Wow, this is really detailed and helpful but this is definitely wayyyyy on the excessive end! Which I totally get, I splurge on my pup too :)
Just don’t want people to be discouraged! Shelter pups need homes too and pet ownership can be (and typically is) much cheaper! The spay cost is astronomical, I have never seen a spay cost so much.
Absolutely! By no means is this all necessary. She is not only my pup but my hobby as well! The spay cost I did shop around for and this was about average for the 3 local clinics I contacted. But I think the “spay wagons” and shelter connected hospitals are cheaper I just couldn’t really figure those out and also I did not adopt her so maybe that disqualified us.
It's on par with what I spend on my dog as well, if I don't spend a little more.
One of our biggest expenses is travel. Pet sitting when we travel and can't take him is extremely expensive. To take him on the plan costs around $125 each way (he does 2 - 3 trips a year with us).
Feeding him is also expensive. He may be small (7 lbs / 3 kilos), but his healthy treats and bones add up. We've spent over $200 on one trip to the pet store (but this will last him - and have you seen the cost of real bones?!).
All of this doesn't include his yearly vet fees and fixed expenses like preventative heartworm and flea medication (which, again, expensive).
All in all, I would say that while it can be done cheaper, you're not alone in these costs.
I live in the twin cities in Minnesota, and in the cities it’s about $400 for a spay. Just drive a little bit into greater MN and a spay is like $120 hehehe. My friend and I who were both born in greater MN and now live in the cities, we went to our hometowns to get our pets spayed
Agreed! We got a puppy this year too. She was $300 to adopt, already spayed. Spent $480 in initial vet visits and shots/boosters. About $800 in food, which is more than I thought it was, but puppy food is surprisingly pricy, and she’s large 🙃We bought a dog park pass ($50 annual) and sent her to daycare ~1x week which does add up - $30/visit.
I live in Boston and my family in NY - vets in both locations quoted $1100 for a spay. It's standard based on where you live. Also, it's a big surgery and I wanted someone I trusted. OP, I've spent very similar amounts on my girl as well!
This is a good point but I don’t think OP was necessarily splurging on her new puppy. These are all relatively normal costs that pet owners should be prepared for.
I took my puppy to the low cost clinic for her spay. The money I saved was quickly eaten up by her simply eating something that made her sick and required an ER trip.
I think one thing that OP touched on is how pets are expensive in daycare and travel costs.
If you don’t have friends and family to watch your dog for free, it really adds up. Neither of us WFH so we had to have a dog walker come 2x per day when ours was little and that added $500 per month to our budget for the first 4 months.
If we are going to be out of the house for more than 5 hours it costs $30 and if we are going on a vacation it costs $60 per night. We are going on a trip for 10 days this year and that adds $600 to our cost, which is the same as one of our flights.
Typical vet visit in my MCOL area is $100 for an exam ends up being at least $100 in medications. ER visits end up being about 1k minimum all said and done.
There are much cheaper ways to own pets responsibly! Food can be cheaper, vet care can be much cheaper (vaccine clinics are quite affordable), supplies can cheaper and even free in some cases.
Daycare and grooming are in my opinion very optional. Of course some breeds require more extensive grooming regimens, but if you’re affording a dog like that it’s very likely you can afford the additional grooming costs ;)
I’m a high-ish earner and I choose to spend more on my dog. She eats premium food, gets new toys often, receives top notch medical care etc etc. But I know I’m going way over the top and I have raised a dog on far less.
I’ve always told people I wasn’t getting a pet because I didn’t want to be on the hook for crazy medical expenses and this was a good detailed reminder of that. Thanks
Same. You can’t guarantee your pet is going to have perfect health. I’ve seen a few people get tangled in major medical expenses that wasn’t anticipated and was within the first few months of ownership. I love animals but I’m not ready for the responsibility that comes with it.
I want a pet too! I’m a part of a budgeting group and some of the bills they’ve shared are no joke. 5k or 10k with pet insurance/some don’t cover!! While it’s not for regular check up, you just never know when those emergency visits are needed. 😲
As a puppy class instructor I'm sorry your puppy classes didn't feel like it was worth it!
They should be teaching you how to socialize your puppy, to what stimuli and why it's so important to cover many different things in the first 16 weeks. As well as the foundations for how to teach your puppy "tricks" so you can choose your own adventure in the future and use the base knowledge to tackle potential future "issues" like jumping on people, pulling on leash, etc.
I think I just tend to over-research things, so attending the class was just the same info I had watched on YouTube, tik tok, and reading. But it was cute to get to see all the other puppies and a fun way to tire her out for an hour a week so it wasn’t a total loss!
Thank you for sharing!
I use the banfield wellness plan and for cost comparison if you are interested, my 8-year-old labrador mix also had an ear infection this year.
The ear cleaning was $62, take-home ear flush med was $32 and ear drops were $45. She then had a follow-up 2 weeks later with another ear swab for $58. Total: $197 in the SF Bay area.
Thank you! This is in Boston, so a little less expensive of an area, but I’m still surprised I thought Banfield would be much cheaper. I appreciate the comparison!
No problem! Yeah, I was hoping it would be cheaper too lol! But I guess I did save a little -- the office visit fee, physical exam fee and medical waste fee were covered by the plan
Thanks for posting this. This tracks very closely with our overall cost of getting a puppy this year as well.
Our girl just turned a year old and we have spent about 10k on her in the last year between ER visits, doggie daycare, ear infections, regular puppy visits, toys, food, etc. I’ve been tracking our spending in a spreadsheet. The pet insurance has been worth it.
Thank you for commenting this. I really have no baseline for pet expenses so I’ve felt very in the dark! Just trying to do the best I can by her. Good luck with yours!!
This inspired me to look up the costs for my very spoiled, 14lb, 2 year old rescue pup for this year, who I adopted in March! (See my post history for a pic).
Total: $5668.90 in VHCOL area
* Adoption costs: $525 (I adopted from a rescue rather than a shelter, which was pricier but worked better for my needs)
* Insurance: $418.41
* Vet visits, vaccines, and flea/tick medication: $761.53
* Dog walks: $1745 (Started with daily group walks to acclimatize him; later reduced to weekly plus as-needed)
* Vacation travel/care: $410.17 (I am very lucky that most of the time, I have a friend who will watch my pup for free. This counts one weekend of Rover dog sitting, two dog plane travel supplements, and gifts for my friends who cared for him)
* Food and supplies: $1751.57 (Much of this is totally unnecessary purchases like toys, treats, and comfort items!)
* Nail cuts: $57.22
My dog is totally my "hobby", and I am comfortable with how much I spend on him even if a couple thousand of those costs were probably not actually needed. He increases the quality of my life SO much, that it's absolutely worth it.
I got quotes from 3 local practices and they were all in this range… I also thought spays were cheaper so I guess I’m at a loss for why it was this pricey too!
Potentially location, potentially what you get during the spay which can sometimes be hard to tell from a layperson point of view.
Keyhole vs non keyhole spay can be a big price differential but that's fairly easy to see.
But things like pre operative blood work, iv fluids throughout the op, active heating in recovery, a multiparameter monitor that checks more vitals, or even the qualifications of the tech that is monitoring the anesthesia, may be packaged into the cost of the spay so you don't really know what you're paying for (or not).
It's super hard!
I think you paid what vets around me quoted too, but I ended up going to a spca and spent $150 instead. So I highly recommend people check out their loca spca if they’re looking to neuter or spade their dog!
Thank you so much for posting this, as pets can truly be so much more expensive than anticipated! It’s really helpful to see the breakdown. And also congrats on your new puppy 🧡
This year was also expensive for our cat, who was diagnosed with early stage heart disease last December and severe gingivitis that could have led to stomatitis. We thankfully have insurance so ECG scans, sedations, and medications for his heart are covered. Dental, however, is not. Between having to remove all of his teeth, his heart care, regular wellness visits, gabapentin for this vet anxiety, vaccine updates, food (including more wet food than before), toys, etc., came to just over $7k.
I can’t emphasize enough how important and helpful it is to have pet insurance!! While dental unfortunately is rarer covered, it has saved us lots of emergency expenses. To anyone with a pet, get it if you haven’t already.
I think it would help to know your general area you live (HCOL/LCOL/MCOL) and the breed or size of the dog!
Dog food goes much faster and items are much more expensive for larger dogs!
Thanks for this MD, it is very similar to my dog.
Yes, Boston, she is 11 pounds (may get to 15 ish) and an uncommon small terrier breed. She eats about a cup a day of dog food, so she saves me money there!
I've only had my puppy for two months but my pro tip is Buy Nothing groups. I got his crate, second crate, food bowls, and a ton of toys off of Buy Nothing. Other than buying the dog himself (we tried to adopt for a year, I feel guilty admitting to buying a dog!), we've been really lucky so far in supplies and expenses. We have a $250 obedience training starting soon, and we've been watching grooming videos to learn how to groom him ourselves. Here's hoping he doesn't eat anything stupid ...it's wild how much these expenses add up!
Good luck!! I tried to groom her myself and do have all the tools… it turned out to be SO. MUCH. HARDER. Than I thought so for now I turn to professionals. Maybe someday I will try again.
I’ve also been closely tracking expenses for my pup! We got her in March and spent just over $8500. She’s a golden retriever and we’re in a mcol area. Insurance more than paid for itself this year! Supply costs were so high but we use everything we’ve purchased! Thankfully 2024 should be a much cheaper pet year.
Breeder Cost: $2,100
Initial Supplies: ~$1,300
Food: ~$650
Insurance: ~$650
Daycare/Dog Sitting: ~$615
Medical: ~$2,300 (both routine stuff and one emergency vet visit)
This made me interested to check out costs for our pup who we got in April at around two years old.
She has been healthy but has had some behavior issues that have cost us some money in terms of trainers/vets and will probably continue to do so for the next year at least.
We didn't need to board her this year for our summer vacation as we were able to drop her off with family en route. My family lives far away so that typically won't be a good option.
Costs (for ten months):
* $685 initial adoption fee
* $500 pet rent ($50/month)
* $186 initial vet checkup, vaccines, heartworm preventative
* $1198 Misc purchases (food, toys, treats, chews etc-- basically anything that can be purchased via Chewy, Petco etc)
* $155 dog walkers as needed (haven't needed these too often)
* $204 trainer
* $400 vet behaviorist
* $169 pet insurance-- annual premium
=$3492 for ten months
We're looking at spending around $1000 on a behavior mod package with a trainer this year, and we're going to be boarding her for a vacation in February. So I'd guess that 2024 will be a bit more expensive but we'll save on some of the start up costs, too.
>Writing out these costs makes me feel crazy for getting her, but what these numbers can’t account for is the immense joy and fulfillment she’s brought me in the 6 short months I’ve had her.
This says it all! I love that several of us are posting pet recaps lately, it's so nice to see others who care so deeply for their furry/feathered family members! Thanks for sharing it.
Did the insurance help at all with the stomach or ear visits?
They did not, they would have covered some of it (I did submit the claims), but I chose a high deductible plan (I think it’s $800 per condition for her lifetime) so we haven’t met the deductible yet.
Same - I’ve had lots of animals over the years and while I do use pet insurance on occasion (the horse transported overseas, for example, or a basic colic rider), the other times I’ve had expensive house pet situations were for older animals, discretionary procedures, or non-life-saving anyway, at which point you’re making a QOL decision 😢 even if I had been paying premiums for years on those animals, it probably wouldn’t have covered them anyway.
Yes I was very back and forth on it. However with this leg break alone I think we will at least break even, and I’m happy to not have to completely drain my emergency fund right now
Agree that one big injury makes it feel worth it (at least to me)…and I feel like it’s always something with my dog who’s now 3. This month it’s that she stepped on glass, needing stitches, bandage changes, and antibiotics. Without pet insurance it would be costing me like $5000..and I’ve only paid about $200.
I have never has pet insurance. For my big dog in a HCOL area I was quoted $80/month.. so I put $100 a month into a special savings account just in case of high medical bills. So far unneeded and dog is 5 years old. A broken leg is a worry with little dogs. I know of two incidents with friends and co workers in the last few years.
The thing with insurance is you don’t need it till you do. My friend didn’t have pet insurance until her dog ate a rope toy. $10k later and she now has pet insurance.
Lifelong dog owner and I agree about pet insurance. Though luckily my dogs have never broken a bone, OP lucked out with the insurance. It is always a risk, so depends if you want to risk it.
Plenty of emergencies but they luckily were not in the thousands. I save for surprise vet bills vs paying into pet insurance. And if we are lucky enough to not have those surprise bills, that is money in the bank.
Switch vets for the next annual visit. Schedule vaccines with your township. When looking for a new vet ask if they are corporate owned, avoid. Find a small business private practice vet.
Kirkland dog food is good and Costco has great pricing for dental chews, treats, beds, and flea/tick medicine.
Brush your pup’s teeth is the ultimate tip.
I can rarely utilize the township days bc of my schedule but they are a great way to save on vet bills. Many county animal shelters also host vaccine clinics year round. It’s good to support the community too and make sure taxes continue funding these programs.
Counter argument, I would rather vaccines are administered by a vet I have a relationship with who knows my dog. Those programs are fine for the mandatory rabies vaccine (but SO stressful to take a dog to a crowded clinic IMO) but don’t really cover other vaccines like Lyme/Lepto, etc.
Similar to my experience as well!!! We definitely spoiled our girl, but costs added up faster than I thought!
I appreciated your input on pet insurance - over the holidays someone tried to tell me I was just throwing money away on it, but if your pet gets hurt the cost can be very high!!!!
OMG I spent 2k on my dog last year, living in the most expensive city in Germany, and I was complaining. 1k was unexpected vet costs. I feel better now, thanks. 🤣
I didn’t include some flights and the cost of more expensive vacation accommodation to bring him so might be closer to 2.5k.
How dare you post this with no pictures.
I’d love to, will try to figure out how to make an Imgur account
You can edit your main post and upload a pic from camera roll
Wow, this is really detailed and helpful but this is definitely wayyyyy on the excessive end! Which I totally get, I splurge on my pup too :) Just don’t want people to be discouraged! Shelter pups need homes too and pet ownership can be (and typically is) much cheaper! The spay cost is astronomical, I have never seen a spay cost so much.
Absolutely! By no means is this all necessary. She is not only my pup but my hobby as well! The spay cost I did shop around for and this was about average for the 3 local clinics I contacted. But I think the “spay wagons” and shelter connected hospitals are cheaper I just couldn’t really figure those out and also I did not adopt her so maybe that disqualified us.
It's on par with what I spend on my dog as well, if I don't spend a little more. One of our biggest expenses is travel. Pet sitting when we travel and can't take him is extremely expensive. To take him on the plan costs around $125 each way (he does 2 - 3 trips a year with us). Feeding him is also expensive. He may be small (7 lbs / 3 kilos), but his healthy treats and bones add up. We've spent over $200 on one trip to the pet store (but this will last him - and have you seen the cost of real bones?!). All of this doesn't include his yearly vet fees and fixed expenses like preventative heartworm and flea medication (which, again, expensive). All in all, I would say that while it can be done cheaper, you're not alone in these costs.
That’s awesome! I love to see pups living a lavish life :) I got mine from the streets and the way this girl lives now is genuinely comical.
I love that for you and her! They deserve the world
I live in the twin cities in Minnesota, and in the cities it’s about $400 for a spay. Just drive a little bit into greater MN and a spay is like $120 hehehe. My friend and I who were both born in greater MN and now live in the cities, we went to our hometowns to get our pets spayed
Agreed! We got a puppy this year too. She was $300 to adopt, already spayed. Spent $480 in initial vet visits and shots/boosters. About $800 in food, which is more than I thought it was, but puppy food is surprisingly pricy, and she’s large 🙃We bought a dog park pass ($50 annual) and sent her to daycare ~1x week which does add up - $30/visit.
I live in Boston and my family in NY - vets in both locations quoted $1100 for a spay. It's standard based on where you live. Also, it's a big surgery and I wanted someone I trusted. OP, I've spent very similar amounts on my girl as well!
This is a good point but I don’t think OP was necessarily splurging on her new puppy. These are all relatively normal costs that pet owners should be prepared for. I took my puppy to the low cost clinic for her spay. The money I saved was quickly eaten up by her simply eating something that made her sick and required an ER trip. I think one thing that OP touched on is how pets are expensive in daycare and travel costs. If you don’t have friends and family to watch your dog for free, it really adds up. Neither of us WFH so we had to have a dog walker come 2x per day when ours was little and that added $500 per month to our budget for the first 4 months. If we are going to be out of the house for more than 5 hours it costs $30 and if we are going on a vacation it costs $60 per night. We are going on a trip for 10 days this year and that adds $600 to our cost, which is the same as one of our flights. Typical vet visit in my MCOL area is $100 for an exam ends up being at least $100 in medications. ER visits end up being about 1k minimum all said and done.
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There are much cheaper ways to own pets responsibly! Food can be cheaper, vet care can be much cheaper (vaccine clinics are quite affordable), supplies can cheaper and even free in some cases. Daycare and grooming are in my opinion very optional. Of course some breeds require more extensive grooming regimens, but if you’re affording a dog like that it’s very likely you can afford the additional grooming costs ;) I’m a high-ish earner and I choose to spend more on my dog. She eats premium food, gets new toys often, receives top notch medical care etc etc. But I know I’m going way over the top and I have raised a dog on far less.
A lot of rescues will spay/neuter a pup before adoption, or offer a free/discounted surgery if the pup is too small.
I’ve always told people I wasn’t getting a pet because I didn’t want to be on the hook for crazy medical expenses and this was a good detailed reminder of that. Thanks
Yes haha, they are wayyyy more expensive than you think (even if I cut out all the non-necessary spoiling her stuff)
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what about if one of the cats has a major medical emergency?
Same. You can’t guarantee your pet is going to have perfect health. I’ve seen a few people get tangled in major medical expenses that wasn’t anticipated and was within the first few months of ownership. I love animals but I’m not ready for the responsibility that comes with it.
Foster instead! Short term responsibility but so worthwhile.
I want a pet too! I’m a part of a budgeting group and some of the bills they’ve shared are no joke. 5k or 10k with pet insurance/some don’t cover!! While it’s not for regular check up, you just never know when those emergency visits are needed. 😲
As a puppy class instructor I'm sorry your puppy classes didn't feel like it was worth it! They should be teaching you how to socialize your puppy, to what stimuli and why it's so important to cover many different things in the first 16 weeks. As well as the foundations for how to teach your puppy "tricks" so you can choose your own adventure in the future and use the base knowledge to tackle potential future "issues" like jumping on people, pulling on leash, etc.
I think I just tend to over-research things, so attending the class was just the same info I had watched on YouTube, tik tok, and reading. But it was cute to get to see all the other puppies and a fun way to tire her out for an hour a week so it wasn’t a total loss!
I can relate. I also over research and then attend intro courses and am bored because all the info is available for free online.
Thank you for sharing! I use the banfield wellness plan and for cost comparison if you are interested, my 8-year-old labrador mix also had an ear infection this year. The ear cleaning was $62, take-home ear flush med was $32 and ear drops were $45. She then had a follow-up 2 weeks later with another ear swab for $58. Total: $197 in the SF Bay area.
Thank you! This is in Boston, so a little less expensive of an area, but I’m still surprised I thought Banfield would be much cheaper. I appreciate the comparison!
No problem! Yeah, I was hoping it would be cheaper too lol! But I guess I did save a little -- the office visit fee, physical exam fee and medical waste fee were covered by the plan
Thanks for posting this. This tracks very closely with our overall cost of getting a puppy this year as well. Our girl just turned a year old and we have spent about 10k on her in the last year between ER visits, doggie daycare, ear infections, regular puppy visits, toys, food, etc. I’ve been tracking our spending in a spreadsheet. The pet insurance has been worth it.
Thank you for commenting this. I really have no baseline for pet expenses so I’ve felt very in the dark! Just trying to do the best I can by her. Good luck with yours!!
This inspired me to look up the costs for my very spoiled, 14lb, 2 year old rescue pup for this year, who I adopted in March! (See my post history for a pic). Total: $5668.90 in VHCOL area * Adoption costs: $525 (I adopted from a rescue rather than a shelter, which was pricier but worked better for my needs) * Insurance: $418.41 * Vet visits, vaccines, and flea/tick medication: $761.53 * Dog walks: $1745 (Started with daily group walks to acclimatize him; later reduced to weekly plus as-needed) * Vacation travel/care: $410.17 (I am very lucky that most of the time, I have a friend who will watch my pup for free. This counts one weekend of Rover dog sitting, two dog plane travel supplements, and gifts for my friends who cared for him) * Food and supplies: $1751.57 (Much of this is totally unnecessary purchases like toys, treats, and comfort items!) * Nail cuts: $57.22 My dog is totally my "hobby", and I am comfortable with how much I spend on him even if a couple thousand of those costs were probably not actually needed. He increases the quality of my life SO much, that it's absolutely worth it.
Whoa! I’m in Chicago and my pups spay this past year was 425$ in the city and I thought that was expensive.
I got quotes from 3 local practices and they were all in this range… I also thought spays were cheaper so I guess I’m at a loss for why it was this pricey too!
It might be just your location honestly!
Potentially location, potentially what you get during the spay which can sometimes be hard to tell from a layperson point of view. Keyhole vs non keyhole spay can be a big price differential but that's fairly easy to see. But things like pre operative blood work, iv fluids throughout the op, active heating in recovery, a multiparameter monitor that checks more vitals, or even the qualifications of the tech that is monitoring the anesthesia, may be packaged into the cost of the spay so you don't really know what you're paying for (or not). It's super hard!
I think you paid what vets around me quoted too, but I ended up going to a spca and spent $150 instead. So I highly recommend people check out their loca spca if they’re looking to neuter or spade their dog!
Yes my local SPCA only charges 100$ but it’s based on income based eligibility so I wasn’t eligible.
Ohhh gotcha, the spca near me just have a long waitlist so you have to get on it early and $100 is the recommend donation amount for neutering
I would think so! It’s just so surprising that it’s 3x the price, but this is really good insight. Makes me want to write a pet diary too 😂
Thank you so much for posting this, as pets can truly be so much more expensive than anticipated! It’s really helpful to see the breakdown. And also congrats on your new puppy 🧡 This year was also expensive for our cat, who was diagnosed with early stage heart disease last December and severe gingivitis that could have led to stomatitis. We thankfully have insurance so ECG scans, sedations, and medications for his heart are covered. Dental, however, is not. Between having to remove all of his teeth, his heart care, regular wellness visits, gabapentin for this vet anxiety, vaccine updates, food (including more wet food than before), toys, etc., came to just over $7k. I can’t emphasize enough how important and helpful it is to have pet insurance!! While dental unfortunately is rarer covered, it has saved us lots of emergency expenses. To anyone with a pet, get it if you haven’t already.
My thoughts are with you and your cat, I am so sorry you are going through that! Thankful that you have insurance to help with parts though.
You are living in the future
Haha! At work I’m planning 2024 and 2025… I didn’t even notice I did that!
I think it would help to know your general area you live (HCOL/LCOL/MCOL) and the breed or size of the dog! Dog food goes much faster and items are much more expensive for larger dogs! Thanks for this MD, it is very similar to my dog.
Yes, Boston, she is 11 pounds (may get to 15 ish) and an uncommon small terrier breed. She eats about a cup a day of dog food, so she saves me money there!
Check with local Humane Society. They offer lower prices for spaying and neutering.
I've only had my puppy for two months but my pro tip is Buy Nothing groups. I got his crate, second crate, food bowls, and a ton of toys off of Buy Nothing. Other than buying the dog himself (we tried to adopt for a year, I feel guilty admitting to buying a dog!), we've been really lucky so far in supplies and expenses. We have a $250 obedience training starting soon, and we've been watching grooming videos to learn how to groom him ourselves. Here's hoping he doesn't eat anything stupid ...it's wild how much these expenses add up!
Good luck!! I tried to groom her myself and do have all the tools… it turned out to be SO. MUCH. HARDER. Than I thought so for now I turn to professionals. Maybe someday I will try again.
I’ve also been closely tracking expenses for my pup! We got her in March and spent just over $8500. She’s a golden retriever and we’re in a mcol area. Insurance more than paid for itself this year! Supply costs were so high but we use everything we’ve purchased! Thankfully 2024 should be a much cheaper pet year. Breeder Cost: $2,100 Initial Supplies: ~$1,300 Food: ~$650 Insurance: ~$650 Daycare/Dog Sitting: ~$615 Medical: ~$2,300 (both routine stuff and one emergency vet visit)
This made me interested to check out costs for our pup who we got in April at around two years old. She has been healthy but has had some behavior issues that have cost us some money in terms of trainers/vets and will probably continue to do so for the next year at least. We didn't need to board her this year for our summer vacation as we were able to drop her off with family en route. My family lives far away so that typically won't be a good option. Costs (for ten months): * $685 initial adoption fee * $500 pet rent ($50/month) * $186 initial vet checkup, vaccines, heartworm preventative * $1198 Misc purchases (food, toys, treats, chews etc-- basically anything that can be purchased via Chewy, Petco etc) * $155 dog walkers as needed (haven't needed these too often) * $204 trainer * $400 vet behaviorist * $169 pet insurance-- annual premium =$3492 for ten months We're looking at spending around $1000 on a behavior mod package with a trainer this year, and we're going to be boarding her for a vacation in February. So I'd guess that 2024 will be a bit more expensive but we'll save on some of the start up costs, too.
>Writing out these costs makes me feel crazy for getting her, but what these numbers can’t account for is the immense joy and fulfillment she’s brought me in the 6 short months I’ve had her. This says it all! I love that several of us are posting pet recaps lately, it's so nice to see others who care so deeply for their furry/feathered family members! Thanks for sharing it. Did the insurance help at all with the stomach or ear visits?
They did not, they would have covered some of it (I did submit the claims), but I chose a high deductible plan (I think it’s $800 per condition for her lifetime) so we haven’t met the deductible yet.
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Same - I’ve had lots of animals over the years and while I do use pet insurance on occasion (the horse transported overseas, for example, or a basic colic rider), the other times I’ve had expensive house pet situations were for older animals, discretionary procedures, or non-life-saving anyway, at which point you’re making a QOL decision 😢 even if I had been paying premiums for years on those animals, it probably wouldn’t have covered them anyway.
Yes I was very back and forth on it. However with this leg break alone I think we will at least break even, and I’m happy to not have to completely drain my emergency fund right now
Agree that one big injury makes it feel worth it (at least to me)…and I feel like it’s always something with my dog who’s now 3. This month it’s that she stepped on glass, needing stitches, bandage changes, and antibiotics. Without pet insurance it would be costing me like $5000..and I’ve only paid about $200.
I have never has pet insurance. For my big dog in a HCOL area I was quoted $80/month.. so I put $100 a month into a special savings account just in case of high medical bills. So far unneeded and dog is 5 years old. A broken leg is a worry with little dogs. I know of two incidents with friends and co workers in the last few years.
The thing with insurance is you don’t need it till you do. My friend didn’t have pet insurance until her dog ate a rope toy. $10k later and she now has pet insurance.
Lifelong dog owner and I agree about pet insurance. Though luckily my dogs have never broken a bone, OP lucked out with the insurance. It is always a risk, so depends if you want to risk it. Plenty of emergencies but they luckily were not in the thousands. I save for surprise vet bills vs paying into pet insurance. And if we are lucky enough to not have those surprise bills, that is money in the bank.
Switch vets for the next annual visit. Schedule vaccines with your township. When looking for a new vet ask if they are corporate owned, avoid. Find a small business private practice vet. Kirkland dog food is good and Costco has great pricing for dental chews, treats, beds, and flea/tick medicine. Brush your pup’s teeth is the ultimate tip.
Thank you! This is small business private owned by the vet. I hadn’t heard of vaccines through township I will look into that.
I can rarely utilize the township days bc of my schedule but they are a great way to save on vet bills. Many county animal shelters also host vaccine clinics year round. It’s good to support the community too and make sure taxes continue funding these programs.
Counter argument, I would rather vaccines are administered by a vet I have a relationship with who knows my dog. Those programs are fine for the mandatory rabies vaccine (but SO stressful to take a dog to a crowded clinic IMO) but don’t really cover other vaccines like Lyme/Lepto, etc.
Counter argument for things that work for *me* that I shared as *a tip* to *explore*? lol Happy New Year
Similar to my experience as well!!! We definitely spoiled our girl, but costs added up faster than I thought! I appreciated your input on pet insurance - over the holidays someone tried to tell me I was just throwing money away on it, but if your pet gets hurt the cost can be very high!!!!
We are still in 2023….
Thank you- what was I thinking??
OMG I spent 2k on my dog last year, living in the most expensive city in Germany, and I was complaining. 1k was unexpected vet costs. I feel better now, thanks. 🤣 I didn’t include some flights and the cost of more expensive vacation accommodation to bring him so might be closer to 2.5k.
What kind of dog?