Petfinder.com forums :: View topic - Oh My! Average Cost of Owning a Dog

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:58 pm Post subject:

The range in prices is truly amazing to me. I'm in MA and just paid $70 for a microchip and $15.00 to register. Including the chip, the little old
pom I recently adopted will probably run about $3000 the first year with all medicals and foods and supplements taken into account. No toys added in because she is the queen and will not deign to touch one.

My last dog (lab/husky) lived to be 18 years old and costs ran about $15,000 a year for the last 3 or 4 years which included MRIs, CT scans, supplies, acupuncture, and modifications to house for her comfort. Worth every last penny.

Just a note for us birdlovers on Petfinder. Keeping a pet bird in fine health with food and vet costs is nothing to sneeze at either. Fresh fruits, vegetables, specialty food mixes aimed at their species, treats, toys, adequate housing and specialty vets can easily add up to $1000 a year depending upon the size and type of bird.

(I knew there was a reason I never checked on the sums of $ I spent. Grin

Have a good evening.
Joan

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:11 pm Post subject:

Lets see here...

Cat food: about $18 per month
Dog food: about $30 per month

For cat food, a bag every month for a year comes to $216.

For dog food, a bag every month for a year comes to $360.

$216 + $360 = $576

And I tend to spend at least $10 on toys and brushes and other miscellaneous things. If I spent $10 every month consistantly (which I don't), I would be spending $120 a year.

$576 + $120 = $696.

Hmmm, much cheaper than I thought, yet it still looks like a lot of money.

Also, Jake's checkup this year costed about $78 (give or take). Tapeworm pills costed $17 (around that) and when Jake went to get the 20 quills taken out of his face at the vet, the cost came up to $160. $255 on health in 2004.

The total amount I've spent in 2004 comes to $951. And I didn't even start buying premium food until around July (give or take a couple of months) so the actual amount I've spend is less. And I once heard that the average amount a pet owner spends annually is $1,300. So I don't think I'm doing too bad, lol (BTW, this is all in Canadian funds)

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 9:22 pm Post subject:

If I go through my Check Register for JUST last month...

Vet Pets 200 for my senior
Petsmart Pets 49
Specailty Pets 40
SoftTouch Pets 24
Treats Pets 19
Vet Pets 87
round 2 for my senior
PetEdge Pets 71
Specialty Pets 67
Grooming Pets 90
Specialty Pets 61
Specialty Pets 67

Grand Total $775

Nice huh ? Thats for 6 dogs, 3 cats and a lizard. Granted last month was a little higher b/c of Louie's bills and Grooming, which we only do every other month. But it is incredibly easy for me to spend that much money on my animals...

Also please note - I buy almost NO toys. We only buy toys 2X a year and we recycle and change them up. I do buy lots of exotic (aka expensive) treats for training and agility. I also bought a specialty harness last month for training and a couple Flexi's. But yeah.. its easy... and February was a short month Wink

Thankfully it was also a tax return month Laughing

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:54 am Post subject:

Well I added up all the medical bills and training bills since I've had Zebra and the total comes out to Approx. $3940.35. For just one dog in the last 2 and a half years I've spent almost 4000 bucks! That is not including food, toys, beds, collars, treats, clothes or other medical supplies. Oh god I think I just had a small heartattack. Shocked

Food here is about 25 bucks ever two months.
Toys..well of course he gets the best of the best and he chews so many of them up that I don't even know how much I have spent on new ones. I probably spent over 100 dollars just this x-mas for new toys. Embarassed

Collars? well one can never have TOO many right?
Beds? he currently has 3. Yes 3. One cost 45 bucks, one $20, and one I personally made. Never mind all the other ones he had before and chewed up.
Treats? Oh lord who knows.

I think i'm going to go cry myself to sleep now.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:10 am Post subject:

800-1000 per dog for the minis,, grooming adds a bitto that being it's 45$ a visit to the good grooomer.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:04 pm Post subject:

I really don't want to know how much I spend!

I do save $$ by using ebay for flexis, greenies, coats and flea products. Huge savings there. Also I buy some toys, potty pads, and some food treats at Walmart. Can't beat a new squeeky toy for 88 cents. Also I get small toys(no beans) at thrift stores and keep an eye out for other dog things there too.

I buy my dog food at Petsmart, as well as some other things. Just had to buy another pet bed warmer cause my new girl chewed her first one (40$ down the tube, just glad she is ok).

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 5:03 pm Post subject:

Just a tip, potty pads on ebay in bulk are great! Many of them are medical pads but they are the same as potty pads. Just dont have the scent to draw them to the pad. You can buy a spray bottle of that stuff, or if you dogs are already trained they should go on them. I bought a bulk amount when Suki was a puppy, and I had about 300 left over. ( I spent $40 i think) They have come in handy for fosters, adoption days, and I donated a bunch to the local shelter.

I do not want to even think about how much I have spent on Suki last year. She is spoiled.....and I get her something almost everytime I go out to the store.

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2005 5:13 pm Post subject: Save some money

For those of you getting titers on vaccs. (greatdane mom estimated $100)
Next time you see your vet, ask if the titers are really necessary.
I work as a technician assistant at a very reputitable animal hospital and we recently had a meeting about the importance of vaccs.
New research shows that most vaccs are actually good for the 1-3 yr period as designated, and titers are just expensive ways of backing that up. But see what your vet thinks...

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