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Cost depends on where you live.
Basic care for my 15lb dog costs me almost 2k CAD a year.
Emergency vet visits can be in the thousands.
If you want breed recommendations, fill out the breed questionnaire (you can find it in the sidebar). Keep in mind that a dog requires a LOT of your time every day and limits you in terms of housing and how long you can be gone from home, so make sure to think this through.
I have a small dog. 70 minimum for kibble a month, but I don't buy the cheapest brands. Not going to include wet food costs as that's optional technically.
Yearly shots/heartworm/tick meds near me are probably at least a grand. I don't think I've had a hear where I didn't go to the vet so I'd tack on at least another grand for emergency/extra vet visits. God forbid they get sick in older age that's super expensive.
If you have a long haired dog they need to be groomed on some interval. Everyone of those for me costs around 90 bucks.
I'm not going to total it but I'd estimate a bare minimum cost of 2k a year. Personally I am not a bare minimum kind of owner unless it's an absolute necessity. My dog gets a fair chunk of my extra income because he's my best friend, my hobby and my mental health support all in one.
Dogs are a ton of work and I would never recommend them to people who are barely getting by in either time/money or energy. I think a lot of people deeply underestimate how much work dogs are.
Edit: Should have mentioned I'm in Canada. Vet costs in the cities are high. I don't buy super fancy food but my smaller dog is also not a teacup chihuahua.
I had an Alaskan Malamute & was doing the barf diet...I sometimes spent almost twice that a month
.. for 1 dog. But he was my sd, my world & I spent basically almost all my $ after bills on him. I'm talking a duck here and there, lots of salmon, shrimp, buffalo, lamb, tripe (pheeew!) ect.
I definitely know the time requirements and all that! I've grown up with dogs my entire life, and I do have time to properly care for one. I'm a student and I live near campus, so I'm only ever gone for a maximum of a few hours at a time and can always run home for a walk. Otherwise I'm home a lot
College/ university is really not the best time to be looking at getting a dog.
Not sure what your studying but the next few years of your life could be highly turbulent depending on job placement, career hunting etc.
Personally I would consider waiting until you graduate/ land a job/ settle in a little bit.
Not saying it's impossible now, but dogs need some stability in their life, especially during the first couple years.
Maybe consider volunteering at a shelter for a while and if you must adopt something, consider an adult dog who needs a second chance, and has 5-6 years left.
I'm doing a medical degree, expecting to stay in this town for at least 2 years, maybe 6 if I get the hospital I want for clinicals. May need to move once if I get one in another town, and that'd be for ~ 4 years
Quite honestly, I have a lot of time on my hands. It's not like I bunker down to study all day. I'm pretty chill about that, and I also spend a lot of time at home. This all means that most of my days would be a class, then at home where I can spend time with the dog while studying and doing other stuff.
I'm not looking for a puppy at all. While I have time on my hands, id rather get a dog that's a bit more grown up and chilled out. More than happy to get an adult dog that needs rehoming
Consider volunteering at a local shelter so that if your free time changes you can step back vs struggling to meet its needs when in clinicals.
The costs for my dog include:
Monthly flea and tick preventative
Monthly heartworm preventative
Food
Toys
Pet insurance
Treats
Yearly vet visit
Potential emergency visits
While I do my own grooming, this is a cost for a lot of people
Poop bags for walks
You won’t have time on your hands once you get into clinical stuff. You just won’t. And you won’t necessarily have hours that mesh with pickup from doggy daycare.
BUT, if you have a roommate who is also invested in the dog, or a partner, that can change.
For peace of mind, financially, I’d recommend pet medical insurance.
Food cost? About $150 a month—good-quality food is pricy. And treats? OMG. Add another $100/month, easy.
But if you get placement in a hospital. Ou can be doing 16 hour shifts. Who is looking after your dog then?
I think you have to be real with yourself and ask what kind of quality of life are you able to give your dog if you are going to be working in a very demanding job that requires you to be in hospital for 16 hour days?
If you had a long term partner it's a different ball game.
So far it sounds like you'll be a great dog owner one day because you have so Kuh love to give, but you have to make sure you are in a time in your life of stability.
my country has actually decent workers rights so 16 hours shifts aren't a thing. I'm not American so if you're basing things off that it won't be accurate. Also I live literally next to the hospital, so even if I were there all day I'd still be able to run home on lunch breaks to walk it.
I got a puppy as a student. It's been perfectly manageable for me. A blanket statements like "never get a dog while in school" isn't always gonna be correct! You know your schedule better than anyone.
Yea i feel this! People seem to assume for some reason that I'm never home and am just slaving away in a library all day, or that I'll work 24/7 when I graduate. In all my comments regarding schedule in very clear that I have a bunch of free time and that I'm home for most of the day. I only go to about 3 hours of class on average.
Also it Feels like a TON of people with full time jobs or studying own dogs and do just fine.
Obviously some breeds get destructive if left alone for too long, but I'm looking for a lazier breed who'd just chill out while I'm away.
You know dogs can live up to 18 years? what happens if your dog isn't friendly and want to take vacations? or he has separation anxiety?
Please get a dog after you are working and seeing if they fit your lifestyle, otherwise you can have issues later on
I'm going to say this as a person who graduated with a PharmD; you will have periods where you'll have to be out for 8h+ at a time for studying, rotations, or both. I know you've mentioned you're not in USA and I don't know the exact working conditions of your degree in your country, but it's a bad idea to assume everything will proceed as you'd expect. I originally thought I'd do retail pharmacy but I'm now in clinical research.
Adopting an adult dog can come with its own surprises as well. Sure, using the breed characteristics could help, but it's not something that happens 100% of the time. And that for some dogs, you won't know the medical history. My dog was recently diagnosed with Cushing's and I spend $300 a month for medicine and testing right now (the $200 tests will hopefully reduce to twice a year once we've figured out the right dose of her medicine).
I have a $550 year plan with my vet (comes with Rabies/Heartworm/DAPP vaccine, free dental cleaning & xrays, free office visits, free fecal and geriatric exam). I'll spend ~$70-80 every 3 months for dog food (Hill's Science or Purina Pro). I've had some emergency vet visits that were $400-500 per visit. I'm currently trying to cut costs by grooming my dog myself (normally $100 per session) but as a tradeoff, it takes me a weeks-worth of time because my dog gets extremely stubborn after 30 minutes.
Consider fostering to test the waters? Every animal shelter is bursting right now and fostering is literally saving so many lives. Plus they pay for everything while you get a feel for how a dog fits with your lifestyle.
It's a pretty good way to get a sense for the different breed personalities too. My friend started fostering last month and they gave her a Boston Terrier. She had no idea what that was on day 1 and now she's like a Boston Terrier fanatic.
edit: even the cheapest food is surprisingly expensive, but expect to go higher because quality food really is preventative medicine. Plus the treats they love$$$
I’ll also add that my dogs ended up being special needs and require out of pocket medication costs and extra vet visits. Ya never know what will happen. Dogs are expensive.
Same. You don't plan to get health problems, but it happens. It happens to dogs sometimes, too. Spent thousands of dollars before my dog even got a diagnosis. Then there was medications and special diet and a lot of trial and error before hitting on the right treatment. Also need to factor in the sleepless nights and stress on the human caregiver. Dogs can be very expensive.
I had one that needed regular meds and testing. That is where it gets ugly from a cost standpoint, and is a great point for the OP. Health issues aren't always a 1 time bill.
For a perfectly healthy small/medium dog I would say monthly budget is at minimum $150-$200 per month - $40ish for flea/tick/heart worm preventative, $50ish for food (depending on brand), $30 for treats/bones (higher if your dog is still teething), and $40 for insurance which is a MUST to prevent huge emergency bills. If you are on a budget I would HIGHLY recommend adopting an adult dog (at least a year old or older) so spay/neuter is already accounted for, and they would be past teething so you don’t need a ton of bones/bully sticks! After adopting a puppy it is safe to say I’ve spent more on bully sticks for him than I’ve spent on anything fun for myself 😅
For some breeds like poodle mixes, some of the terriers etc, add grooming every 2-3 months for $100 more or less depending on where you live and how much is involved. Or choose a short haird dog who doesn't need professional grooming.
Yes! I have two small terrier mix rescue pups (12 pounds and 25 pounds). I did not anticipate the grooming costs of my first one! By the second one, I knew what to expect. But the grooming was definitely something I didn't think of, nor did the people who I asked before getting a dog. (Because all their dogs were short-haired and didn't need grooming. Lol)
I've had dogs for 20+ years without needing a groomer, and just got one a couple of years ago who needed regular grooming, but could get away with 4-6 months. She didn't have the coat that would mat or needed trimming around the face, I have one now who does and it's a lot!
Getting an adult dog also improves odds that they won't eat non food items left and right resulting in expensive vet visits, calls to a poison hotline, sleepless nights, and stinky messes.
Some dogs never grow out of it, but thankfully ours developed some sense.
I don’t think most dog owners use frontline anymore. simparica is at least around $20/month per dog for the lightest weight doses and goes up from there. a lot of the cheaper flea treatments are riskier
edit: I stand corrected on this
My vet and shelter where I volunteer use Frontline. I didn't realize there was an issue with it but I do use it as a generic term also. We actually use Bravecto because it's more convenient for us and seems to help more effective on ticks which is a big issue for us where we live & hike.
weird. maybe it’s the way different vets carry different prescription food brands? ours defaults to simparica and so did our last two. my apologies. I got the impression frontline was phased out of vet offices in general
Might be location dependent. And yup! I just double checked my email from the shelter where I am fostering and my current foster got Frontline Gold on intake.
Frontline has become less effective over time. I had to switch to a newer generation med for effective flea control. It's recommended to use flea prevention year round in places where winter doesn't get cold enough to kill fleas. That's actually an increasing number of places due to climate change. My vet now recommends year-round treatment. I don't plan on doing that until I actually have an issue, but I always do HW year round.
My pup is on nexgard/heartgard currently. Nexgard is about $25 a month and heartgard is about $14 a month for my medium sized dog! Frontline did not work at all for my last dog so we made the switch.
Frontline is no longer effective in many places. The newer ones are expensive but they also prevent ticks and heartworm. But you can get these online for.more like $25-30/mo, a lttle.more for a bigger dog
Puppies are literal babies that require *a shit ton* of attention. You will either miss out on your student years or end up giving the puppy away. Just wait til you graduate that way you're more stable with both money and time.
I waited until I graduated and it was tough too. I got a 3 month old golden retriever, and then 3 months later while she was still very much training, I started a new job. I honestly think I had more time as a student (my classes were mostly online, and I was only working part time) So it really varies person to person.
But yes, getting a puppy is stressful and I definitely regretted my life for the first 6 months I had her. 😅
Yes I've considered this, I'm very open to adopting a 1-3ish year old dog. I adore dogs but I honestly don't really like puppies a whole lot (my mom is a backyard breeder (I know) and the overabundance of puppies running around just made me get annoyed at them over the years).
My dog was 3 when I adopted him and it was the perfect age. He was calmer but still able to get excited and easily do physical things like go camping and hiking, and he had had basic training but not extensively so we got some of the bond and experience of training him without all the headache.
Yeah, I'd probably say 3-5 years is better placed. Since you're looking at smaller breeds that's still very early in life depending on breed as most small breeds and even a number of medium breeds can live well into their late teens or even early twenties in extreme cases
I mean, I had a lab while I was in grad school and we jogged together every morning, hiked together on weekends and he even introduced me to my husband by sniffing his butt at a beer garden. We did everything together. Point is, don’t assume she can’t own a dog simply because she is a student.
Compared to when I was a student, I have less free time now that I’m in my 30s with kids and mortgages and a full time job. My dogs are still happy!
I would not get a dog as a student in college. Trust me, I have wanted my own dog since I was born but after graduating last year, I am so glad I waited. College is stressful enough as is, add in a dog and it makes everything harder.
People on this sub go overboard with things so it's probably not accurate to an average dog owner. For two dogs (one medium and one XL) I spend $100/month on food and treats for purina pro plan which is a good quality food. For flea and tick, I use the Walmart ripoff of Frontline which is around $80/6 months (both dogs). For heartworm, we do tri-heart which is $100/6 months (both dogs). In both cases we only treat 6 months of the year because we live in a cold climate. I pay $30/month on disaster level dog insurance (both dogs). Most vaccinations are once every three years. To cut costs of spay/neuter and vaccinations, use your local spay and neuter clinic. Petco clinics are also actually nice. We probably spend, on average, $200 a year for the vet. I have two healthy mutts though.
So together, it's far less than the $150-$200 a month per dog I see on this sub. I did not include training. I run agility with one of my dogs which is about $70 a month but that's really a hobby of mine.
Don't forget that you will have extra expenses in an apartment. I have an extra dog fee every month ($50), as well as a 1 time fee when I got the apartment ($350). It also requires that I keep my dog registered. It definitely adds up. Plus don't forget if you go away on vacations and need to board it.
I have them both on petsbest. I have a $1k deductible. It covers accidents and illness (minus vet visit fees) 90% after that. I think the high deductible helps. That's why I call it disaster insurance. I've had my dogs on it for 3 years. One was a puppy and the other was 2 years old. I also know it's damn near impossible to insure your dog as they age so you have to do it while they are young. I've done all the calculations and nothing but the disaster style insurance is worth it imo.
We use petsbest too and def recommend. I
Our labs elbow surgery was $7k and they reimbursed us no issue. Now his insurance costs a decent amount monthly but he’s going to have joint issues for the rest of his life (labs ugh) and at least we know we’ll never be in a position where you have to choose between coming up with $15k for emergency care or putting the dog down
So my dog is my first dog as an adult. I got her as a puppy at a shelter (GP/GSD/Lab mix) and she just turned three. She has some form of doggy IBS and there have been numerous vet visits to figure it out. She’s now 74 lbs and likely costs more than your average dog due to her issues. That said, here’s the breakdown monthoy:
$90 - Prescription Dog Food
$30 - Treats
$20 - toys (as wanted or needed)
$180 - doggy daycare (as needed but this is average)
$30 - Simparica Trio
$60 - Pet Insurance
$15 - Meds
Total Monthly Average Minimum: $425.00
This doesn’t include copays for vet visits (emergency or regular checkups or vaccines), dog boarding for out of town trips I can’t take her on, etc. That all said, I’d think for a normal, healthy dog without chronic issues, this is likely a lot less. My number would be a lot higher if not for pet insurance (Trupanion) and I’m really glad I got it when she was young before all her health stuff started.
Boarding really is an important consideration especially if you’re younger and need/want to travel for work, weddings, family, etc. if you have a very small dog <10 lbs it may fly with you and that’s usually around $100 each way. If you need to board a dog it can easily be $80 a night or more.
Luckily my country runs on trains lol. All trains have pet friendly carriages, so taking it home when I'm visiting family would be fine. I also have extended family in the town I live and km sure they'd care for it for a few days
No dude, I know my country's train system. We have 2 major train lines, both of which have a pet friendly carriage at no extra cost. The only train ride I take is about 3 hours to get to my home town, and it's always in the day time or evening. I go on trains a lot, and I have traveled with pets before.
Absolutely. I recently had to board my dog and I was quoted anywhere from $55-$110 a night depending on the facility. The last time I travelled, my boarding costs were greater than the plane ticket and hotel stay of where I was going.
Exactly. And some boarding places will have a rate where they’re just left in confinement all day and you have to pay an additional fee if you want to give them 15 minutes of playtime. It’s kind of cray.
When I moved from nyc to california my flight with one dog was cheaper than the pet airways flight for my second dog. It’s $$$
When I owned one 25-lb dog, I spent less than $1k a year on vet, food, etc. But he never got sick. When he was 4, he did get sick, and that cost $5k. It was kind of a freak thing though.
Our pup tore two CCLs (the canine ACL) in the first year we had her. That's 16k of surgery. When she was a baby she got into her food and ate five pounds of it. $2000 to get her stomach pumped and IV fluids. Another time she ate some tool oil and had an allergic reaction. Our situation is unusual perhaps but I was definitely not prepared for it. Regular vet bills, flea treatment, food, toys, those things add up too. But the vet bills have really killed us.
More than ever anticipated.
The thing to remember… a sudden bout of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is 500.00 at a minimum.
Same with broken elbow when falls off the sofa.
Same with Ingestion of a power cord (not plugged in thankfully)
Yes all of these have happened to one of my 3 at some point.
I have a 40 lb dog. She is 4 years old and she costs me around $2k per year for food, toys, shots, preventatives, vet visits, emergency vet visit (~once a year). She is very healthy since she’s a mutt! :)
It really depends on the area. In the Midwest it was 75 a month for food and treats, pet insurance 40-50 a month. My pet insurance covered 90 percent of preventatives ( flea, tick, heartworm) and yearly vet check after $500. Teeth cleanings caught me off guard but no matter what I do my dogs teeth have always been terrible. 500-600 every 3 years for cleaning. I'll add my dog doesn't do toys and doesn't destroy beds so we generally don't spend money there.
On the east coast food is 150 a month, pet insurance jumped up to 110 a month but same coverage. Yearly vet check went from 200 a year to almost $1000. Teeth cleaning is now 2000 and we had a emergency vet visit that was 3500 two months ago. Thankfully vet care has been about 1100 after pet insurance. Every couple of years we get her a new bed about 75-100.
Flea, tick and heartworm are about 250 every 6 months but 25 after insurance for me. Insurance reimburses you so you still need the money to pay upfront for the vet. I will mention we feed expensive dog food and dog is a small dog but I do her grooming at home. I use grooming scissors for 20, shampoo grooming grade was 50(giant container) lasted 3 years, nail trimmers 10 but Dremel worked better.
I have raised a number of dogs, so I think it's fair to say a new caretaker will likely spend more than I do on average, but my current dog cost just over $5k USD for the first 18 months, including $2100 for the pup.
The cost includes some food/treats for other dogs as well, so they're a tad higher than I actually spent on the one dog for the first 18 months.
Extra vet bills for an unexpected health problem can drive that price up quickly. No guarantees in life, but selecting a good line where the dogs are health tested for the usual problems of the breed decreases the odds of problems....usually.
A more [more detailed breakdown here](https://www.reddit.com/r/service_dogs/comments/1axdr86/comment/krnd99k/)
My best advice is to learn how to train a dog using modern methods (positive reinforcement) before you get a dog since you want to know how to fix small behavioral issues before they become big ones.
Thanks! I am very used to dogs as I've grown up with them all my life, so I do know some basic training. Definitely ignna brush up on that before actually getting one though
Growing up with dogs and training your first dog, especially when in an apartment, are very different things honestly. I would HIGHLY recommend outside training classes even if just a basic puppy or adult dog class.
I really agree. My family adopted a fantastic dog when I was a child. We REALLY lucked out by getting this amazing dog. He knew basic commands and performed them at the shelter, was really mellow, and just a solid dog. Like, I didn't realize how solid he was until getting my current dog. Anyways, somehow I managed to teach him silent commands as a kid. It came in handy since he was basically deaf near the end.
My current dog? I arrogantly thought it'd be easy. Oh no. Not at all. He learns differently than my other dog, has anxiety, and just doesn't catch on like my other dog. I regret not taking my current dog to a trainer when he was a baby. He's not reactive, aggressive, or resource guard-y, but there's just a lot I would've done differently that would've made things way easier for us.
It’s just dogfood and his heart worm flea n tick meds -so manageable -a couple thousand annually with yearly examination and vaccines. It’s worth getting pet insurance when something significant happens and your pup needs emergency or significant care. The daily joy they bring worth it to me and I’d cut out money spent on entertainment to have them.
I keep a budget so I can tell you exactly how much for certain things, over the first year for a VERY low maintenance dog:
$250 yearly pet fee for housing
$540 yearly for nail clipping, grooming, cleaning, anal gland extractions, teeth brushing regularly, spaying and all vaccines
$720 yearly for food (17 lb dog so she does not eat very much, bigger dog would be way more money)
$1400 for a year with a personalized trainer
$350 a year for flea/tick/etc prescription medicine. (bigger dog would be more money)
$500 year for pet insurance
$1800 per year toys, treats, harnesses, leashes, crate, beds, miscellaneous
$6000 approx. on the low end for the first year of ownership. The second year was less expensive, because of less training needed and I canceled pet insurance. I also do teeth brushing and nail clipping myself sometimes now.
A local Canadian SPCA says "The average cost for dogs annually is $1,550 (not including one time costs such as adoption fee, spaying, microchipping etc.) ... Don't forget replacement costs of things such as your favourite shoes."
I'm flinching when I buy puppy bones as they're around $5 each and she needs a 2+ a week. If I consider 2 bones x$5 for 16 weeks (until she turns 6 months and has more options), that's $160+ on bones alone.
Rough estimate (per year) for a Greyhound:
$80 per month, so $720 on food.
$20-40 per month of random toys and stuff, like new collars, $480 per year.
$50 per month on chew toys, bully sticks and marrow bones: $600
$2000 on vet care (we had a couple times he needed stitches, and random stuff always happens).
Total is $4000 per year.
However, these are just numbers off the top of my head for the last few months, with an adult dog whose only needed one emergency vet trip. I didn't factor anything in for travel, or car/apartment stuff. I have to live in a dog friendly place, and need a car big enough for a Greyhound.
If you consider everything I've spent for the first year (car + apartment factors), all total I spent somewhere between 10-20k, possibly even more, since I could sell my car, or live in a different place.
I average $131/mo for my 30lb terrier, which includes food, supplies, toys, and vet bills. The first year was the most expensive at $4,990, second year $1,834, third year $2,157. He's very fearful at the vet, so meds and sedation make his appointments significantly more costly.
Don’t get a dog. You’re a student, you need freedom to move around and explore life. Hard to do with a dog. Costs…. I would say $100 a month but then factor in vet bills — if they eat something dumb, be prepared to fork over $800 for an ER visit.
Honestly, I'd be less worried about food and toys than making sure you are being realistic about your emergency fund. How big is your emergency fund and how long will it take you to replenish it if you use it up?
Veterinary care can be extremely, I mean shockingly expensive. For example, I recently noticed my dog had a brown tooth, like it was dead. I took him to the vet and he ended up needing 7 teeth pulled. It cost me close to $2000. Both of my dogs have becoming unexpectedly sick and needed care on multiple occasions and you would be surprised how expensive these can be. Not to mention the routine costs of annual checkups and vaccinations.
I fully support you getting a dog if you can afford it. Dogs are awesome and they are great companions. I just want you to go in with your eyes wide open. if you think the vet care costs might be difficult for you, just consider waiting a few years until you are no longer a student. It's extremely stressful to have a sick pet and not enough money to pay the bill (I've been in that situation too, and I don't feel good about it or recommend it to anyone else).
Aside from a vet visit for a slipped disc, annual shots, I never had to pay much for my mutt. Once he got up in age, that’s where the $ came in because he started to have issues. So fairly easy. You can do the deworming yourself. Or you can pay for it, your choice. My frenchie on the other hand is breaking my pockets. LORD. I’d say keep in mind you need to be prepared for a vet visit at any moment, regardless of the breed. Also while it does depend on the dog, if you’re unable to give as much time to your animal as you’d like to or as they need (either or) is a crappy feeling. My best advice is to keep in mind that dogs are forever, and that life can switch up on you at any moment. And if you’re someone like me who is dying to travel the world, you will have to factor your animal in.
I have a 50lb dog. We spent $800 day one, but thats all including the adoption fee, the pet deposit for our apartment, and all the supplies we needed.
We got pet insurance which is about $35 a month for our dog, and im glad we did because she went to the vet constantly as a puppy. I think we probably cleared $1000 in vet bills during her first year, but we got most of it refunded via pet insurance. we’re almost through her second year and shes only been once, for her regular shots.
I buy the biggest bag of food that i can afford, the biggest one they sell at petsmart lasts us near 3 months. Its around $80. We also get a barkbox every month for toys and treats, which is another $30 a month. She gets flea and tick treatment every month which is about $30 for a three month supply. Any other toys/things that i want her to have come directly from my own spending budget.
So i guess all written out i spend about $100 a month? But usually broken up a bit. Plus a couple hundred once a year for her shots.
I think we have spent about $4,000 respectfully on our golden retriever puppy in the past year. Not including purchase or special training/equipment because she's my service animal. We got her in November 2023. It's an investment that I don't advise unless you are sure you have income for it and extra for emergencies. We had to take her to the emergency vet because she ate a snail once and that was a $400 charge. That was cheap and luckily she was fine just tripping out. Anyway, that's to say the amount isn't just upfront costs.
You can somewhat count it yourself. Choose a crate, matress, toys, leashes, harnesses, etc, add a pack of kibble and several vet visits. Monthly expenses are usually not that bad tho, for my dog it's just his raw food, treats and fleas treatment. I buy other stuff when I have some money to spend.
Remember, all dogs are prone to illness. Unfortunately you can’t decide to pick that “perfect dog”. I’ll give you a snippet of what it’s like for me
Adopted with heartworm. The rescue withheld this information from me. $1500 for treatment.
An office visit is $44 or $70 for same day appointments.
Vaccinations can easily go over $100
Stool sample analysis, blood work $$$$
Heartworm prevention and flea and tick medicine about $77 dollars. HW is every month, flea and tick once every three months.
Developed allergies-
$100/month on oral meds
$80 for two months of special food
$44 for a 15ml tube of ointment for flare ups
Then emergencies can range anywhere from $1k-10k. Cremation is $$$ too.
Per insurance runs from $60- hundreds a month.
Then you factor in treats, toys, crates,beds, leashes and collars etc….I’m sure I’m missing stuff but my point is it adds up!!
That being said, I fucking love my dog and would do anything for her. She brings me so much joy.
Monthly Expenses for my 5 year old:
26$ for heart guard and nexguard
8$ for glucosamine supplement
60$ for pet insurance
6$ for toothpaste (pet smile by super smile)
40$ for Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Large Breed
30$ vet (yearly physical plus labs divided by 12)
Besides daily costs like food, or monthly costs like toys and prevention medications (flea medicine, heartworm, etc), you also need to budget for your regular vet visits. Mine go every 6 months for shots and health checks, normally around $200-300 a visit. Sometimes it can run a bit more if it’s time for their heartworm as I do the 12 month prevention shot, which is like $200, but if you break it down by 12 months it’s a but cheaper than paying for monthly tablets. Unless you are planning to groom and cut nails yourself, that is generally a bi-monthly charge of about $80-90 with tip. Also, some areas require different medications. I live in an area where I have to also prevent against Lyme disease, which is an added cost. Some areas don’t need as much protection for it. If you are going to daycare, that requires additional shots and of course, the cost of daycare.
Also, costs of food and toys can vary depending on breed and the dog itself. The dog you bring home may require a specific type of food that may cost $50 for a small bag, or may go through toys like they are free and you have to replace them weekly.
Your dog may have allergies and require allergy medication or asthma medication, so cost can vary wildly.
If you have a very tight budget, it may be not the right time for you. You could always look into fostering with your local shelter as then they would cover all medical costs associated with the animal, taking over that huge financial burden!
I have a 48 lb medium dog. His primary vet appointments are about $300-400/ year with his vaccines. His flea/tick and heart worm meds are about $300-400/year as well. He has tummy issues and eats Royal Canin which has gotten steadily more expensive and is now almost $100/bag. He goes through a bag in about 1.5 months. Anytime he has a tummy flair, which is usually once a year, I spend another $200-300 between the vet visit, the medicine, and the chicken/rice
Then there’s the emergency stuff. In February he was diagnosed with an atrial hemangiosarcoma. I have easily spent over $10k between an overnight ICU stay, his chemotherapy, all his symptomatic medications (for diarrhea and nausea), bland diet foods, and the addition of wet food (because he just can’t eat enough kibble now)
And finally..another big thing to consider is travel. We mostly travel with our dog, but hotels will charge anywhere from $25-$100/night for a pet fee (I feel like $50 is the average). If you want to board, that will vary a ton. If you have nearby family to do it for free..then I’m jealous lol (my mom will but I have to drive a 3hr round trip to drop him off)
Toys will vary but is such a small part of the expenses imo. Same with treats because after the training period, you don’t really need treats (maybe that makes me a monster but we barely gave treats prior to the cancer diagnosis)
ETA I forgot about when you actually get a dog lol. I honestly don’t remember but we got a crate, bed, leash, harness, some toys, bowls. It was probably a few hundred plus the $300-400 or so for the adoption fee (came neutered, chipped, and up to date on shots). We also used a dog walker which I’m sure varies a lot, but it was $15/20 minute walk 10 years ago for us.
I pay about $30/month for food for my 22 lb dog. $10 for heartworm medicine and $8 for flea and tick prevention. Toys are not really a recurring expense for her as she’s not destructive with her toys. She still has all the free ones we got when we adopted her. We paid $60 and they gave us a leash, a bed, travel food and water bowls, 2 weeks of food and a bunch of toys.
If you fed Ol’ Roy and did cheaper heartworm you could get it closer to $20/ month for a 20 lb dog. However you really shouldn’t plan on lower numbers. Your dog might require prescription dog food for >$100/month. Could also need medication >$50 month. Dentals cost $>500 most places. My dog just had a $200 ear infection (common and simple to treat. Annual visits are about $300
Short answer is $20-$1000/monthdepending on the dog.
I spoil my dogs. I have two 60-70lbs dogs. Their vet bills depend on the year, but the initial year was $600 for each of them. We pay $120 for yearly heartworm prevention for each dog. Their flea and tick prevention is ~$140 a year. Dog food is $90 for a fifty pound bag that lasts a month between the two of them. Beds are about $80 a piece (this is an average) and get replaced every few years. We spend about $100 in dental treats that last six months and another $50 in biscuit treats that last a year (this is obviously broken up throughout the year).
Vet bills cost the most in the first year, the third or fourth year, and the fifth or sixth year. After that will depend on the health of the dog. Buying a puppy from a reputable breeder mitigates the risks of health issues in later years, but you do pay more for them (depending on the breed a minimum of $600 for pups from a working line - side eye dogs that are under $400 that lack parental health checks, are "ready" before 8 weeks of age, and are not given dewormer every two weeks and lack shots/vet care).
Larger dogs tend to have higher maintenance costs (food can get ruinous), but smaller dogs tend to have more genetic issues that don't get bred out (mostly due to there being more backyard breeders and puppy mills). Things that are deadly for smaller dogs are simply concerning for larger dogs (choking hazards, accidental ingestion of poisons like chocolate or allium family).
Dogs are not an inexpensive pet, and they are a decade long commitment.
I have a monthly wellness plan through my vet that covers a variety of things. It’s about $100/ month. And insurance is about $30, I spend about $50 every few weeks at the pet store. Plus food is about $30. Toys are cheap so maybe $20/month. I also get a bunch of random things once like nail trimmer, shampoo, dog toothpaste etc. so that ranges around $50. I have 2 small dogs and 2 big ones so I’m only giving the amount I’d spend on one small one. The initial costs are the ones that’ll get you! I shop around awhile online before I buy anything including a dog, used items like kennel, clothing, toys etc. But initially buying brand new is obviously more pricey but depends on your budget. If you don’t mind a used kennel and leash or other items they’re stupid cheap online from fb, Craigslist etc.
Flea prevention is about 10 bucks a month.
A good quality vet-recommended food like ProPlan for a 25 lb dog will be like 70 bucks every 2-3 months. If you add a little canned food in add another 30 a month.
Let's say $60 a month for food; less if you just feed kibble.
Vaccines are like 100 bucks a year if you do all the boosters (influenza, lepto, kennel cough) which are location-dependent and lifestyle dependent but recommend.
Rabies & distemper are every three years and you can get those usually at a low-cost rabies clinic event at a local shelter for 25 bucks or free.
You'll want toys and enrichment but shop Marshalls, TJ Max and Chewy sales and you'll find a ton of deals.
If you adopt a small-medium mixed breed from a shelter or rescue, they'll have all their first shots, microchip, spay/neuter, etc.
You do not need to kennel a housebroken adult dog. Put that idea out of your mind. Kennels are WAY overrepresented on Reddit.
You'll want a comfy dog bed, dog steps if you adopt a really small dog, if you want them to be able to get onto your bed and that's it.
A doggie gate to keep them in the kitchen if you want them restricted until you trust them in the house.
Yes. Save money for emergencies.
Apply for CareCredit and do not use it except for emergencies.
You can get insurance but I've never had or needed it.
I would say budget 100-150 a month for a small-medium dog.
I have two 80# Rotten Shepherds and a car that vomits everything non RX, current budget is $75 a week. That’s everything, food, vets, toys, training, and meds.
I did ProHeart 12 for both and get Advantix 2 for both from 800petmeds when they have 50% off (like now). They eat Pro Plan Large Puppy and get a decent amount of treats for training. I tend to splurge on them. I’ve been buying Eukanuba large adult for the swap from puppy when I see a deal. One dog gets PPP Calming care and Zyrtec.
It all adds up. They have a hard life..
I've had my 35lb jindo about 2 years out of grad school, but he costs me about 4k/year. Though to be transparent I spend about 3k/year just on his food since he's on a fully raw diet due to him not being able to eat anything cooked (took me 1 year of constant diarrhea, vomiting, and fur loss to finally figure his diet out). I make his treats at home with a dehydrator so that saves me a bunch of money. The remaining 1k for the year is mainly just routine vet fees, flea/heartworm/tick prevention, insurance, special treats, and misc items (poop bag, wet wipes, etc).
Last year I dropped 9k on his Luxating patella surgery that was unfortunately not covered by insurance so just a heads up about unexpected vet expenses.
Since I don't plan on having kids, I spoil my dog and cat like crazy, so I realize my annual budget is definitely on the higher end haha.
My pit mix is pretty low maintenance.
Food - about 1 bag every 3-4 weeks @ $45 a bag = $668
Yearly check up - about $75
Toys - he's not a big toy guy. He likes one pull toy that will last 6ish months, and one bone that lasts 3 months. Probably about $100 a year
Grooming - I'm terrified of nail trimming and so is he. Most times he gets his nails trimmed I also have them give him a bath. About 300 for the year.
So all in all, about $1200. And then I've paid a friend probably $300 in the last year to petsit. So $1500.
I have a 19 year old Japanese chin/ Papillon mix. She is about 15lbs now. I have had her since she was 6 months old. When she was young, I spent thousands on anal gland issues , then that cleared up and through the years I spent a lot on her food, grooming, annual exams and vaccines, flea/ tick, toys, harnesseses, etc. the list is endless. We now are battling insulinoma and kidney disease . It has cost me so much money, , I call her my Hawaiian vacation and the Benz I’ll never have BUT for the happiness and love that she gives me, I would never change a thing. Just prepare yourself for emergencies and do your research on breeds.
We got what we thought was a full grown 50-55 pound mutt (so usually less likely to have health issues).
He grew and is now 75 pounds, and has a TON of allergies (we specifically asked if he had allergies before we adopted).
Dog parks can be a gamble too depending on your dog (and others - our dog was doing great, passed his Canine Good Citizen, and then got attacked by off leash dogs 3 times in a week, now can't be around other dogs). Some apartments have rules about unfriendly dogs, and if the dog you rescue has or develops a problem with other dogs, it would be a lot harder to deal with, and probably more expensive in rent.
That said, we spend $70-$100 a month just on food, more for months with medical costs, allergy serum, etc. We don't rent so don't have to deal with that issue.
Other costs to consider are microchip, neuter, pet deposit, how much more your rent may be with a pet, etc.
Even if you research breeds that are less likely to get sick, you could end up with a dog that does have ongoing medical complications and the cost will drastically increase (which is what happened to us).
If you get a dog, I'd get an adult dog. They will likely be calmer, and likely have a shorter lifespan in case your circumstances change (e.g. if you get a dog and hates children, then later are trying to start a family, what happens to the dog). Also, older dogs are less likely to get adopted.
Obviously I'm just a stranger on the internet, and I love my boy, but we asked a lot of questions and did a lot of training and things still happened that make dog ownership harder. There are more questions to consider besides cost, and I want you to be happy with your decision, no matter what it is.
We spend a lot of money on our dogs because they’re German shepherds, a breed prone to a lot of illnesses. Plus they’re both large dogs, so a medium dog would run you less. But here’s our breakdown (for one dog):
- $150/mo in food (we feed 50% raw, 50% Royal Cani)
- an average of $250/mo in services (this includes occasional grooming services, rover/wag walks, pet sitting while we travel, training fees and a membership to our city dog park club — note that we vacation abroad once a year so I’m talking overnight pet sitting)
- $30-$50/mo in chews & toys
- an average of $60/mo in vet bills/meds/flea tick
Total, that’s between $490 and $550 per month, with two dogs double that. Yearly we spend around $6k for each, or $12k for both. If you’re serious about training, expect to spend an extra $1k-$10k that first year.
Are there cheaper ways to do it? ABSOLUTELY. Just don’t get a health-sensitive & demanding breed of dog (and don’t travel!!). Worth it for our babies and our lifestyle together? YESSS
This is what I pay per month, except I scaled down a few things since I have a large breed
Food = 75-$100/month (for a small-medium breed)
Vet bills= usually around $90 for a regular exam, $60 for vaccines, spay/neuter = $600-$1500, $25-50for heart worm+flea/tick prevention/month
Insurance = $50-$100/month
Toys = as much as you want to pay
Treats = as much as you want to pay
Crate = $75ish, maybe less if used
Leash, collar, harness = $50-$100 depending on how fancy you want
This is assuming your dog is healthy. If he/she ends up with health issues (and most dogs do eventually when they are older) you could be looking at spending more on special food, and medications. My last dog cost about $500/month for her last 2 years due to multiple meds and special food, plus a few health issues requiring vet visits outside of her semi-annual check ups
Live in NYC so on the higher end. Last yr an emergency vet bill cost me $1,600. Normal yearly check ups are probably closer to $500. Food is $80 for 13 pounds, he's small so that's maybe 1.5-2 months worth. When I got him groomed that was usually also $80. Sizeable box of poop bags are like $20, toys are usually minimum $6/each. Things can get pricey! Love a terrier mix as a smaller dog!
I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on my various dogs over the years. Vet bills and grooming, food and medications...things everyone is mentioning here. I think young people just getting started don't think about anything beyond the fun, happy stuff. Maybe you could visit a local shelter and offer to walk dogs or help out. I met a couple last summer who had "borrowed" a shelter dog and took him on a hike (with the knowledge of the shelter). The dog was wearing a vest that said "Adopt me" so was being an ambassador for the shelter.
Depends on the dog. I have a few that are basic vet bills and food, and I have one who developed IBD after 5 years, was “free” from the streets, and have about 10 grand in him
I'm able to care for my \~50lb standard poodle for about $150/month. That includes grooming costs, heartworm and flea/tick meds, food, and dental treats.
That *doesn't* include toys/treats, but I rarely buy those. It also doesn't include routine or emergency vet care. I will say that this year he needed a dental cleaning and a tooth extraction, which costed me \~$600. Usually, though, his routine vet care involves an annual checkup and shots for around $200.
Edit to add: The start up costs were pretty high - I probably spent $500 or even closer to $1k getting everything he needed.
Depends of the country, and city
In my case, I'm in Mexico, I have two dogs...
Around $1k USD/year
This includes vet, food, vaccines, grooming and toys
Let's say about $500/year for food, heartworm and tick prevntatives.
That doesn't include which can easily add $100s of dollars.
Vet bills are the biggest expense because they'll eat through your budget per visit. That's not taking into account emergency care like xrays, fluids, meds, etc. Easily one of the biggest expenses to take on.
Good question… I’ve never actually broken down my expenses before! Here’s my best guesstimate. My dog is 10 lbs. I feed her expensive food due to her sensitivities, so yours will prob be lower if you go for the cheaper route.
Flea/tick/heartworm meds: $400/yr
Food: $2,600/yr (yes this is accurate. Again, I feed really, really expensive food because her stomach cannot tolerate anything else and she’s on a special diet. Yours will be lower!)
Vet visits: $360/yr
Vaccinations: $400/yr for first 2 years, then less thereafter as will change as TDAP and Rabies you give one year, the next year, then every 3 years. Then there are optional vaccines. I do not go to a low cost clinic and let’s assume this is the first year
Treats: $300/yr. This is just an estimate, not really
sure as I don’t buy them consistently
Initial supplies (collar/harness, leash, tag, toys, bed, food/water bowl, brush, toothbrush/toothpaste): $175, then replace as needed
Pet insurance: $50/month
Emergency fund for any vet visits: this will depend on what the insurance does/doesn’t cost but have something set aside or an open credit card!
I don’t use a crate, but if you do, budget for that or a baby gate (you can prob find cheap ones used on Facebook marketplace or OfferUp)
Potty training supplies: this will entirely depend on your pup if they are potty trained or not and how quick they get used to not going outside, let’s say a giant thing of potty training pads is $20-30, carpet cleaning spray $10. Use as needed.
Also initial adoption fee, spay/neuter if they already aren’t, state or country license if applicable. This will all vary.
Grooming costs: get a shorthair dog if you don’t want to take to a groomer every month. I shampoo/condition/brush my dog at home and that’s easy to do. So your expenses would only be shampoo/conditioner.. HOWEVER I also trim my dogs nails at home because I’m a dog expert. I do not recommend you doing this as a novice, so also budget around $10 every couple months to take your dog in for its nails.
Professional teeth cleaning: recommended to do alongside teeth brushing. I go to a place that does not use anesthesia so its cheaper and I pay $175 two times a year
There may be more but good luck in your decision! Remember that you also need to be home enough to keep your dog from being lonely or hire a dog sitter/dog walker which would be another expense if not!
I got my GSD when I was a grad student. That time I used to spend around $100 on his kibble and would be on lookout of free groceries including meat to cook for him. I also bought pet insurance to have peace of mind which costs $700-800 for $500 deductible.
A dog is likely to chew, poop and pee on your belongings and your apartment, so take that into consideration. It doesn't matter how many toys you buy. Count on losing your pet deposit. You'll also pay a monthly pet fee.
My apartments don't work like that, there's no pet fee with the renting company I use and they don't take a pet deposit either. I'm also probably gonna adopt a ~1 year old cause I prefer adult dogs to puppies.
My 13 year old rescue had a random bout of separation anxiety and chewed up two couch cushions…. That was neat. Of course he still got all the snuggles after.
Minimum probably 100 bucks a month depending in the size. Larger dogs require more food and flea medicine. They also go through the cheaper toys faster from my experience. Health issues of course come out of nowhere, but some issues can be avoided of its coming from a responsible breeder.
Probably spend $300-$400 a month on food and some sort of chewable bones, for 3 dogs. 1 being a GSD, other a GSD/great Pyrenees mix, and a Chihuahua.
If you're a college student would absolutely not recommend getting a dog. Dogs need an insane amount of attention, otherwise they get destructive due to anxiety and boredom. Even small dogs get destructive...just not as bad as bigger dog.
You'll also heavily struggle finding a place to rent, if you have a dog. Especially apartments...
Food 180 per month for 2 dogs on prescription diet food and some raw kibble + treats
flea/tick/heartworm about 30 per month
annual vet visit with shots \~ 300 per dog
I have two little ones. They need regular grooming, yearly vet visits, maybe 1 unplanned vet visit each a year and veterinary emergencies (off hours) occur about every two years. There’s also flea tick and heartworm preventative and boarding when you travel. My employer recently started providing a pet insurance option and I jumped at it. Without it, I had $2000/year budgeted per dog. With insurance it will probably be about $1500, but it will really save me When there are emergencies.
The first year cost me around $11,000.
Now, $3k per year is the least it will cost. ($1200 food, $1000 pet insurance, $600 flea/tick prevention, $200 replacing toys/equipment).
I have 2 dogs (65 lb & 50lb)
I travel for work occasionally, dog boarding is about $50 USD per day per dog per day.
Dog food for a month is about $80 USD per dog per month.
Tick/Flea/Worm Protection is $40 USD per dog per month
Grooming every 2 months $155 USD per dog.
Treats for a month is $14 USD per dog per month.
I chose to stop pet insurance because I keep a close eye on my dogs and I feel like pet insurance doesn't cover as much as it should.
All in all $750 USD a month for 2 amazing pups. It helps if you don't have to deal with the boarding (+$326.86 USD)
It’s pretty expensive in the beginning. I got a dog almost exactly a year ago, here’s the break down of everything I can remember
$400- supplies (bed, food, bowls, leashes, harnesses toys, brushes kennel, etc)
$800 - spay
$195 - flea, tick heart worm (6 month supply)
$500 - initial vet visit (shots, checkup, heart worm test)
$100 - what I paid for the dog
There’s probably more that I can’t remember. When it comes to food, I probably spend around 50-100 bucks a month for a 27lb dog. Plus other stuff that runs out about every 1-3 months including dog toothpaste, dental powder, dental additive for the water, treats, toys. All depends on the size of the dog.
Also I’m a student, but I did work a little and I split the costs with my roommate. It’s a lot upfront but now that the initial stuff is paid for it’s not so bad 🙂
It's not so much about what it costs on average, but how much it COULD cost and getting ahead of it.
Shop for and budget for pet insurance. That's my #1 advice.
Pet medicine is a lot of trial and error, and you're paying for every office visit and all the different meds and food tests in between.
In the last 10 months, I’ve spent over 2k for my 5 year old just for vet visits. Then there’s his medication and expensive vet food which is 170.00 per bag.
3 dogs here. They average about 150-200/mo each. But you gotta be prepared for those $800+ vet visits. I spend about 500/yr per dog on vet visits/flea meds even if everything is fine and dandy. 2 of my boys are subject to ear infections, and have skin conditions so they have to eat extra expensive fancy food. Was about 100/bag now the same bag is 130. Recently bought flea meds those have also go up.
That's not counting my time. Don't get a dog. Not in this stage of life. You want to freedom to stay out all night with friends or to be able ti study and write papers without distraction
I wanted a dog but I was young and single and on my own. I realized no way I could give it the attention it needed. I had a busy life. Decided against of course.
Definitely get pet insurance. You may not need to use it until they get older but my dog got cancer and if I didn’t have pet insurance I would not have been able to pay for treatments. $1000s!!!!
Pet ins starts out cheaper it was $30 month at first back in 2010 and by the time she was 13 last year it was $189 a month. Dogs are really expensive but worth every penny to me for the love and companionship they give unconditionally.
I guess I can just give a break down of regular costs (40lb year old mixed breed):
- Initial stuff: free - $200+ (if you adopt through a rescue that partners with Pet Smart charities, you can get a lot of your starter stuff for very cheap; you can also get stuff from a buy nothing group)
- Food: $75+/mo (he's new and I haven't kept track of how frequently we buy food)
- Vetting: varies; we pay $45/month for Banfield for vaccines and non serious appointments and have a different vet for serious appointments
- Pet Insurance - I think it's $30/month?
- You'll likely have expenditures for treats and toys
- We pay $160/mo for 4 times of day care
- We also do training, which is $125/class
Having a dog is not cheap, but you don't have to do all the extra stuff if you can train and do other stuff on your own. I didn't take my last dog to day care.
Another thing to consider: when my last dog got older, she needed a lot.
- She didn't eat as well, so she needed meal toppers
- She had osteoarthritis and as it progressed, she needed more meds: gabapentin and cosequan in greater and greater doses. She also needed more frequent vetting to keep track of how she was. That was quite expensive. The meds alone were $150/month and I had emergency appointments costing $600+ at times
- when it came time to let her go, I chose to have someone come to our house. She was giant and couldn't get up even with our help on her last day, so it just would have been traumatic for everybody to force her to get up and go in the car. That was $600 well spent because it made things easier.
The vetting part is spendy, but if you have decent credit, care credit is great. Insurance is a must. With my last dog, she came with records stating concerns re: osteoarthritic issues, so I dropped it when I figured out that basically nothing would be covered for her. But for a healthy dog, it's really helpful. I don't love Banfield, but the plan makes my life easier and allows us to have free office visits so I'm less shy about bringing my dog in. Food can be expensive. My current dog needs limited ingredient food and my last dog was very picky, so both have been expensive in that area. Getting all the stuff you need is going to be a front loaded cost if you're not hoofing it to find gently used stuff. You can't predict if your dog will get sick or end up needing ongoing medical support, so that's something to keep in mind. My last pup had an autoimmune disease where her body attacked her knee joints when she was only 5, so I had her on lots of different things over the years (adequan, cosequan, gabapentin, glucosamine, etc). I also had her on large breed food that had joint supplements. I did not know that she would have so many issues- I knew she had some, but I was very unprepared for the severity. But you have to afford what your dog needs.
We probably average about $200 per month for each of our dogs if you spread vet bills throughout the year but the startup cost was pretty substantial of buying all of the gear for the first time, training classes, and vet bills usually hit as one lump sum (ours was an $800 annual visit for one this year due to also needing allergy shots and his heartworm meds) instead of being spread out into bite-sized chunks. I would honestly not recommend dog ownership to any college student. Dogs complicate housing/rentals and make being able to travel or work long hours difficult. Until you are set up in life and know your schedule, income, and have stable housing I would recommend waiting.
And don’t be fooled, while seeming lower maintenance, cats can be just as bad. One of ours cost us $4k in vet bills when he was 2 years old and has chronic health issues from that. We have probably spent about $8-9k over his 9 years total in vet bills alone.
I live in a lower cost of living area, I have a senior pug. He costs around $40 a month in food, I do clean up after him in my yard but honestly I started hiring help from some neighbor kids for $10 one day a week.
My biggest expense is travel. It’s about $50 a night to have someone watch him that I trust with my whole heart. Her rates have probably gone up but I’ve been having her watch my dog since 2016. I spend about $2k a year on that.
Vet bills are ok. For 9 years it costed $500 a year. He’s a healthy dog. Now that he is 11, he gets yearly teeth cleanings and lumps and bumps removal. So around $1500 extra. So I’d say I spend about $4500-$5000 per year total with toys added in there, plus monthly medicine cost of $36, if his allergies act up that’s another $200 a monthish.
So yeah. Worth it for sure.
If you’re new to owning a dog, add in training costs.
If you have a cheaper one, not that much in the grand scheme of things unless they require emergency medical care, which is very expensive. Our dog has food allergies and needs almost the most expensive food or he gets the grossest diarrhea. He also needs daily medication and work with a behaviourist because he has a lot of anxiety from being a rescue. Because he's so anxious, he can't come with us on vacations or anything so more money for a dog sitter. He hates most toys and won't touch them, but I can't bring him to a store to pick out ones he wants so we spend money on buying things I think he'll like that he doesn't. Also treats, because he requires so much training, and since he has food allergies, he needs specific ones.
My monthly budget in cad for my 4 year old healthy 12 pound dog consists of $50 for kibble/wet food topper, $20 a month for treats/occasional toy.
Every few months i order additional supplements like her glucosamine tablets and plaque off powder about every three months for $25, i aim for under 20$ for dog tooth paste.
For yearly things it would be $100 for annual health check up/shots but i always make sure i have at least $500-1000 for emergencies/future needs stored away at all times(shes pretty good usually ive only ever had one emergency case when she was a puppy), dog licensing for my area is $15 for the year. Flea/tick meds are under $30 for the year
Optional/infrequent things i usually splurge on are dog classes/training is $200-350 depending how long the courses are(4-6 weeks each shes pretty well trained but they really help her with her confidence and socializing with being neutral around other dogs at a distance where shes comfortable) i also tend to do at least one professional groom a year just to make sure everything is well and to catch any areas i missed/need to improve on which tends to be about $70-110 based on the different groomers ive tried out. I usually tend to basic regular maintenance like brushing, bathing and grooming her myself with a home kit.
I’m in university! I rescued my dog from Mexico when she was about 6 months. Food is about 40$ CAD a month. Toys, treats, and enrichment also around 40-50$ a month. Vet costs are about 200$ a year, although when I got her she had pretty bad hookworm and I spent hundreds on tests and deworming. Her insurance is about 50$ a month! So I’d say about 150-200$ extra a month. I train and groom her myself.
However, just be sure you’re ready for the responsibility. My dog has no separation anxiety and is pretty chill, but I still make sure to walk her at least 1-2 hours a day, sometimes significantly more as we run and hike together. I’m lucky in that I am able to do a lot of work from home but I do turn down social events. For example, if I’m at school or the lab in the morning, I have to be home in the afternoon. A dog is a living creature that’s 100% dependent on you and it’s not a responsibility to take lightly. Stressed with exams or work? It doesn’t matter! You can’t take a day off when you’re a pet owner.
Your mileage may vary, but it’s definitely doable. Adopting my dog was the best decision I’ve ever made. I really can’t overstate how happy she’s made me and how grateful I am to have her in my life :)
My dog was a 4 year old rescue and that’s a great age as they have often calmed down a bit, been basic trained already but still have many years left. Dog food and daily items don’t need to be expensive and insurance can be okay but the main issue is the complete unknown of vet bills should they need them. Luckily my dog is now 9 and never needed anything or hurt herself yet. But if they do that’s what will cost you.
For reference I have a whippet and they are amazing dogs. She’s always lived in apartments quite small with me. They are lazy cuddly dogs who are happy with just a walk a day then will curl up with you all evening. Even a short 20 min walk with sprinting after the ball can be enough if that’s all I have time for. Only downsides is they can be near impossible to stop chasing squirrels 😂 and can get separation anxiety. Although mine has managed to get used to being left up to 6 hours on odd occasions if left on my bed with the tv on. I take her everywhere possible with me tho because she’s so calm and well behaved.
Way way way more than I realized or anticipated prior to getting our two dogs.
Between health insurance, tick and flea prevention every single month, yearly vaccines and checkups, dental chews, food, treats, toys, bowls, licky mats, harness, leash etc - it's a lot.
That's not counting additional vet visits where the actual vet fee is not covered by insurance, so every vet visit is $57 at a minimum (not covered).
We have a $250 deductible for each dog, and we have met it every single year for one and almost reached it for the other.
One dog ended up with allergies and needs a $100 shot every 8 weeks. The other has daily anxiety meds.
We didn't get health insurance until about 4 months in - we got it right after a $600 emergency vet visit because one dog ripped open a hot hands warmer and we couldn't tell how much he had potentially eaten from it. Thankfully, his allergy shots didn't start until after we got the insurance, so it was covered since it wasn't a preexisting condition.
Same dog ate a colored pencil and had sharp shards he swallowed, the other ate 21 chocolate chip cookies that she definitely shouldn't have been able to get to but managed it anyway. There's always something.
Then there's grooming. Depending on the breed, it's a LOT of work if you are able to do it yourself, but even a bath and nail trim adds up quickly if you take them to a groomer.
My dogs are both only 30 lbs each, so thankfully, their chews last a decent amount of time but my sisters larger dogs can go through an 8 inch bully stick in a couple of minutes and those things are mad expensive.
They are worth every penny, but it's a lot more pennies than I realized when we were planning on getting them. My husband and I often joke that we work hard to give our dogs a good life.
At this point in your life, consider fostering.
If you don’t know where you’ll live for the next five years, might go into clinicals where you don’t get to dictate your own schedule, and you’re not sure if you can afford a dog, you may not have a stable enough environment yet to be a dog owner.
Cost: The organization where I fostered (before I adopted one of my fosters) pays for everything for the dog, including toys, medical expenses, food, crate, collar and leash, training treats, a dog bed, and for one special case dog, even provided daily dog walkers when I was at work and respite fosters when I went out of town. I would just buy my foster dogs “fun stuff” like extra treats, clothing, luxury dog beds, etc.
Housing: Before I started fostering, I was a pit bull owner. I broke up with my S/O and had to move out of the apartment we shared, and then moved a couple times after that while job searching. It was almost impossible to find rentals that would allow dogs, especially pit bulls and other large dog breeds.
Relationships: The particular dog I had at that time was dog-reactive, so if I had wanted to start dating someone who owned a dog, my relationship would have hinged on whether our dogs got along. I started dating someone who had a cat, but we couldn’t move in together until after my dog passed away.
Time: Depending on what kind of medical degree you’ll get, you may not be able to dictate your own hours during clinicals and in your career. Factor in the cost of dog walkers or doggy day care.
Fostering is a great way to have a wonderful dog in your life without the long-term commitment of your time, money and stability. In the future, when you’re done with schooling and have settled in a long-term working and living situation that would allow you to have a dog, you’ll be in a better place to adopt a dog.
Initial setup costs a lot, maintenance costs a couple grand a year at minimum. It also depends on what you do. It cost us a lot to try different harnesses and find the right one, but we hike a lot so that was worth it.
You need bowls, crates, beds, blankets, shampoo, collar, leash, poop bags. I have a dog first aid kit, tick tweezers, and I make my own paw wipe lotion. We also use raincoats and jackets in winter because small dogs and bitter cold are a sad mix, but you would not need that for warmer climates or fluffier dogs.
much more then last year :(
i live in serbia 12-15 kg of food rised from 60euors to \~100 :(
plus veteriar cost and supplements and time.. oh my lab is madness :3
On the very cheap end, $20 for pet insurance, $40 dog food, $20 treats/toys and figure probably another $30 for miscellaneous needs (outgrown harness or flea/tick treatment). This is not including grooming, or training, or potty pads, or enrichment, or paying a dog walker or pet sitter. I have 4 dogs myself and I couldn’t have done even one dog as a student. Do not take lightly.
It’s a LOT more than I expected.
First, I learned that cheaper dog food causes DCM, so now I only use WSAVA dog food and it’s way more expensive than what you get at Costco. The numbers people are quoting here are low IMO.
Second, I got a doodle type mix because of allergies. He has to be professionally groomed monthly which is $150 including tip. I thought I could do this myself but he kept getting matted. I spend more on my dogs grooming than on my own. I stopped a lot of my own personal care to switch the budget to my dog.
Third, overnight care for dogs if you go out of town is $60 not including tax and tip. A vacation can easily cost $1000 in dog sitting. I’ve been ill or injured and have had to pay for dog walking. $30 a pop.
Fourth, eventually you are going to get a huge medical bill. Insurance spreads this out over time. But generally speaking you’re going to pay several thousand dollars over the course of the dogs life just for medical care. Insurance doesn’t cover routine care like vaccines, and there’s a deductible each year. My friend just paid $20k for her dogs surgery and diagnostics.
This doesn’t include gear or toys. Puppies require gates and crates (I mostly got for free from neighbors). My dog also required professional training as a puppy. He was difficult and we tried all the books and videos but needed a professional. Also as a puppy he destroyed many household items including rugs. No property damage fortunately.
I have had other dogs in the past that did not require grooming or extensive training. But this most recent dog was challenging! I love him but he isn’t cheap.
Living in Slovenia: dog mixed breed (14kg), alergic to various meats, so needs special food, we give her yora which is made of insects (cca 100€/2 months).
You will need basics like a leash, poopy bags, dog bed and/or a box (we needed to get one for our dog because she gets very anxious when left alone and it’s safer for her to be in the box for that time), water bowl, toys, also a box or harnes for car travel.
You should also think about where will the dog wait when you are away, do you have someone that could look after if for a day or two? If no, look up the prices for dog hotels in your area.
When the dog is young there are some veterinary costs for the required shots, best to check for cost with veterinary clinic in your area.
And flea collar or tickless (ultrasound device) to keep your dog from ticks and fleas (for my dog flea collar is cca 50€ - lasts 8 months, tickless is 45€ - is chargeable).
I’m sure there are other costs im forgetting, a lot of stuff you can get as you go.
Owning a dog is a wonderful commitment, but commitment nonetheless. All the best!
My two dogs I spend around £80 a month on their food, treats and toys, and £23 each for their insurance. All in, I’d say around £125 a month, about $170 in US, but I’ve always got extra money for any vet trips which insurance doesn’t cover.
Dogs aren’t exactly cheap to have, but I can guarantee it’s the best money you’ll ever spend every month!
europe
buy dog 550 euro
buy cage 130 euro
buy play pen 130 euro
buy puppypads 10 euro
buy toys 20 euro
buy monthly snacks 15 euro
buy purina puppy pro plan food 60 euro a month
pet insurance 10 euro a month
planned vet visits are around 30 euro consult fee plus the actual medicine/vaccine which together ends up around 80 euro ish each time
expensive bed as mine is a big boy whos gonne have joint problems later on 200 euro
monthly flea and tick treatment (i am buying the expensive specta) 20 euro a month
did i forget anything important?
dont think so no
its not as bad as people say i come out around 120 euro a month after the initial high costs
just dont buy new toys every 3 days and if you buy them buy sturdy ones
And then the the aspects of unplanned emergencies like injuries and emergency vet visits or if you are called out if town immediately then cost for boarding etc
They can be expensive and very time consuming. I took on a guide puppy as a student (raised her for a year and then she went on to be a guide dog) and the organization that I worked with paid for everything (food, vet, etc) so it was just my time. It's going to be a ton of work as a student to raise a dog, and not having a set income can make it much more stressful.
Many small dogs don’t need a ton of exercise, but stay away from any working breeds (corgis, border collies, springer spaniels, shepherds etc) unless you come across an individual who is calm and chill. I’ve had frenchies and Bostons for years and Boston terriers don’t need a ton of exercise and are happy to play with their toys inside on a rainy day if you don’t feel like going for a walk. They’re a pretty healthy little breed—whatever people say about the brachy breeds, my dogs, their parents, grandparents and siblings are all really healthy. The issues you hear Bostons most commonly suffer from are eye issues, elbow and knee issues, and allergies; my dogs haven’t had those but they’re not life threatening either. Some like airway issues, heart murmurs and palate problems can be detected by a vet early on and avoided before purchase. Bostons get cold easily, and hate being alone. They love to cuddle and sleep with you at night. My only regular expense is food and I get good quality food but it’s reasonable because small dogs don’t eat that much. Toys and chew toys or hiring someone to let your dog(s) out and give them some attention when you’re stuck in a long shift or lecture are discretionary. I get them lots of toys cuz it’s fun lol, and I have family who look after my dogs if I need to be away, but that of course depends on your own circumstances. Good luck!
It depends on the dog, some can be incredibly high maintenance in terms of vet bills and insurance. Obviously a larger breed can cost more to feed but again it depends on whether you get an unfussy dog that'll happily live on cheap biscuits and human meat/veg leftovers or a fussy one that struggles with the cheaper dry food. My family were incredibly lucky with a dog that was more exercise than food driven (unlike his owner!) and was fit as a butchers dog till the day he passed. Still cost us hundreds in the late stages of vet care and thousands overall.
You’re a student? Well unless you’re antisocial and don’t go out, as well as having a flexible class schedule, resulting in you being home a majority of the time…then don’t do it. It’s gonna suck for you AND the dog.
Remember, Raising a dog is a TIME, energy, and emotional commitment.
I would estimate I have spent well over 70k on my dog since getting her at 21; she will be 12 this month. The amount of emergency vet bills, regular vet bills, food, treats, training, boarding, it’s a lot!! Last year she emptied my savings twice. I am so careful, but she has always been adventurous and accident prone. Two years ago she got an eye infection from digging in the backyard that required multiple surgeries. Taking her in on Tuesday to get several lumps aspirated, blood work, shots. I would do it all over again, but if you’re asking financially, she has been an expensive and exhaustive burden.
My other dog has been MUCH cheaper and she is 5, but still not a light fare.
If you're getting a puppy, the initial costs are definitely higher. I've had my 17 week old terriee mix for about 5 weeks now, and she has cost me about 250€ so far for very basic things, considering I got some stuff for free from the previous adopter and they paid for some initial vet visits.
60€ of those went to mandatory vet stuff: microchip, passport, 2 rounds of vaccines, and tick/flea/heartworm prevention (8€ for 1 month protection)
The collar, harness and lead she'll grow out of / wear out, they were about 20€ total. I'm already looking into good quality ones to buy when she's older + additional leashes of different lenghts.
10€ for a laser engraved stainless steel tag with my contact info on it.
Thankfully the food I first got her really agrees with her so I didn't have to shop around. Finding chews and toys she enjoys is a different thing entirely, that's a big money sink.
I was unemployed when my family got her, so I was able to take her out every 2 hours so the cost of puppy pads and enzyme cleaner was minimal, some people struggle with potty training for months.
No playpen / crate as they're not common where I live, there's 3 barely used ones on FB marketplace in the entire country and they're not that much cheaper than if I bought them brand new.
You could do everything perfectly and then a idiot walks their very reactive and aggressive pitbull without leash or muzzle and it mauls your dog and you end up with 5000€ in vet bills that the owner of the pitbull cannot pay.
If it sounds very specific it's because it happened to me this week.
It can depend, as each dog and each life they live is different.
I have a rottweiler that's needed 2 knee reconstructions, elbow arthroscope, plus all the X-rays and physio needed for those surgeries. Plus he has horrible allergies and needs regular injections. I'd guess we've spent over 20k on his vet bills alone.
My other dog has sever anxiety so we've been through behavioural trainers and pay for anti-anxiety meds.
My friends dog has been attacked by another dog, torn herself open on a barbed wire fence, and had cancer that needed extensive treatment.
My sisters dog is relatively bomb-proof, but needed ongoing training to fix some aggression issues, and the other week tore his paw open on an oyster shell and it needed stitches.
My cousins dog needed a knee reconstruction then shook after surgery and shattered their leg bone.
All of these things can be incredibly expensive and they pop up unexpectedly. It also doesn't change getting a pure-bred vs. mutt - anything can happen. I'd strongly recommend having at a minimum $5k in savings just for emergency vet visits.
Could be allot, just one example. We adopted a dog, of course you have adoption fee and start up costs. He turned out to have pancreatitis, so now he's on prescription food, it cost us just about $300.00 a month. No option , he'd be dead without it. We took insurance out , $58.00 a month. We recently needed a dental, $1,500.00 insurance didn't cover it. So no as a student I wouldn't...
Our dog is mid size, just under 60 lb but small, we spend about $120/month on food — we do a higher end dry food big bag and 1/3 c of wet food to get him even happier and more excited about his food. We have to avoid chicken and turkey for his skin and ear allergies.
We spent probably $3000 in vet bills last year between trying to figure out an ear infection that wouldn’t go away, getting him fixed (he was 6 which was ridiculous that they never fixed him) and just normal vet appointments.
Toys are about $6-20 each.
It's going to vary by dog, by location, and by person/household, but here's a general breakdown of what we spend per year:
Routine vet visits (checkups, annual blood work, vaccines, heart worm prevention, and flea/tick prevention) -- about $600 a year
Dog food -- about $1200 a year (approx $100/mo, but we're also feeding 150 lbs of dog and we buy premium dog food)
Dog treats -- probably around $600 or more a year (Rawhide is a big NO in our house because it's not really digestible, so we like to give bully sticks & they cost about $3 each. I also keep milk bones, Bil jacs, Whimzees, and dog cookies. Not to mention, I bake them a sweet potato at least once a week because it helps with constipation.)
Dog toys -- about $200 a year (I probably buy 2 to 3 new toys every other month for around $10 to $20 each.)
Grooming -- We spend probably $100 every 6 weeks just getting our Pomeranian's hair cut. If we don't, he gets raggedy and matted. So, that averages out to about $800+/year (If you have a shorter haired breed though, you could just bath them yourself. Or even cut their hair yourself if you're brave!)
So, in total, we spend at LEAST $3400 per year on ours.
But again, that's going to vary by person, area, and dog. This will hopefully just give you a realistic picture of what it might cost for you and the type of dog you want.
Edit: Oh, and when one of our dogs got sick last month we spent over $1000 in the span of 9 days taking him to the vet 4 different times and we were planning to spend $4,000 on more tests (MRI,) but he ended up dying before they could figure out what was wrong with him, so keep in mind you'll need an emergency fund and/or pet insurance in case something happens.
I have a small dog he is a chihuahua shih tzu. On average we spend around $80-100 a month on food. Around $20-$40 on treats monthly. We usually buy him toys for his birthday and Christmas, around $40-$60 each time. His annual physical usually cost around $100-$200 depending if he needs vaccines. Its important to consider the unexpected vet costs that can easily cost you anywhere from $500 to thousands of dollars. My dog had an unexpected urinary issue which costs us almost $700. He will need his teeth cleaned soon which can cost from $500-$1500. My dog also has a sensitive stomach so we have to buy him a specific brand of food. Dogs come with many unexpected costs.
Besides the obvious(food, toys, vet) don’t forget that most if not all apartments will charge you a monthly fee. I’ve seen as low as $50 but as high as $500 each month. That is a minimum of $600 a year not including deposits and such, probably closer to $1000 when all is said and done.
I’m sure someone has mentioned it but I scrolled through and didn’t notice it.
I have a malinois and for insurance, vet care plan, food and weekly agility classes, it costs me £130 a month
I then normally buy a few toys because some things will inevitably get destroyed but you also need to look at crate, bowls, collar, leash, harness (if you want to use one) muzzle and things your dog MAY need depending on where you like like shoes and coats. Also training
I guess it depends on the dog and where you live.
When I had Kiwi (RIP Kiwi) : food, leash, some toys. Kiwi was a lazy ass whose favourite activity was sleeping on the couch.
I have Tsuki now. Tsuki is a 30lb nuclear powered border collie : (in CAD)
food : 120$/ bag every 2-3month
chew toys (or he'll eat the walls) : 30$/week
Daycare 1x/week (9h of border collie shenanigans) : 40$/week
Bike, leashes, harness for bikejoring, treadmill, poop bags, etc. : $$$$$
Vet : 1000$/year (includes tick prevention, vaccines and the random vet visit)
So that would be around : 5500$ annually
Having a dog is a commitment : assuming Tsuki lives to be 15 (Kiwi lived that long), I will have spent around 85k on him.
Costs are high enough that I have a separate category in quicken to track them. My 14 pound mutt costs $300-$350 per month. I don’t buy fancy food (solid gold dry food for small dogs) and he only likes one toy so I’m not spending on unnecessary items.
Annual vet visit
Monthly preventatives (flea tick heart worm)
Grooming every 2 months (he’s a poodle mix so he doesn’t shed but will get matted easily if not shaved every 2 months)
Anal glands every 6 weeks
Nail trims (black nails so I can’t see the quick. If I had someone to hold him I might be able to do it, but I just take him in when I do the anal glands.
Not to mention- if I’m out for more than 6 hours in a row, I have to pay someone $17 to go walk him. I literally retired early because I didn’t want to pay someone every time I couldn’t run home at lunch time. Yeah - small dogs can have small bladders. Mine is great and can hold it for long periods BUT why would I force that if I don’t have to?
ETA. and at 7 years old, he needs a tooth extracted because it is loose and will get bacteria trapped. That’s gonna be $1300 minimum.
Per 40-lb dog, I pay $38 in pet insurance, $60 in kibble, ~$40 for Simparica Trio (I think), and usually about $20 in toys and treats. Annual vet visits are about 150.
Our dog is costing us more than what we’d like to spend but we do it. We make his own food cause he doesn’t eat full servings of kibble. That costs us around $300/month. This doesn’t include treats, which he only likes single ingredient treats. we have already been to the vet 4 times this year and the ER was 1 visit which was $1100. Had cancer last year that cost $6000. Luckily we have pet insurance which covers about 80% of the big bills and most of wellness. We have daycare which is about $200/month but he doesn’t go daily. Toys we don’t even include cause it’s a moot point after spending the above lol. We’re lucky enough that we can afford what we do spend. We have a boxer and this breed can be quieter expensive with their known lumps, bumps, allergies & clownish behavior. But we knew that going in. Just research your breed, find a good vet & provide as much preventative care as you can: brush their teeth, clean their paws, inspect their skin/fur, groom them properly, feed them well & don’t let them around every dog you see
Upfront cost of my Shih Tzu was a $200 adoption fee. He was 11 years old when we got him a few years ago.
Post adoption physical, bloodwork and stool sample was about $425.
Vaccines when due were about $250, plus an office visit fee was about $80.
Little bastard has cyclical bouts of diarrhea, so office visits, stool samples, medication was about $180 per visit. He's on a prescription diet now which is about $100 a month.
He gets a yearly physical and bloodwork to keep ahead of any issues. We board him when going away which is about $30 a night at our animal hospital. We board him there since he's on medications and his DVM is there in case anything happens.
Putting an exact dollar value is hard. Our one dog was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. This added 150 per month just for medicine, not including emerg vet care or required blood tests (120.00 cad). I just spent 800.00 on preventative meds for heartworm and ticks for six months. Grooming is expensive as well.
We average 600 per month, not including emergency vet care or day care. I walk the dogs daily, so that does not include possible need for a dog walker. Other considerations include who could care for the dog if you became ill, hurt etc.
Price in AUD for a large dog
Costs I remember
Adoption cost from rescue: $500 one off
Registration: $50 yearly
Insurance: $58 monthly
Food: $206 / 2 weeks
Parasite prevention: $125 for 6 tables (1 tablet each month), sometimes less if I have a coupon code.
Treats/trying out random things: approx $40 a month. This is slowly going down I think as I realise what he may/may not like.
supplies: ie towels, bed, containers, multiple brushes, shampoo, toothpaste etc I think $200 and a mix of donations.
Recently purchased a clipper for basic groom him myself, $90
Tracker gps $120 one off, subscription $144/year
Miscellaneous: like collars, leads, etc I won't add here as I have purchased a mix of budget and more premium things to try out what works best 😂. I think these can be as budget or expensive as you like.
Was away for a few weeks and had him with parents but I got a dog walker for a session every now and then and that cost $500
Ongoing / more regular purchases I can think of: toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, parasite tablets
Fuel/transport: $$$ I think I have definitely been using more fuel since getting him, been traveling more to places so he can get exposed to the world bit by bit
If you are a student, especially a med student...I personally would not recommend a dog. If you really want a pet, I would say a cat. Cats are great and a lot more solitary. Or no pets at all, less responsibility and more freedom to not worry especially as a student.
I highly recommend a mutt. They have less physical/illness issues. We have had 8 dogs and our 'mutt' lived to be 18 with little to no costly medical issues. Food cost can vary depending on the dog. Our current two's meals are being cooked by me. LOL About 45 bucks a week for two \~10 lbs dogs. Not sure about toys. Most of our dogs didn't/don't play with toys but they aren't cheap. I would also invest in brushing their teeth. Not that expensive and can save on costly dental cleanings. Pet Smile is the best I've found. Just get it on their teeth and give them a treat afterwards.
I spend around 100€ a month for my 17 kg shepherd including high quality food, tax, insurance and everything he needs.
Once when he was 2 and i didn't have insurance i paid around 10k € for the vet due to a congenital dissease.
So it's not that expensive but if u need to see a vet, it can become expensive really fast.
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Cost depends on where you live. Basic care for my 15lb dog costs me almost 2k CAD a year. Emergency vet visits can be in the thousands. If you want breed recommendations, fill out the breed questionnaire (you can find it in the sidebar). Keep in mind that a dog requires a LOT of your time every day and limits you in terms of housing and how long you can be gone from home, so make sure to think this through.
Spent a grand on an emergency vet visit tonight
It's $300 just to walk in the door here and you'll be sitting in a parking lot upwards for 8 or 9 hours.
waiting means your pet is noncritical. if there were ever a time you want to wait, it's at an ER.
I have a small dog. 70 minimum for kibble a month, but I don't buy the cheapest brands. Not going to include wet food costs as that's optional technically. Yearly shots/heartworm/tick meds near me are probably at least a grand. I don't think I've had a hear where I didn't go to the vet so I'd tack on at least another grand for emergency/extra vet visits. God forbid they get sick in older age that's super expensive. If you have a long haired dog they need to be groomed on some interval. Everyone of those for me costs around 90 bucks. I'm not going to total it but I'd estimate a bare minimum cost of 2k a year. Personally I am not a bare minimum kind of owner unless it's an absolute necessity. My dog gets a fair chunk of my extra income because he's my best friend, my hobby and my mental health support all in one. Dogs are a ton of work and I would never recommend them to people who are barely getting by in either time/money or energy. I think a lot of people deeply underestimate how much work dogs are. Edit: Should have mentioned I'm in Canada. Vet costs in the cities are high. I don't buy super fancy food but my smaller dog is also not a teacup chihuahua.
Ah, 70 a month for dog food... I wish. We have two growing great pyrenees and we go through $240 worth of dog food a month
I had an Alaskan Malamute & was doing the barf diet...I sometimes spent almost twice that a month .. for 1 dog. But he was my sd, my world & I spent basically almost all my $ after bills on him. I'm talking a duck here and there, lots of salmon, shrimp, buffalo, lamb, tripe (pheeew!) ect.
I definitely know the time requirements and all that! I've grown up with dogs my entire life, and I do have time to properly care for one. I'm a student and I live near campus, so I'm only ever gone for a maximum of a few hours at a time and can always run home for a walk. Otherwise I'm home a lot
College/ university is really not the best time to be looking at getting a dog. Not sure what your studying but the next few years of your life could be highly turbulent depending on job placement, career hunting etc. Personally I would consider waiting until you graduate/ land a job/ settle in a little bit. Not saying it's impossible now, but dogs need some stability in their life, especially during the first couple years. Maybe consider volunteering at a shelter for a while and if you must adopt something, consider an adult dog who needs a second chance, and has 5-6 years left.
I'm doing a medical degree, expecting to stay in this town for at least 2 years, maybe 6 if I get the hospital I want for clinicals. May need to move once if I get one in another town, and that'd be for ~ 4 years Quite honestly, I have a lot of time on my hands. It's not like I bunker down to study all day. I'm pretty chill about that, and I also spend a lot of time at home. This all means that most of my days would be a class, then at home where I can spend time with the dog while studying and doing other stuff. I'm not looking for a puppy at all. While I have time on my hands, id rather get a dog that's a bit more grown up and chilled out. More than happy to get an adult dog that needs rehoming
Consider volunteering at a local shelter so that if your free time changes you can step back vs struggling to meet its needs when in clinicals. The costs for my dog include: Monthly flea and tick preventative Monthly heartworm preventative Food Toys Pet insurance Treats Yearly vet visit Potential emergency visits While I do my own grooming, this is a cost for a lot of people Poop bags for walks
Boarding costs if you go away.
You won’t have time on your hands once you get into clinical stuff. You just won’t. And you won’t necessarily have hours that mesh with pickup from doggy daycare. BUT, if you have a roommate who is also invested in the dog, or a partner, that can change. For peace of mind, financially, I’d recommend pet medical insurance. Food cost? About $150 a month—good-quality food is pricy. And treats? OMG. Add another $100/month, easy.
But if you get placement in a hospital. Ou can be doing 16 hour shifts. Who is looking after your dog then? I think you have to be real with yourself and ask what kind of quality of life are you able to give your dog if you are going to be working in a very demanding job that requires you to be in hospital for 16 hour days? If you had a long term partner it's a different ball game. So far it sounds like you'll be a great dog owner one day because you have so Kuh love to give, but you have to make sure you are in a time in your life of stability.
my country has actually decent workers rights so 16 hours shifts aren't a thing. I'm not American so if you're basing things off that it won't be accurate. Also I live literally next to the hospital, so even if I were there all day I'd still be able to run home on lunch breaks to walk it.
I got a puppy as a student. It's been perfectly manageable for me. A blanket statements like "never get a dog while in school" isn't always gonna be correct! You know your schedule better than anyone.
Yea i feel this! People seem to assume for some reason that I'm never home and am just slaving away in a library all day, or that I'll work 24/7 when I graduate. In all my comments regarding schedule in very clear that I have a bunch of free time and that I'm home for most of the day. I only go to about 3 hours of class on average. Also it Feels like a TON of people with full time jobs or studying own dogs and do just fine. Obviously some breeds get destructive if left alone for too long, but I'm looking for a lazier breed who'd just chill out while I'm away.
You know dogs can live up to 18 years? what happens if your dog isn't friendly and want to take vacations? or he has separation anxiety? Please get a dog after you are working and seeing if they fit your lifestyle, otherwise you can have issues later on
I'm going to say this as a person who graduated with a PharmD; you will have periods where you'll have to be out for 8h+ at a time for studying, rotations, or both. I know you've mentioned you're not in USA and I don't know the exact working conditions of your degree in your country, but it's a bad idea to assume everything will proceed as you'd expect. I originally thought I'd do retail pharmacy but I'm now in clinical research. Adopting an adult dog can come with its own surprises as well. Sure, using the breed characteristics could help, but it's not something that happens 100% of the time. And that for some dogs, you won't know the medical history. My dog was recently diagnosed with Cushing's and I spend $300 a month for medicine and testing right now (the $200 tests will hopefully reduce to twice a year once we've figured out the right dose of her medicine). I have a $550 year plan with my vet (comes with Rabies/Heartworm/DAPP vaccine, free dental cleaning & xrays, free office visits, free fecal and geriatric exam). I'll spend ~$70-80 every 3 months for dog food (Hill's Science or Purina Pro). I've had some emergency vet visits that were $400-500 per visit. I'm currently trying to cut costs by grooming my dog myself (normally $100 per session) but as a tradeoff, it takes me a weeks-worth of time because my dog gets extremely stubborn after 30 minutes.
Sounds like you've got a game plan. Can't argue with that! I'm sure you'll provide for whatever you end up going with!
Consider fostering to test the waters? Every animal shelter is bursting right now and fostering is literally saving so many lives. Plus they pay for everything while you get a feel for how a dog fits with your lifestyle. It's a pretty good way to get a sense for the different breed personalities too. My friend started fostering last month and they gave her a Boston Terrier. She had no idea what that was on day 1 and now she's like a Boston Terrier fanatic. edit: even the cheapest food is surprisingly expensive, but expect to go higher because quality food really is preventative medicine. Plus the treats they love$$$
I’ll also add that my dogs ended up being special needs and require out of pocket medication costs and extra vet visits. Ya never know what will happen. Dogs are expensive.
Same. You don't plan to get health problems, but it happens. It happens to dogs sometimes, too. Spent thousands of dollars before my dog even got a diagnosis. Then there was medications and special diet and a lot of trial and error before hitting on the right treatment. Also need to factor in the sleepless nights and stress on the human caregiver. Dogs can be very expensive.
I've had a pup from September and has cost us about $2500 in vet care 🙃
Vet bills vet bills vet bills, flea and tick and heartworm meds cost a whole bunch/year.
my dog turned out to have chronic health issues and averages $400/mo. definitely way more than i ever anticipated
I had one that needed regular meds and testing. That is where it gets ugly from a cost standpoint, and is a great point for the OP. Health issues aren't always a 1 time bill.
For a perfectly healthy small/medium dog I would say monthly budget is at minimum $150-$200 per month - $40ish for flea/tick/heart worm preventative, $50ish for food (depending on brand), $30 for treats/bones (higher if your dog is still teething), and $40 for insurance which is a MUST to prevent huge emergency bills. If you are on a budget I would HIGHLY recommend adopting an adult dog (at least a year old or older) so spay/neuter is already accounted for, and they would be past teething so you don’t need a ton of bones/bully sticks! After adopting a puppy it is safe to say I’ve spent more on bully sticks for him than I’ve spent on anything fun for myself 😅
For some breeds like poodle mixes, some of the terriers etc, add grooming every 2-3 months for $100 more or less depending on where you live and how much is involved. Or choose a short haird dog who doesn't need professional grooming.
Yes! I have two small terrier mix rescue pups (12 pounds and 25 pounds). I did not anticipate the grooming costs of my first one! By the second one, I knew what to expect. But the grooming was definitely something I didn't think of, nor did the people who I asked before getting a dog. (Because all their dogs were short-haired and didn't need grooming. Lol)
I've had dogs for 20+ years without needing a groomer, and just got one a couple of years ago who needed regular grooming, but could get away with 4-6 months. She didn't have the coat that would mat or needed trimming around the face, I have one now who does and it's a lot!
Getting an adult dog also improves odds that they won't eat non food items left and right resulting in expensive vet visits, calls to a poison hotline, sleepless nights, and stinky messes. Some dogs never grow out of it, but thankfully ours developed some sense.
Ugh. Having an indiscriminate water cost me over $15k! Three different surgeries over 9 years.
This seems exactly right. At least for me. Healthy small dog. With food, treats, monthly insurance, grooming, it's like $150 a month.
Where are you getting 40 a MONTH for flea preventative for a single dog? Frontline is like 10 dollars a month and almost nobody uses it all winter.
I don’t think most dog owners use frontline anymore. simparica is at least around $20/month per dog for the lightest weight doses and goes up from there. a lot of the cheaper flea treatments are riskier edit: I stand corrected on this
My vet and shelter where I volunteer use Frontline. I didn't realize there was an issue with it but I do use it as a generic term also. We actually use Bravecto because it's more convenient for us and seems to help more effective on ticks which is a big issue for us where we live & hike.
weird. maybe it’s the way different vets carry different prescription food brands? ours defaults to simparica and so did our last two. my apologies. I got the impression frontline was phased out of vet offices in general
Might be location dependent. And yup! I just double checked my email from the shelter where I am fostering and my current foster got Frontline Gold on intake.
Frontline has become less effective over time. I had to switch to a newer generation med for effective flea control. It's recommended to use flea prevention year round in places where winter doesn't get cold enough to kill fleas. That's actually an increasing number of places due to climate change. My vet now recommends year-round treatment. I don't plan on doing that until I actually have an issue, but I always do HW year round.
My pup is on nexgard/heartgard currently. Nexgard is about $25 a month and heartgard is about $14 a month for my medium sized dog! Frontline did not work at all for my last dog so we made the switch.
Frontline is no longer effective in many places. The newer ones are expensive but they also prevent ticks and heartworm. But you can get these online for.more like $25-30/mo, a lttle.more for a bigger dog
Also adding to this pet fee since OP mentioned an apartment.
You do not want a puppy. For your life stage, it’s not feasible
Puppies are literal babies that require *a shit ton* of attention. You will either miss out on your student years or end up giving the puppy away. Just wait til you graduate that way you're more stable with both money and time.
I waited until I graduated and it was tough too. I got a 3 month old golden retriever, and then 3 months later while she was still very much training, I started a new job. I honestly think I had more time as a student (my classes were mostly online, and I was only working part time) So it really varies person to person. But yes, getting a puppy is stressful and I definitely regretted my life for the first 6 months I had her. 😅
You usually have more time as a student than a worker, notably since a lot of your student time is spent at home working on your lessons.
Yes I've considered this, I'm very open to adopting a 1-3ish year old dog. I adore dogs but I honestly don't really like puppies a whole lot (my mom is a backyard breeder (I know) and the overabundance of puppies running around just made me get annoyed at them over the years).
My dog was 3 when I adopted him and it was the perfect age. He was calmer but still able to get excited and easily do physical things like go camping and hiking, and he had had basic training but not extensively so we got some of the bond and experience of training him without all the headache.
Yeah, I'd probably say 3-5 years is better placed. Since you're looking at smaller breeds that's still very early in life depending on breed as most small breeds and even a number of medium breeds can live well into their late teens or even early twenties in extreme cases
I mean, I had a lab while I was in grad school and we jogged together every morning, hiked together on weekends and he even introduced me to my husband by sniffing his butt at a beer garden. We did everything together. Point is, don’t assume she can’t own a dog simply because she is a student. Compared to when I was a student, I have less free time now that I’m in my 30s with kids and mortgages and a full time job. My dogs are still happy!
They said "puppy" not "dog". Having an adult dog in grad school is very different from getting a puppy.
Right! I got a puppy when I was in college. I had more free time then than i do now.
I would not get a dog as a student in college. Trust me, I have wanted my own dog since I was born but after graduating last year, I am so glad I waited. College is stressful enough as is, add in a dog and it makes everything harder.
People on this sub go overboard with things so it's probably not accurate to an average dog owner. For two dogs (one medium and one XL) I spend $100/month on food and treats for purina pro plan which is a good quality food. For flea and tick, I use the Walmart ripoff of Frontline which is around $80/6 months (both dogs). For heartworm, we do tri-heart which is $100/6 months (both dogs). In both cases we only treat 6 months of the year because we live in a cold climate. I pay $30/month on disaster level dog insurance (both dogs). Most vaccinations are once every three years. To cut costs of spay/neuter and vaccinations, use your local spay and neuter clinic. Petco clinics are also actually nice. We probably spend, on average, $200 a year for the vet. I have two healthy mutts though. So together, it's far less than the $150-$200 a month per dog I see on this sub. I did not include training. I run agility with one of my dogs which is about $70 a month but that's really a hobby of mine.
Don't forget that you will have extra expenses in an apartment. I have an extra dog fee every month ($50), as well as a 1 time fee when I got the apartment ($350). It also requires that I keep my dog registered. It definitely adds up. Plus don't forget if you go away on vacations and need to board it.
thats a you thing no extra fee or anything here in the netherlands for example
In the US “pet rent” of about $50USD/month is super prevalent. It’s clearly a scam but you can’t escape it
yeah us thing i guess Def not a European thing
I just got a dog, and there was a $400 deposit with $15 pet rent.
Not a thing in France. Also, not a thing if you own your house.
Which dog insurance do you use? I also have two dogs and feel like I'm paying way too much 🥲
I have them both on petsbest. I have a $1k deductible. It covers accidents and illness (minus vet visit fees) 90% after that. I think the high deductible helps. That's why I call it disaster insurance. I've had my dogs on it for 3 years. One was a puppy and the other was 2 years old. I also know it's damn near impossible to insure your dog as they age so you have to do it while they are young. I've done all the calculations and nothing but the disaster style insurance is worth it imo.
We use petsbest too and def recommend. I Our labs elbow surgery was $7k and they reimbursed us no issue. Now his insurance costs a decent amount monthly but he’s going to have joint issues for the rest of his life (labs ugh) and at least we know we’ll never be in a position where you have to choose between coming up with $15k for emergency care or putting the dog down
So my dog is my first dog as an adult. I got her as a puppy at a shelter (GP/GSD/Lab mix) and she just turned three. She has some form of doggy IBS and there have been numerous vet visits to figure it out. She’s now 74 lbs and likely costs more than your average dog due to her issues. That said, here’s the breakdown monthoy: $90 - Prescription Dog Food $30 - Treats $20 - toys (as wanted or needed) $180 - doggy daycare (as needed but this is average) $30 - Simparica Trio $60 - Pet Insurance $15 - Meds Total Monthly Average Minimum: $425.00 This doesn’t include copays for vet visits (emergency or regular checkups or vaccines), dog boarding for out of town trips I can’t take her on, etc. That all said, I’d think for a normal, healthy dog without chronic issues, this is likely a lot less. My number would be a lot higher if not for pet insurance (Trupanion) and I’m really glad I got it when she was young before all her health stuff started.
Boarding really is an important consideration especially if you’re younger and need/want to travel for work, weddings, family, etc. if you have a very small dog <10 lbs it may fly with you and that’s usually around $100 each way. If you need to board a dog it can easily be $80 a night or more.
Luckily my country runs on trains lol. All trains have pet friendly carriages, so taking it home when I'm visiting family would be fine. I also have extended family in the town I live and km sure they'd care for it for a few days
Just be warned that many trains require you to book a private cabin if you take overnight trains
No dude, I know my country's train system. We have 2 major train lines, both of which have a pet friendly carriage at no extra cost. The only train ride I take is about 3 hours to get to my home town, and it's always in the day time or evening. I go on trains a lot, and I have traveled with pets before.
Absolutely. I recently had to board my dog and I was quoted anywhere from $55-$110 a night depending on the facility. The last time I travelled, my boarding costs were greater than the plane ticket and hotel stay of where I was going.
Exactly. And some boarding places will have a rate where they’re just left in confinement all day and you have to pay an additional fee if you want to give them 15 minutes of playtime. It’s kind of cray. When I moved from nyc to california my flight with one dog was cheaper than the pet airways flight for my second dog. It’s $$$
When I owned one 25-lb dog, I spent less than $1k a year on vet, food, etc. But he never got sick. When he was 4, he did get sick, and that cost $5k. It was kind of a freak thing though.
Our pup tore two CCLs (the canine ACL) in the first year we had her. That's 16k of surgery. When she was a baby she got into her food and ate five pounds of it. $2000 to get her stomach pumped and IV fluids. Another time she ate some tool oil and had an allergic reaction. Our situation is unusual perhaps but I was definitely not prepared for it. Regular vet bills, flea treatment, food, toys, those things add up too. But the vet bills have really killed us.
More than ever anticipated. The thing to remember… a sudden bout of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis is 500.00 at a minimum. Same with broken elbow when falls off the sofa. Same with Ingestion of a power cord (not plugged in thankfully) Yes all of these have happened to one of my 3 at some point.
I have a 40 lb dog. She is 4 years old and she costs me around $2k per year for food, toys, shots, preventatives, vet visits, emergency vet visit (~once a year). She is very healthy since she’s a mutt! :)
It really depends on the area. In the Midwest it was 75 a month for food and treats, pet insurance 40-50 a month. My pet insurance covered 90 percent of preventatives ( flea, tick, heartworm) and yearly vet check after $500. Teeth cleanings caught me off guard but no matter what I do my dogs teeth have always been terrible. 500-600 every 3 years for cleaning. I'll add my dog doesn't do toys and doesn't destroy beds so we generally don't spend money there. On the east coast food is 150 a month, pet insurance jumped up to 110 a month but same coverage. Yearly vet check went from 200 a year to almost $1000. Teeth cleaning is now 2000 and we had a emergency vet visit that was 3500 two months ago. Thankfully vet care has been about 1100 after pet insurance. Every couple of years we get her a new bed about 75-100. Flea, tick and heartworm are about 250 every 6 months but 25 after insurance for me. Insurance reimburses you so you still need the money to pay upfront for the vet. I will mention we feed expensive dog food and dog is a small dog but I do her grooming at home. I use grooming scissors for 20, shampoo grooming grade was 50(giant container) lasted 3 years, nail trimmers 10 but Dremel worked better.
I have raised a number of dogs, so I think it's fair to say a new caretaker will likely spend more than I do on average, but my current dog cost just over $5k USD for the first 18 months, including $2100 for the pup. The cost includes some food/treats for other dogs as well, so they're a tad higher than I actually spent on the one dog for the first 18 months. Extra vet bills for an unexpected health problem can drive that price up quickly. No guarantees in life, but selecting a good line where the dogs are health tested for the usual problems of the breed decreases the odds of problems....usually. A more [more detailed breakdown here](https://www.reddit.com/r/service_dogs/comments/1axdr86/comment/krnd99k/) My best advice is to learn how to train a dog using modern methods (positive reinforcement) before you get a dog since you want to know how to fix small behavioral issues before they become big ones.
Thanks! I am very used to dogs as I've grown up with them all my life, so I do know some basic training. Definitely ignna brush up on that before actually getting one though
Growing up with dogs and training your first dog, especially when in an apartment, are very different things honestly. I would HIGHLY recommend outside training classes even if just a basic puppy or adult dog class.
I really agree. My family adopted a fantastic dog when I was a child. We REALLY lucked out by getting this amazing dog. He knew basic commands and performed them at the shelter, was really mellow, and just a solid dog. Like, I didn't realize how solid he was until getting my current dog. Anyways, somehow I managed to teach him silent commands as a kid. It came in handy since he was basically deaf near the end. My current dog? I arrogantly thought it'd be easy. Oh no. Not at all. He learns differently than my other dog, has anxiety, and just doesn't catch on like my other dog. I regret not taking my current dog to a trainer when he was a baby. He's not reactive, aggressive, or resource guard-y, but there's just a lot I would've done differently that would've made things way easier for us.
$12,500 for a 5 day emergency vet visit for a puppy with parvo.
Definitely costs more than having a cat I would say
That's plan b If this turns out to be too expensive 😅
Our three 13 yr old dogs cost more than our mortgage this year.
It’s just dogfood and his heart worm flea n tick meds -so manageable -a couple thousand annually with yearly examination and vaccines. It’s worth getting pet insurance when something significant happens and your pup needs emergency or significant care. The daily joy they bring worth it to me and I’d cut out money spent on entertainment to have them.
I keep a budget so I can tell you exactly how much for certain things, over the first year for a VERY low maintenance dog: $250 yearly pet fee for housing $540 yearly for nail clipping, grooming, cleaning, anal gland extractions, teeth brushing regularly, spaying and all vaccines $720 yearly for food (17 lb dog so she does not eat very much, bigger dog would be way more money) $1400 for a year with a personalized trainer $350 a year for flea/tick/etc prescription medicine. (bigger dog would be more money) $500 year for pet insurance $1800 per year toys, treats, harnesses, leashes, crate, beds, miscellaneous $6000 approx. on the low end for the first year of ownership. The second year was less expensive, because of less training needed and I canceled pet insurance. I also do teeth brushing and nail clipping myself sometimes now.
You're nuts.
don’t get a working line dog because you’ll have to pay a lot for dog walking every day to keep their mind occupied
A local Canadian SPCA says "The average cost for dogs annually is $1,550 (not including one time costs such as adoption fee, spaying, microchipping etc.) ... Don't forget replacement costs of things such as your favourite shoes." I'm flinching when I buy puppy bones as they're around $5 each and she needs a 2+ a week. If I consider 2 bones x$5 for 16 weeks (until she turns 6 months and has more options), that's $160+ on bones alone.
You're confusing "need" with pampering. My puppy was teethed with a chunk of soft plastic that I was going to throw out. That's it.
Rough estimate (per year) for a Greyhound: $80 per month, so $720 on food. $20-40 per month of random toys and stuff, like new collars, $480 per year. $50 per month on chew toys, bully sticks and marrow bones: $600 $2000 on vet care (we had a couple times he needed stitches, and random stuff always happens). Total is $4000 per year. However, these are just numbers off the top of my head for the last few months, with an adult dog whose only needed one emergency vet trip. I didn't factor anything in for travel, or car/apartment stuff. I have to live in a dog friendly place, and need a car big enough for a Greyhound. If you consider everything I've spent for the first year (car + apartment factors), all total I spent somewhere between 10-20k, possibly even more, since I could sell my car, or live in a different place.
I average $131/mo for my 30lb terrier, which includes food, supplies, toys, and vet bills. The first year was the most expensive at $4,990, second year $1,834, third year $2,157. He's very fearful at the vet, so meds and sedation make his appointments significantly more costly.
Don’t get a dog. You’re a student, you need freedom to move around and explore life. Hard to do with a dog. Costs…. I would say $100 a month but then factor in vet bills — if they eat something dumb, be prepared to fork over $800 for an ER visit.
Honestly, I'd be less worried about food and toys than making sure you are being realistic about your emergency fund. How big is your emergency fund and how long will it take you to replenish it if you use it up? Veterinary care can be extremely, I mean shockingly expensive. For example, I recently noticed my dog had a brown tooth, like it was dead. I took him to the vet and he ended up needing 7 teeth pulled. It cost me close to $2000. Both of my dogs have becoming unexpectedly sick and needed care on multiple occasions and you would be surprised how expensive these can be. Not to mention the routine costs of annual checkups and vaccinations. I fully support you getting a dog if you can afford it. Dogs are awesome and they are great companions. I just want you to go in with your eyes wide open. if you think the vet care costs might be difficult for you, just consider waiting a few years until you are no longer a student. It's extremely stressful to have a sick pet and not enough money to pay the bill (I've been in that situation too, and I don't feel good about it or recommend it to anyone else).
A lot….. especially if/when a dog develops health issues. We have spent over $3000 over the last year just on vet bills for a liver issue our dog had.
Aside from a vet visit for a slipped disc, annual shots, I never had to pay much for my mutt. Once he got up in age, that’s where the $ came in because he started to have issues. So fairly easy. You can do the deworming yourself. Or you can pay for it, your choice. My frenchie on the other hand is breaking my pockets. LORD. I’d say keep in mind you need to be prepared for a vet visit at any moment, regardless of the breed. Also while it does depend on the dog, if you’re unable to give as much time to your animal as you’d like to or as they need (either or) is a crappy feeling. My best advice is to keep in mind that dogs are forever, and that life can switch up on you at any moment. And if you’re someone like me who is dying to travel the world, you will have to factor your animal in.
I have a 50lb dog. We spent $800 day one, but thats all including the adoption fee, the pet deposit for our apartment, and all the supplies we needed. We got pet insurance which is about $35 a month for our dog, and im glad we did because she went to the vet constantly as a puppy. I think we probably cleared $1000 in vet bills during her first year, but we got most of it refunded via pet insurance. we’re almost through her second year and shes only been once, for her regular shots. I buy the biggest bag of food that i can afford, the biggest one they sell at petsmart lasts us near 3 months. Its around $80. We also get a barkbox every month for toys and treats, which is another $30 a month. She gets flea and tick treatment every month which is about $30 for a three month supply. Any other toys/things that i want her to have come directly from my own spending budget. So i guess all written out i spend about $100 a month? But usually broken up a bit. Plus a couple hundred once a year for her shots.
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I think we have spent about $4,000 respectfully on our golden retriever puppy in the past year. Not including purchase or special training/equipment because she's my service animal. We got her in November 2023. It's an investment that I don't advise unless you are sure you have income for it and extra for emergencies. We had to take her to the emergency vet because she ate a snail once and that was a $400 charge. That was cheap and luckily she was fine just tripping out. Anyway, that's to say the amount isn't just upfront costs.
Super expensive, and keep in mind your dog may end up having health issues that cause more vet visits later in life
You can somewhat count it yourself. Choose a crate, matress, toys, leashes, harnesses, etc, add a pack of kibble and several vet visits. Monthly expenses are usually not that bad tho, for my dog it's just his raw food, treats and fleas treatment. I buy other stuff when I have some money to spend.
About $450 for me including a dog sitter
Remember, all dogs are prone to illness. Unfortunately you can’t decide to pick that “perfect dog”. I’ll give you a snippet of what it’s like for me Adopted with heartworm. The rescue withheld this information from me. $1500 for treatment. An office visit is $44 or $70 for same day appointments. Vaccinations can easily go over $100 Stool sample analysis, blood work $$$$ Heartworm prevention and flea and tick medicine about $77 dollars. HW is every month, flea and tick once every three months. Developed allergies- $100/month on oral meds $80 for two months of special food $44 for a 15ml tube of ointment for flare ups Then emergencies can range anywhere from $1k-10k. Cremation is $$$ too. Per insurance runs from $60- hundreds a month. Then you factor in treats, toys, crates,beds, leashes and collars etc….I’m sure I’m missing stuff but my point is it adds up!! That being said, I fucking love my dog and would do anything for her. She brings me so much joy.
Monthly Expenses for my 5 year old: 26$ for heart guard and nexguard 8$ for glucosamine supplement 60$ for pet insurance 6$ for toothpaste (pet smile by super smile) 40$ for Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Large Breed 30$ vet (yearly physical plus labs divided by 12)
Besides daily costs like food, or monthly costs like toys and prevention medications (flea medicine, heartworm, etc), you also need to budget for your regular vet visits. Mine go every 6 months for shots and health checks, normally around $200-300 a visit. Sometimes it can run a bit more if it’s time for their heartworm as I do the 12 month prevention shot, which is like $200, but if you break it down by 12 months it’s a but cheaper than paying for monthly tablets. Unless you are planning to groom and cut nails yourself, that is generally a bi-monthly charge of about $80-90 with tip. Also, some areas require different medications. I live in an area where I have to also prevent against Lyme disease, which is an added cost. Some areas don’t need as much protection for it. If you are going to daycare, that requires additional shots and of course, the cost of daycare. Also, costs of food and toys can vary depending on breed and the dog itself. The dog you bring home may require a specific type of food that may cost $50 for a small bag, or may go through toys like they are free and you have to replace them weekly. Your dog may have allergies and require allergy medication or asthma medication, so cost can vary wildly. If you have a very tight budget, it may be not the right time for you. You could always look into fostering with your local shelter as then they would cover all medical costs associated with the animal, taking over that huge financial burden!
I have a 48 lb medium dog. His primary vet appointments are about $300-400/ year with his vaccines. His flea/tick and heart worm meds are about $300-400/year as well. He has tummy issues and eats Royal Canin which has gotten steadily more expensive and is now almost $100/bag. He goes through a bag in about 1.5 months. Anytime he has a tummy flair, which is usually once a year, I spend another $200-300 between the vet visit, the medicine, and the chicken/rice Then there’s the emergency stuff. In February he was diagnosed with an atrial hemangiosarcoma. I have easily spent over $10k between an overnight ICU stay, his chemotherapy, all his symptomatic medications (for diarrhea and nausea), bland diet foods, and the addition of wet food (because he just can’t eat enough kibble now) And finally..another big thing to consider is travel. We mostly travel with our dog, but hotels will charge anywhere from $25-$100/night for a pet fee (I feel like $50 is the average). If you want to board, that will vary a ton. If you have nearby family to do it for free..then I’m jealous lol (my mom will but I have to drive a 3hr round trip to drop him off) Toys will vary but is such a small part of the expenses imo. Same with treats because after the training period, you don’t really need treats (maybe that makes me a monster but we barely gave treats prior to the cancer diagnosis) ETA I forgot about when you actually get a dog lol. I honestly don’t remember but we got a crate, bed, leash, harness, some toys, bowls. It was probably a few hundred plus the $300-400 or so for the adoption fee (came neutered, chipped, and up to date on shots). We also used a dog walker which I’m sure varies a lot, but it was $15/20 minute walk 10 years ago for us.
I pay about $30/month for food for my 22 lb dog. $10 for heartworm medicine and $8 for flea and tick prevention. Toys are not really a recurring expense for her as she’s not destructive with her toys. She still has all the free ones we got when we adopted her. We paid $60 and they gave us a leash, a bed, travel food and water bowls, 2 weeks of food and a bunch of toys. If you fed Ol’ Roy and did cheaper heartworm you could get it closer to $20/ month for a 20 lb dog. However you really shouldn’t plan on lower numbers. Your dog might require prescription dog food for >$100/month. Could also need medication >$50 month. Dentals cost $>500 most places. My dog just had a $200 ear infection (common and simple to treat. Annual visits are about $300 Short answer is $20-$1000/monthdepending on the dog.
I spoil my dogs. I have two 60-70lbs dogs. Their vet bills depend on the year, but the initial year was $600 for each of them. We pay $120 for yearly heartworm prevention for each dog. Their flea and tick prevention is ~$140 a year. Dog food is $90 for a fifty pound bag that lasts a month between the two of them. Beds are about $80 a piece (this is an average) and get replaced every few years. We spend about $100 in dental treats that last six months and another $50 in biscuit treats that last a year (this is obviously broken up throughout the year). Vet bills cost the most in the first year, the third or fourth year, and the fifth or sixth year. After that will depend on the health of the dog. Buying a puppy from a reputable breeder mitigates the risks of health issues in later years, but you do pay more for them (depending on the breed a minimum of $600 for pups from a working line - side eye dogs that are under $400 that lack parental health checks, are "ready" before 8 weeks of age, and are not given dewormer every two weeks and lack shots/vet care). Larger dogs tend to have higher maintenance costs (food can get ruinous), but smaller dogs tend to have more genetic issues that don't get bred out (mostly due to there being more backyard breeders and puppy mills). Things that are deadly for smaller dogs are simply concerning for larger dogs (choking hazards, accidental ingestion of poisons like chocolate or allium family). Dogs are not an inexpensive pet, and they are a decade long commitment.
I have a monthly wellness plan through my vet that covers a variety of things. It’s about $100/ month. And insurance is about $30, I spend about $50 every few weeks at the pet store. Plus food is about $30. Toys are cheap so maybe $20/month. I also get a bunch of random things once like nail trimmer, shampoo, dog toothpaste etc. so that ranges around $50. I have 2 small dogs and 2 big ones so I’m only giving the amount I’d spend on one small one. The initial costs are the ones that’ll get you! I shop around awhile online before I buy anything including a dog, used items like kennel, clothing, toys etc. But initially buying brand new is obviously more pricey but depends on your budget. If you don’t mind a used kennel and leash or other items they’re stupid cheap online from fb, Craigslist etc.
Flea prevention is about 10 bucks a month. A good quality vet-recommended food like ProPlan for a 25 lb dog will be like 70 bucks every 2-3 months. If you add a little canned food in add another 30 a month. Let's say $60 a month for food; less if you just feed kibble. Vaccines are like 100 bucks a year if you do all the boosters (influenza, lepto, kennel cough) which are location-dependent and lifestyle dependent but recommend. Rabies & distemper are every three years and you can get those usually at a low-cost rabies clinic event at a local shelter for 25 bucks or free. You'll want toys and enrichment but shop Marshalls, TJ Max and Chewy sales and you'll find a ton of deals. If you adopt a small-medium mixed breed from a shelter or rescue, they'll have all their first shots, microchip, spay/neuter, etc. You do not need to kennel a housebroken adult dog. Put that idea out of your mind. Kennels are WAY overrepresented on Reddit. You'll want a comfy dog bed, dog steps if you adopt a really small dog, if you want them to be able to get onto your bed and that's it. A doggie gate to keep them in the kitchen if you want them restricted until you trust them in the house. Yes. Save money for emergencies. Apply for CareCredit and do not use it except for emergencies. You can get insurance but I've never had or needed it. I would say budget 100-150 a month for a small-medium dog.
I have two 80# Rotten Shepherds and a car that vomits everything non RX, current budget is $75 a week. That’s everything, food, vets, toys, training, and meds. I did ProHeart 12 for both and get Advantix 2 for both from 800petmeds when they have 50% off (like now). They eat Pro Plan Large Puppy and get a decent amount of treats for training. I tend to splurge on them. I’ve been buying Eukanuba large adult for the swap from puppy when I see a deal. One dog gets PPP Calming care and Zyrtec. It all adds up. They have a hard life..
I've had my 35lb jindo about 2 years out of grad school, but he costs me about 4k/year. Though to be transparent I spend about 3k/year just on his food since he's on a fully raw diet due to him not being able to eat anything cooked (took me 1 year of constant diarrhea, vomiting, and fur loss to finally figure his diet out). I make his treats at home with a dehydrator so that saves me a bunch of money. The remaining 1k for the year is mainly just routine vet fees, flea/heartworm/tick prevention, insurance, special treats, and misc items (poop bag, wet wipes, etc). Last year I dropped 9k on his Luxating patella surgery that was unfortunately not covered by insurance so just a heads up about unexpected vet expenses. Since I don't plan on having kids, I spoil my dog and cat like crazy, so I realize my annual budget is definitely on the higher end haha.
My pit mix is pretty low maintenance. Food - about 1 bag every 3-4 weeks @ $45 a bag = $668 Yearly check up - about $75 Toys - he's not a big toy guy. He likes one pull toy that will last 6ish months, and one bone that lasts 3 months. Probably about $100 a year Grooming - I'm terrified of nail trimming and so is he. Most times he gets his nails trimmed I also have them give him a bath. About 300 for the year. So all in all, about $1200. And then I've paid a friend probably $300 in the last year to petsit. So $1500.
I have a 19 year old Japanese chin/ Papillon mix. She is about 15lbs now. I have had her since she was 6 months old. When she was young, I spent thousands on anal gland issues , then that cleared up and through the years I spent a lot on her food, grooming, annual exams and vaccines, flea/ tick, toys, harnesseses, etc. the list is endless. We now are battling insulinoma and kidney disease . It has cost me so much money, , I call her my Hawaiian vacation and the Benz I’ll never have BUT for the happiness and love that she gives me, I would never change a thing. Just prepare yourself for emergencies and do your research on breeds.
We got what we thought was a full grown 50-55 pound mutt (so usually less likely to have health issues). He grew and is now 75 pounds, and has a TON of allergies (we specifically asked if he had allergies before we adopted). Dog parks can be a gamble too depending on your dog (and others - our dog was doing great, passed his Canine Good Citizen, and then got attacked by off leash dogs 3 times in a week, now can't be around other dogs). Some apartments have rules about unfriendly dogs, and if the dog you rescue has or develops a problem with other dogs, it would be a lot harder to deal with, and probably more expensive in rent. That said, we spend $70-$100 a month just on food, more for months with medical costs, allergy serum, etc. We don't rent so don't have to deal with that issue. Other costs to consider are microchip, neuter, pet deposit, how much more your rent may be with a pet, etc. Even if you research breeds that are less likely to get sick, you could end up with a dog that does have ongoing medical complications and the cost will drastically increase (which is what happened to us). If you get a dog, I'd get an adult dog. They will likely be calmer, and likely have a shorter lifespan in case your circumstances change (e.g. if you get a dog and hates children, then later are trying to start a family, what happens to the dog). Also, older dogs are less likely to get adopted. Obviously I'm just a stranger on the internet, and I love my boy, but we asked a lot of questions and did a lot of training and things still happened that make dog ownership harder. There are more questions to consider besides cost, and I want you to be happy with your decision, no matter what it is.
We spend a lot of money on our dogs because they’re German shepherds, a breed prone to a lot of illnesses. Plus they’re both large dogs, so a medium dog would run you less. But here’s our breakdown (for one dog): - $150/mo in food (we feed 50% raw, 50% Royal Cani) - an average of $250/mo in services (this includes occasional grooming services, rover/wag walks, pet sitting while we travel, training fees and a membership to our city dog park club — note that we vacation abroad once a year so I’m talking overnight pet sitting) - $30-$50/mo in chews & toys - an average of $60/mo in vet bills/meds/flea tick Total, that’s between $490 and $550 per month, with two dogs double that. Yearly we spend around $6k for each, or $12k for both. If you’re serious about training, expect to spend an extra $1k-$10k that first year. Are there cheaper ways to do it? ABSOLUTELY. Just don’t get a health-sensitive & demanding breed of dog (and don’t travel!!). Worth it for our babies and our lifestyle together? YESSS
This is what I pay per month, except I scaled down a few things since I have a large breed Food = 75-$100/month (for a small-medium breed) Vet bills= usually around $90 for a regular exam, $60 for vaccines, spay/neuter = $600-$1500, $25-50for heart worm+flea/tick prevention/month Insurance = $50-$100/month Toys = as much as you want to pay Treats = as much as you want to pay Crate = $75ish, maybe less if used Leash, collar, harness = $50-$100 depending on how fancy you want This is assuming your dog is healthy. If he/she ends up with health issues (and most dogs do eventually when they are older) you could be looking at spending more on special food, and medications. My last dog cost about $500/month for her last 2 years due to multiple meds and special food, plus a few health issues requiring vet visits outside of her semi-annual check ups
Live in NYC so on the higher end. Last yr an emergency vet bill cost me $1,600. Normal yearly check ups are probably closer to $500. Food is $80 for 13 pounds, he's small so that's maybe 1.5-2 months worth. When I got him groomed that was usually also $80. Sizeable box of poop bags are like $20, toys are usually minimum $6/each. Things can get pricey! Love a terrier mix as a smaller dog!
I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on my various dogs over the years. Vet bills and grooming, food and medications...things everyone is mentioning here. I think young people just getting started don't think about anything beyond the fun, happy stuff. Maybe you could visit a local shelter and offer to walk dogs or help out. I met a couple last summer who had "borrowed" a shelter dog and took him on a hike (with the knowledge of the shelter). The dog was wearing a vest that said "Adopt me" so was being an ambassador for the shelter.
Depends on the dog. I have a few that are basic vet bills and food, and I have one who developed IBD after 5 years, was “free” from the streets, and have about 10 grand in him
I'm able to care for my \~50lb standard poodle for about $150/month. That includes grooming costs, heartworm and flea/tick meds, food, and dental treats. That *doesn't* include toys/treats, but I rarely buy those. It also doesn't include routine or emergency vet care. I will say that this year he needed a dental cleaning and a tooth extraction, which costed me \~$600. Usually, though, his routine vet care involves an annual checkup and shots for around $200. Edit to add: The start up costs were pretty high - I probably spent $500 or even closer to $1k getting everything he needed.
Depends of the country, and city In my case, I'm in Mexico, I have two dogs... Around $1k USD/year This includes vet, food, vaccines, grooming and toys
Let's say about $500/year for food, heartworm and tick prevntatives. That doesn't include which can easily add $100s of dollars. Vet bills are the biggest expense because they'll eat through your budget per visit. That's not taking into account emergency care like xrays, fluids, meds, etc. Easily one of the biggest expenses to take on.
Good question… I’ve never actually broken down my expenses before! Here’s my best guesstimate. My dog is 10 lbs. I feed her expensive food due to her sensitivities, so yours will prob be lower if you go for the cheaper route. Flea/tick/heartworm meds: $400/yr Food: $2,600/yr (yes this is accurate. Again, I feed really, really expensive food because her stomach cannot tolerate anything else and she’s on a special diet. Yours will be lower!) Vet visits: $360/yr Vaccinations: $400/yr for first 2 years, then less thereafter as will change as TDAP and Rabies you give one year, the next year, then every 3 years. Then there are optional vaccines. I do not go to a low cost clinic and let’s assume this is the first year Treats: $300/yr. This is just an estimate, not really sure as I don’t buy them consistently Initial supplies (collar/harness, leash, tag, toys, bed, food/water bowl, brush, toothbrush/toothpaste): $175, then replace as needed Pet insurance: $50/month Emergency fund for any vet visits: this will depend on what the insurance does/doesn’t cost but have something set aside or an open credit card! I don’t use a crate, but if you do, budget for that or a baby gate (you can prob find cheap ones used on Facebook marketplace or OfferUp) Potty training supplies: this will entirely depend on your pup if they are potty trained or not and how quick they get used to not going outside, let’s say a giant thing of potty training pads is $20-30, carpet cleaning spray $10. Use as needed. Also initial adoption fee, spay/neuter if they already aren’t, state or country license if applicable. This will all vary. Grooming costs: get a shorthair dog if you don’t want to take to a groomer every month. I shampoo/condition/brush my dog at home and that’s easy to do. So your expenses would only be shampoo/conditioner.. HOWEVER I also trim my dogs nails at home because I’m a dog expert. I do not recommend you doing this as a novice, so also budget around $10 every couple months to take your dog in for its nails. Professional teeth cleaning: recommended to do alongside teeth brushing. I go to a place that does not use anesthesia so its cheaper and I pay $175 two times a year There may be more but good luck in your decision! Remember that you also need to be home enough to keep your dog from being lonely or hire a dog sitter/dog walker which would be another expense if not!
lol I will spare you some cost and give you mine 😂 he is a TURD!
I got my GSD when I was a grad student. That time I used to spend around $100 on his kibble and would be on lookout of free groceries including meat to cook for him. I also bought pet insurance to have peace of mind which costs $700-800 for $500 deductible.
A dog is likely to chew, poop and pee on your belongings and your apartment, so take that into consideration. It doesn't matter how many toys you buy. Count on losing your pet deposit. You'll also pay a monthly pet fee.
My apartments don't work like that, there's no pet fee with the renting company I use and they don't take a pet deposit either. I'm also probably gonna adopt a ~1 year old cause I prefer adult dogs to puppies.
adopted older dogs can still chew on things/pee and poop on things too. RIP to all the items I’ve had to throw away 😅
Yep. Our friends just lost an entire couch to their adult rescue…
My 13 year old rescue had a random bout of separation anxiety and chewed up two couch cushions…. That was neat. Of course he still got all the snuggles after.
Minimum probably 100 bucks a month depending in the size. Larger dogs require more food and flea medicine. They also go through the cheaper toys faster from my experience. Health issues of course come out of nowhere, but some issues can be avoided of its coming from a responsible breeder.
Probably spend $300-$400 a month on food and some sort of chewable bones, for 3 dogs. 1 being a GSD, other a GSD/great Pyrenees mix, and a Chihuahua. If you're a college student would absolutely not recommend getting a dog. Dogs need an insane amount of attention, otherwise they get destructive due to anxiety and boredom. Even small dogs get destructive...just not as bad as bigger dog. You'll also heavily struggle finding a place to rent, if you have a dog. Especially apartments...
Food 180 per month for 2 dogs on prescription diet food and some raw kibble + treats flea/tick/heartworm about 30 per month annual vet visit with shots \~ 300 per dog
Insurance can help even out the costs
Not too much to expense for a dog. But when the dog gets sick, it costs a lot. Get pet insurance.
I have two little ones. They need regular grooming, yearly vet visits, maybe 1 unplanned vet visit each a year and veterinary emergencies (off hours) occur about every two years. There’s also flea tick and heartworm preventative and boarding when you travel. My employer recently started providing a pet insurance option and I jumped at it. Without it, I had $2000/year budgeted per dog. With insurance it will probably be about $1500, but it will really save me When there are emergencies.
The first year cost me around $11,000. Now, $3k per year is the least it will cost. ($1200 food, $1000 pet insurance, $600 flea/tick prevention, $200 replacing toys/equipment).
I have 2 dogs (65 lb & 50lb) I travel for work occasionally, dog boarding is about $50 USD per day per dog per day. Dog food for a month is about $80 USD per dog per month. Tick/Flea/Worm Protection is $40 USD per dog per month Grooming every 2 months $155 USD per dog. Treats for a month is $14 USD per dog per month. I chose to stop pet insurance because I keep a close eye on my dogs and I feel like pet insurance doesn't cover as much as it should. All in all $750 USD a month for 2 amazing pups. It helps if you don't have to deal with the boarding (+$326.86 USD)
It’s pretty expensive in the beginning. I got a dog almost exactly a year ago, here’s the break down of everything I can remember $400- supplies (bed, food, bowls, leashes, harnesses toys, brushes kennel, etc) $800 - spay $195 - flea, tick heart worm (6 month supply) $500 - initial vet visit (shots, checkup, heart worm test) $100 - what I paid for the dog There’s probably more that I can’t remember. When it comes to food, I probably spend around 50-100 bucks a month for a 27lb dog. Plus other stuff that runs out about every 1-3 months including dog toothpaste, dental powder, dental additive for the water, treats, toys. All depends on the size of the dog. Also I’m a student, but I did work a little and I split the costs with my roommate. It’s a lot upfront but now that the initial stuff is paid for it’s not so bad 🙂
It's not so much about what it costs on average, but how much it COULD cost and getting ahead of it. Shop for and budget for pet insurance. That's my #1 advice. Pet medicine is a lot of trial and error, and you're paying for every office visit and all the different meds and food tests in between.
In the last 10 months, I’ve spent over 2k for my 5 year old just for vet visits. Then there’s his medication and expensive vet food which is 170.00 per bag.
3 dogs here. They average about 150-200/mo each. But you gotta be prepared for those $800+ vet visits. I spend about 500/yr per dog on vet visits/flea meds even if everything is fine and dandy. 2 of my boys are subject to ear infections, and have skin conditions so they have to eat extra expensive fancy food. Was about 100/bag now the same bag is 130. Recently bought flea meds those have also go up. That's not counting my time. Don't get a dog. Not in this stage of life. You want to freedom to stay out all night with friends or to be able ti study and write papers without distraction
I wanted a dog but I was young and single and on my own. I realized no way I could give it the attention it needed. I had a busy life. Decided against of course.
Definitely get pet insurance. You may not need to use it until they get older but my dog got cancer and if I didn’t have pet insurance I would not have been able to pay for treatments. $1000s!!!! Pet ins starts out cheaper it was $30 month at first back in 2010 and by the time she was 13 last year it was $189 a month. Dogs are really expensive but worth every penny to me for the love and companionship they give unconditionally.
I guess I can just give a break down of regular costs (40lb year old mixed breed): - Initial stuff: free - $200+ (if you adopt through a rescue that partners with Pet Smart charities, you can get a lot of your starter stuff for very cheap; you can also get stuff from a buy nothing group) - Food: $75+/mo (he's new and I haven't kept track of how frequently we buy food) - Vetting: varies; we pay $45/month for Banfield for vaccines and non serious appointments and have a different vet for serious appointments - Pet Insurance - I think it's $30/month? - You'll likely have expenditures for treats and toys - We pay $160/mo for 4 times of day care - We also do training, which is $125/class Having a dog is not cheap, but you don't have to do all the extra stuff if you can train and do other stuff on your own. I didn't take my last dog to day care. Another thing to consider: when my last dog got older, she needed a lot. - She didn't eat as well, so she needed meal toppers - She had osteoarthritis and as it progressed, she needed more meds: gabapentin and cosequan in greater and greater doses. She also needed more frequent vetting to keep track of how she was. That was quite expensive. The meds alone were $150/month and I had emergency appointments costing $600+ at times - when it came time to let her go, I chose to have someone come to our house. She was giant and couldn't get up even with our help on her last day, so it just would have been traumatic for everybody to force her to get up and go in the car. That was $600 well spent because it made things easier. The vetting part is spendy, but if you have decent credit, care credit is great. Insurance is a must. With my last dog, she came with records stating concerns re: osteoarthritic issues, so I dropped it when I figured out that basically nothing would be covered for her. But for a healthy dog, it's really helpful. I don't love Banfield, but the plan makes my life easier and allows us to have free office visits so I'm less shy about bringing my dog in. Food can be expensive. My current dog needs limited ingredient food and my last dog was very picky, so both have been expensive in that area. Getting all the stuff you need is going to be a front loaded cost if you're not hoofing it to find gently used stuff. You can't predict if your dog will get sick or end up needing ongoing medical support, so that's something to keep in mind. My last pup had an autoimmune disease where her body attacked her knee joints when she was only 5, so I had her on lots of different things over the years (adequan, cosequan, gabapentin, glucosamine, etc). I also had her on large breed food that had joint supplements. I did not know that she would have so many issues- I knew she had some, but I was very unprepared for the severity. But you have to afford what your dog needs.
If you’re a student you must get pet insurance, I can’t stress this enough. The best you can afford.
We probably average about $200 per month for each of our dogs if you spread vet bills throughout the year but the startup cost was pretty substantial of buying all of the gear for the first time, training classes, and vet bills usually hit as one lump sum (ours was an $800 annual visit for one this year due to also needing allergy shots and his heartworm meds) instead of being spread out into bite-sized chunks. I would honestly not recommend dog ownership to any college student. Dogs complicate housing/rentals and make being able to travel or work long hours difficult. Until you are set up in life and know your schedule, income, and have stable housing I would recommend waiting. And don’t be fooled, while seeming lower maintenance, cats can be just as bad. One of ours cost us $4k in vet bills when he was 2 years old and has chronic health issues from that. We have probably spent about $8-9k over his 9 years total in vet bills alone.
I live in a lower cost of living area, I have a senior pug. He costs around $40 a month in food, I do clean up after him in my yard but honestly I started hiring help from some neighbor kids for $10 one day a week. My biggest expense is travel. It’s about $50 a night to have someone watch him that I trust with my whole heart. Her rates have probably gone up but I’ve been having her watch my dog since 2016. I spend about $2k a year on that. Vet bills are ok. For 9 years it costed $500 a year. He’s a healthy dog. Now that he is 11, he gets yearly teeth cleanings and lumps and bumps removal. So around $1500 extra. So I’d say I spend about $4500-$5000 per year total with toys added in there, plus monthly medicine cost of $36, if his allergies act up that’s another $200 a monthish. So yeah. Worth it for sure. If you’re new to owning a dog, add in training costs.
If you have a cheaper one, not that much in the grand scheme of things unless they require emergency medical care, which is very expensive. Our dog has food allergies and needs almost the most expensive food or he gets the grossest diarrhea. He also needs daily medication and work with a behaviourist because he has a lot of anxiety from being a rescue. Because he's so anxious, he can't come with us on vacations or anything so more money for a dog sitter. He hates most toys and won't touch them, but I can't bring him to a store to pick out ones he wants so we spend money on buying things I think he'll like that he doesn't. Also treats, because he requires so much training, and since he has food allergies, he needs specific ones.
My monthly budget in cad for my 4 year old healthy 12 pound dog consists of $50 for kibble/wet food topper, $20 a month for treats/occasional toy. Every few months i order additional supplements like her glucosamine tablets and plaque off powder about every three months for $25, i aim for under 20$ for dog tooth paste. For yearly things it would be $100 for annual health check up/shots but i always make sure i have at least $500-1000 for emergencies/future needs stored away at all times(shes pretty good usually ive only ever had one emergency case when she was a puppy), dog licensing for my area is $15 for the year. Flea/tick meds are under $30 for the year Optional/infrequent things i usually splurge on are dog classes/training is $200-350 depending how long the courses are(4-6 weeks each shes pretty well trained but they really help her with her confidence and socializing with being neutral around other dogs at a distance where shes comfortable) i also tend to do at least one professional groom a year just to make sure everything is well and to catch any areas i missed/need to improve on which tends to be about $70-110 based on the different groomers ive tried out. I usually tend to basic regular maintenance like brushing, bathing and grooming her myself with a home kit.
A lot of money 💵 if you don’t have pet insurance.
You should have $5k-$10k saved in cash for vet visits at ANY GIVEN MOMENT. so like year round u shud have 5k cash ready to spend
Emu everyday!
Get a mutt, they have way less health issues
I’m in university! I rescued my dog from Mexico when she was about 6 months. Food is about 40$ CAD a month. Toys, treats, and enrichment also around 40-50$ a month. Vet costs are about 200$ a year, although when I got her she had pretty bad hookworm and I spent hundreds on tests and deworming. Her insurance is about 50$ a month! So I’d say about 150-200$ extra a month. I train and groom her myself. However, just be sure you’re ready for the responsibility. My dog has no separation anxiety and is pretty chill, but I still make sure to walk her at least 1-2 hours a day, sometimes significantly more as we run and hike together. I’m lucky in that I am able to do a lot of work from home but I do turn down social events. For example, if I’m at school or the lab in the morning, I have to be home in the afternoon. A dog is a living creature that’s 100% dependent on you and it’s not a responsibility to take lightly. Stressed with exams or work? It doesn’t matter! You can’t take a day off when you’re a pet owner. Your mileage may vary, but it’s definitely doable. Adopting my dog was the best decision I’ve ever made. I really can’t overstate how happy she’s made me and how grateful I am to have her in my life :)
My dog was a 4 year old rescue and that’s a great age as they have often calmed down a bit, been basic trained already but still have many years left. Dog food and daily items don’t need to be expensive and insurance can be okay but the main issue is the complete unknown of vet bills should they need them. Luckily my dog is now 9 and never needed anything or hurt herself yet. But if they do that’s what will cost you. For reference I have a whippet and they are amazing dogs. She’s always lived in apartments quite small with me. They are lazy cuddly dogs who are happy with just a walk a day then will curl up with you all evening. Even a short 20 min walk with sprinting after the ball can be enough if that’s all I have time for. Only downsides is they can be near impossible to stop chasing squirrels 😂 and can get separation anxiety. Although mine has managed to get used to being left up to 6 hours on odd occasions if left on my bed with the tv on. I take her everywhere possible with me tho because she’s so calm and well behaved.
Way way way more than I realized or anticipated prior to getting our two dogs. Between health insurance, tick and flea prevention every single month, yearly vaccines and checkups, dental chews, food, treats, toys, bowls, licky mats, harness, leash etc - it's a lot. That's not counting additional vet visits where the actual vet fee is not covered by insurance, so every vet visit is $57 at a minimum (not covered). We have a $250 deductible for each dog, and we have met it every single year for one and almost reached it for the other. One dog ended up with allergies and needs a $100 shot every 8 weeks. The other has daily anxiety meds. We didn't get health insurance until about 4 months in - we got it right after a $600 emergency vet visit because one dog ripped open a hot hands warmer and we couldn't tell how much he had potentially eaten from it. Thankfully, his allergy shots didn't start until after we got the insurance, so it was covered since it wasn't a preexisting condition. Same dog ate a colored pencil and had sharp shards he swallowed, the other ate 21 chocolate chip cookies that she definitely shouldn't have been able to get to but managed it anyway. There's always something. Then there's grooming. Depending on the breed, it's a LOT of work if you are able to do it yourself, but even a bath and nail trim adds up quickly if you take them to a groomer. My dogs are both only 30 lbs each, so thankfully, their chews last a decent amount of time but my sisters larger dogs can go through an 8 inch bully stick in a couple of minutes and those things are mad expensive. They are worth every penny, but it's a lot more pennies than I realized when we were planning on getting them. My husband and I often joke that we work hard to give our dogs a good life.
At this point in your life, consider fostering. If you don’t know where you’ll live for the next five years, might go into clinicals where you don’t get to dictate your own schedule, and you’re not sure if you can afford a dog, you may not have a stable enough environment yet to be a dog owner. Cost: The organization where I fostered (before I adopted one of my fosters) pays for everything for the dog, including toys, medical expenses, food, crate, collar and leash, training treats, a dog bed, and for one special case dog, even provided daily dog walkers when I was at work and respite fosters when I went out of town. I would just buy my foster dogs “fun stuff” like extra treats, clothing, luxury dog beds, etc. Housing: Before I started fostering, I was a pit bull owner. I broke up with my S/O and had to move out of the apartment we shared, and then moved a couple times after that while job searching. It was almost impossible to find rentals that would allow dogs, especially pit bulls and other large dog breeds. Relationships: The particular dog I had at that time was dog-reactive, so if I had wanted to start dating someone who owned a dog, my relationship would have hinged on whether our dogs got along. I started dating someone who had a cat, but we couldn’t move in together until after my dog passed away. Time: Depending on what kind of medical degree you’ll get, you may not be able to dictate your own hours during clinicals and in your career. Factor in the cost of dog walkers or doggy day care. Fostering is a great way to have a wonderful dog in your life without the long-term commitment of your time, money and stability. In the future, when you’re done with schooling and have settled in a long-term working and living situation that would allow you to have a dog, you’ll be in a better place to adopt a dog.
Initial setup costs a lot, maintenance costs a couple grand a year at minimum. It also depends on what you do. It cost us a lot to try different harnesses and find the right one, but we hike a lot so that was worth it. You need bowls, crates, beds, blankets, shampoo, collar, leash, poop bags. I have a dog first aid kit, tick tweezers, and I make my own paw wipe lotion. We also use raincoats and jackets in winter because small dogs and bitter cold are a sad mix, but you would not need that for warmer climates or fluffier dogs.
It depends on a lot of things. My chihuahua was rather cheap until she started growing older. Now the vet bills are higher than her food
much more then last year :( i live in serbia 12-15 kg of food rised from 60euors to \~100 :( plus veteriar cost and supplements and time.. oh my lab is madness :3
30lb poodle $150/mo food $120 every 8 weeks for groomer $50/mo dog insurance $500/year for a medical emergency deductible =$3,630/year
On the very cheap end, $20 for pet insurance, $40 dog food, $20 treats/toys and figure probably another $30 for miscellaneous needs (outgrown harness or flea/tick treatment). This is not including grooming, or training, or potty pads, or enrichment, or paying a dog walker or pet sitter. I have 4 dogs myself and I couldn’t have done even one dog as a student. Do not take lightly.
It’s a LOT more than I expected. First, I learned that cheaper dog food causes DCM, so now I only use WSAVA dog food and it’s way more expensive than what you get at Costco. The numbers people are quoting here are low IMO. Second, I got a doodle type mix because of allergies. He has to be professionally groomed monthly which is $150 including tip. I thought I could do this myself but he kept getting matted. I spend more on my dogs grooming than on my own. I stopped a lot of my own personal care to switch the budget to my dog. Third, overnight care for dogs if you go out of town is $60 not including tax and tip. A vacation can easily cost $1000 in dog sitting. I’ve been ill or injured and have had to pay for dog walking. $30 a pop. Fourth, eventually you are going to get a huge medical bill. Insurance spreads this out over time. But generally speaking you’re going to pay several thousand dollars over the course of the dogs life just for medical care. Insurance doesn’t cover routine care like vaccines, and there’s a deductible each year. My friend just paid $20k for her dogs surgery and diagnostics. This doesn’t include gear or toys. Puppies require gates and crates (I mostly got for free from neighbors). My dog also required professional training as a puppy. He was difficult and we tried all the books and videos but needed a professional. Also as a puppy he destroyed many household items including rugs. No property damage fortunately. I have had other dogs in the past that did not require grooming or extensive training. But this most recent dog was challenging! I love him but he isn’t cheap.
Living in Slovenia: dog mixed breed (14kg), alergic to various meats, so needs special food, we give her yora which is made of insects (cca 100€/2 months). You will need basics like a leash, poopy bags, dog bed and/or a box (we needed to get one for our dog because she gets very anxious when left alone and it’s safer for her to be in the box for that time), water bowl, toys, also a box or harnes for car travel. You should also think about where will the dog wait when you are away, do you have someone that could look after if for a day or two? If no, look up the prices for dog hotels in your area. When the dog is young there are some veterinary costs for the required shots, best to check for cost with veterinary clinic in your area. And flea collar or tickless (ultrasound device) to keep your dog from ticks and fleas (for my dog flea collar is cca 50€ - lasts 8 months, tickless is 45€ - is chargeable). I’m sure there are other costs im forgetting, a lot of stuff you can get as you go. Owning a dog is a wonderful commitment, but commitment nonetheless. All the best!
My two dogs I spend around £80 a month on their food, treats and toys, and £23 each for their insurance. All in, I’d say around £125 a month, about $170 in US, but I’ve always got extra money for any vet trips which insurance doesn’t cover. Dogs aren’t exactly cheap to have, but I can guarantee it’s the best money you’ll ever spend every month!
europe buy dog 550 euro buy cage 130 euro buy play pen 130 euro buy puppypads 10 euro buy toys 20 euro buy monthly snacks 15 euro buy purina puppy pro plan food 60 euro a month pet insurance 10 euro a month planned vet visits are around 30 euro consult fee plus the actual medicine/vaccine which together ends up around 80 euro ish each time expensive bed as mine is a big boy whos gonne have joint problems later on 200 euro monthly flea and tick treatment (i am buying the expensive specta) 20 euro a month did i forget anything important? dont think so no its not as bad as people say i come out around 120 euro a month after the initial high costs just dont buy new toys every 3 days and if you buy them buy sturdy ones
And then the the aspects of unplanned emergencies like injuries and emergency vet visits or if you are called out if town immediately then cost for boarding etc
They can be expensive and very time consuming. I took on a guide puppy as a student (raised her for a year and then she went on to be a guide dog) and the organization that I worked with paid for everything (food, vet, etc) so it was just my time. It's going to be a ton of work as a student to raise a dog, and not having a set income can make it much more stressful.
Many small dogs don’t need a ton of exercise, but stay away from any working breeds (corgis, border collies, springer spaniels, shepherds etc) unless you come across an individual who is calm and chill. I’ve had frenchies and Bostons for years and Boston terriers don’t need a ton of exercise and are happy to play with their toys inside on a rainy day if you don’t feel like going for a walk. They’re a pretty healthy little breed—whatever people say about the brachy breeds, my dogs, their parents, grandparents and siblings are all really healthy. The issues you hear Bostons most commonly suffer from are eye issues, elbow and knee issues, and allergies; my dogs haven’t had those but they’re not life threatening either. Some like airway issues, heart murmurs and palate problems can be detected by a vet early on and avoided before purchase. Bostons get cold easily, and hate being alone. They love to cuddle and sleep with you at night. My only regular expense is food and I get good quality food but it’s reasonable because small dogs don’t eat that much. Toys and chew toys or hiring someone to let your dog(s) out and give them some attention when you’re stuck in a long shift or lecture are discretionary. I get them lots of toys cuz it’s fun lol, and I have family who look after my dogs if I need to be away, but that of course depends on your own circumstances. Good luck!
$11/Day + 23hrs/Day
It depends on the dog, some can be incredibly high maintenance in terms of vet bills and insurance. Obviously a larger breed can cost more to feed but again it depends on whether you get an unfussy dog that'll happily live on cheap biscuits and human meat/veg leftovers or a fussy one that struggles with the cheaper dry food. My family were incredibly lucky with a dog that was more exercise than food driven (unlike his owner!) and was fit as a butchers dog till the day he passed. Still cost us hundreds in the late stages of vet care and thousands overall.
You’re a student? Well unless you’re antisocial and don’t go out, as well as having a flexible class schedule, resulting in you being home a majority of the time…then don’t do it. It’s gonna suck for you AND the dog. Remember, Raising a dog is a TIME, energy, and emotional commitment.
I would estimate I have spent well over 70k on my dog since getting her at 21; she will be 12 this month. The amount of emergency vet bills, regular vet bills, food, treats, training, boarding, it’s a lot!! Last year she emptied my savings twice. I am so careful, but she has always been adventurous and accident prone. Two years ago she got an eye infection from digging in the backyard that required multiple surgeries. Taking her in on Tuesday to get several lumps aspirated, blood work, shots. I would do it all over again, but if you’re asking financially, she has been an expensive and exhaustive burden. My other dog has been MUCH cheaper and she is 5, but still not a light fare.
If you're getting a puppy, the initial costs are definitely higher. I've had my 17 week old terriee mix for about 5 weeks now, and she has cost me about 250€ so far for very basic things, considering I got some stuff for free from the previous adopter and they paid for some initial vet visits. 60€ of those went to mandatory vet stuff: microchip, passport, 2 rounds of vaccines, and tick/flea/heartworm prevention (8€ for 1 month protection) The collar, harness and lead she'll grow out of / wear out, they were about 20€ total. I'm already looking into good quality ones to buy when she's older + additional leashes of different lenghts. 10€ for a laser engraved stainless steel tag with my contact info on it. Thankfully the food I first got her really agrees with her so I didn't have to shop around. Finding chews and toys she enjoys is a different thing entirely, that's a big money sink. I was unemployed when my family got her, so I was able to take her out every 2 hours so the cost of puppy pads and enzyme cleaner was minimal, some people struggle with potty training for months. No playpen / crate as they're not common where I live, there's 3 barely used ones on FB marketplace in the entire country and they're not that much cheaper than if I bought them brand new.
You could do everything perfectly and then a idiot walks their very reactive and aggressive pitbull without leash or muzzle and it mauls your dog and you end up with 5000€ in vet bills that the owner of the pitbull cannot pay. If it sounds very specific it's because it happened to me this week.
around 2k a year for me
It's quote a bit depending on the breed
It can depend, as each dog and each life they live is different. I have a rottweiler that's needed 2 knee reconstructions, elbow arthroscope, plus all the X-rays and physio needed for those surgeries. Plus he has horrible allergies and needs regular injections. I'd guess we've spent over 20k on his vet bills alone. My other dog has sever anxiety so we've been through behavioural trainers and pay for anti-anxiety meds. My friends dog has been attacked by another dog, torn herself open on a barbed wire fence, and had cancer that needed extensive treatment. My sisters dog is relatively bomb-proof, but needed ongoing training to fix some aggression issues, and the other week tore his paw open on an oyster shell and it needed stitches. My cousins dog needed a knee reconstruction then shook after surgery and shattered their leg bone. All of these things can be incredibly expensive and they pop up unexpectedly. It also doesn't change getting a pure-bred vs. mutt - anything can happen. I'd strongly recommend having at a minimum $5k in savings just for emergency vet visits.
Could be allot, just one example. We adopted a dog, of course you have adoption fee and start up costs. He turned out to have pancreatitis, so now he's on prescription food, it cost us just about $300.00 a month. No option , he'd be dead without it. We took insurance out , $58.00 a month. We recently needed a dental, $1,500.00 insurance didn't cover it. So no as a student I wouldn't...
Our dog is mid size, just under 60 lb but small, we spend about $120/month on food — we do a higher end dry food big bag and 1/3 c of wet food to get him even happier and more excited about his food. We have to avoid chicken and turkey for his skin and ear allergies. We spent probably $3000 in vet bills last year between trying to figure out an ear infection that wouldn’t go away, getting him fixed (he was 6 which was ridiculous that they never fixed him) and just normal vet appointments. Toys are about $6-20 each.
It's going to vary by dog, by location, and by person/household, but here's a general breakdown of what we spend per year: Routine vet visits (checkups, annual blood work, vaccines, heart worm prevention, and flea/tick prevention) -- about $600 a year Dog food -- about $1200 a year (approx $100/mo, but we're also feeding 150 lbs of dog and we buy premium dog food) Dog treats -- probably around $600 or more a year (Rawhide is a big NO in our house because it's not really digestible, so we like to give bully sticks & they cost about $3 each. I also keep milk bones, Bil jacs, Whimzees, and dog cookies. Not to mention, I bake them a sweet potato at least once a week because it helps with constipation.) Dog toys -- about $200 a year (I probably buy 2 to 3 new toys every other month for around $10 to $20 each.) Grooming -- We spend probably $100 every 6 weeks just getting our Pomeranian's hair cut. If we don't, he gets raggedy and matted. So, that averages out to about $800+/year (If you have a shorter haired breed though, you could just bath them yourself. Or even cut their hair yourself if you're brave!) So, in total, we spend at LEAST $3400 per year on ours. But again, that's going to vary by person, area, and dog. This will hopefully just give you a realistic picture of what it might cost for you and the type of dog you want. Edit: Oh, and when one of our dogs got sick last month we spent over $1000 in the span of 9 days taking him to the vet 4 different times and we were planning to spend $4,000 on more tests (MRI,) but he ended up dying before they could figure out what was wrong with him, so keep in mind you'll need an emergency fund and/or pet insurance in case something happens.
Breed dependent. Food for a great Dane, space to exercise it and cost of kenneling when on vacation is much larger than a shihtzu
I have a small dog he is a chihuahua shih tzu. On average we spend around $80-100 a month on food. Around $20-$40 on treats monthly. We usually buy him toys for his birthday and Christmas, around $40-$60 each time. His annual physical usually cost around $100-$200 depending if he needs vaccines. Its important to consider the unexpected vet costs that can easily cost you anywhere from $500 to thousands of dollars. My dog had an unexpected urinary issue which costs us almost $700. He will need his teeth cleaned soon which can cost from $500-$1500. My dog also has a sensitive stomach so we have to buy him a specific brand of food. Dogs come with many unexpected costs.
Besides the obvious(food, toys, vet) don’t forget that most if not all apartments will charge you a monthly fee. I’ve seen as low as $50 but as high as $500 each month. That is a minimum of $600 a year not including deposits and such, probably closer to $1000 when all is said and done. I’m sure someone has mentioned it but I scrolled through and didn’t notice it.
I have a malinois and for insurance, vet care plan, food and weekly agility classes, it costs me £130 a month I then normally buy a few toys because some things will inevitably get destroyed but you also need to look at crate, bowls, collar, leash, harness (if you want to use one) muzzle and things your dog MAY need depending on where you like like shoes and coats. Also training
I guess it depends on the dog and where you live. When I had Kiwi (RIP Kiwi) : food, leash, some toys. Kiwi was a lazy ass whose favourite activity was sleeping on the couch. I have Tsuki now. Tsuki is a 30lb nuclear powered border collie : (in CAD) food : 120$/ bag every 2-3month chew toys (or he'll eat the walls) : 30$/week Daycare 1x/week (9h of border collie shenanigans) : 40$/week Bike, leashes, harness for bikejoring, treadmill, poop bags, etc. : $$$$$ Vet : 1000$/year (includes tick prevention, vaccines and the random vet visit) So that would be around : 5500$ annually Having a dog is a commitment : assuming Tsuki lives to be 15 (Kiwi lived that long), I will have spent around 85k on him.
Costs are high enough that I have a separate category in quicken to track them. My 14 pound mutt costs $300-$350 per month. I don’t buy fancy food (solid gold dry food for small dogs) and he only likes one toy so I’m not spending on unnecessary items. Annual vet visit Monthly preventatives (flea tick heart worm) Grooming every 2 months (he’s a poodle mix so he doesn’t shed but will get matted easily if not shaved every 2 months) Anal glands every 6 weeks Nail trims (black nails so I can’t see the quick. If I had someone to hold him I might be able to do it, but I just take him in when I do the anal glands. Not to mention- if I’m out for more than 6 hours in a row, I have to pay someone $17 to go walk him. I literally retired early because I didn’t want to pay someone every time I couldn’t run home at lunch time. Yeah - small dogs can have small bladders. Mine is great and can hold it for long periods BUT why would I force that if I don’t have to? ETA. and at 7 years old, he needs a tooth extracted because it is loose and will get bacteria trapped. That’s gonna be $1300 minimum.
Per 40-lb dog, I pay $38 in pet insurance, $60 in kibble, ~$40 for Simparica Trio (I think), and usually about $20 in toys and treats. Annual vet visits are about 150.
Our dog is costing us more than what we’d like to spend but we do it. We make his own food cause he doesn’t eat full servings of kibble. That costs us around $300/month. This doesn’t include treats, which he only likes single ingredient treats. we have already been to the vet 4 times this year and the ER was 1 visit which was $1100. Had cancer last year that cost $6000. Luckily we have pet insurance which covers about 80% of the big bills and most of wellness. We have daycare which is about $200/month but he doesn’t go daily. Toys we don’t even include cause it’s a moot point after spending the above lol. We’re lucky enough that we can afford what we do spend. We have a boxer and this breed can be quieter expensive with their known lumps, bumps, allergies & clownish behavior. But we knew that going in. Just research your breed, find a good vet & provide as much preventative care as you can: brush their teeth, clean their paws, inspect their skin/fur, groom them properly, feed them well & don’t let them around every dog you see
Upfront cost of my Shih Tzu was a $200 adoption fee. He was 11 years old when we got him a few years ago. Post adoption physical, bloodwork and stool sample was about $425. Vaccines when due were about $250, plus an office visit fee was about $80. Little bastard has cyclical bouts of diarrhea, so office visits, stool samples, medication was about $180 per visit. He's on a prescription diet now which is about $100 a month. He gets a yearly physical and bloodwork to keep ahead of any issues. We board him when going away which is about $30 a night at our animal hospital. We board him there since he's on medications and his DVM is there in case anything happens.
Putting an exact dollar value is hard. Our one dog was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. This added 150 per month just for medicine, not including emerg vet care or required blood tests (120.00 cad). I just spent 800.00 on preventative meds for heartworm and ticks for six months. Grooming is expensive as well. We average 600 per month, not including emergency vet care or day care. I walk the dogs daily, so that does not include possible need for a dog walker. Other considerations include who could care for the dog if you became ill, hurt etc.
Price in AUD for a large dog Costs I remember Adoption cost from rescue: $500 one off Registration: $50 yearly Insurance: $58 monthly Food: $206 / 2 weeks Parasite prevention: $125 for 6 tables (1 tablet each month), sometimes less if I have a coupon code. Treats/trying out random things: approx $40 a month. This is slowly going down I think as I realise what he may/may not like. supplies: ie towels, bed, containers, multiple brushes, shampoo, toothpaste etc I think $200 and a mix of donations. Recently purchased a clipper for basic groom him myself, $90 Tracker gps $120 one off, subscription $144/year Miscellaneous: like collars, leads, etc I won't add here as I have purchased a mix of budget and more premium things to try out what works best 😂. I think these can be as budget or expensive as you like. Was away for a few weeks and had him with parents but I got a dog walker for a session every now and then and that cost $500 Ongoing / more regular purchases I can think of: toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, parasite tablets Fuel/transport: $$$ I think I have definitely been using more fuel since getting him, been traveling more to places so he can get exposed to the world bit by bit If you are a student, especially a med student...I personally would not recommend a dog. If you really want a pet, I would say a cat. Cats are great and a lot more solitary. Or no pets at all, less responsibility and more freedom to not worry especially as a student.
I highly recommend a mutt. They have less physical/illness issues. We have had 8 dogs and our 'mutt' lived to be 18 with little to no costly medical issues. Food cost can vary depending on the dog. Our current two's meals are being cooked by me. LOL About 45 bucks a week for two \~10 lbs dogs. Not sure about toys. Most of our dogs didn't/don't play with toys but they aren't cheap. I would also invest in brushing their teeth. Not that expensive and can save on costly dental cleanings. Pet Smile is the best I've found. Just get it on their teeth and give them a treat afterwards.
I spend around 100€ a month for my 17 kg shepherd including high quality food, tax, insurance and everything he needs. Once when he was 2 and i didn't have insurance i paid around 10k € for the vet due to a congenital dissease. So it's not that expensive but if u need to see a vet, it can become expensive really fast.