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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Monthly Pet Costs for dogs
I know we have a lot of dog owners on here. What do you budget a month for pet expenses? I know some months may be less than others but on average? We're looking to get a medium sized dog soon and just wondering how much average pet costs are in the Portland area.
Re: Monthly Pet Costs for dogs
Nandi is about 65 pounds. We feed her raw, and right now we're paying around $1 per pound of food. She eats 1 to 2 pounds each day, so we're spending about $50 each month on her food. We're hoping to get that down lower once we get around to finding a butcher shop/bulk supplier for her food.
She goes to doggy daycare once a week, and it's $20 for a full day. That's a few bucks cheaper than most places that I've seen.
We go through one large container of Kirkland peanut butter each month for her. It comes in two packs at Costco, but I don't remember how much it cost.
Soooo . . . planning for a crazy month, for us, I'd budget $200.
Really, the start up costs seem to be the worst. Her adoption fee was $150. We had to buy her a crate ($100ish), and a bed ($50ish). And a bed for downstairs so she doesn't whine about not getting to sit on the couch (lesson learned: buy the huge $20 ones from Costco). We got her a Galileo Nylabone (free coupon, but well worth the price because it lasts forever), a large black Kong ($20ish??), an Antler ($20ish), a Skineez, and a Cuz. Those are pretty much her toys, and since we control when she gets them, she doesn't destroy them in .09 seconds. She had to be licensed, which was $49 and is good for 3 years. We had an initial vet checkup to make sure she was healthy and could go to daycare, and that was $100.
We have 2 medium (40-45lbs) sized dogs, but I'll give you the cost for 1.
Start up fees definitely add up, especially the shots plus when the dog is so new (ie puppy) you want to buy it a lot of crap (ie toys).
We feed Orijen which costs about $60/bag and we go through the bag in about a month.
Heartworm protection
Annual vet visit/check up
Plan for an emergency vet visit
Adoption fee is really just a one time fee so you can ignore this
Shots
Day care/boarding (oh man, this costs us a ton and we don't even go take them to the pricey places)
Training if you choose to do this (I highly recommend it)
As pups, potentially plan for damaged goods (ie munch as a pup chewed up dh's brand new eyeglasses that he dropped on the floor while sleeping. smart)
registration
supplies (ie leash, beds, blankets, etc)
After all this (I can't think of any more this morning), I would say about $2500/year/dog so $200/month is a good estimate.
DH and I were just discussing costs this weekend for the dogs and man we agreed they are a money suck but still- we love these guys and wouldn't trade them for the world.
I'll give you the opposite extreme
Leo is 4.5 years old. He's special needs, but the condition didn't show up till he was 2.5. I would be shocked if we have spent less than 15k on him since he was a puppy.
Please, take it from me: do not, under any circumstances, rescue a purebred. Get the muttiest mutt you can find-they are far less likely to have any genetic issues. And If you're thinking about using a breeder, anyone with no wait list who charges you less than 1k for their puppies is prob a backyard breeder. And if its a poular breed, you're more likely to get crappy genes that are heartbreaking and expensive to treat---any may not show up for a year or two.
I hope that saves you some grief rather than scare you
We love our baby, but our next dog will be a bone fide mutt, lol!
Well...we were "smart" and decided to get a puppy...they're NOT cheap! Between all the emergency vet visits (bee stings, reaction to shots), etc. All the "start up" costs can be in the hundreds as well: bed, crate, floor cleaner for housebreaking collar leash tag, toys, shots, etc. And add another $350 or so for spay/neutering!
Here's what we tend to average for our 30 lb. dog:
Food: $30 /month: $60 for 30 lb. bag every 2.5 months, $5-10 for treats
Misc: $15/month: toys, poop bags, shampoo, etc.
Grooming: $5/month: $20 every few months-we have a very low matienence coat dog, so she doesn't have to be groomed/brushed, etc. We still brush her as she sheds some, but she doesn't have fur like a Huskie, etc. Just a sanitary trim/nail, etc. every few months. Something to consider when you decide what kind of dog to get!
Meds: $20/month ($120 every 6 months for heartworm/flea)
Any vet visit tends to average $200...and you never really know when you're going to have to go. That's usually just the visit, and factor in meds/surgeries, etc. You never know!
Oh, and when you go on vacation? Add another couple hundred to the mix for boarding or dogsitting!!
...please consider a Rescue! They do have many breede-specific rescues where you can find dogs of all ages! Also, I agree wtih Scarlett that mutts are probably the strongest!
We weren't so smart and bought our puppy from a Back Yard Breeder...before I knew what they were and about how BAD of an idea that is! I will never do it again. It's not only horrible because of how many dogs there are in shelters, rescues, etc. but how bad it is for the breed. Our pup is purebred, but didn't have the health screenings a real breeder would do...and therefore our dog wouldn't have Hip Dysplasia. She's fine now, (factor in Glucosamine as a monthly cost for us as well!) but in a few years, we will probably have to consider some hefty surgeries...in the $5-6k range. Had we gone with a legit breeder, this wouldn't have been an issue. I'm totally fine with people wanting a specific breed, as long as they go to a legit breeder which is FAR from cheap and can be a lengthy process!
Our next dog we're getting from the Brittany Rescue...the dog still might have genetic isssues, but we love the breed and want to give a dog a home! (and we don't want to encourage any BYB!!)
But after all the expenses and heartaches of of a dog with a "condition", she's totally a part of our family I could not imagine NOT having. I love her to pieces.
Learning to start all over again... Blog
Oh, I just saw flea and tick/heartworm costs in SD's post.
Heartworm isn't a real issue in Oregon or Washington. For heartworms to make it to the stage of their lives where they infect dogs, you have to have 30 days AND nights that have temperatures of at least 56*. Heartworm meds also work retroactively, so you wouldn't need to start popping the pills until mid-July if that scenario were true. Here's a great thread about heartworm meds.
Our vet was surprised when I was talking to him about it, because if Nan is going to be a blood donor dog at Dove Lewis she needs to be on heartworm meds. We're not happy about feeding her a pesticide each month, which is why we don't do it now. But, the information in that thread is correct according to our vet. Hopefully, Dove Lewis will let us give her the lowest doses possible, and only when the weather warrants her being on the medications.
For flea and tick prevention, we give our pets nutritional yeast. The cats get 1 teaspoon at breakfast, and Nan gets one tablespoon. Nandi also gets a bit of garlic. Once a week, she gets sprayed (or we spray her brush and then brush her) with Ark Neem Spray that we got at New Seasons. Those, combined with flea combing once a week, and her raw diet make her taste and smell funky to fleas and they don't want to jump on her.
Actually, I was aware of this (I just forgot about it!). I haven't given Callie flea/HW meds since she moved here in Dec. and won't until the weather warms up. We've never really done tick meds, as her flea meds doesn't cover it and we didn't have the issue where we lived in CA. We also hav the Neem spray for when she goes camping w/ us. I will give her flea meds though...one horrible bout of fleas was enough to convince me to continue it! (just seasonly now!!)
Learning to start all over again... Blog
We have a medium-sized dog (45 lbs. purebred Blue Heeler) and here's what we pay for him:
Food: All three dogs eat the same. Blue eats about 1 lb. per day at about $1.50 per pound for a really high quality kibble.
Vet: We usually have two big appointments a year. We spend about $200-400 per visit.
Frontline - I buy Frontline from PetShed.com which is the ABSOLUTE cheapest place (even cheaper than my wholesaler's price) and that's about $10 per month.
Heartgard - I think it's about $5 - $10 per month.
So in total we spend about $1200 - $2000 per year - about $100 - $200 per month just on him. Which doesn't include any boarding or daycare. And these numbers don't include our other two pups.
Also, he's a purebred. He has allergies and will eventually have hip issues - so our vet bills will likely be in the thousands within the next couple years. For his allergies he's had to have his eyelids scraped and cleaned and we give him eyedrops. That visit alone is $400.
He also has a light version of pica. He's swallowed staples, wood, metal, plastic, rocks, toys, blankets, you name it. So it's always good to have a little emergency vet fund for any visits that pop up.
We've also been looking into getting insurance through ASPCA. They have affordable plans that cover a lot of the things we go to the vet for. I DON'T recommend Banfield's wellness plan as they are way overpriced and their plans still don't cover everything.
EDIT: I forgot about grooming! Neil takes him to the dog wash every 3 weeks or so, which is $17.
The dog wash is WAY better than bathing him at home because he has a thick straight coat that makes a huge mess in the bathroom. The dog wash provides all the supplies and has raised tubs so you don't have to bend over. Worth every penny!
We don't have a monthly budget for Rambo, but here are the costs that I recall:
Startup costs:
Adoption fee - $250 - included spay, microchip, and initial shots. (This was from the SPCA in '06. Many groups lowered prices due to the bad economy.)
Beds - Costco has great beds for under $30. When we first got Rambo we bought the nicest beds in a locally owned pet store and they were $120 each. We're such chumps!
Toys - I put this here because I bought a bunch to start with, and then give her 1 or 2 more a month. I either buy her toys on clearance, at Ross/Marshalls, or from a great internet vendor (JB wholesale). I don't spend more than $6 per toy, unless it's a chew toy like a nylabone or a kong.
First Aid - I'm paranoid, so I have a first aid kit for Rambo. This includes cleaning swabs, styptic powder, etc. It was about $30 total.
Training - Rambo had major behavioral issues due to her past (severely abused). We hired a behaviorist in San Francisco to work with us for 6 months. It cost well over $1K.
Recurring costs:
Insurance - $25/month, we've only filed one claim and were happy with the payout. We really only have it in case of major illness or injury. I hope we never have to use it!
Food - $65/20 lb bag of EVO, lasts about a month; $1.50-$2 for each can of wet EVO, each can lasts one week; $2/can of RD, used when she has digestive issues. Rambo has IBS, so these foods, while pricey, are what work best for her digestive system.
Treats - I average about $20-25/month on treats (pig ears, different chews). We load up at Costco! We don't buy biscuits or cookies - I make them and it's much cheaper!
Medication - We use Advantix ($66 for 6 months) and Heartguard ($35 for 6 months). I purchase both of these online to save $$ (amazon.com and drsfosterandsmith.com).
Grooming - I wash Rambo myself, so I just need shampoo! A bottle lasts us about 1 year because she only gets a bath every 6 weeks. I do NOT cut her nails myself - we take her to the vet ($15 every 6 weeks).
Vet costs - When she's healthy, about $60/visit (once a year). When she's sick, it ranges from $80 (bee sting on her paw) to $500 (x-rays, blood tests, etc).
Phew - it adds up! But we love her so much, it's all worth it!
TTC #1 since May 2010. BFP #1 - 5/31/10; m/c on 7/22/10
Started seeing RE in August 2011
5 IUIs: BFN; IVF #1 - Success! BFP - 7/25/12
WTF?! Did our vet trick us?!!!! ARGH! Ok, so I should stop giving Munch and Scotti that crap? URGH. LOL Ok, I should have educated myself first.
Please tell me more about this nutritional yeast. Where can I get it? Is one tblspoon standard for dogs or depends on size?
ditto! i want to hear about this nutritional yeast! we dont give heart worm or flea meds but DO spray with ark neem spray...but i'm interested to hear about this yeast thingy!
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bula, I don't know that your vet intentionally tried to trick you. The companies that make heartworm meds market it as one pill every 30 days. It's much easier for people to remember than one pill every 45 days, KWIM? Vets get pretty crappy nutritional training when in school, so it makes sense that unless they specifically went researching heartworm medications they might get crappy training in that too. :-p
You can give nutritional or brewer's yeast to pets, which they'll probably love, and it just makes them less attractive to fleas. It's a good source of protein and B vitamins. I don't know if it changes their overall smell or how it works, but I'm so paranoid about fleas that if it might help, if they like it, and it won't hurt them I'm OK with giving it.
I love, love, love it on popcorn (with lots of browned butter and salt), so I usually have some on hand. I get a big container of it in the bulk aisle at New Seasons or Whole Foods; it's usually on the bottom row of containers.
Our vet said we can't overdose the pets on it, since it's a supplement. I still wasn't sure how much to give, so I started giving the cats (about 10 pounds each) 1 teaspoon, and Nandi a tablespoon (65 pounds) each day. A couple weeks later I got around to googling the dosing, and most sites (including this one) were in agreement with that dose.
Now, I'm off to make some popcorn, because I'm craving some!
I dunno guys-with the summers we've had recently, I think heartworm could definitly become a bigger issue than it is now. Also, this winter for example-we never got cold enough to kill the flea, tick and mosquito population %100
Plus, its such an expensive, painful disease to treat, and the outcome is often fatal.
I'm no expert for sure, but I don't think I'll take the risk of not having him on a preventative when the preventative is relatively harmless. Thats just me though. And you know me-I'm all about holistic when possible.
I don't disagree with you. We just adopted Nan in October, so HW wasn't, and still isn't, an issue. However, if she is going to be on HW medications, it's going to be done my way.
With the low dose med, given every 45 days instead of every 30, done retroactively, based on the weather. If all of that is just as good as giving regular HW medications at a full dose every 30 days 12 months a year, I'll go with the route that is less toxic to the NanPan.
Is it possible to kill 100% of the flea and tick population around here?
I *think* my vet said when we first moved here that most of the critters die if we have a week of solid, freezing weather. I'd have to look it up, I'm not sure. I think they come up from the south every year in the summers.
And I completely agree with a relaxed schedule: we're on every other month with flea stuff-even in the winter. I've lived through a flea infestation and thats just me being paranoid, lol. But even in the summer, he doesnt need it EVERY month-that stuff is powerful, and Leo is sensitive. Plus, lab studies show its effective for 90 days, so I'm sure we're good.
We still do the sentinel every month though-he's doing well on it w/o issues, but I'm sure every 45 days is just fine too, like with flea stuff.
Heartworm honestly just scares the crap outta me.