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Are you thinking about getting a dog, but trying to figure out how much it will really cost? Trust me, dog ownership always costs more than you expect. I have two fur babies who I love with all my heart, but they can definitely be expensive and you need to be prepared.
Part of the challenge with pets are that people tend to expect you to buy them a ton of toys, treats, and even outfits. When it comes to spending on your pets, you have to consider what is right for you, not what everyone else is doing. Just as you shouldn’t compare your overall spending habits to someone else’s, you shouldn’t compare your pet spending habits either. As a general rule, I don’t often buy treats for my dogs. I tend to reward them with praise and petting or even with ice cubes and pieces of their own food (they seem to always think this is a prize even though they eat it daily).
The costs to expect with dog ownership:
Vet visits– you should either put money aside in case of vet visits or consider doing a monthly vet payment plan. I have wellness plans for my pups at Banfield Pet Hospital so I pay a reasonable flat amount each month and all their vaccines for the year, their preventive exams, and any sick visits are covered. There are still some added costs like if a test is not covered under the plan, but it definitely will make your pet expenses more manageable and predictable.
Vaccines– it’s really important to keep you pets up to date on vaccines. It can be critical for their health and on top of that, certain vaccines like rabies are required by law. I do this through my vet wellness plan, but in the past I also used to look for inexpensive traveling vet clinics. If you search online, you can often find when these low cost clinics are coming to an animal shelter or pet store near you.
Neutering / Spaying
Preventive medication– I give my dogs flea/tick and heartworm prevention medications every month. While this is definitely expensive, I know paying for the monthly prevention will end up being way less expensive than it would be if either dog were to get fleas, ticks, or heartworms and needed treatment. Heartworm medication is by a vet’s prescription only, but that doesn’t mean that you have to purchase the medicine at the vet’s office. I’ve called local pharmacies to get the price for the medication that my dogs are prescribed- many human pharmacies also carry pet medication. I found that I can save some money by purchasing their heartworm meds at my local Costco. For flea and tick prevention, I have found that the Seresto collars work well on my dogs and since they last for 8 months, they work out to be less expensive than other brand options such as Frontline or K-9 Advantix.
Food– I buy ours at Costco.
Some other costs you may have with dog ownership:
Baby Gate– to keep the fur babies in a room with you, out of a room, or even on a porch.
Dog walkers– if you work long hours it may be wise to invest in an occasional or even regularly scheduled dog walker.
Dog sitters– when considering whether to get a pet, think through how often you travel- for work and personally. Each time you travel, you have to spend to have someone watch your pet. If possible, you can set up a dog sitting swap with a friend, relative, or neighbor so you can trade services. Otherwise, you should check out Rover. If you use my affiliate link to Rover, you’ll get $20 off your first service. I used Rover for the first time in May of 2018 and it was a great experience.
Nanny cams for your pets– I bought these wireless cameras for my husband and I partly as a joke for Christmas 2017 and we absolutely love them. They aren’t the highest quality cameras, but they are fairly easy to setup and all it costs is the cost of the cameras. In order for them to work, you need wifi and a power outlet and then you can install a free app on your phone to connect to your specific cameras so you can check them throughout the day. I definitely feel less guilty when I’m at work and the pups are at home when I can peek in on them and see that they’re asleep as happy as could be.
No matter how badly you want a pet, think about if it’s really the right decision for you at this time in your life. If not, find a friend, relative or coworker who you can pet sit for so you can get the perks of having a dog without the expense. Despite all the expected dog ownership costs and other costs listed above, there are definitely times when you’ll want to have a little extra money saved for your pets. I love my fur babies and am so glad to have them, but they are definitely expensive.