Cost of Pets

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I'm about to take my dogs to the vet this morning for a dose of Bordetella before they go the kennel for Christmas.

I'm wondering do you realize how much you spend on your pets? Mine cost me a fortune, with what I spend on them I can easily fund a nice vacation every year. I have health plan for $60/month, medications run me about $50/month, dog food $40/two months, grooming $100/3 months, etc. Also the boarding costs about $30/day per dog and I've got 2, so going away will cost me more than our airline tickets. This has been true since we've gotten them.

But without factoring in all these costs I realize they are the most expensive investment ever. Why? Because you spend a fortune keeping them alive and then they die. Which makes it harder. But I suppose that my day is about to become very expensive. Do you have an idea what you spend on your pets?

[sakigt]

I think it depends on the pet. Generally dogs are more expensive and the larger they get, the more expensive it gets. But to some people theyre like children, and a heck of a lot cheaper

I have two cats and theyre the perfect balance. Food costs about $15 a month, keeping them indoors saves me on trips to the vet, and toys are those little plastic pieces you pull of milk gallons.

[PrincessPerky]

yep..practically nothing....
I have a stray cat that hangs around and eats my compost..all the fun of daily petting, none of the cost, and none of the shedding in my house...

actually Fire (the cat) is a good 'worker' she eats all the rodents for quite a distance...more than fair return for a few scraps...

I would love to have a dog..but they are pack animals....Fire is just a 'friend'....less responsibility.

[disneysteve]

Our only pets are fish, and they cost us very little. Occasional filter changes and a canister of flake food that lasts for months. Maybe $50/year tops (plus electricity to run the tank).

But I know what you mean. I know a number of people who live paycheck to paycheck and can't ever seem to get ahead, but think nothing of having multiple pets. One person I know got divorced and had one cat. Even though finances were pretty tight, she soon got a 2nd cat and then a 3rd. Whenever we saw her, she invariably had some story about how much she was spending on vet bills. She just didn't get that if she didn't keep adding pets to the family, she'd have a lot more money for necessities.

[tinapbeana]

3 cars here.

$36 a year on vaccinations for all 3 ( mobile pet med)
$15 a month on food
$10 a month on litter

what do i get in return? no mice or rodent to speak of, as my cats all hunt and bring me 'presents'. lower stress levels and blood pressure. oh, and three self-sustaining mini-heaters to keep me warm when it gets cold!

[Elgin526]

Up until October, Missy didn't cost us that much since she's healthy. $20 a month for food and bones to chew on, $15 every three months for her one medication, we board her about twice a year on average, $18 per night, and maybe $100 a year on anual vet visits w/vaccinations. Oh, and grooming about 2x a year at about $35 a pop. We spend more eating out each year than on the dog.

In October she needed minor oral surgery and a dental cleaning. $500! But that's the first major expense we've had with her since I got her 6 years ago, so over time it's still cheap.

And really, can you put a price tag on unconditional love?

[Mr. Furley]

Yeah, dogs seem to be way more expensive than cats. I have two cats and it seems like the favorite toy is pens. There are routinely 10-15 pens I have to get out from under my furniture every week. They love pens.

[cschin4]

This is a very timely thread. We just got a new puppy. A golden retriever. He is adorable. I just took him in for his first vet visit and paid $47. Not too bad. I am sure he will have more frequent visits in the puppy stage until all the immunizations are done. However, as much as I love my pet, it is still "just a dog". We have a 2nd dog who is about 1.5 yrs old. I just tell the vet I want the "minimum" needed. I don't want every shot, blood test, etc. And, if the pet is terminally ill, I would just put it to sleep rather than spending thousands on expensive treatment. We buy a mid-grade dogfood - Purina. I don't buy the cheapest but am not going to spring for Iams or the other highpriced stuff. I do have my older dog groomed about every 3-4 months and expect this dog will need that too. That is about $45 for each grooming so there are those costs involved as well.
I think many vets try to "oversell" treatments, etc because they are in business. Nothing wrong with it just is.

[Gruntina]

I paid around $90 dollars for my cat through an adoption agency. I first went to Humane Society but did not connect with any of the cats there so went to Agency that has people fostering pets with a no-kill policy. The payment included the neutering, tests, shots and service fees which I think it's cheaper than going to a vet to do all of this. The cat was 6 months old so all the kitten treatment was taken care of.

I bought him two toy mice’s the day I brought him home and to this day he still adores them. He is now 2 years old.

Roughly I spend about 15 dollars a month for cat food (both dry and canned), and cat litter. Once in a while I splurge on him. I bought him a scratching post that he can climb good quality for only $40 dollars and he used it daily. I did end up buy a very expensive purchase of a water drinking fountain for him. He refuses to drink water out of any bowls and tried to drink from the sink or tub spout. The water fountain was successful to get him to mainly drink from that and I don't have to worry about him not drinking enough water and have clean water as well.

No professional grooming, painted nails, clothing’s on my cat. It’s not necessary and the cat is happy the way he is. The house originally came with a cat door on the wall so he can go in and out anytime. That was a bonus.

He is assigned to a vet if any emergency was to happen but has no "pet" insurance. I did buy his first set of Fleas treatment from the vet but going forward, it will be an online purchase of the same stuff for much cheaper.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Wow, the vet today was a good day. I walked out spending only $54! Not for anything vaccine, but um, disgustingly medically needed. Great day. I still pay my $60/month for their health plan, but it covers all office vists, two a year comprehensive visits, and vaccines.

Nope, my two boys are not dogs, but members of the family. And yes it's because I don't have kids, but even when I do, they'll still be my fur kids. Cschin, I would not feed my pet purina because cheaper food is more likely to cause kidney stones.

Am I the only person who religiously pays for heartworm and flea/tick medicine? That it costs $20/6 months per dog for heart worm and $36/3months per dog frontline. So that works out to $15/month for each dog for heartworm, flea/ticks?

Grooming is expensive, so we do it infrequently. And we get their teeth cleaned now annually. Plus we also pay occasionally for daycare to socialize them.

[JanH]

The two dogs and one cat that belong to our collective household live now with me. I have to buy expensive special food for one dog so the both eat it--about 35 a big bag. I buy rawhide chew thingys every couple of weeks at 10 a package. I get revolution heartworm and flea each month--about 35? total. I usually get it with other stuff so I am not sure the actual cost. I have to get nails clipped for one dog cos they are really sharp and hard to clip--cost about 10 a month. I don't pay for grooming anymore, we got our own clippers and we are getting better. We couldn't afford the grooming costs. Shots run a couple hundred a year total, I think. I've not budgeted long enough to see. Boarding here is not very expensive. About 10 per dog per day. That includes the food. One dog has had a couple of expensive operations and that was hard to pay for but she was young and we felt like we'd try to save her.

Now the cat. She's only been here for a short while, but it seems her shots are infrequent and her food/litter/flea-heartworm stuff is all we have. Maybe total 35 a month. We did have to buy a bottle of ear cleaning solution for 20 but it will last a very long time.

Growing up, dogs got table scraps and rabies shots--free at the fire department. Didn't know that there were so many expenses! But we love them all.

[Gruntina]

Am I the only person who religiously pays for heartworm and flea/tick medicine? That it costs $20/6 months per dog for heart worm and $36/3months per dog frontline. So that works out to $15/month for each dog for heartworm, flea/ticks?


I use Advantage.. Both Frontline and Advantage are quality products. However I only do it for the season and not year round as I do not think it's necessary off season or it can irritate the pet’s skin (furry family members) and make them nauseous at times.

It depends on region. For my area in California it's February till July.

As far as Insurance, I do not pay it because my vet does not bill for visits only medicine prescriptions if needed. There is a one time only fee which is the very first visit since pet health check-up is mandetory which cost me about $50 dollars.

[JanH]

Gruntina: We pay for the flea/heartworm meds every month. Have to cos of the horrendous mosquito population here. Even though our dogs are indoors, you can't help but suck hoards into the house when you open the door. We use revolution.

[Gruntina]

Originally Posted by JanH

Gruntina: We pay for the flea/heartworm meds every month. Have to cos of the horrendous mosquito population here. Even though our dogs are indoors, you can't help but suck hoards into the house when you open the door. We use revolution.

Mosquitos... yikes.. I dont even like them myself!

[scfr]

Our beloved dog is worth every penny we spend on him many times over. Not only is he a wonderful gentle soul, but we know that he is good for our emotional and physical health; statistically, we will live longer lives because we have him.

There are ways to save money on pets without sacrificing their quality of life such as:
- There are pets that require very little money (such as the fish previously mentioned)
- Adopt a dog or cat rather than purchasing an expensive purebred from a breeder. Not only will you be giving a pet a second chance at life, you may avoid the health issues that can sometimes occur with purebreds. You can find pets available for adoption at www.petfinder.com
- Feed a high-quality diet to reduce the chance of medical problems down the road. High quality does not necessarily mean high cost. Our dog eats "Kirkland Signature" the Costco private label brand dry food, which is actually very good stuff. I know of a few vets who feed the same brand to their own pets. We give him an occasional treat of canned food (more important as they get older to give them more liquids).
- Dogs don't know the difference between an expensive treat and an extra couple pieces of their regular dry food stuck in your pocket.
- If you have a dog, take it on good long walks daily, to improve both it's health and yours (mental & physical).
- Pets only need a couple of good toys to stimulate their minds. If you feel the need to have baskets of toys, cute little outfits, expensive collars with charms, etc, isn't it really more for you than for the pet?
- If you give your dog or cat a monthly preventative for flea/ticks/heartworm, check the prices on-line at a place like 1-800-PETMEDS and ask your vet to match the on-line price.
- When you travel, consider hiring a pet sitter instead of boarding. Especially for multi-pet families, hiring a sitter can be less expensive, and depending on your pets' temperment they may enjoy staying home more than boarding. To find a professional pet sitter in your area, visit www.petsit.org

[JanH]

Originally Posted by Gruntina

Mosquitos... yikes.. I dont even like them myself!

Yep, the Texas state bird! lol. They tell me the mosquitos are the things that transmit the heartworm.

And our dogs absolutely LOVE boarding at the vet. Since one doggie "talks" all the time, I'm not sure how the vet feels about her......

[KellyJef]

Well, my 5 year old shih tzu, Reba, has cost us literally thousands of dollars

She had back surgery last year that cost us almost $4,000 alone. (Had to use my "burial fund" to pay for it -- DH says he's now going to have to bury me in the backyard )

She had surgery about 3 years ago for bladder stones (that was about $900). She has been on Prescription Diet since then (and will be forever) -- even her treats have to be Science Diet. She is also on hormone medication forever. She also gets all her shots, etc.

We do give her Heartgard and Frontline year round, too.

And she is professionally groomed about 6 times a year.

Since I am retired and DH is on SS disability, Reba is a huge drain on our budget.

But I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world -- we love her to death

[Fizgig]

I have two small dogs (one dachshund, and one 20 lb shelter mix that looks like a small golden retriever). I spend about $650/year on the both of them (checked my records) and it's well well worth it. I love those little dogs. I live in Texas, so they're on heartguard.

[neatdesign]

I adopted my dog, an Akita named Andie, right out of college back in August 1995. She has been with me my entire independent, adult life. We've even lived in two countries together (Chile, where I got her, and the US). I love her to bits.

BUT... Over these 11+ years, I would estimate that the amount of money I've spent on her, from her actual adoption to toys, food, vet visits, medication, kennel costs, furniture/other items I've had to replace or repair, nonrefundable deposits and monthly fees I've paid to various landlords, leashes, bowls, grooming, and other dog-related expenses, is probably close to $10,000.

When I think about that, it makes me shudder. Don't get me wrong -- I truly love Andie, and will be heartbroken when she's gone. But that's A LOT of money. I certainly didn't think it was going to cost me that much when I got her at age 22.

If I had invested that money, I'd be doing really great financially right now. I don't hold it against Andie -- how could I? -- but it pains me to think...

~ Jenney

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Jenney, me too. I got my first fur baby at 22 and if I went back and totalled up our costs, well we'd be sitting on a nice tidy pile of money. I guess I just didn't get how people who spend $50/year on their dogs get away with no heartguard/advantage every month. Where we live it's a necessity all year.

Anyway, I grew up with dogs and it wasn't till recently I began to think about what they cost. At least now that we're out of the house our parents are spending a small fortune on our old dogs (their new children). Sigh.