No such thing as a free dog how much does it cost without illness to care for?

Question

a dog? I know to be prepared financially for any emergencies or illnesses but what is the cost per year for good care with dog not having illness or emergencies?
I'm thinking of adopting a 3 yo shih tzu mix and I know there will be grooming fees at leat every 8-10 weeks with me doing bathing inbetween. I know of food, bedding and maybe vitamin tablets and of course collars and leashes. Yearly shots and the every three year rabies and the monthly heartworm chewables.
What would be a reasonable estimate of cost of care -without illness or emergenicies per year? I'm not rich but not poor and I can't go into this blind as far as the money it will take and I won't get any dog -or any pet for that matter - if I can't afford to care for it the right way.
He is already neutered so that's a bonus.

Answer 1

The vet care is around $100-200 for yearly check ups and shots. Also add on a heartworm test which could be $60 extra.
Heartworm meds: $20-40 depending on variety per 6 months.
Flea meds per 6 months: $45-65
Good quality food: $20-55 per a month.
Dog bed:$15-20
Grooming:$25-65 each time
Toys:$15
Bowls:$10
Leash and harness/collar:$15
Healthy treats:$2-10 each box
Brush and comb:$ 20
Shampoo and conditioner:$20 year?

I know we aren't talking about emergencies but, I had an emergency with one of my dogs and it cost me thousands of dollars.

Answer 2

The shots and rabies only need to be given every 3 years now EXCEPT kennel cough which is given every 6 to 12 mos. Grooming around here for a smaller dog is $45, a good brand of dog food, Pro Plan, 37.5lb bag and there are 4 cups to a pound I belive of Pro Plan. If you feed a better dog food such as Pro Plan you won't need extra vitamins unless the dog is very active, sick or older. There are online places such as K V Vet that sell heartworm and flea stuff cheaper then vets so check them out. A good collar and leash will last for years. I feed chewies, rawhides etc plus stuff Kong toys with PURE pumkin and dog food and freeze so treats would be extra but not much. A good dog bed lasts for a long time also, especially if you buy extra covers or cover the bed with a sheet such as I do. A proper sized crate is handy for emergencies and runs about $30 at Wal*Mart's. Heartworm runs about $20 for 6 mos at KV and flea stuff $50 for 6 mos. Say $180 a year for dry food and canned if you want it runs under $1 a can, $40 for heartworm, $100 for flea, dog bed from simple, under $20 (to extreme over $100), leash and collar $20, treats say $50 ($0 to $100) plus shampoo and brushes $20..so I'd say less than $500 for the first year if the dog has shots and depending on vets another $50-$150 for the shots plus $20 for yearly heartworm test and $20 for yearly KC intranasal vaccine. It is always a good idea to start a dog fund too that you put an extra $20 a paycheck in for emergencies. With my 7 dogs I had gone 2 years w/o any unexpected emergencies until this week when 1 of my dogs got hurt and had to be PTS and another got cut requiring surgery. That put me almost $700 in the hole in those 2 days.

Answer 3

You would probably want to ask the vet that you plan to use what the cost of vaccinations are and how much their heartworm pills run. Even if you keep the dog on heartworm all year long, you will still need to have a blood test annually, usually in the spring time. I break up costs by not doing the annual vaccinations at the same time as the blood test.

For less than $100 you will be able to acquire anything you will need initially, and that will, for the most part, be a one time cost. Things like a crate, leash, collar, toys, etc... Once you have the basics, you can plan in the vet costs (hopefully, if adopting, the dog will be up to date on everything and you won't have to see the vet for that for a year).

Then you need to determine what food you plan to use and price that. For a small dog, it won't be too expensive even with a good quality food.

ADDED: Most dogs, unless they get into something, only need bathing a few times a year. Bathing more often can be bad for their skin and strip them of the natural oils they need.

Answer 4

thank you so much for actually think about this. not enough people do. i agree with the answers above. a lot is going to very depending on foods and products you buy. i always recommend a good food like innova or canidae. canidae tends to be a little cheaper and in my opinion just as good. then you have flea/heartworm stuff. do you live somewhere that has a winter or not? if so talk to your vet or look up online what the season is for your area. i know where i am its a year around thing.

i dont feed vitamins unless i end up with a dog who has some kind of deficiency. no need for that stuff. you say grooming every 8-10 weeks, im sure you could extend it a little by giving your own little trim for some sustainment.(tho i dont know because i own short hair dogs) collars and leashes.. pretty cheap. as for bedding, really any old blanket will work fine, tho you may want to get a crate. you could look on craigslist or ebay and get one real cheap i imagine.

anyway, good luck and thanks for being the responsible one.

Answer 5

Depends. If you could afford the surgery and if the cat wants to live, then I would give him the chance. But the surgery should be performed within the next few days. How to tell if the cat wants to live. If the cat is still eating, walks around a bit, tries to be active even if it's painful for him, then he wants to live. If the cats just sits around, refuses to eat and to drink, then the cat has given up and you should help him crossing the rainbow bridge. $ 2000 is a bunch of money and no vet would ask you to pay it at once. Talk to your mom what she thinks. Is there a possible to do some extra jobs? Baby sitting, gardening, doing groceries for old people, washing cars of neighbors, doing painting jobs, ... whatever to earn some extra money. Ask friends, family members, colleagues etc to give some cash now instead of gifts for X-mas (which is in 4 months) to raise money for the surgery. You could also ask if they have items they don't need anymore and get all the stuff you don't need anymore and make a charity yard sale for the cat. Are you willing to give up spending extra money on entertaining such as dining out, cinema, etc for the next weeks or months? Then do a calculation how much you could pay right away and how much you would be able to pay each month until the complete treatment is paid. With that payment plan you go to the vet - bring the cat right away - and talk to the vet. If he agrees - he most likely would if he knows you and sees that you have done your homework by presenting a payment plan - you have a chance to safe the cat. And if the vet agrees, then really each cent you don't need to survive goes to the vet to pay off the treatment. The sooner the amount is paid off, the sooner you could change back to your normal life. Otherwise the only option would be to put him to sleep and to help him crossing the rainbow bridge. And for your dad: You may ask him if he would do the same decision if you or your mom were in the situation of the cat. Most likely not and maybe that gives him the wake-up call to help the cat instead of just giving him up. Hope I was able to help. Note beside: If you have cats who are allowed to go outside it's always a good idea to have a piggy bank for the cat. This way you could safe up a bunch of money for unexpected emergencies. If the piggy bank is filled with coins, roll them and change them to bank notes at your credit institute. The notes go right back into the piggy bank while they leave new room for more coins.

Answer 6

Wow! Three at once! I'm picking up my new puppy on Monday. It took me a long time to do the research to decide first that I was ready, then what I wanted. For the stuff you are asking about, I called three local vets, and two local training centers. ONE vet took the time to go through all the costs of everything... explained what was "optional" but recommended and why and what to do about emergencies. ONE training center spent an HOUR on the phone with me talking about not just training, but lifestyle and what I would need at my home. It brought up all sorts of questions and decisions. I got the costs, but so much more. Once I figured out the material stuff I needed, I went to Petco and noted prices. Now I also know which vet and which training center will get my business! They took the time to talk to someone who didn't even have dog because they care.

Answer 7

You can save a significant amount of money just by researching vaccines and NOT getting those annual un-necessary vaccines. In getting them you are not only wasting money but could be causing more serious and costly health issues.
Vaccines were proved to last 7 years (end of study) and thought to last for life. When the testing was complete the American Veterinary Association changed its protocols to every 3 years and eliminated a few of the vaccines all together and stopped recommending many others because of the harm that they are causing to pets. But here is the real problem.. They stated right in black and white.. That although the vaccines are proven to last 7 years they would make the protocols every 3 years so that vets and drug companies would not lose money.
So how does that make you feel to know that your vet can send you a reminder card every year or every 3 years or whatever he wants to do in the name of MONEY not the health of your dog.
MANY vets have chosen to ignore it all and still tell their clients that vaccines are needed every year. The ones that are doing it every 3 years are not telling clients that vaccines last for the life of their animal.
Immunity does not suddenly expire! You don't have to be a rocket scientist for that to make sense. Are we getting our baby shots every year for the rest of our lives?
If you truly want to do what it best for your dog, then read up on this subject. Learn the harm un-necessary vaccines have done to dogs and cats and take charge of his future. There are NO vaccines that are the law other then rabies. You do not have to follow all the sheep off the cliff just because people think you should.
Here are some sites for you to start your research.
http://tedeboy.tripod.com/drmichaelwfox/id69.html

http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/RABIES-CHALLENGE-FUND.HTM

http://www.dogshowjournal.com/AURA/vaccinate.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/965.htm

http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk/

http://www.whale.to/vaccine/driscoll1.html

You may also want to research Heartworm and flea and tick medications before you decide to dump chemicals/drugs/poisons into your dog on a monthly basis his entire life to keep him healthy. There are better ways.
I could have by now given my 8 year old Dane 96 doses of heartworm prevention and 96 doses of flea and tick prevention that she never needed in the first place! We test for heartworm twice a year and if you learn the way heartworm works, you will know that if a dog tested positive at 6 months the worm is caught early enough that they can handle a treatment for it with no problems.
So instead of dumping chemicals and drugs into them monthly to 'prevent' something they may never have an issue with... doesn't it make more sense to NOT give those un-necessary things and test more often.. (every 6 months).?
Instead of putting toxic crap on their skin monthly for fleas, doesn't it make more sense to just treat them for a flea IF they ever get them?
We feed a raw diet and we do not have any issues with fleas, ticks, heartworms and I refuse to dump all this toxic crap into and onto my dogs in the name of Health??? It doesn't even make sense! We do not take chemicals to stay healthy. We eat a good diet, exercise to stay healthy. Why are dogs supposed to live on drugs to stay healthy?

Here is a realistic look at Heartworms
http://www.mypetcarnivore.com/heartworm.htm

Just so you know.. Kennel cough vaccine is not necessary at all. One of the posters said more often on that one and in reality it should not ever be given unless your dog will be boarded in a kennel. The vaccine only covers a couple of strains of MANY so it is useless more often then not. An otherwise healthy dog who has not been compromised with crappy food and monthly drugs can overcome kennel cough very easily on their own. Do some research on that one as well.

Answer 8

OMG someone with a brain.. i applaud you for thinking about it before you get a dog.. for vaccs your probably looking at $80 a year depending where you get it done Grooming $50 for a full clip and bath each time Food- depends what you feed it dry food $300 a year Good quality, Fresh food $200 a year.. soo on...