Cost of a Dog

[razzberryJAMZ]

My cat costed 650$ just to buy him. he is a very expensive walking bag of fur. but hes my baby and its so worth it. Id say, a pet is the best investment for happiness money can buy.  

[wolf_of_moonlight]

I know when I got my dog, she was only $10. And with all the food and everything we do for her, it gets expensive. But like others have said, the expenses are rather worth it. I love all the time and money I put into my dogs and I wouldnt change it for anything, even to be the richest person on Earth.  

[Sinequan_150mg]

Here's a good list of estimated dog care costs per year US dollar.

Small Dog: food $150 healthcare 225 license 15 collar/leash 25 crate/carrier/cage 80 grooming 200 toys 50 misc. 35 total annual cost 780
Medium Dog: food $250 healthcare 275 license 15 collar/leash 30 crate/carrier/cage 140 grooming 300 toys 60 misc. 45 total annual cost 1,115
Large Dog: food $350 healthcare 325 license 15 collar/leash 35 crate/carrier/cage 240 grooming 400 toys 70 misc. 65 total annual cost 1,500

Dog compared expenses to:
total espenses
cat-$ 640 rabbit-885 guinea pig-640 gerbil or hamster-330 small bird-170 fish-185



www.aspca.com  

[Evil Glitch Queen]

Kipluck

I was just thinking about how much my pets all cost to care for (trying to budget for this next year), and TaDa, I got an email about the cost... but of dogs. Still, pretty interesting!

Quote:

Good day to you! Today I'd like to give you a little information about what it costs to care for a dog. So often pets are an impulse addition to the family and this is especially true of around the holidays.

Sure... they may seem like a simple addition but have you ever given any thought to how much it costs to keep a dog? I don't want to discourage anyone from getting a dog but think it is best to understand the associated responsibilities. If you are on a fixed income general care for a dog can really add up. And as we work harder to give our animals a better life, the cost of their care increases. This is fantastic for dogs, but maybe not so fantastic for folks who haven't given much thought to how expensive a dog can be.

Listed below are approximate costs of basic care for dogs. Costs can vary widely, depending on where you live and specifics associated with each individual pet (such as the size). The cost of the actual dog can vary from hundreds of dollars for a purebred to free.

Puppies - The First Year

Veterinary Care/Laboratory Tests - $100 to $200
Immunizations - $50 to $100
Internal/External Parasite Treatment and Control - $100 to $150
Spay/Neuter - $40 to $200. The cost often depends on the dog's size and age.
Food - $150 to $250
Miscellaneous (collars, leads, obedience training) - $200 to $225

Total: $640 to $1,125

Dogs - Annual Costs

Veterinary Care/Laboratory - $50 to $125
Immunizations - $40 to $75
Internal/External Parasite Preventatives - $100 to $150
Food - $150 to $300
Miscellaneous - $100 to $125

Total: $440 to $775

Some of those costs are redundant actually. Like, immunizations ARE veterinary care. And, puppies shouldn't have flea or heartworm prevention until 6 months, and even longer for very small dogs.
Those costs are also the MAXIMUM costs...it depends on where you are from and the veterinarian or shot clinic you go to.
Here are the costs of having my great dane:
Puppy:
Veterinary Care/Laboratory Tests/Immunizations - $100 total before 1 year old.
Internal/External Parasite Treatment and Control - $100 total for Advantage, from 6mo to 1year ($30 for 4 month pack), and Heartworm prevention ($40 for 6 month pack)
Food - $170, danes don't eat puppy food...I feed lamb and rice formula with no corn or by-products, so healthy adult dog food.
Miscellaneous supplies I needed: collars, leashes, pooper scooper, dog shampoo, ear cleaner, toenail clippers, bowls - $100, cost depends on which store you shop at, this price does not including stuff on sale.
Chewies- $50
Danes are not supposed to be spayed when they are a puppy...I waited until Betty was 14 months to spay.
Obedience is something you can do on your own, it does not require an actual class...even though it can be beneficial to get the best behavior out of your dog.

Total: Under $600...for a great dane puppy

Adult great dane costs:

Vet care, shots, lab tests - $100 total

Internal/External Parasite Preventatives -$150
Food - $200-$250
Miscellaneous, collar, new bowls, food bin, etc - $100
Chewies- $84...one new cow femur per month.
Spay/Neuter - $75 for SNYP certificate. The cost often depends on the dog's size and age...$75 is the highest, I have a dane so that's what I paid.
License: $18/year, or $75 for 3 years

Total: $700...for an adult great dane, and technically I splurged...so material items like collars and bowls are almost not an expense if you make things yourself or are a bargain hunter. Also, usinging less expensive dog food drastically shifts food costs.
Also, I got a free human matress/bed for her to sleep on...she is a 110lb dog. I did buy her a mammoth dog bed that cost $150, but that was a splurge and it is not a necessity for owning a dog.
-Warning...these costs do not take into consideration of accidents or health issues that arise. Betty was a very healthy puppy and is a healthy adult dog. I have emergency funds for my dogs and consider it a necessity to have $ available.  

[Flubke]

Parents? ^^  

[Christinagrl21]

I payed $1,000.00 on my dog, but we got him at a pet store! LOL! I know ur not really supposed 2 do that byt he iz soooo friggin cute!!! We all love him! His name iz Jack!  

[1-800-Your Hero]

I got my dog for free,but my pharet was $300.  

[pink-flue]

thank you
I have never caculated the anual cost of my pets.
When they are in need I just take care of it. Like de-wormer for the cat and heart wormer for the dog ect. ect. ect.  

[SweetP43]

dogs are expensive my dog had to be spayed firrst second and third shots and she is up to $300 with out grooming and feed each week. and unexpected emergencys!!!! I have a deal with my mom that she pays for the groomers and feed I have to do all other stuff. My mom loans me the money and i keep track of how much i owe her and i pay her as i get work. ( I babysit)  

[Osheana]

Kipluck

I was just thinking about how much my pets all cost to care for (trying to budget for this next year), and TaDa, I got an email about the cost... but of dogs. Still, pretty interesting!

Quote:

Dogs - Annual Costs

Veterinary Care/Laboratory - $50 to $125
Immunizations - $40 to $75
Internal/External Parasite Preventatives - $100 to $150
Food - $150 to $300
Miscellaneous - $100 to $125

Total: $440 to $775

That 'veterinary care' section is a laugh. I spend $100 or more pretty much at every vet visit for my dogs and cats. In fact at my Golden's last "annual vet visit" the total would have been $500+ for the titers, annual bloodwork, and flea/heartworm preventives except that I had won a gift certificate for a free annual visit with all extras included so it was free.

I have spent over $5500 in the last year on my two dogs' vet bills. That is JUST the vet bills, not counting their food ($50 per bag) or any other expenses.  

[gobble_bot]

My chiuaua only cost like 250.Otherwise idk how much her vet care is.My mom pays for that stuff...pluse i dont think she is up to date. sweatdrop  

[TambalaiAri]

A couple years ago, my family got an German Shepeard mix from Petsmart. They were having an adoption thing there, and she was only $35. While we were waiting to decide, we talked to the people, and they said that they were originally giving away the animals.

Back on the first page, there was a discussion about how there's never a such thing as a free puppy, and I was reminded of the conversation we had with the people. The reason they had us pay for the actual dog, was to kindof make sure that we actually wanted it. I think that's a really good idea, just because if the dog costs something, then we stop to think about it.  

[Azusanga]

Yesh, there is no such thing as a free dog. For taht matter, no such thing as a free ANIMAL either. We adopted our dog, got her through her shots, and all that. Now, I think she's cheaper then the other animals xD

Guinea pigs are decently ok cause they share litter with the hamster (we don't need to buy two different products and we buy a lot at once), but the hay is alright. Now, their cage needs to be expanded (note to self... bring that up again...) and they go through a lot of food (I can't put them on a diet, the bigger one eats most of it before the littler one.)

The hamster is pretty low cost, we buy a few things, and what she has is still holding her from when I bought her, almost two months ago.

The fish are the cheapest, I apologize, they share food xD

The cat, though, is where I bring up "No animal is free". We found her, and she is now ours. I found a collar in her room, so nothing big there.
Cat food: (so far, we had to mix two brands to help build her strength and weight) $25
Litter: $20
toys: free (already had a few and she loves the string on my dresser)
Litterbox: $15
Vet bills: $450
tag: $9
Total: $519. And that's discluding the flea bath (didn't buy, don't know the cost) and the small bag of sample cat food we had in the basement. She's getting declawed and spayed in like three weeks (strictly indoor cat now) and I added that cost into the bills. hmm.... and my grandma donated the food and water dishes... Speaking of the cat, she just crept downstairs, the little rascal X]

Point: Nothing worth paying for and loving in life is free.  

[Evil Glitch Queen]

Osheana

That 'veterinary care' section is a laugh. I spend $100 or more pretty much at every vet visit for my dogs and cats. In fact at my Golden's last "annual vet visit" the total would have been $500+ for the titers, annual bloodwork, and flea/heartworm preventives except that I had won a gift certificate for a free annual visit with all extras included so it was free.

I have spent over $5500 in the last year on my two dogs' vet bills. That is JUST the vet bills, not counting their food ($50 per bag) or any other expenses.

Yikes! $500 dollars each per year for bloodwork and heartworm medication? That doesn't make sense to me. The 2 veterinarians I go to don't have those kinds of prices. There are some more expensive vets in my area, but they jack up prices on all the meds and tests so I avoid them. When my dane, Betty, was a bit on the lean side for awhile I had blookwork and fecal tests done to make sure she didn't have a low white bloodcell count or worms, all together the tests cost $86. The other vet I go to would have charged me around $140 all together for those tests.

If you have the transportation, it is a great idea to shop around for an ethical vet that doesn't overcharge. Some REALLY don't care if they break your bank, for a lot of vets it's about making profit.  

[The Amazing maddoggy555]

am to young to work