YOUR PET, YOUR LIFE? How much do you spend annually?

Question

MY FINAL EXAM REQUIRES ME TO DO RESEARCHA ND TAKE SURVEYS ON WHAT PET OWNERS ACTUALLY SPEND ON THEIR PETS WHETHER IS IS TO BUY THEM, FEED THEM, CLOTH THEM, TRAVEL, VET VISITS, GROOMING APPOINTMENTSM, CHRISTMAS OR HOLIDAY GIFTS, BURIALS, AND WHATEVER YOU, THE PET OWN SPENDS MONEY ON..........ADDITIOANLLY, IS YOUR PET LIKE A CHILD OR A ART OF THE FAMILY? WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR PET?
i TOO HAVE A PET AND WE;RE NUTS ABOUTHIM, HE'S OUR THIRD CHILD AND RUNS THE HOUSE AS THE CHILDREN DO. SO, WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PET EXPENSES OR THINGS YOU DO FOR YOUR PET? ALL PETS APPLY, I NEED A VARIETY OF PETS AS I HAVE TO TRACK TRENDS, ETC. 44.5 BILLION IS EST TO BE SPENT THIS YEAR, ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?
WE ARE!

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Answer 1

I have three dogs, so this is a little harder to answer.

I go through 60 pounds of dog food every 3-4 months. Everyone gets their shots annually. There's heartworm meds, and flea/tick. I do my own grooming and bathing, so there's no charge for that. Toys,treats, collars and leashes, and at least one 6-8 week obedience class. Once the first year is up, until they get older, the cost is probably $600 - $1000 a year per dog. (I had one dog who was ALWAYS into something that required a visit to the vet.)

I'd say if you estimate $1000 per year per dog, that would be about average over the life span of the dog.

I don't bury them, unless I can do it on my own property. I let the vet dispose of their bodies.

My dogs are better than children. They don't ask for an allowance, don't want to drive the car. They aren't children, but they are part of the family. I don't look on them as disposable members of the family. Once I bring a dog into my life, it's a lifetime member. They aren't relegated to being outside, but they have a fenced outside area to romp in. They're on the furniture. However, I'm the pack lead, and they move if they're in "my place".

When I had cats, they were treated the same way, but were slightly less expensive.

Answer 2

I just spent half an hour answering your question and my computer froze! Sorry if this isn't as detailed, but I have to write all this all over again! ARGH!

Currency used: Euros and Canadian dollars

Shih tzu (March 2007 to present)
Cost of puppy: 425 Euros
Vet costs (so far): 45 X 2 for shots
100 for other
50-100 hereafter (provided no surgeries, emergencies)
Food: 20 Euros/ month
Treats: 10 Euros/ month
Toys: 50 Euros (so far)
Grooming: 35 Euros X 2 per year
Grooming supplies: 50 Euros (so far)
Other (dishes, collars): 100 Euros

Corn snakes
Cost of snakes:
Albino: 85 CAD
Creamsicle: 80 CAD
Normal: 50 CAD
Miami: 45 CAD
Oketee: 60 CAD
Tank: 150 CAD (one time)
Feeding tanks: 30 CAD (one time)
Food: Approx. 5 CAD/ week
Heat lamp, pad and timer: 65 CAD (one time)
Substrate: 50 CAD X 3/ year
Bulbs: 7 X 5/ year

Green cheek conure
Cost of conure: 500 CAD
Cage: 250 CAD
Toys: 100 CAD (one time)
Food: 25 CAD/ month
Treats: 10 CAD/ month
Grooming: 10 CAD/ month
Vet: Didn't have her long enough to take her to vet. Had to move out of country, so gave her to a friend who could give it a good home. But I guess 75 CAD/ year

Budgies
Cost of budgies 25 CAD X 2
Cage: 75 CAD
Travel cage: 30 CAD
Food: 20 CAD/ month
Treats: 10 CAD/ monh
Vet: Never had to take them to a vet
Grooming: 10 CAD/ month

My hand hurts from retyping all this, so I'm going to be brief. Yes, they're family members (though the snakes a bit less because they're not so cuddly or "friendly"). We make sure our pets get the best food and care. No skimping on supplies either. Relatively speaking, our dog eats better than we do.

Good luck on your research.

Answer 3

my dog is definitely a part of the family! she's even started to grow on my dad. she's a black toy poodle and she's 6 years old. her name is zoe. my parents are vets so vet visits aren't that big of a problem within expenses. she does wear clothes, ever since she was a tiny puppy! she even has a juicy cotoure jacket ($45.00)! she has a rack full of dog clothes under mine, in my closet.
she loves to play and we play with her everyday. she gets groomed a lot. the only time we take her on a trip is at thanksgiving at our hunting camp.
she has a stocking and we get her gifts, just like the rest of the family. she's the third child, im 14, my brother is 13 and she's 6.
we love Zoe and there is nothing we wouldn't do for her or that she wouldn't do for us!
good luck on your exam!!!!

Answer 4

Hi there!! I would love to help! Good luck with exams!! Crunch time!! :)

I own 4 Saint Bernards and 3 Newfoundlands.

Cost of purchase: I rescued all my dogs and the adoption fees for 6 of my dogs were $425 and one of my dogs was $375.

Feeding: Each of my dogs eats a raw diet (BARF- Dr. Billinghurst), so I spend probably a little more than the average person. It is about $500 a month, $6000 a year (yikes!!!!).

Clothing: Unfortunately, my dogs are too big to clothe!!

Travel: We hardly ever travel with our dogs... we have a ton of land with a pond... so people usually come to us!!

Vet Visits: Vaccines, Frontline (flea/tick preventative), Interceptor (heartworm prevention), spay/neutering!. heartworm checks, ocassional medications... ok I think that is all of it. Vaccines/Heartworm check for each of my dogs runs me about $120 yeary (including the exam) times that by 7 for all my dogs: $840. Ok, and then Frontline and Interceptor which is monthly: about $1,500 a year for all my kids (some of my dogs are so large they need to applications of frontline and two tablets of interceptor each month). Ocassional Medications: only about $100 a year... luckily my dogs are healthy! This year I had two of my pups spayed, so that was $830 for both girls. Spaying goes by weight and even at 6 months, my girls were huge!!

Grooming: I do all my own, so no charges here.

Gifts: Haha, my husband says probably close to $200 a year! I just can't walk out of petsmart empty handed!!!

Buriels: Luckily, I have not had to deal with any deaths yet. Personally, I would chose to individiually cremated my dogs. Because of their size it would be $350 each... if that helps any? But like I said, thankfully I have not had to cross that bridge yet.

Obediance Classes: I spend about $1000 a year on training, puppy classes, and play group.

My dogs are my children!!! They are a part of our family! They are always with us and would not have it any other way! The only thing I don't share with them is our bed because we would have no room!!!! However, each dog has their own bed in our bedroom :) And they sure know whos bed is whos!!

I do what I do for my dogs because I love them!!!! I rescue my dogs because there are so many pups out there who need families and need to know what it is felt like to be loved.

And about the 44.5 Billion... yes! I am part of that!!!!! Haha

Answer 5

Curretnly with out a dog.
Last dog was GErman Sheppard

Cost to eat maybe $3.50 a day for food and snacks.
Three times a year grooming and nails, appx $100.
Vet at least twice a year $250.00

Answer 6

we have 6 cats, and are low income.......we spend an average of $20 a week on food and an average of $2000 in vet bills a year, if one is sick it doesn't matter what the cost is at the vet, we pay for it, and give up something else in order to afford it. They bring us happiness and they keep my husband blood pressure down, they are like our children except they appreciate what we do for them.

Answer 7

I hope that your final exam goes well for you. I dug out some info for you.. Here are my costs for my 3 parrots. I have one cockatiel, princess parrot and an alexandrine. (total) These are quite acurate. Australian dollars by the way.

Pellets/ month: $54.85
Toys/ week: $20.00
Additional Toys/ year: $150
Vet visits/ Year: $84.95
Vegetables/ week: $25.00
Treats/ week: $14.95
Plus they all get birthday, easter and christmas toys and this comes to around $100.00

I spend so much on my birds because they are my passion and my best friends and I love them to pieces. they are very dear to me.

Answer 8

Just counting my dogs not my fosters that come and go we probably spend approx.$5000 a year between food,vetting etc.That's probably conservative too.