I may be looking for a healer/mix of some sort, its been a while since we've had a dog, and need to calculate 'general' expenses. Horror vet stories welcome! [panic] Food, yearly shots, size and weight of dog. Etc.
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I may be looking for a healer/mix of some sort, its been a while since we've had a dog, and need to calculate 'general' expenses. Horror vet stories welcome! [panic] Food, yearly shots, size and weight of dog. Etc.
We do all our own vet stuff here(super glue fixes a LOT) so out vet costs are O there a waste of money imo.....you can get all the vaccinations otc same with antibiotics ..... I would say food costs are around 1000$ a year for our 4 pit bulls each of them eats about 25 pounds a month and we buy them cheap food and supplement that with fresh meat and bones
I've read articles before that it's $2500 on average per dog. But that is all I can contribute to your question. Only have cats here, and they don't eat much and I never take them for vet checkups. Cost $250 to put one down a few years back.
Your costs will vary with the level of care you want to spend on them. Some feed better foods etc. I get shots at the vet so they have proper paperwork so I can board them or send to day camp for the day when they get cabin fever. I get them dentals every other year. But I have no children so I can spend more on my boys. Either way this does not have any bearing on how much you care for your pets or how happy they are. Your interaction with them in their pack is the most important part of a happy dog.
Thanks, hey, I have been reading online stuff, and you can do alot of stuff to keep them healthy, they even have doggi-toothpaste, and even making your own dog food can be cheaper than (the good stuff) - about $15 a month. Mainly I'm worried about foot issues from free-range roaming, there are a few cacti up there, and some spikey plants. Sounds good. Any webs for the shots and stuff?
Our heeler costs 500-700 per year to keep happy and healthy.
The ROI is incredible. :thumbup:
What are you doing for the 5-700?? What is ROI?
ROI = Return on Investment
Quality feed, 2-3 trips a year to vet(vacs, mani/pedi, minor injuries/illness) toys, treats, trips to work cows or sheep.
Any major/serious illness or injury can run to several thousand dollars.
Two of the 11 yrs he has been with us were in the 3000 range.
We spend about $800-$1000 annually for our 65lb black lab/husky mix. We feed him Blue brand lamb and brown rice food (top notch stuff) and only take him to the vet 1-2 times a year for the essentials. Great return on investment as Buffalobo said. We've been fortunate to not need any surgeries or major operations for the 2 years we've had him.
if you work your dog and have them outside a lot there pads get super tough mine step on cacti all the time and it never pokes em if your doing road exercise there is a possibility they can tear that hard layer off but you just clean it up keep it bandaged for a few days with them in the crate so they don't mess it up again and they will be back up and running around fast....now if there couch potatoes they will have soft paws and you'll be fixing cut pads all the timeQuote:
Originally Posted by rocktot
I love blue! All my dogs were raised on itQuote:
Originally Posted by HoneyBadger
Awsome, thanks- What about training with a zap-collar, to stay 'in the fence'?
Also, for healers- we have free-range cattle and some donkeys- what issues could there be with that? They come right up to the trailer sometimes.
For 2 siberian huskies I think we run about 1500 a year for vet, food (Canidae), grooming supplies (required for huskies) and treats. Mine are spoiled since they are basically my kids. They aren't trained therapy dogs, but my girl can pick up on days when I'm not feeling the best and lays next to me no matter where I go in the house or backyard.
As long as there raised around them there shouldn't be any problems it pays to go with a reputable breederQuote:
Originally Posted by rocktot
Depends on you and dog. A well trained and controlled heeler, no big deal. An untrained, unattended heeler could cause all kinds of headache and endanger itself as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by rocktot
Up & down with heelers, or other working / hounds. They listen, unless a unlucky piece of game wander into their area. then off they go. With a collar they can be called off, depends how high you want to bring the shock up to.Quote:
Originally Posted by buffalobo
Our own pups, NO GATE LEFT OPEN, ask beast556 how fast those fukers are, and gone. Fortunately they don't dig under or jump fences, That's a whole nother training routine.
If you are considering a male, get a neutered one, vs one you're going to neuter down the road. The ones who wander b4 neutering will do it after as well, not in the first week or so. but eventually they're on the road.
Training / discipline depends on you. We do or own , working on their weakness mor. Outside of 2 hounds in 36 years we've been fortunate how quick they have picked up on commands, alertness, etc.
Food wise it's Canidae (best overall results, coat, nutrition and stool wise to date) 1 40lb bag ? every month - month 1/2 [ish] They are given less in winter than summer, since they're not as active in colder months.
Shots, the required ones. They are both 2 yrs of age 50lb per.
My dogs are opposite, way more active in winter than in summer. Read up on the breed for food requirements. Working dog breeds will just naturally consume more than others, while some may not need the extra food but will gorge if you just leave a big bowl out.
Paint a visible line where the fence should be. (no go zone) train the dog to not go past that line/fence.Quote:
Originally Posted by cofi
A friend of mine has trained dogs for years, I've watched him work with them. They will not cross that painted line when I approach the open area of the fence. (gate) Eventually the pain wears off and all is good, they know where not to go and respond to verbal commands well. (some are a bit more stubborn than others at learning) :) Be sure they know who is boss, you, not them.
He's never used shocking devices. Just spanking on the rump to get their attention, never on the snout or face, that makes a dog want to bite someone.
Don't confuse them with commands. Down (laydown) Off (get off/jumping on someone) Stay, Sit. Use hand signals each time with the commands while in the learning stage. It could take time depending on the bread and demeanor of the dog.
He plays rough with the dogs too, wrestling in the house and stuff. Never teaches them to fetch. (working bird dogs) He will teach them to retrieve pheasant wings for bird training. Yet somehow his latest dog has discovered tennis balls buried from the previous dog, but refuses to throw them for her. He tosses them in the trash.
Be sure the family and friends know the commands and signals for the dog during training, keeps from confusing the pup and or if you want the pup to know who is master, the family and friends shouldn't try to train the dog. Only use the commands after the pup seems to know them pretty well.
But none of this has worked on my cats. I'm not sure it works at all. [ROFL1]
Just my opinion.. but if you're looking to get a dog based on cost.. you don't need a dog. That being said.. my dog is spoiled. Eats the same as Cofi's. Bout 25# a month. Depends on how active I've had him. He currently weighs in at 71#
He's on Orijen for food. Roughly $1k/yr. Not counting treats, toys. The couple trips to the vet for shots haven't been much at all. Maybe $200 since he was a pup. Neutered another $100. No major medical issues.. just a typical gas bag of a pit.
Beyond the start up cost our 2 labs and 1 hound dog run us about $800/yr for all three. That's for good dog food at Costco and home done shots.
When my dog was a pup she ate some landscaping breeze rocks and they blocked her up, spent several days at the vet to the tune of $800. Now she is on special food that cost about $150/ month.
Don't know. Don't care. They're my friends, I like them more than most people I meet.
depends on how much you plan on loving your dog! I will look into dog insurance for the next dog after doing two knee surgeries (1 per knee) that was probably about $2000/knee.
Other than that about $50/month in food for a 70lb golden retriever after initial expenses.
Throw in the $20/month in various stuff birds, chew toys, poop bags etc etc.
And because we are talking about dogs, I gotta post it:
http://vimeo.com/28597074
love my dog!
95 # boxer mastiff mix gets the $40/bag food. One bag a month. One vet trip a year for some specific needs about $100. We do her shots. A new collar on xmas. First year was about $2000 due to vet. fixing. Training. And replacing the cell charger/chew toys/ electric fence generator. But now all cords are chew free.
Every two weeks or so she gets a greenie and a bath. Add $60 annually. Probably that again in treats like raw hides pig ears and bones.
we have two dogs and I honestly couldnt tell you how much they cost. We get our food from Costco which is very good food our lab eats more in the winter due to hunting. Wife gets them toys and treats randomly so who knows how much that is. If you going to do any sort of hunting dog training that can get expensive quick, birds are not cheap (10ish a bird), bumpers run around 3-5 each, Dokkens are like 30 each, then of course you have books, dvd's, pro training time. If I had to guess our 3 year old lab we have spent roughly 7-8 grand on just him but he has is Junior Hunter AKC title, APL from APLA and we go hunting quite often and that includes gas to and from the places. I would say 1000 a year is prob pretty close but like Monky said once you get them money isnt really a factor.
I have two older dogs (one is 13, one is nearly 14). The older has a heart murmur in its latter stages (heart failure could happen at any moment now), the younger has cushings. The elder's heart issues began at age 8, the youngers cushings began in the last year.
Food, annual dental cleanings, annual vet exam visit w/shots, daily medications, plus visits to CSU veterinary hospital every six months to see the cardiologist for the elder, we are right around $9K/yr/pair - on average. Some years a bit more, some a hair less.
Emergency vet visits, middle of the night, without appointment are pricey - we're generally not talking hundreds, but thousands.
My lab is pricey. I don't even bother calculating. As stated above I spare no expense on him and he is like our child. He eats a lot of Chick Fil A nuggets!
My employees st Bernard ate a rag over thanksgiving. $7000 vet bill for that.
-just to add something: for anyone even remotely considering getting a dog (or other pet for that matter), give some serious thought to how adequately caring for that animal is going to impact your life.
My wife had wanted a dog for years before I finally relented and while I can't imagine life now without the critters, it definitely curtailed some aspects of my lifestyle, particularly my travels which used to be frequent international endeavors without much thought but now require taking the animals into consideration.
We have a neighbor who got a puppy six weeks ago, they are now taking it back to the humane society as it "too drastically affects their lives and their ski schedule". It's unfortunate to put an animal through that attachment/detachment simply because the owners hadn't really thought it through adequately. If your weekends in Aspen and jetting off to Cabo are going to be adversely hampered by getting a pet, don't get one! There are dog parks in every town and most pet owners are more than happy for you to pet their dog.
Pet's should not be a fashion accessory that you have simply to tick that box on the chart of possessions, only get one if you intend to spend time with it. Dogs are social creatures and should be treated accordingly.
Our English bulldog ate everything it wants. Once, she grabbed a 50bmg bohica by the carry handle and tried to hide it in her corner. Her hospital bill were in the 6-7k per year. Our german shep however is extremely low maintenance. Maybe 1k in food and a check up a year. So it depends on the breed also.
I agree with hatidua's post. The traveling part is very hard.
We have dog insurance on our two dogs. I think it's $80-100/month combined. They're still younger (5 years) and we didn't want to have a "Do we spend X amount on one or do we have to let him go?" situation. Food is probably another $500/year for the good stuff. This is for 2 terriers (20 lb and 30 lb). Add in the miscellaneous treats, toys, fun stuff and we're probably around $2,000/year. Give or take.
But they are so awesome that I don't even think twice about the cost.
I'd also like to add that if you can, 2 dogs are nice to have. They keep each other company, play together and I think it makes them happier. My wife got a dog when we first started dating and we eventually picked up the second one when a friend needed to relocate his. The first one definitely seems to be happier. Especially on days when we have to leave for the better part of the day.
Man you guys have some expensive dogs!
My dog is a yellow lab mix mutt and she eats 3 cups of food a day, so around 15 lbs a month and even though I buy the expensive stuff that is only about $20 a month. Aside from that she is generally healthy only going to the vet about 3 times in the 4 years since I got her. Once for kennel cough and a couple times for a skin rash, but even then the visits were about $300 total with medications. I know if something more serious were to happen it will be significantly more expensive, but that is part of researching the particular breed that you are getting. Some breeds are prone to hip dysplasia, heart conditions, pugs have respiratory issues things like that.
Also pure bread dogs need pure bread care and very often need specialized food that costs more a month than my dog eats in a year. My buddy bought two Dobermans and has owned them for five years. The both require $150 per month in specialized dog food or they shit diarrhea all over the house and one of them has had three hip surgeries all ready while the other one is starting to limp. Each surgery was something like $3000 and since he did not have them on insurance before the first surgery, his premiums are super high because they consider the dog "high risk" for needing additional surgeries. His dogs cost him a fortune, but he did not do the research on the breeds, breeder, or associated risks of owning that particular pure bread dog.
My little mutt is happy healthy and a great house protector. She is quiet, smart and adapts easily to changes in diet or environment. Not all dogs are that way, and really after you select a breed or traits you want to see in the dog it really comes down to the individual dog and the amount of time that you have to spend working with them. Every dog has their own personality and you have to select one that suits your life style and commitment to training. Some dogs require constant training and interaction or they get bored and chew up your entire house. Some you only have to tell them once and they got it for life.
I lucked out with my dog, and I would gladly spend much more every month if she needed it. She makes every day better, and you cant put a dollar amount on that.
Either you don't know what the expensive stuff is.. or you have a grain silo and can buy in some serious bulk :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Danimal
If you go onto the hunting section, you'll see my mutt. She has had 5 surgeries that tallied ~14k. Figure every month 50$ of mutt food from murdoch's because she has to be on low residue, or her ass stinks so bad she can't stay in the house. Then on top of the dog food, we have a thyroid condition that adds another 50$ to the bill. I told my wife that's the last dog we ever get from her "friend" at a cheap price. Long story short, have the pup checked out at the vet, and pay for the blood work to be done before you get it. Have them check out the bend in the legs and prescreen for any genetic diseases. This will save you a crap load in the long run if the dog has any of those...
I've got a miniature pinscher. She's about 7 inches at the shoulder and weighs around six lb. I know this is more of a hamster to many of you, but she is a very good family dog. I've had many varieties up to German shepherd dog in size. My min pin is BY FAR the least expensive. However I get every bit of joy from her as the others.
Size and weight, and therefore food are completely irrelevant to the size of dog you are looking at, but in case anybody is interested...
2 oz of food per day is around six 7.5 lb bags per year. Premium food is $15 for a bag. Total annual food cost is about $90. (/win)
Treats and toys might run another $50/year.
Much of the rest are standard costs independent of breed size and depend merely on the vet you like.
Annual vet checkup is about $60.
Annual teeth cleaning is about $100.
Miscellaneous vet visits are probably another $100 per year including vaccinations, nail trims, etc.
Kenneling is expensive and we do this for at least one week a year for around $300/week.
edit: not sure why pics are posting upside down and duplicated.
I have a 5yr old heeler of my own and here are a couple of things I can add to the conversation to keep cost down and a happy dog:
1. Go with an no grain food - tends to cost a little bit more but will get rid of all the "fillers" that usually come in cheaper food. Your dog will eat less due to the higher protein levels, have a better coat, and stools will be smaller as they actually digest and use the energy in the food. My heeler weighs around 35lbs and eats a little over 1/2 cup twice a day. It might be a little more expensive to buy the food, but will help further down the road and you will most likely get healthier years out of them. ~$65 every month and a half
2. Don't feed from the table. Again, this will cause a weight issue which tends to lead into higher cost vet visits down the road. A lot of heelers tend to get the sausage look because of over feeding and will put a lot of strain on their hips.
3. Check on your dog after trips - a lot of insects, cuts, stickers in their paws can be removed before they become a problem
4. Exercise - especially with a heeler. If you run them hard on the pavement look into a supplement for joints. Cheap preventative maintenance goes a long way to keeping your dog healthier longer as heelers tend to live around 12-15 years. One even lived into its 30's I believe.
Shots - I get the normal ones every year ~$200
Annual check up - I tend to go without this if the dog looks healthy. Vet only takes temp, moves the joints around a little bit and is usually pretty useless for the $75-100 they charge
Kennel - go craigslist as they are everywhere
Flying - this has gone up a lot recently as most airlines don't fly pets anymore. I have to fly mine cargo sometimes and is around ~$200-300 depending on the airline (one way). You also have to get a health certificate for 10 days prior to the flight which costs about $75. Boarding can be cheaper.
Extras - ~$100 (toys, collar, leash)
I've found that after the puppy phase, dogs are pretty cheap as long as you keep them healthy through diet and exercise. If you find your dog prone to injury, get a pet policy ($400/yr) that will take care of all shots, vet visits and even some bigger issues that might come up. Can potentially save you a lot of money.
Total for me is around $800-1000 a year but is worth it as I am more active and tend to stay in and eat instead of going out (money saved)
I don't think the above statement can be overemphasized.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave_L
We thought our first dog was happy as could be....until we got our second one. I'll never again have a lone dog, they are social creatures and very much enjoy having another of their own kind around.
I pay way to much for dog food, which chaps my ass because I make it for a living, but I have never had to buy treats. I end up giving away most of what the company gives me, not much food though, when I can get it . Its not what I feed her. This dog is great though, 2yrs old and never runs even when the door is left open, only chews kleenex and toilet paper and is violently protective of her humans. 55ish pound mutt. Black lab and?????, but she is afriad of water.
Just had to drop the pup off to get 3 abscessed teeth pulled and a full make up of shots and stuff.
Total $840, he is lucky I love his ass.