The true cost of owning a dog. Where can I find simple information, Thanks.?

Question

Hi dog owners... I know how much a dog can cost to buy, and I appreciate different dogs have bigger appetites etc. I need a better idea on things like pet insurance, food, accessories, vaccinations, worming, vets bills, kennels for holidays, and any other hidden costs that come up now and again. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Answer 1

Hi there,
a good, reliable and accurate source is the Dogs Trust. (Don't know their website, just "google" them).
BTW, should you decide to pick your little friend from one of their re-homing centres, they make sure your dog is health checked and got all his jabs. It comes with food for a week and an insurance for 4 weeks plus a collar and a leash, so of of the costs you can avoid if you fall in love with some of the dogs they have.
I visited some centres recently and they have very nice dogs, extremely well looked after and groomed, and not at all "problem dogs".

Answer 2

If only every potential dog owner took this into account before buying a dog. To many people just get a dog on a whim. The list is to long to list. I read somewhere that an average dog costs about £10,000 in it's life time. That's bowls, beds and bedding, leads, collars, food, vet bills, grooming, boarding or taking on holiday, pet insurance. An average dog's life is about 10yrs so broken down it's about £20 a week but I'd say that's for a small dog. A lot of people would probably say that they don't spend that much a week but if they broke down what they spend in a year it's probably more.
I'd hate to think how much my dog has cost me, he's now 14. I spend about £425 a year on just insulin and syringes for my him as he's diabetic. Then it can be £40 a day if he has to have his blood sugar checked. He's worth every penny though.

Dogs costs a lot less more than children.

Answer 3

Wow--the best thing you can do is check within your neighbor hood. There are only like 2 or 3 pet insurances out there and then you will need to find a vet that will accept the one you choose. Vets were I live are so differently priced and there are quite a few. Food is your choice--I prefer the super-premium foods because of what is actually put in them, but you may like pedigree. Big difference in price. Kennels are the same way in price variance--there are dog sitters that will come to your home to take care of the pet or you can take it to a kennel facility and pay for different level packages of care. Vaccinations and wormings can be found at pet stores or feed stores or just have you vet do it. Accessories are up to you after you get to know the personality of your dog. If it's a chewer--you will need to invest in a lot of chew toys. If it is a squeaker getter then you will purchase plenty of stuffed toys with squeakers. Do you want the do to have its own bed? Do you want the food bowls to match your kitchen decorations? It's kind of like caring for a kid--you cannot put a number to the cost of raising one. It is a neighborhood price driven thing and also just personal preference.

Answer 4

My dog is a miniature long haired dachshund and cost in the region of £500; he's a pedigree from a breeder, which makes a difference - you can go to rescue centres where dogs are usually free to good homes but you can give a donation if you like. Also different breeds can be different prices so it's difficult to narrow down a 'true' cost.
I feed him on a complete, dry food - a bag costs me about £4-£5 and lasts him a month (but remember he is small!) I used to own a Springer Spaniel and fed him on a complete dry food that cost around £20 for a sack that again used to last about a month. When buying food go to the larger stores (like Scats or Mole valley in the UK) rather than super markets or pet stores as the amoutns you can buy are usually smaller and more expensive.
It costs about £12 per month to insure my dog, again this varies with breed (certain breeds will cost more as they are more suceptable to inherited diseases)
He is vaccinated one a year - the inital vaccination consists of 2 injections so costs slightly more. If you buy your dog from a reputable breeder they should have had at least the fist set of jabs and sometimes come with a temporary insurance (this is included in the price of your new dog). Initial vaccinations will cost you around £50+ (depending on your area/vet etc) and boosters (the annual ones they need after that) are about £40
Dogs should ideally be wormed about every 3 months. Depending on the product used (Drontal, panacur etc) this should only cost around £2-£4 (it;s slightly cheaper for me as my dog is so small he only needs 1/4 of a tablet so they last longer!)
Flea treatment can be costly - it's always better to buy a product from your vet (such as Frontline) as although the treatments in pet stores etc are cheaper they usually don't work very well. I bought a 250ml bottle of Frontline spray last night (enough for about 3-4 applications for a medium sized, short haird dog) and it cost £33. Each application lasts 3 months (although my dog has an allergy so needs doing sligtly more often)
My dog stays at my mums when we go away so I can't help with kennel costs I'm afraid - I would check out local ones to you and ask for their rates.
Of course there are unforseen illnesses etc that can crop up but insurance should cover any large bills.
I think that's about it for now - saying all that the unconditional love I get back from my dog is priceless, which is the important thing!

Answer 5

It really depends on the type of dog you choose.

The cost of pet insurance can vary depending on the breed you choose, whether you are adopting a puppy or rescue. Pet insurance is not always as it seems. If you are adopting an older dog or a breed prone to a particular genetic deficiency, you may not be able to get coverage or not get coverage for the things you will need. Do your breed specific research on this one if you don't have a few thousand dollars stashed away as your very own "pet insurance."

As for dog accessories such as beds, clothes, crates etc. The cost of these will also vary or depending what type of dog you choose, you may not need them at all.

If the dog is healthy, you can expect the expense of a yearly visit to the vet $100 - $200....more if you need blood work.

As for heartworm, fleas and ticks, preventative medicine can run anywhere from $100 - $200/yr.

The cost of food will vary depending on the brand you buy. Dog food can be more expensive then human food if you want the very best or if you have a dog with a sensitive stomach. Many choose to feed "raw" which means making the dog food yourself with rice and gr. beef / chicken etc.

The average start up cost of a dog is $1200 which includes initial shots and beds etc. If you're on a budget, you don't need to buy fancy beds, visit your local thrift and get some quilts and blankets.

As far as kennelling, that will vary as well. They range from basic facilities which might cost as little as $10/day + food to full doggy spas that can get up to $100/day or more!!!

Grooming costs per month will also vary depending on the dog you choose. Some don't ever need to visit a professional, some need to go weekly.

Hope this helps with your consideration. Nice to see someone doing the research BEFORE they adopt. :)

Answer 6

Hi I have 2 medium sized dogs and the costs are as follow rounded of to the nearest pound!
£25 to £30 for primary vaccinations as puppy's (each).
Neutering can cost an average of £75 for a dog and £100 for a female.
£45 for kennel cough required if you need to kennel your dog on whilst on holiday (each).Needs doing annually.
£25 for annual boosters required especially if you plan to insure your dog.(each)
Between£10 ans£20 per month insurance for your dog for life.(each).Vets bills can run into thousands of pounds if you dont!
Depending on what type of food you give them it can be anything from £5 to £25 per week. I would recommend dry food as this is better for there teeth , so no expensive vets dentistry bills ,often not covered by insurance!
Then you have collars, leads, beds and other items like grooming to consider..the sky is the limit here because you can spend as much or as little as you like!
And it costs approx £10 to £15 per day to kennel 1 dog if you plan to go away...
Its an expensive hobby isn't it...I think that's the first time I have ever written it down and even I am surprised and as I say I have 2..(and 2 cats as well!!!!)

Answer 7

insurance=$40 per month
vet bills including shots, worming, heart worm meds, other stuff and neccesary tests=$800+ per year mot including an emergengy room visit which one will run you about $300-400 per visit with minimal tests and meds no surgery. Spay/neutur $250-400
Kennels $35 per day average good boarding place.
Grooming at a place $30 or do at your home for $10. More if you have long haired or big dogs.

all this plus food, treats, toys etc. about $ 600

Grand total for year is $2940. This is based off of my beagle and pug average. And does not include boarding because my dogs go every where on vacation with me.

Answer 8

hi i have 2 dogs,pet insurance for a young crossbreed is about £7 per month,insurance for a pedigree is around £12 per month depending on breed.Go to sainsburys website they provide really good insurance.Initial vaccinations cost approx £50 and £26 each year thereafter.Spaying a dog costs approx £60 a ***** approx £120.Food depends on breed and size,my cavalier costs about 40p a day and my german shepard about £1 per day.Worming every 6 months £10,kennelling about £7 per day depending again on breed.hope this helps

Answer 9

The article in my source list doesn't include buying the puppy from a breeder, which will cost around $600-1000. But it does include the puppy's first year, which is the most expensive of all, and average annual costs. I hope that helps!

Answer 10

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