Hi. I’m actually interested not so much in exact dollar amounts as in the types of expenses. A friend asked how much I spend on mine, and I don’t know how representative my situation is. I adopted an older (7 1/2 years) dog and so I won’t have 15 years’ worth of costs. I paid an adoption fee (not the highest one charged by the organization because of her age); I buy a national, name-brand dog food but nothing special; I buy treats in bulk; I tried grooming her at home but failed miserably and end up spending a lot on yearly or every six-months’ grooming; I paid for boarding on two occasions but try to avoid it; and she has had a few big (although not more than $700) health issues (teeth cleaning and related heart check; skin infection). She has also had a few small health issues. I get her vaccinated and treat her with a flea and tick preventive substance.
Thanks.
I feel like it seems to average out to $100-150/month. Sometimes much more, usually less. But I’m guessing that if I looked at a period of a couple of years, it would fall in this range.
2 dogs:
allergy meds
allergen free food
old dog incontinence meds
allergen free heartworm pills compounded
grooming
fractured tooth removal
antibiotics for a reoccurring foot infection
poop bags-so many poop bags!
heartworm chewable
flea and tick chewable
This month my dog is about to cost me over $1k because she has a trainer starting on Monday. But she’s worth it.
Other than that, she is low maintenance: food (subscribe & save from Amazon is just over $40/month), flea, tick, & heartworm meds ($300? per 6 months), and nails once in a while. Her nails are usually done by my MIL though.
She’s very young though. I’ve shelled out hundreds of dollars a month before for our older doggies who have since passed away. I also paid over $2k for each ACL surgery that my parents’ dog had to get.
My sister has a dog who’s 3 or 4 and is getting ACL surgery today to the tune of $3,000.
Past dogs have had to go to the university for specialist care for detached retina and cancer surgery.
Another dog need a life vest because she had back damage and sank like a rock. She loved being out on the canoe. Do the canoe and kayak count as dog expenses? lol
Dogs are just furry kids if you ask me, very expensive and gone way too soon. Just lost mine and she was irreplaceable 
Smaller mutt, 12 yo now, about $500 once per year for vet stuff and maybe $20/month for food. He chewed the couch cushions when he was young and cost us a bunch. DW surely would break the bank for him if he gets sick. I’m hoping for a nice, fast mountain lion to jump the fence when his time comes.
I have two big dogs, so my expenses are higher but they are worth it. I spend a lot each year on food and “goodies”, but they have sensitive digestive systems and high quality food is cheaper than the vet. Vet expenses, including meds and vaccines are on the high end, but I trust my vet and if she recommends something we do it. Boarding is infrequent, but when they go it’s like going to a spa for dogs. They love it and I never worry that they’re not being well cared for. They are younger but I’m sure the expenses will mount as they age. Sabadog will need to have his teeth cleaned next year. Sabapup was spayed. The list goes on!
My pooch runs about 150-200 a month, but she keeps me from having to see a shrink. I figure I’m saving.
Well, when I travel, boarding the dogs almost always costs more than the accommodations of wherever I am traveling to. Currently $85/day for two dogs.
I think the size of the dog is a big factor in terms of day-to-day expenses. Little dogs eat less than big dogs.
There have been several times over the last 11 years when I thought my mutt was going to cost me my marriage, but somehow all 3 of us have gotten through the rough patches.
I’ve been paying my dog sitter about $55 per day to stay here. I am going to be upping it because the older one has 2 meds and is high maintenance.
3 Shelties – two are competition agility dogs. On the frequent flyer program at the vet. Rescue dog has had vet bills of nearly $2000 since July. Food is $50 every 3 weeks. Treats @ $5/bag – probably 2 bags a month. Training classes – about $35/pop. 1 class weekly for 1 of the three. Sometimes a second class or seminar. Grooming I do myself. Entry fees for agility trials – about $400/month. (Prize money, zero). One agility dog, nearing retirement, gets laser acupuncture at $125/pop on an as-needed basis.
Boarding two dogs for 6 nights plus grooming just cost me $800. X’s that by 3 or 4 per year give or take a $100 or so depending on # of nights boarded. Regular vet check ups with shots and flea/tick med, plus heart worm for both dogs and it’s probably another $600-700. Both dogs have been healthy so far so no extra medical expenses - but I had a dog who was diabetic and just her insulin was $100/month and that was 25 years ago.
Food and treats are about $40/month. They are both little dogs so don’t eat that much but I buy expensive food for them.
Grooming in between when they are boarded another couple of hundred ($50 per dog.)
I don’t ask the vets for receipts. Why the heck would I want to add this up on a yearly basis?! I am waiting for one of the examination rooms to have a brass plaque attached with my name on it.
Two small shaggy dogs, age 11 and 10. Food $35/month for a quality brand, almost nothing on treats (a bag of Charlee Bears lasts months and they love bits of carrot or green bean). One of them has terrible teeth–$300+/yr for dentals, just for her. The previous vet charged us $700 for one dental and said we were getting a bargain. Also around three vet visits a year for mild allergies, vaccinations, etc that average $100 or so. The other dog had an acute illness that almost killed her at age 3 that cost us at least a couple thousand in three days, two nights at the emergency vet (I never totalled the bills), plus a number of followup visits at the regular vet with bloodwork. It also cost us three days of a vacation and tons of worry. She can no longer be immunized (it was an immune-related illness) but has otherwise been healthy for the last seven years, and is a delightful dog. Only one dental for her because anesthesia is risky too. Grooming twice a year $120 for both and I handle things in between. Also toys, leashes and harnesses, etc. Boarding is free at my parents’ and the dogs think it’s a vacation.
It’s the vet bills that can really add up and surprise you, even for a reasonably healthy dog. My parents took in two adult, healthy, supposedly vaccinated dogs from a friend who couldn’t keep them, several years ago. They almost immediately contracted parvo. Over $1500 in vet bills my parents really couldn’t afford, but the dogs survived and they enjoyed them for many years after that.
12yo German Shepherd costs about $40/month for food. No treats. $100 for vaccines/year. $400/year for vet. About $200/meds per year (Proin, a few others). Try not to board but when I do, its $30-40/day. Grooming about twice a year $120. So probably $60-100/month, unless I’m travelling.
The sweaters and raincoats because one of the dogs takes forever to dry and she gets cold
the fleeces for the winter dog park playdates
the mushers secret for their feet
The Halloween costumes for trick or treating when the kids were young
The cocktail dresses for the holidays ( my white dog looks stunning in black satin)
The xrays for the slipped disc
The sedative for the dog with the phobia of the wind from the west which developed at age 7
I have no clue. For the most part our dogs have been pretty low cost. We buy a good quality food and get them vaccinated as recommended. Flea meds are purchased at Costco which is I think $69 for 6 months worth. Our current lab has had a couple of big bills. A few years ago he cut the top of his paw and had stitches. He was difficult and kept reopening the wound so many vet visits with that accident. This spring he got Leptospirosis and I think we spent about $700 on the vet.
We have had numerous large dogs over our 37 years together and H and I have never had any of our dogs teeth cleaned. They all lived to a good old age without ever having any teeth problems.
Where I see the hurt on the wallet is for my kids. 2 of them have dogs and the vet bills can be a hardship for young adults. My oldest had her dog at the emergency vet for almost a week several years ago and spent over $7000 to save him. It About cleaned out her bank account.
D is our main pet sitter and she doesn’t take pay,ent from us. We leave her a refrigerator full of food and sometimes a gift card for a spa service. We in turn watch her dog when she goes away.
We have a trip coming up and we will have a pet sitter to watch both of the dogs since D is coming with us. It is a friend who does dog sitting. She hasn’t said yet what she will charge us.