Affenpinscher

The initial investment in your pet is minimal compared to the expense involved to keep your pet happy and healthy for the rest of his/her life. Aside from the cost of food and supplies, there is a standard of veterinary care that we require our pets to have as part of your lifelong commitment to their health. First and foremost, you should follow whichever treatment plan your veterinarian has recommended for your pet.

Puppies:

At minimum, puppies should have three to four initial veterinary visits to get their full series of puppy immunizations. They should also be dewormed two to four times to keep them parasite free. The cost of these exams and vaccines/dewormings will be ~$50-$60 in Oswego County.
Flea treatment and heartworm preventative should also be started in the Spring and continued for at least 7 months to keep your pet safe from deadly heartworm disease. Oswego county has been ranked among the top 10 counties in New York state for incidence of heartworm disease! For small dogs (less than 25#) a seasons worth of heartworm preventative can be purchased for ~$30. For dogs 25-50# the price is ~$40, and those over 50# is ~$55. This is much cheaper than the cost of treating heartworm disease many times over $400!! During my 6 years working at 2 different veterinary hospitals, I can say with certainty that over the counter flea products DO NOT WORK. Though Advantage/Advantix, Frontline and Revolution are expensive, they are worth it and help your pet get rid of fleas BEFORE they are bitten. This is especially important when dealing with pets with flea allergies.

Dogs:

Dogs should have annual exams yearly often times coupled with vaccines, fecal checks and heartworm testing. Your veterinarian can suggest which vaccines your pet needs while he/she collects your pets medical history and checks them over for any abnormal heart/lung sounds, lumps/bumps or abdominal abnormalities. A fecal check is recommended to ensure they are internal parasite free and often a yearly heartworm check is done to be sure your pet hasn't fooled you and spit out one of his heartworm preventative tablets. As long as your pet WAS on heartworm preventative the entire season, and this preventative was purchased at a licensed veterinarians office (not online), the drug company that made the heartworm prevention will often pay to have your pet treated for heartworms if they become positive while on their product! It's a win/win situation. The cost of the annual exam, vaccines and heartworm/fecal testing is normally under $100 in Oswego County...with heartworm and flea preventative an extra$50-$100 can be anticipated. Having a pet comes with responsibility...their life and health depend on you. Since they cannot "tell" us when they are sick, let your veterinarian help them express this to you :)

Kittens

Kittens should be feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus screened before being exposed to other kitties in the house. This testing generally costs ~$35-$40 in Oswego county. Since it is contagious to other cats, please consider having your new addition tested...there is no cure at this time for either of these conditions. Kittens normally receive their first vaccines between 6 and 9 weeks of age. A series of two to three vaccines will normally be recommended by your veterinarian along with a fecal check and dewormings. Flea preventative will also routinely be prescribed at this visit. The exams and vaccines cost ~$50.
Annual exams and vaccines are VERY important in adult cats even if they never go outdoors. Your veterinarian will suggest a vaccine protocol that is specific to your pets needs/risks. In the wild, a cat that acts ill will be eaten by something bigger in a very short time. Domestic cats retain this behavior and often will show no signs of disease until they are VERY ill. For example, cats can act relatively normal even if their kidneys are only working at 50%....often you won't even realize they are sick until 75% of their kidneys are destroyed!! On the other hand, at your pets annual exam, your veterinarian can palpate your pets kidneys and tell you whether or not they feel normal and perhaps even suggest a urinalyis or bloodwork to detect early kidney disease. Early detection and the proper diet can keep your pet comfortable for years even with this problem! Don't you think this is worth the $40 annual exam???
We hope you have found this information valuable and it will help you understand the financial as well as emotional commitment pet ownership brings.