Pets
Related: About this forumHow much does your dog cost you yearly?
Hubs and I estimate our big Lab (very recently inherited another one) easily costs us ~$2800 yearly. This amt includes Vet bills , food, meds, and boarding but the area we live in is expensive...and our girl eats a lot and hates traveling so we have to board her. And now we've just doubled this amt.
(Btw, ever Google the cost of raising a child? )
I think this site low-balls the amount a bit: https://www.moneyunder30.com/the-true-cost-of-pet-ownership
blue cat
(2,415 posts)They always seem to low-ball yearly costs of pets.
Nobody told me how much chews would cost.
And now they can do so much more at the vet office, like dental X-rays $160!?!?
Duppers
(28,094 posts)Goes thru them too quickly and yep, they are costly.
But she's worth it to us. Less costly and easier to deal with than our son.
Dental xrays, wow. Glad we've not run into that problem....yet.
Thanks!
tblue37
(64,982 posts)in some dogs, and if the dog swallows a too large piece, he can choke.
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/rawhide-good-or-bad-for-your-dog#1
Duppers
(28,094 posts)I read about that yrs ago and try to limit our big girl to just so many a day.
Some dogs chew everything, like people smoking or chewing gum a lot; she's one of those. Chewed up everything she could find when she was a kid. Our other Lab can take the chewies or leave them...and he's not a food hog either. However, if we let Missy eat everything she wanted, she'd be up to 140lbs and so fat she couldn't move. Ogee will eat the amt he wants and walk away from his dish. Not her. I have to put his food away to keep her from cleaning his plate. But she's the sweetest "piggy."
PSPS
(13,516 posts)get the red out
(13,459 posts)Never. It would probably cost quite a bit to bury my depression suffering ass if I didn't have my dogs.
Runningdawg
(4,496 posts)Must be one tiny dog....
We have always used the SPCA spay and neuter clinic. Prices are based on income. Together with immunizations the cat cost $14, the male dog cost $32 and the female $50. Both weigh @ 50lbs. Chips are $25 extra. Everybody got one.
Now I know a lot of people are going to go OMG I would never use a clinic like that. I used to think that too, until a friend became a Vet student. He assured us the care was just as good as a $$$ vet the only difference being the time it took to perform the procedures. I have used the service for 25 years and never once had an issue.
Our biggest expenditure is chew toys. Both our dogs are pits and can destroy a Kong in less than an hour. We finally discovered Nylabone X-tra toys and they last @ 1 month and cost 15-25$ each.
Even if you serve Crap in a Bag, the $$$ add up quickly.
Yonnie3
(17,376 posts)I was just thinking about how to pay for the 2 to 3 thousand dollar surgery our little man needs to relieve his pain and get him on all fours again. I happy to say that I have it figured it out. Without good credit I would not be able to help him right away.
Some will say it is wrong to think of the costs, but you need to be able to take good care of them.
A good friend (another DUer) is facing $3500 operation for one of her 3 GPs.
But they are sooo worth it.
Good luck with your kid's operation.
It's been stressful. Two years ago vet makes diagnosis and says knee not bad enough for surgery. Surgeon now says it would have been much better to fix it back then. Surgeon then says significant heart murmur so got to do cardiologist first. Two weeks waiting and find out heart is good. We have yet to schedule operation and still need labs done before.
ETA His 6.6 pounds are ready for most anything. It's his humans who worry.
Glamrock
(11,781 posts)Duppers
(28,094 posts)Perfectly said.
When we applied to rescue our Lab, this was a question on the application: how much do you expect your dog to cost you yearly? Guess they'd had dogs returned because they couldn't afford them.
And when I read Le Gaucher's post about wanting a dog, I wondered if he had to factor in costs and if other folks' pups are nearly as expensive our kid - and she is our KID.
You cannot put a price on such love.
Thanks, Glam rock.
You can see the love in that photo. From both sides. One of my favorite pics of the mighty Zeppelin ( and not just because I'm in it! LOL!)
Duppers
(28,094 posts)LakeArenal
(28,729 posts)Maybe food..maybe.
My bestie has a floor bed, a car bed, a porch bed, He sleeps on the couch or the regular beds. Heres his newest bed.
Duppers
(28,094 posts)What breed is your pampered beastie?
LakeArenal
(28,729 posts)Arthritic.. Can't go down steps anymore, can never find a comfortable spot either..
But, he's our bestie. Whatever gives his sore bones some rest.. I'll try.
Duppers
(28,094 posts)🙏
Boomer
(4,159 posts)Food and vet bills are just the most visible expenses. There's grooming sessions, paper towels (so many paper towels), torn sheets and blankets, laundry soap for the stuff that survives, durable toys and not-so-durable toys that need to be replaced again, and then there is general breakage.
Just this year we replaced every single rug in the house. Because dogs.
There are huge pits in the backyard that constantly have to be filled in. Because dogs.
There are vacations we never take. Because dogs.
Oddly enough, we're still quite happy. Because dogs.