Dog costs

pinktoe

A poodle vs Jack Russell is going to be very different costs. Does OP want a certain breed or just any type of dog?

A breakdown for a long haired GSD.
€50 bag of food does 6 weeks, total 430

Deshed groom every 2 months is 70 and one standard wash in between is 25. Total 570

Various add on food, eggs, tinned fish, treats maybe 250+

Vet bills, once a year includes booster, tears supply of worming and flea treatment and tooth paste, varies on different locations. Total 120

Beds maybe two and year, total 100 or so

License 20

Toys, teddy bears, footballs easily 100 but she is not a toy destroyer so could be a lot higher.

That's 1590 I think as minimum for us.

Random stuff, teeth cleaned and two removed due to being neglected before rescuing 190

Neutering I don't know the cost.

Car seat covers and valeting may apply.

Insurance is optional

Muzzle if needed, lead and collars last for years.

Puppies can be destructive so factor in a crate or replacement kitchen doors (Border Collies)

I think Bertiebomber has a GSD so I'd agree with his estimate for that breed. Obviously a smaller dog will cost less, even Bichons have lower grooming costs AFAIK

bertiebomber

i have 4 dogs and 3 horses so my bills are well calculated and i have had dogs for yonks lots of rescues and i do it welll as i am a firm believer in doing whatever you do well. if you get a dog do the very best for him or her its not rocket science. If the price of a few tins of dog food is important then the other bills will be hard to take.

I use tins of makeral sardines salmon regularly rather than tinned dog food and beef mince and i cook sweet potatoes and kale and celery to add to their dinners As a treat i boil whole chickens for them. Do it well or dont bother maybe op could register as a fosterer and try out having a dog for a period of time that would help the rescues and answer all her / his questions with hands on experience.

Justin Credible Darts

pinktoe wrote: »

A poodle vs Jack Russell is going to be very different costs. Does OP want a certain breed or just any type of dog?

A breakdown for a long haired GSD.
€50 bag of food does 6 weeks, total 430

Deshed groom every 2 months is 70 and one standard wash in between is 25. Total 570

Various add on food, eggs, tinned fish, treats maybe 250+

Vet bills, once a year includes booster, tears supply of worming and flea treatment and tooth paste, varies on different locations. Total 120

Beds maybe two and year, total 100 or so

License 20

Toys, teddy bears, footballs easily 100 but she is not a toy destroyer so could be a lot higher.

That's 1590 I think as minimum for us.

Random stuff, teeth cleaned and two removed due to being neglected before rescuing 190

Neutering I don't know the cost.

Car seat covers and valeting may apply.

Insurance is optional

Muzzle if needed, lead and collars last for years.

Puppies can be destructive so factor in a crate or replacement kitchen doors (Border Collies)

I think Bertiebomber has a GSD so I'd agree with his estimate for that breed. Obviously a smaller dog will cost less, even Bichons have lower grooming costs AFAIK

as the owner of a long haired GS also there is some differences with mine.


I dont get him beds any more, he never used them and prefer a thick blanket., when he is not on our bed.



I and my wife do all his grooming.


he has no interest in toys, but will get well over 6 months out of a leather rugby ball or football, normally puncturing it on the first few minutes, but loves playing with the leather.


but everything else is almost spot on with food , vet, accessories etc, although I do have more than normal vet visits, as he suffers hard from allergies,

also a 60quid bag of food 12kilos lasts a little over 3 weeks

Doctors room ghost

A good quality complete nut mixed with kitchen scraps minus any bones is plenty good for any dog and with adequate daily exercise and access to fresh water all the time you won’t go wrong.

bertiebomber

my belgian shepherd is crippled with allergies i have spent a small fortune on scrapings and tests and now he gets regular ear cleanings & special dry food it must be the breed. In the 60's my mother had a GSD and he was brought to the veterinary college in Dublin fortnightly for his ears, it seems to be a curse on them, what are your dogs allergies?

Justin Credible Darts

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

A good quality complete nut mixed with kitchen scraps minus any bones is plenty good for any dog and with adequate daily exercise and access to fresh water all the time you won’t go wrong.

yep, often after my dinner, any things like steak , bean, fish, rice, pasta or whatever I dont eat I can add to his dry.


In fact even when he is fed and i sat down with a salad of tomatoe, lettuce, etc he will eat that too just because he sees me eating it.

Antares35

Re the insurance, just to offer a different perspective (to take or leave) I always opted to put money aside every month instead of insuring my dog. That way I've a cash reserve there which can be used specifically for anything that crops up. Came in handy a few years ago when she needed the cruciate ligament done at a cost of 850 euro. I know insurance would have paid too, but I just preferred having the cash there and paying it and not having to go through all the paperwork for a claim. Also, I always had a fear that they'd try to weasel out of paying too lol. For example, the vet said even if I insured her after the cruciate was repaired, if she tore the one on the other leg she wouldn't be covered as it's a "pre existing condition" even though a cruciate can just tear, and is not a condition as such. She's pre-disposed I guess. Anyway in a situation like that, it made sense for me to just put the money aside rather than take out insurance because at least I'd have the cash available and not run the risk of a refusal to cover. The only thing I worry about is where there would be a massive claim eg causing an accident because she's not controlled which insurance would cover, but obviously my cash reserve wouldn't!

Few years ago, our cat crawled into the engine and shattered his leg in the fan belt. Huge expense on orthopaedic surgery. Then he went and got the same fúcking leg chewed by a mink. More expense. In hindsight, we should have amputated Point being, you just never know when pets are going to cost money!

Zooplus online is a great place for food. I pay 55euro for 12 kilo of royal canin. A 10 kilo bag is 75euro in the petshop.

Darc19

bertiebomber wrote: »

1500 to 2000 per annum to do it correctly and to give the dog a decent life

That's generally what is accepted as a ball park figure. So unless you have this expenditure available, best not to have a dog.

Here's a good article from the Irish Times
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/in-the-market-for-a-dog-here-s-what-it-s-likely-to-cost-1.4352408

Justin Credible Darts

bertiebomber wrote: »

my belgian shepherd is crippled with allergies i have spent a small fortune on scrapings and tests and now he gets regular ear cleanings & special dry food it must be the breed. In the 60's my mother had a GSD and he was brought to the veterinary college in Dublin fortnightly for his ears, it seems to be a curse on them, what are your dogs allergies?

dont talk to me about ear problems, I have spent thousands in the last 8 years., in you count about 3-5 visits a year.


Every october/november when the real wet weather comes in he starts shaking his head, and rubbing his head so much he makes the spot above his ear bald, in less than 2 days.


back to the vets, buy the ear cleaner, anti biotics, and normally steroids , so the cost rack up. He then gets ravenous on the steroids.


It heals up and then comes back in march. This is twice a year, every year.
The vets cannot work out what caused it, we changed his diet countless times, I even got rid of my cherry blossoms trees and hawthorn tree out my back in case that had any bearing.


3 years ago he started shaking his ear he got a hematoma , so the vet has to shave the side of his head and put rods in his ear to keep it upright, and the poor dog had to wear that cone around his head for over 2 weeks .


A year later he got another hemathoma, and the vet decided that it was pointless having him go through the same procedure and cured him but to this day, his right ear has a bend in it, like scooby doo.


He has another appointment booked for wednesday this week, as his ear again is starting to irritate, so getting in before it gets to bad, so hopefully just anti biotics and more ear cleaner.


The vet won't give me the ear cleaner without a visit so they can charge us more.


I know I sound like i am pissed off, but I care about the dog not the money. as even when he has the problems he is a gentle easy going dog, even if he does look big and aggressive.

Graces7

I had two dogs. JRT Cross and collie. Only ever one vet bill and that was for JRT. Al of E50 .

Fed kibble and raw chicken, what scraps there were which were few enough! No I did not add that up; it went on my grocery bills, as any family would no insurance etc,. home made beds, did not use toys.

It is what you make it. Both were strong and healthy and lived to good and happy old age. It does not have to be as costly as a few here make it; I am a pensioner and loved and cared for the dogs . THAT is what matters.

Tangleytuftles

I'd definitely start by paying extra upfront for a dog who has had health clearances and titles. It's a bit more upfront but its cheaper overall as dogs health tested are less likely to get sick or injured and if they are, you can contact the breeder so they stop the parents from breeding and save others from having a sick dog. You're also paying for expertise, experience and a person to quiz for the lifetime of your dog.
Free dogs, accidental litter dogs and shelter dogs make perfectly nice pets but you also don't know their genetics and for a first time owner I think knowing genes and potential aggression is necessary.

I got a free dog, I love him to bits and wouldn't change him for the world but he's cost me loads extra in food and vet bills than a dog from a reputable breeder who health tests would. He has food allergies, environmental allergies and a weird bladder that keeps getting infected. Back when I had him on dry food and wet food, I could feed 2 whole dogs for the cost of his food(80 to 100 euro) a decent quality food for 2 to 3 months. Now that I've switched him onto raw, he's around 70 a month which isn't the best but its cheaper and he actually eats it. Also lots of vet bills, he vomited on Friday, went into the vet and got a shot plus some anti allergy stuff for his feet and it was 42 euro and that's on a vet plan where I don't have to pay for checkups. There's also flea, tick and worm meds, vaccinations and neutering if you so wish to do so on top of incidentals and checkups, which you need 2 to 3 of for a puppy.

You also need a crate for the dog, good treats, good food, a safe area to potty, excessive patience, lots of toys(puppies get bored easily), good quality chews and the ability to take them out every 30 minutes or so to start.

So for the first year alone, I'd put aside 500 for vet bills as puppies are more prone to illness and accidents. 200 for toys and chews, 60 for the crate. 300 for a dog training course. Plus 300 for incidentals. Then add around 840 a year on food.
That's also without buying a puppy or adjusting for bigger or smaller dogs. This would be expenses for a 20 kilo dog. This is also without neutering as recent studies have shown that altering some dogs before 2 leads to increases joint and cancer issues plus its not my personal recommendation to basically remove the hormones of a seven to 8 year old(human wise, this is what neutering a puppy at 6 months is essentially since they're about 2/3 of the way to puberty) just because I can't be arsed to deal with the apparent misbehaving despite the fact that neutered dogs do the same behaviours and its all about training plus neutering a dog early can lead them to be fearful and since fear drives a lot of aggression, it can be a problem.

Antares35

Some of the healthiest dogs are crossbreeds. It's pedigrees that can have no end of problems, with all the inbreeding and massive exaggeration of traits that goes on.

Tangleytuftles

The issue with crossbreeds and mongrels in my personal experience is that you don't know what issues they'll get(i know many mongrels that have had health issues pop up, just as many as poorly bred purebreds from accidental litters) and less people are willing to do the health testing needed before breeding dogs on mongrels as they assume they're healthier. They COULD be healthier but they can also get health issues from both parents. This is why I stress the importance of going to a REPUTABLE breeder who health tests, compares their dogs against others and knows their breed intimately.
Also, even with badly bred purebred dogs, their issues are consistent and you can plan for them better.
Or get a shelter dog instead of funding backyard breeders and their "accidental" litters.

I'll personally stick to purebreds because no other breed can match border collies and their personalities.

Knine

Antares35 wrote: »

Some of the healthiest dogs are crossbreeds. It's pedigrees that can have no end of problems, with all the inbreeding and massive exaggeration of traits that goes on.

My pedigrees have out lived all my cross breeds. One cross PTS at 4 years due to heart failure, another dying at the moment of cancer. So this is certainly not always the case.

The inbreeding is not anything like inexperienced people think it is. We have very strict criteria to abide by & we do lots of health testing.

Justin Credible Darts

Tangleytuftles wrote: »

The issue with crossbreeds and mongrels in my personal experience is that you don't know what issues they'll get(i know many mongrels that have had health issues pop up, just as many as poorly bred purebreds from accidental litters) and less people are willing to do the health testing needed before breeding dogs on mongrels as they assume they're healthier. They COULD be healthier but they can also get health issues from both parents. This is why I stress the importance of going to a REPUTABLE breeder who health tests, compares their dogs against others and knows their breed intimately.
Also, even with badly bred purebred dogs, their issues are consistent and you can plan for them better.
Or get a shelter dog instead of funding backyard breeders and their "accidental" litters.

I'll personally stick to purebreds because no other breed can match border collies and their personalities.

Although only have the GS now...wife wanted him, we always kept border collies.


As I said earlier in this thread, the last 2 collies (brothers) cost me less than the GS I have now. Collies are so smart they make other dogs seem thick.
Rarely ever had problems that needed the vet, except for the usual check ups, vaccinations, teeth cleaning

AlphaDelta1

Go for middle of the road priced dog food. Don't be fooled by the high price stuff it makes no difference to the long term health of the dog or their energy levels etc... Keep away from the trash in the supermarkets it really is a false economy and your animal will end up costing you a fortune long term vet bills.

bertiebomber

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

dont talk to me about ear problems, I have spent thousands in the last 8 years., in you count about 3-5 visits a year.


Every october/november when the real wet weather comes in he starts shaking his head, and rubbing his head so much he makes the spot above his ear bald, in less than 2 days.


back to the vets, buy the ear cleaner, anti biotics, and normally steroids , so the cost rack up. He then gets ravenous on the steroids.


It heals up and then comes back in march. This is twice a year, every year.
The vets cannot work out what caused it, we changed his diet countless times, I even got rid of my cherry blossoms trees and hawthorn tree out my back in case that had any bearing.


3 years ago he started shaking his ear he got a hematoma , so the vet has to shave the side of his head and put rods in his ear to keep it upright, and the poor dog had to wear that cone around his head for over 2 weeks .


A year later he got another hemathoma, and the vet decided that it was pointless having him go through the same procedure and cured him but to this day, his right ear has a bend in it, like scooby doo.


He has another appointment booked for wednesday this week, as his ear again is starting to irritate, so getting in before it gets to bad, so hopefully just anti biotics and more ear cleaner.


The vet won't give me the ear cleaner without a visit so they can charge us more.


I know I sound like i am pissed off, but I care about the dog not the money. as even when he has the problems he is a gentle easy going dog, even if he does look big and aggressive.

Snap i am going through all this too the dog is actually belonging to ,my mum who is 70 plus years old and he lives with her and protects her. recently i bought a shampoo called malesab and i dilute some into a small container & clean out his ears and also between his paws i hate to see him shaking his ears and draggging his head along a field to scratch. He gets relief from this a vet nurse told me thats what the vets do sometimes its an anti fungal shampoo for dogs. I keep steroids for him when the ears thicken but i do try to keep ahead of this. It must be a pedrigree dog thing none of my rescues ever have ear issues its an ongoing for life condition.. I suppose we will just keep doing it .

Justin Credible Darts

bertiebomber wrote: »

Snap i am going through all this too the dog is actually belonging to ,my mum who is 70 plus years old and he lives with her and protects her. recently i bought a shampoo called malesab and i dilute some into a small container & clean out his ears and also between his paws i hate to see him shaking his ears and draggging his head along a field to scratch. He gets relief from this a vet nurse told me thats what the vets do sometimes its an anti fungal shampoo for dogs. I keep steroids for him when the ears thicken but i do try to keep ahead of this. It must be a pedrigree dog thing none of my rescues ever have ear issues its an ongoing for life condition.. I suppose we will just keep doing it .

Tried the malesab shampoo,even tried the malesab dry shampoos



His coat is fine, i give him the cod liver oil, he likes his baths. Plenty of fish also helps, his coat is fantastic, but cannot get to the root of the ear problems.


Used the ear cleaner MalAcetic, used the ear drops Surlan.


As I said I have paid a fortune and done everything i can but it happens twice a year.

em_cat

I couldn’t tell you how much our dogs cost us. We’ve an accident prone Pom & a yorkie cross that suffers auto immune & behavioural issues but somehow I couldn’t tell you how much they cost, to me it’s a bit like asking how much does a child cost, or indeed how long is a piece of string.

@ Justin Credible Darts, has your vet given you any indication why it happens?

Justin Credible Darts

em_cat wrote: »

I couldn’t tell you how much our dogs cost us. We’ve an accident prone Pom & a yorkie cross that suffers auto immune & behavioural issues but somehow I couldn’t tell you how much they cost, to me it’s a bit like asking how much does a child cost, or indeed how long is a piece of string.

@ Justin Credible Darts, has your vet given you any indication why it happens?

vet thinks it is the wet grass...I know, a shepherd with a grass allergy...crazy.


but even she ,and the other vet in the same practice cannot be sure. It is disheartening as you dont want them sufferring or irritated.

em_cat

Sorry, read back after posting...

em_cat

Justin Credible Darts wrote: »

vet thinks it is the wet grass...I know, a shepherd with a grass allergy...crazy.


but even she ,and the other vet in the same practice cannot be sure. It is disheartening as you dont want them sufferring or irritated.

I know and allergies are PIA in both humans & animals...Ask the vet for Apoquel, it’s expensive, but given short time and has worked worked wonders....IMO the Surlan and the fungicidal washes are so temporary and don’t help to treat the cause.

Justin Credible Darts

em_cat wrote: »

I know and allergies are PIA in both humans & animals...Ask the vet for Apoquel, it’s expensive, but given short time and has worked worked wonders....IMO the Surlan and the fungicidal washes are so temporary and don’t help to treat the cause.

Will ask Wednesday...or will get the wife to ask as she is taking him

bertiebomber

em_cat wrote: »

I know and allergies are PIA in both humans & animals...Ask the vet for Apoquel, it’s expensive, but given short time and has worked worked wonders....IMO the Surlan and the fungicidal washes are so temporary and don’t help to treat the cause.

I used the Apoquel i got the vet to do scrapings and blood tests and left him in there till they had answers but they could not find anything specific just said he was sensitive and i have tried so many things. The malesab i do fortnightly when he begins to scratch and it gives him good relief i massage it into the base of ear and then use gamagee to clean out the wax. He just produces a lot of wax and thats his issue so i will just soldier on with him hes is a lovely dog and worth the efforts.

Justin Credible Darts

bertiebomber wrote: »

I used the Apoquel i got the vet to do scrapings and blood tests and left him in there till they had answers but they could not find anything specific just said he was sensitive and i have tried so many things. The malesab i do fortnightly when he begins to scratch and it gives him good relief i massage it into the base of ear and then use gamagee to clean out the wax. He just produces a lot of wax and thats his issue so i will just soldier on with him hes is a lovely dog and worth the efforts.

same here. cannot find anything specific, and like yourself contantly cleaning out his ears, likewise my fella has a heap of wax.



After cleaning, my wife something uses coconut oil to sooth his ear, which he seems to enjoy

em_cat

bertiebomber wrote: »

I used the Apoquel i got the vet to do scrapings and blood tests and left him in there till they had answers but they could not find anything specific just said he was sensitive and i have tried so many things. The malesab i do fortnightly when he begins to scratch and it gives him good relief i massage it into the base of ear and then use gamagee to clean out the wax. He just produces a lot of wax and thats his issue so i will just soldier on with him hes is a lovely dog and worth the efforts.

I suspected your GSD possibly had other issues, not necessarily allergy related...he’s a lucky thing to have you

em_cat

On the ear wax thing, we’ve a guinea pig with the ear wax thing & do the same we clean with the coconut oil, it’s great helping to dissolve the wax.

Rubberchikken

Fit depends on a lot of things but to us cost has never entered our minds.
We choose to get our dogs so everything else is up to us.

Our first dog lived to 28, a corgi, and I could count on one hand the amount of times he visited the vet outside of his yearly vaccinations.
Our second little fella, a jack russell cross, was as healthy as you could get too. Vaccinations and 2 visits to vet in 14 years, one for the snip and the second for conjunctivitis.

Our third is a little lady, she's 13 now and has had quiet a few vet visits in the past 4 years due to a growth in her anus that he removed each time.
That plus vaccs plus occasional visits to remove a bone she picked up in the park that got stuck in her teeth, an injured paw running away from our car and one or two more things means costs mount but it really doesn't matter.

She needs to be looked after. That's the bottom line. In our house anyway:)

Graces7

AlphaDelta1 wrote: »

Go for middle of the road priced dog food. Don't be fooled by the high price stuff it makes no difference to the long term health of the dog or their energy levels etc... Keep away from the trash in the supermarkets it really is a false economy and your animal will end up costing you a fortune long term vet bills.

What " trash"? My dogs and cats have done and do very well on the own brand supermarket foods. Which I assume is what you are talking about? All my own food is own label also and never a problem.

My income blesses Supervalu mightily. NB I remember a vet advising LIDL pet food and the unjustified outrage here.

No vet bills either. Happy healthy dogs and cats..

NB not much of all this is really of much help to the OP?

Justin Credible Darts

em_cat wrote: »

I know and allergies are PIA in both humans & animals...Ask the vet for Apoquel, it’s expensive, but given short time and has worked worked wonders....IMO the Surlan and the fungicidal washes are so temporary and don’t help to treat the cause.

As I said earlier in the thread, dog had another vet visit earlier today, 8 days of steroids ( steroids I already had anyway).


Spoke with her about Acoquel and vet said it is not a guarantee it would work either.
I asked about the price, and its 118 a month due to his size, and the first month would have to be a double dose.



If the reaction starts again in march (if the scenario keeps repeating itself) it might be something to consider, but he is 8 years old tomorrow........yes, I knew the day he was born.