive cat food is well worth the cost because your pet will be healthier.
I got my cat from neighbors who’d been feeding him cheap Costco cat food. He was scrawny, didn’t look healthy and puked a lot. My vet put him on Prescription Diet I/D brand cat food and he gradually became a new cat, with thick, shiny fur, sparkly eyes and a bouncy personality. He hasn’t been sick in the six years since he went on the better food.
County animal clinics administer rabies and other vaccines for about $50 per year.
Keeping your cat inside saves money and helps your cat live much longer. My previous cat would get an infected bite from other cats every three years or so; cleaning and treating the wound cost about $300 each time.
Lastly, lawn fertilizers and weed killers can cause liver cancer in pets and kids–it’s on the label and it’s true. My last cat insisted on going outside after I sprinkled weed killer and I broke down and let her several times. She eventually developed liver cancer and died a horrible death at the age of 13–much too soon.
I went several years without a cat after the last one died and there was an empty spot until the next one came along. It doesn’t matter how great your relationship is or how many friends you have–pets are a separate compartment.
Coming from a family of no pets, recently, my in laws took in a cat from adoption and it was amazing to look at its growth and how much people get attached to pets so fast
I own 3 dogs, 2 senior welsh corgis and a young doberman pinscher. The corgis are almost always healthy due to premium food and exercise. My doberman gets the best care however she is extremely active and tends to end up at the vet every few months. When I wasn’t as prosperous and it was just the two little dogs I tried to save a few bucks with the grocery store flea preventive. After all, if it was proven toxic they wouldn’t sell it right?
I spent hundreds of dollars on emergency care for seizures on my corgi. Any savings over Frontline was easily destroyed by the multiple blood tests and emergency visits. Plus I was absolutely freaking out as the poor little guy suffered at one point a 7 minute long grand mal seizure. When my young dog was spayed my boyfriend saw a flyer regarding seizures and flea meds at the spay clinic. Gizmo has not had a seizure since I took him off of Biospot. I just hope it hasn’t caused him any long term damage.
How funny! I was just discussing this topic with my mother right now. Our family dog is actually living at my uncle’s home since our temporary apartment doesn’t accept pets.
Very informative article.
It is so hard to put the benefits of a dog into words. It’s such an intrinsic value. So, if you don’t appreciate or don’t think you could bond with a dog, don’t get one. However, I had a yellow labrador for 8.5 years and had to put it down because of a urinary tract infection, and it was a horrible experience because of the bond I had with that dog. It’s a bond you can’t replace. You won’t regret getting a dog if you train it well and have the room in your budget to accommodate one.
of all people, tom baker (doctor who!) mentioned something very poignant, the cooler something is and the more you love it, the more it sucks and hurts when you lose it.
very true, but i can’t bring myself to go without animals just to skip the shitty part.
My allergies have probably saved me quite a bit of money on pets over the years! It’s one time I think there’s actually some side benefit of not being able to have a dog or cat.
Few things:
I get pet meds from Australia for a fraction of the cost at the vet at:
http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/
Also, we’ve been feeding our dogs Purina forever. Our last dog lived to 15, with no ill health problems until the end. Our family dog before that lived to be 12, and both were large dogs.
I trim my two dogs’ nails and give them baths at home, saving me about 28.00 per month.
I also brush their teeth with a doggie toothbrush and turkey flavored paste (eww I know)
Not trying to be an add for these companies or anything, but just to show that you can keep the bills down and still have a healthy dog.
Boarding costs are a huge factor and make up 80% of the pet expenses. At $30-$40/per night to put a dog in boarding, this adds up very quickly for even just a few trips a year. Flying with a pet is also very expensive generally $100+ each way.
How much are boarding costs in your area?
Do you have a pre-set limit on how much you would pay if your pet gets sick?
Another challenge with pets is during moving especially for long-distance moves.
There are many ways to lower pet care costs:
*Adopt your pet from a shelter, pet rescue or animal control. The adoption fee normally covers spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchip. If you bought a pet from a breeder and took them to vet to have all that done, you’d be paying so much more. And you will be saving a homeless pet from euthanasia.
*To find low cost spay/neuter/vaccination clinics within 50 miles of you, go to: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/
*If your pet is seriously ill or needs expensive surgery, please check out your local veterinary college. Their fees are usually lower and schools are in the forefront of the newest & latest options in treating pets.
*Shop around online for lowest prices on pet medications like heartworm preventative.
*It is essential to feed your pets high quality pet food. In the long run, it is cheaper to buy high quality pet food vs. costly illnesses due to not eating high quality pet food.
Get insurance! I WILL help you cover vet costs. And if you’re worried about deductibles, sign up for a vet discount program like United Pet Care or Pet Assure. Well worth it.
It* will
My boyfriend and I are adopting a puppy in early June (just put down the $100 deposit!), so we’ve been talking a lot about costs and budgeting lately. We’ve decided that puppy “kindergarten”/training ($100-$200) is definitely worth the investment. Now we’re looking at options for pet insurance or a preventative pet care wellness plan (about $30-$40 month for vet exams, shots, dental care etc) offered through an animal hospital in our area. Anyone have any experience in those areas?
My boyfriend and I are adopting a puppy in early June (just put down the $100 deposit!), so we’ve been talking a lot about costs and budgeting lately. We’ve decided that puppy “kindergarten”/training ($100-$200) is definitely worth the investment. Now we’re looking at options for pet insurance or a preventative pet care wellness plan (about $30-$40 month for vet exams, shots, dental care etc) offered through an animal hospital in our area. Anyone have any experience in those areas? Thanks for tackling this subject!
I’m not sure our monthly bills, but both the cat and the dog have bank accounts. Upon getting cancer, our last dog ran up some significant bills during his end of life diagnosis and treatments.
Rather than buying pet insurance for the new pets, I put $35/month for the cat, and $45/month for the dog, in a savings account. Now when they reach end of life, they should be able to handle their own bills, at least for the most part, and if they don’t need it, it’s a surprise vacation fund!
Here’s another vote for adopting former racing greyhounds. They are fantastic dogs. Mine is incredibly gentle and sweet. They’re outstanding even in apartments, being remarkably lazy. I adore my horse.
Greyhounds in general require a higher-quality food. The only brands at pet stores that met the standards laid out by various greyhound groups ran about $45 per bag for as little as 30 lbs. Costco’s Kirklanf Signature brand dog food also passes the requirements for about $27.50 per 40 lb bag. The savings on dog food more than pays for the annual membership cost, which in turn saves us considerably on other purchases.
Justin, thanks for a balanced approach to the costs and benefits of pet ownership. I tend to get my hackles up about personal finance discussions of pet ownership, because they often seem to lean more towards the “expensive and not worth it” attitude.
Also, just have to say– GREYHOUNDS! <3 We adopted our first retired racing grey recently and could not be more in love. She's quiet, laid back, a total couch potato, but still quirky and sweet and always happy to see us. I couldn't have asked for a better dog. Thank you for giving a shout out to an amazing breed!
We just got our first puppy and the costs already seem to be racking up. But the first year is usually the worse, at least with a puppy (vaccines, spay/neuter, etc). Still, I was surprised to see you spent $1300 in a year. I will try to track my expenses this year to see how bad the damage is.
I do think that having a dog will help me stay in shape, though. We briefly had a foster dog and I found that I really enjoyed walking her while I usually can’t motivate to walk each day on my own.
We have a 13-year old, larger mixed-breed dog (border collie/samoyed mix that comes in at about 42-45 lbs) and boarding costs can definitely be high. We lucked out two Christmases ago and found a wonderful small shop that treats our dog like their own. We take him there every weekday for doggie day care, too. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Hell yes – the change in our old dog’s temperament and energy and health has been amazing, and these folks are fantastic with dogs left in their care. When we boarded him there for our last out of town vacation, they noted that he had an accident in his crate on the first night – since he has a history of bladder stone issues, the caretakers took turns taking him home with them on the subsequent nights to be sure he was okay…and no extra charges for the special treatment, either. Our pup was beyond happy when he realized he got to go home with his “human girlfriend” from daycare! :)
On top of boarding/daycare costs, since his bladder stone surgery about 8 years ago, he’s been on a special diet and daily meds to reduce the risk of future bladder stone issues. All told, we’re at about $550/month (average, annualized) for all dog care costs, not including emergency vet care. Last year, he had to have a toe amputated to remove a large growth – it turned out to be non-cancerous, but given that he wasn’t able to walk, the procedure greatly improved his quality of life. Since we’ve been good with stashing away $ for emergencies, the ~$800 vet bill didn’t kill us. Honestly, I was expecting it to be much more expensive, given the way the vet was hemming & hawing before she told me how much the procedure would cost.
When it comes down to it, I’m willing to spend whatever is needed to take care of this fantastic creature that brings so much joy to my life.
Reading the comments which is all about real dollar costs. We adopted an adult lab four years ago. While we expected costs (vet, kennel, food, poop bags, and other stuff). The one thingi didn’t give much thought to? Time. I got my dog as a running partner, but arthritis in her back legs means I walk her BEFORE I run. In fact, I walk her twice a day almost every day! Because the vet says it will keep her mobile longer. That means almost zilch for sleeping in. And no impromtu going out after work, it all needs planning. And being outside when it’s below 0, raining, windy….you get the picture. I love my dog and wouldn’t not get her if I had the chance again, but this will also be my last dog for those reasons.
As for the cat we have….one HUGE added benefit is no mice. Moved into a house 2 years ago, and the previous owner had most traps galore (house is in the country). We had one cat-and within a month we had no signs of mice. I’ll always have a cat for this reason!
I would say that if you want to reduce the cost of having a pet, keep it healthier, and lengthen its life then feed it a raw food diet. You won’t have to visit the vet unless your animal becomes injured. And to be honest, your heartworm/other vaccinations, are actually bad for your animal. Animals don’t need insurance, or vaccines. This is just some corporate scheme to get more money from you. Just feed it a raw diet, which is natural for your pet, and they shouldn’t have any issues.
Good on you for getting a Greyhound – they’re not the normal choice for adoption, but make surprisingly great pets.
I have to laugh at your Pet Accounting – it’s great to see. I probably spend that much on my cat AND my dog, so it’s surprising.
I found this list of pet food reviews and their corresponding price per pound really useful if choosing a good food which I could afford – http://www.petfoodratings.org/quick-dog-food-reference-table/.
I feed the dog Canidae and cat Felidae, which is useful as my local petshop sells them.