25 October 2009
How much money do you spend a year on the care of your dog?
Posted by admin under: Dogs .
We are considering getting a puppy dog (sheltie breed). I would like to know what breed of dog you have, how old it is, and how much money you spend a year on items such as:
vet visits, shots, grooming, food, boarding. We want a dog but we want to know how much money we have to budget.
Thanks.
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18 Comments so far...
Mutt Mommy Says:
29 October 2009 at 10:37 am.
Not including adoption fee, one of my small breed mutts (25 lbs), from when I got her at 12 weeks to one year later, cost me at LEAST $1000, I;m guessing more. They are NOT cheap – plus, I NEVER get her groomed as she is short haired … I bathe her at home, so that amount does not cover any grooming expenses you might have
Zang L Says:
1 November 2009 at 1:02 am.
my dog is a border collie and is 5 years old we spend about £9,000 on him cos he is so cute
animal_artwork Says:
2 November 2009 at 11:35 pm.
You’re going to get answers that are all over the place… and really, it depends on the level of care you give your dog, the number of toys, the HEALTH (buy only from a responsible breeder!!!!!!) grooming, boarding and training.
$1500 for the first year seems to be about right.
justice for animals Says:
4 November 2009 at 12:44 pm.
We have 2 healthy small to med.mixed breeds sheperd mix and dashund mix. Both are shelter dogs. Approxamate 3-500.00$ on both dogs for all thingsfood grooming ect.They are both healthy but not (big eaters. ) Fortunatly We just only have to feed them 1x a day. vet care dog food ect (we buy bulk) we dont board but take them with us on vacation. Thre are alot of (Pet-Freindly) hotels these days that will charge a fee about the same as if you boarded them. If I where you I would budget 10.00$ a week to start . Put in an envelope. But dont touch it just let it accumulate. It takes dispiline though. By the time you take them to the vet they are practically paid for. That same envelope is used for other needs as well.
♥shelter puppies rule♥ Says:
6 November 2009 at 6:36 am.
i **** to say it but where you get the puppy is going to make a difference on how much you might spend on the vet. petstore puppies are almost always sick, genetically and acutely because they’re from puppymills. Shelters and rescue orgs do not give away sick or special needs puppies without telling you first and making sure you’d be up for the task of caring for an ill one who would need alot of vet expenses. and if you get one from a breeder, you have to make sure it’s a breeder who has health tested and is reputable and only breeds shelties.
Sadie S Says:
7 November 2009 at 2:06 pm.
I have 2 lab mixes, and my goodness, I spend a rediculous amount of money on them…from their food to all the toys they have, to the stuff they destroy, and the things they need to be happy healthy pups….at LEAST $3,000 a piece per year.
Jennifer K Says:
7 November 2009 at 2:59 pm.
I have a bichon frise -shitzu mix. It will run me about 1,000 a year. $100 for flea preventative, $100 for yearly vaccines, $50 every two months for professional grooming, and $100 for extra vet visits. And a lot of toys and treats!
oprahphalean Says:
10 November 2009 at 2:59 am.
Thank you for thinking ahead and being a responsible dog owner. I have a thirty pound border collie, she is about twelve years old. For food we spend about thirty dollars a month that includes her daily glucosamine supplement (you won’t need that unless you get an older dog). Shots are around $80 to $100 a year (we have to have special shots where we live) and in the past we have had to have x-rays during emergency visits which were about $25 bucks each. We groom her ourselves, so that is free, and if we go away, we have the neighbors’ kids look after her. Make sure you also budget money for training which can be pretty expensive and you will want to start immediately. Training can run between $500 and $2000. Good luck and have fun with the newest member of your family. Also don’t forget to have him or her spayed or neutered. This will run you about $30 and $200, but is the best thing that you can do.
Mr. P's Person Says:
12 November 2009 at 6:11 pm.
For the first year I allow $1,500 not including the price of the pup. After that I set aside $1,000 for each dog. Hopefully at the end of the year there is plenty left over. Food toys etc extra. I also keep a credit card just for emergency vet bills. You never know when you will need it. It does not take much to run up a thousand or mnore especially if there is an emergency vet visit needed. That can go in one visit when it’s out of hours especially if they need surgery.
The better the breeding of the dog the less you usually end up spending at the vet.
I have 4 Chihuahua’s aged 13 months to 4.5 years.
chriswswife Says:
15 November 2009 at 9:37 am.
Yellow lab, 6 years old… vet visits vary because she tends to have allergies (which flare up her ears with BAD yeast infections)-the last one cost about $145 including meds. Then she had to get treated for kennel cought out of nowhere about a week later which was only $16 for the meds (thank the Lord). But realistically, for a dog who is healthy healthy healthy, expect about five hundred in normal routine check ups, heartworm, any needed vaccines (which are often every other to every three years).
Her food is about $500 a year (or about $42 every 4 weeks, she eats 3 1/2 cups a day, and I do add things like organic, plain fat free yogurt, sometimes I will make her food-cooked salmon, brown rice, carrots, cooked chicken breast, oats, green beans, etc…)…
We don’t board her anywhere or get her groomed. We just use a good shedding blade and one of those really good “brushes” that gets rid of the undercoat (which can run anywhere from $20-$50 depending on the product)… some people spend much more or less. It all varies depending on what you use.
Here is an excellent dog food website to help you pick the best food for your dog:
4, 5, and 6 star foods (preferably the 6 star) should be the only ones you use because they really are better in terms of ingredients, most avoid using allergens such as wheat, corn, and other filler grains, which cuts down on vet costs due to less/no allergy flair ups.
Edit: I was not counting the intitial cost of the dog… that will vary immensely depending on where/who you get the dog from. If you go to a breeder, find one who OFA/CERF tests their puppies/the parents and you are made aware of the test results. Be sure you get a gauruntee, ask about the puppies/it’s parents temperaments, ask about the pedigree… there are a lot of questions to ask a breeder so do some homework.
Manders Says:
18 November 2009 at 9:04 am.
I have a 4 1/2 month old Shiba Inu puppy. So far, I would say I’m somewhere between $1200 – $1400.
That’s the cost for her (she’s from a breeder), supplies (food, dishes, toys, leashes & collar), training and vet bills (vaccinations, and antibiotics for infected **** glands). I will be spending more on her soon to get her licensed and spayed, and more training classes.
If you adopt an adult dog that is up to date with all it’s shots and is fixed, then it won’t cost you as much right away. But things do add up. You always need supplies, and food, and there are booster shots every year. Possibly grooming depending on the breed, and training if you decide to do it (I recommend it no matter the age of the dog). Something can always go wrong too, so it’s good to have an emergency fund set aside.
Dogs are pricey, no matter what breed or age, but they are totally worth it
Elliott Says:
21 November 2009 at 7:44 am.
I never stopped to calculate – I guess I just spend whatever it takes. If you have to budget, you should include a huge safety net for emergencies (because you can’t really plan for those). I have a physically healthy 2 year old mutt, but she is fearful and I have spent a lot of money (not to mention time) on training and supplies for this. You should include in your budget money for toys (both consumable and durable), leash, collar, tags, applicable registration fees, spay/neuter, etc. Vet fees vary widely by region. Good quality food is not cheap either. I would roughly guess my annual expenses to be about $2000 (again – this is for a healthy dog and she was already spayed when I adopted her).
maz Says:
24 November 2009 at 5:30 pm.
budget for
initial cost of puppy
collar
lead
bedding
toys
food (good quality)
treats
bowls
grooming equipment
flea and worm prevention
pet insurance (do not forget you have to pay an excess in every condition or illness)
vaccinations and annual boosters
dog crate (optional)
pet sitting (for when you go away eg vacations)
additional wear and tear on your house hold eg the pup may chew, shake mud around etc
the total cost of having a dog varies depending on what you buy for him, but the unconditional love and loyalty you get in return is priceless
Judith S Says:
27 November 2009 at 9:08 pm.
Their is really no set number. If you are only counting food
and yearly check-up,my guess,600.00. I have a large dog.
It costs me a dollar a day for two cans of food.Then their is
toys and milk bones and a vet visit.Last year my dog had
surgery on her ear flap.That was 500.00. So you never know.
It takes a lot more than money to raise an animal. They need
patience and lots of hugs and kisses every day.Don`t forget
about grooming and flea drops.
Sue Says:
29 November 2009 at 11:14 pm.
I have a 5 month Shih Tzu that I have had now for three months. She cost $700 to purchase. I have spent another $800 on her for supplies, spaying, grooming, vaccines, food, treats etc. So $1500 for three months, that sounds like an insane amount but most things like spaying are one time deals. I also live in NYC so everything cost more. Onwards, I expect her to cost about $100 a month for food and grooming. Unfortunately I’ll have to pay a fortune to board her whenever I vacation. So I think two to three thousand is not unusual for dog owners in expensive cities like mine. I have friends that send their dogs to doggy daycare at a cost of $37 a day, so that can really add up.
Before I got her I did a lot of research to find out exactly how much everything would cost, I really didn’t want any nasty surprises. I think I did overdo it on the toys and treats though, but what’s the fun of getting a puppy if you can’t spoil it.
Sarah Says:
30 November 2009 at 11:31 am.
My puppy is almost 8 months old and so far, I bet that I’ve spent close to $1,000 on her at this point. Between the cost of buying her ($250), the supplies that we needed for her (bed, food dish, toys, treats, collar, leash, etc.), her organic dog food, having her spayed and microchipped, monthly preventative flea and tick treatment, grooming, vaccinations, and vet check-up’s, it all adds up. Although she is completely worth it and I wouldn’t trade her for the world, I wish that I had known how much I would spend on her before I bought her. It’s way more than I would have ever anticipated, but she’s worth every penny. Good luck!
anne b Says:
3 December 2009 at 5:57 am.
I always love these questions. I wish more people would ask them before they get the dog!
I have had two shelties. I spend around $130 a year in shots and heartworm meds, another $250 for yearly teeth cleaning (because I am not good at brushing them), usually set aside about $800 for any emergencies like a broken limb or some other issue, and about $400 a year in grooming costs to get her groomed. Shelties need to be groomed every so often to remove dead undercoat and keep their fur from matting.
You notice this list does not include the food bill.
animalsrme Says:
3 December 2009 at 9:09 pm.
Well, I have a 12 year old Border Collie and this is approximately what it costs me per year for him.
Maintenance Medication: $360.00 for arthritis meds from vet
Cosequin DS: $ 180.00
Grooming: $200.00-he gets professionally groomed every 3 months.
Food: I feed Wellness Senior Dry it is about $26.00 per 15# bag, $312.00 for dry, he also has his meds in some can food I use EVO a can lasts about 3 days they are about $1.49 per can.
He gets bloodwork every 6 months to montior his counts to be sure that his maint meds are not giving him problems that is about $300.00 per year.
His regular vet check up with vaccines and heartworm medications is about another $300.00-400.00 per year, he needs his **** gland expressed every 3 months, so I can add another $100.00 per year to that. This is assuming that he has no other health concerns throughout the year. So all in all it probably cost me about $2000.00 per year to keep my pet healthy. Yearly teeth cleanings usually cost me about $400.00.
I manage a boarding facility, so I do not pay for boarding for my dog.
Please note: I live in New York, so I am sure that the prices of things vary alot depending on which state you live in.