Pet Costs?
12-31-2003, 02:55 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,985
For Christmas I recieved a gift certificate to the Dumb Friends League (A humane society) that entitles me to adopt a pet. I was browsing the website and came across this sweetheart, Grace (below). She's a 3 month old German Sheperd mix. I don't know if i can afford the cost, but I have no idea how much it costs to feed and maintain these things. Thoughts?
12-31-2003, 03:04 PM
#3
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Port St. Lucie, FL
Posts: 638
Dogs aren't real expensive to own, but well worth the money.
Keeping them nourished doesn't cost very much. Food and water are cheap. However the medical costs are a bit high. Shots for dogs can be upwards of 50 dollars depending on the shot. They need boosters every-so-often.
Other than that, all they have to do is be walked and cared for. They grow on you.
Keeping them nourished doesn't cost very much. Food and water are cheap. However the medical costs are a bit high. Shots for dogs can be upwards of 50 dollars depending on the shot. They need boosters every-so-often.
Other than that, all they have to do is be walked and cared for. They grow on you.
12-31-2003, 03:05 PM
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: NJ
Posts: 4,981
Umm yeah atleast that, it all depends what you feed him. My dog is 155 pounds, no fat, just pure dog!. He eats a mix of dry and wet food. That equals 1 20pound bag, and 14 cans a week. That is about $40 then add treats, toys ect. another $10-20 a week. Oh and don't forget those vet bills!!!!.
I love my dog, he's worth every penny
I love my dog, he's worth every penny
12-31-2003, 03:11 PM
#6
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Amityville, New York
Posts: 12,288
your dog eats alot, lol
I have a 130lb rottie at the shop, and a rottie mut, between them
they dont eat 20lbs a week, they do each eat a can a day though.
I dont feed my dogs at home canned food, if your dog will eat dry only
its much better for them. I do give them raw and cooked meat
now and then instead. My GF orders thier dry food from some place, its
very low production, supposidly somebody makes it in thier house.
once your beyond the puppy stage you only go to the vet once a year
as long as they dont get sick.
I have a 130lb rottie at the shop, and a rottie mut, between them
they dont eat 20lbs a week, they do each eat a can a day though.
I dont feed my dogs at home canned food, if your dog will eat dry only
its much better for them. I do give them raw and cooked meat
now and then instead. My GF orders thier dry food from some place, its
very low production, supposidly somebody makes it in thier house.
once your beyond the puppy stage you only go to the vet once a year
as long as they dont get sick.
12-31-2003, 03:17 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Clifton, NJ
Posts: 1,675
$50 a month on food sounds about average for goood quality stuff. Initially you'll need to spend $200-300 in shots within the first few months too, but if its from the humane society it might already have some of them and should be fixed.
12-31-2003, 03:44 PM
#10
Member
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 35
I was a registered Vet Tech for almost eleven years so here're my thoughts:
There are several things to consider in terms of large breeds versus smaller breeds. Yes, larger dogs eat more so you're gonna need to buy more food. You'll want to try to maintain a diet primarily of dry food for your dog. It's less expensive, easier to store, is typically better for their teeth and can be just as nutritious as canned food. I forgot what a big bag of food runs, but it's not too expensive for even the better brands. It'll break down to how much food your dog will eat over time.
If your dog ever has to take any medication it's gonna be costlier because medication is dosed based on the animal's weight. There are some meds out there that are very expensive and needing a lot of one can add up quickly.
If you have to board a large dog at a kennel while you're on vacation or whatever, it'll cost more per day than a smaller dog. Large dogs occupy more space and kennels usually charge based on that.
Large dogs have a generally shorter life span than smaller dogs. The larger breeds' systems have to work harder to support that dog while smaller breeds' systems don't have to work too hard to keep a little dog going for a while. Seven to nine years is considered a good life for a German Shepard and dogs like Great Danes and Mastiffs generally occupy the lower end of that scale. Smaller dogs can go for up to thirteen years, generally. I don't know about you, but I'm devastated when my dogs pass away (I've only had three in my life) and the more time between that experience...the better.
Also, regardless of your dog's size, there are some things that need to be done regularly. Vaccinations and Dentals are a yearly thing and Heartworm preventatives are a monthly thing. A full set of vaccinations (per year) are around $30-$45, depending on where you live. Heartworm preventatives usually run around $40-$60 for a six-month supply. Of course, they're less expensive for a smaller dog.
Dental care is more important than most people think and it's generally recommended that a dental cleaning be done once a year. It's a procedure that requires the use of a general anesthetic so a good hospital will recommend a pre-anesthetic blood work-up to eliminate the possibility a anesthetic-related problems. Again, the anesthetic agents are weight-specific, so a larger dog will be costlier. All together, you're probably looking at around $250 for a dental with a blood panel.
These are just some facts to consider. I don't want to steer you away from a larger dog, but they do cost more to maintain.
Either way, any dog from a shelter will be an awesome pet. I'm glad you got a certificate from a shelter.
There are several things to consider in terms of large breeds versus smaller breeds. Yes, larger dogs eat more so you're gonna need to buy more food. You'll want to try to maintain a diet primarily of dry food for your dog. It's less expensive, easier to store, is typically better for their teeth and can be just as nutritious as canned food. I forgot what a big bag of food runs, but it's not too expensive for even the better brands. It'll break down to how much food your dog will eat over time.
If your dog ever has to take any medication it's gonna be costlier because medication is dosed based on the animal's weight. There are some meds out there that are very expensive and needing a lot of one can add up quickly.
If you have to board a large dog at a kennel while you're on vacation or whatever, it'll cost more per day than a smaller dog. Large dogs occupy more space and kennels usually charge based on that.
Large dogs have a generally shorter life span than smaller dogs. The larger breeds' systems have to work harder to support that dog while smaller breeds' systems don't have to work too hard to keep a little dog going for a while. Seven to nine years is considered a good life for a German Shepard and dogs like Great Danes and Mastiffs generally occupy the lower end of that scale. Smaller dogs can go for up to thirteen years, generally. I don't know about you, but I'm devastated when my dogs pass away (I've only had three in my life) and the more time between that experience...the better.
Also, regardless of your dog's size, there are some things that need to be done regularly. Vaccinations and Dentals are a yearly thing and Heartworm preventatives are a monthly thing. A full set of vaccinations (per year) are around $30-$45, depending on where you live. Heartworm preventatives usually run around $40-$60 for a six-month supply. Of course, they're less expensive for a smaller dog.
Dental care is more important than most people think and it's generally recommended that a dental cleaning be done once a year. It's a procedure that requires the use of a general anesthetic so a good hospital will recommend a pre-anesthetic blood work-up to eliminate the possibility a anesthetic-related problems. Again, the anesthetic agents are weight-specific, so a larger dog will be costlier. All together, you're probably looking at around $250 for a dental with a blood panel.
These are just some facts to consider. I don't want to steer you away from a larger dog, but they do cost more to maintain.
Either way, any dog from a shelter will be an awesome pet. I'm glad you got a certificate from a shelter.