how expensive is owning a pet in america?
Posted by katris_priordeen@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 199 comments
asking since i saw in yt news that many are surrendering their dogs and cats to shelters cause vet bills are becoming too expensive
sureasyoureborn@reddit
Huge range.
timdr18@reddit
My dad jokes that each dog gets a $500 lifetime toy and vet budget. He doesn’t mean it, but there are genuinely pet owners that think like that.
DogwoodWand@reddit
That's a super low amount, but I get the idea. I don't say this much, but my animals really do have a price on their heads. If a single treatment is over a certain dollar amount I would choose to euthanize.
Now, the amount of that treatment would have to be more than 5 or 10k and I would certainly pay more than that over a lifetime. To a lot of people it's very cold that I say this out loud, but it's true. (I promise, my animals get excellent care! Quality food, including prescription food for one animal, regular vet visits, we've run to urgent care just because "she's off her game.")
abstractraj@reddit
That would be used up just on spaying
karlsmission@reddit
I'm kinda this way, but it has more to do with the quality of life for the animal. If a surgery will give the animal a long healthy life, go for it, but if it's going to still be suffering after just put it down. Animals don't understand why pain, why suffering, and it's just torture for them
drink-beer-and-fight@reddit
Aside from the initial shots and neutering, my pets do not go to the vet.
dabeeman@reddit
you’re an ass that doesn’t deserve animals
Kellaniax@reddit
That’s irresponsible.
ChocolatePain@reddit
At minimum vaccines need to be boosted every 3 years friends
drink-beer-and-fight@reddit
Nah. They’re fine.
Positive-Avocado-881@reddit
My brother 🫤
MsPooka@reddit
That's almost how much I pay for a yearly physical.
sebago1357@reddit
Wow, medical care is cheap in your location..
LibrarianAcrobatic21@reddit
Depends on the ower. Some will spend thousands, others will not spend anything.
LoverlyRails@reddit
When my daughter was little- she was really excited to have her first sleepover.
She ended up calling and coming home early tho, because the girl's family refused to put any flea preventative on their dogs- so the dogs were absolutely infested with fleas.
So some won't even spend the money on flea treatment, spay/neutering, heartworm prevention, any medical bills.
I had relatives when I was a kid that kept dogs on chains and fed them solely kitchen scraps. I wouldn't be surprised to see basically the same today.
Gorewuzhere@reddit
Not particularly tbh. It's the vet bills that are a killer but they are infrequent expenses. Depends on the pet of course. Horses gonna be more expensive than cats and dogs for example.
Interestingtheorie@reddit
I have two cats- I spend about $100 per month on their day to day needs and another $300 once a year for a routine checkup. So rough estimate- $1500 a year.
F1DrivingZombie@reddit
My cost cost me $50 from the shelter, about $150 in upfront costs of food, toys, litter, and the like, and now like $50 every three months for food and then $5-$10 here or there for the occasional toy
GradeRevolutionary22@reddit
depends on a lot of things I mean what kind of pet what kind of food how long the pet lives how healthy you keep the pet. Over the last decade I've had a dog and on average I spend about $1200 a year on food, medical, and grooming. Some years it's more some years less. I also have a snake and food wise its only about $150 a year for food I've had cats and I think they are more expensive to take care of than a dog they get sick more and they have to go between dry and wet food so its more money. So again it really depends on on the animal.
On_my_last_spoon@reddit
They’re not expensive until they’re really expensive!
One of my cats, once a year vet at $300 and half the food and litter.
The other? At one point she cost me $8000 in kitty cat hospital bills. Plus now it’s $300 every other month for meds and $600 every few months at the vet for check ins.
amanducktan@reddit
I have 3 dogs and a cat currently, and spend about $400 a month on kibble and wet food and treats. That doesnt cover any vet costs. Each dog runs me about $4-800 a year on vet costs. Its expensive. I have 3 large dogs. The cat is a feral I adopted.
MarcusAurelius0@reddit
Food for my dog is currently 55 dollars for 45 pounds.
cookery_102040@reddit
One time my dumb dog ate a big acorn and got a bowel obstruction. I shit you not, the vet bill was $10k. We have pet insurance so ended up paying about $1.5k, but it was nightmarish. Like the vets themselves seemed like they half expected me to tell them to just put her down, they know most people can’t pay that kind of money
sluttypidge@reddit
My dog cost around $40 a month until he got old. Then it was around $90 a month to afford his medications and such.
djfilms@reddit
$100 for food $70 for flea/tick prevention. $70 for insurance. Those are the monthly costs. Yearly cost for checkup/ vaccinations and other incidentals are about $700
Background_Title_922@reddit
Well my cat has managed to run up a bill for herself for about 60k so it can be a lot. Thank god for pet insurance.
PointBlankCoffee@reddit
Not very unless they get sick, then its a big decision.
Like my Aussie is 8 and never had any problems. I dont pay much more than food, flea treatment, and yearly checkups. Few beds, toys and treats here and there but not crazy. His grooming sessions are probably the worst and thats only $100 twice a year. Id imagine any big health concerns would get very pricey though.
ALoungerAtTheClubs@reddit
Much cheaper than having children!
InevitableRhubarb232@reddit
Until my son started flight school my senior dog was definitely more expensive 😒
Now my kid is spending like $600/week so he is more expensive
SnowblindAlbino@reddit
Pets can be free. Food for a dog might run $40 a month minimum. An annual vet checkup and vaccinations perhaps $150. Plus a few supplies, mayne $100/year. So at the low end, for a dog, I'd guesstimate about $750.
From there it goes up as high as you want. $1,500-2,500 for a dog from a breeder is common. $250-300 a year for basic vet care. Food for a large dog-- quality food --can be $125 a month easily, more if you feed raw or special diets. "Dog stuff" amounts quickly, can be $50-100 a month just for treats and toys. If you need to board your dog for a week while you're on vacation that's $300-400 at least. Some people pay for "doggie daycare" at $15-20 per day while they work, so $100/week. So that's what, perhaps $10,000 per year for one dog?
Then the Real Vet Bills will eventually come: our last dog had cancer surgery during COVID ($2,800) and then a year later needed TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy) surgery for a torn ALC ($3,200). So that's $6,000 in surgery costs just in a year for one dog....it was an expensive year for us.
KittyCubed@reddit
Depends on a lot of factors and how much you invest in them. But if it’s an animal that gets sick a lot, vet bills add up quickly and can be very pricey.
AcanthisittaWhole216@reddit
I have 2 dogs and 2 cats, just the annual vaccinations cost $1600 for the 4 of them, then there’s occasional sick visit. One of the dogs has already incurred $500 this summer just for your seasonal allergy
lets_just_n0t@reddit
Depends on whether the pet ever has any major (or even minor) health issues. Emergency issues will be even worse.
My wife and I have 2 cats and a mini-dachshund. Our younger cat has had all of his teeth removed at about 3 years old due to “stomatitis”. An autoimmune disease where his body basically thinks his teeth are plaque. That was over $5,000 out of pocket for a full extraction at Cornell University Animal Center. The only other specialist in the area quoted over $9,000.
Our older cat (8) just recently had a 3 day, 2 night stay in an emergency veterinary hospital this past weekend. Our normal vet couldn’t get us in. He got bad, so we had to take him. That ended up being over $4,000. They require payment before any treatment. They basically give you a “high” and “low” estimate. They charge you the higher, then refund you after the fact if it isn’t that much. If you can’t pay, they won’t treat.
We had this same cat at our normal vet for the day for a similar issue, and that bill was about $900.
My wife and I are in our early 30s. We were talking to my wife’s mom, who’s in her mid-60s, and she was saying how we have terrible luck because she’s never had a single animal with issues like this, let alone multiple.
So it’s really down to circumstance.
If you have an animal with no issues. It’s pretty cheap. If you have an animal with issues that require frequent vet visits, special foods, etc. it’s prohibitively expensive.
There are pet insurance companies. But once you research what they cost versus what they actually cover, they’re not worth it. And most vets don’t accept the majority of them anyway.
Fantastic-Dance-5250@reddit
I have a 75 pound Goldendoodle. I pay $60 a month for what is basically his vet care for the entire year, so all shots, teeth cleaning, regular visits, etc. this saves me a few hundred bucks a year. Then I pay $40 a month for pet insurance to cover any emergencies. $60’a month for his grooming subscription, but I pay extra for services on top of that, but it saves me a ton vs paying as I go. So that right there is $160 a month. His food is about $120 every 6-8 weeks, plus his heart worm pills and treats…. Sooo that’s total like $100 a month.
Total $260 a month standard expense if I do not send him to daycare for playing or need my pet sitter to stop by.
I also have two very very spoiled guinea pigs who get a variety of fresh herbs and greens in addition to their hay and pellets. They are about $40-$60 a month depending on what is in season and on sale.
Fun_Inspector_8633@reddit
It depends. Routine stuff like yearly shots is usually pretty reasonable. Just like with people it's when they get sick it can get expensive. When we found what turned into a cancerous lump on our dog's lip we spent probably close to $3,000 in treatments. We drew the line at a veterinary oncologist and chemo because that started at $7500 and it was obvious it was spreading despite two surgeries and other treatments. When it became clear he was suffering it was time to say good-bye and have him euthanized. Still miss that little shit.
Royal_Mewtwo@reddit
I have 2 doodles, for 3K each. (I’ve received a LOT of hate for this). I also have an $80 cat. Pet insurance is $168 monthly. The dogs get a greenie nightly and bully sticks (not every day). There’s also monthly medicine for parasite prevention.
Last time I ran the cost, I spend $490 monthly on the critters, plus about $500 annually on vaccines, plus about $1000 annually on random ret visits and health issues.
Then there’s boarding. A week of boarding is $1000 EASILY, plus $2-300 for a cat sitter. I need a pet sitter at least 4 times a year.
There’s also toys…
Sincerely, I spend about 12K annually on pets. I do not care.
ZeroGeoWife@reddit
I can pretty confidently say my husband would probably drain every savings and 401k if needed for our cat or one of our dogs. Also, the money you put in for healthy food, preventative visits, vaccinations usually saves you so much down the road.
Few_Whereas5206@reddit
Van be very expensive. My last vet visit was $760 for my cat.
cornbreadkillua@reddit
Depends. I spent 20k on my puppy’s first year of life. Initial cost, training, vaccines, vet visits, one emergency vet visit (thought he was choking to death turned out he just had a tiny piece of stick stuck in his tooth and he was being dramatic), food, toys. However after year one I’ve spent about 3k a year on him. His food alone is about 1.5-2k a year, so that’s fun. I don’t spend nearly as much on my cats or small pets. It also depends on if the pets have any medications or need specific foods. My boy has to be on a special food for his allergies, and he takes daily medication, so that’s an added cost.
Ok_Nobody4967@reddit
Depends upon where one lives, and the type of pet. I have three small dogs and with vet care with vaccinations, and preventatives for flea, tick and heart worm it costs around $2000 a year each. Larger dogs will cost more for the preventatives since they are based on weight.
UnableManagement4626@reddit
Large bags of dog food are $35-$70, and routine vet visits with vaccines are at least $100 per dog in my experience
MsPooka@reddit
Where do you live? I live in VA and it's at least $250 for shots and a physical for more, I think it was like $350 because she wanted to run 1 test. It's totally out of hand.
Southern-Ad-802@reddit
The more rural your vet is the cheaper in my experience. Like $50-75 a dog for the vet by my parent’s house. We probably get it cheaper though cause we buy them for 7 dogs at a time
soap---poisoning@reddit
It depends on what kind of pet. Having a horse is outrageously expensive, while having goldfish is pretty cheap.
Phyrnosoma@reddit
no. Goldfish (done right) get big and live long. Those cheap feeder goldfish should hit 8-14". If they don't you're doing it wrong
soap---poisoning@reddit
My friend had bubble eye goldfish. They only grow to around 4 inches long at most.
Phyrnosoma@reddit
Eh, no. 6’ ish if well cared for.
atomfullerene@reddit
Doing goldfish well is expensive, they are big, messy fish that want a 50 gallon+ aquarium and a good filter. You can keep them in smaller tanks, but they will just grow to the size the tank can support and then die.
Smaller fish you can keep in a 10 gallon without problems can be pretty cheap though, especially if you know the tricks for saving money
soap---poisoning@reddit
The goldfish I used to look after sometimes for a friend were the kind that stay small. I think my friend said they might grow to be 4 inches long.
officechair2017@reddit
They were most likely stunted and having their internal organs damaged due to being in a small aquarium.
Deep-Promotion-2293@reddit
I have 4 cats. I spend about 100 bucks a month on food and litter. Yearly vet visit for all 4 is about 600 dollars. They’re very healthy and I don’t have to see the vet for sick visits. This will probably change as 2 of mine are now senior cats. I would go without for myself to care for them.
iHaveLotsofCats94@reddit
I also have 4 cats. The food and litter situation is the most expensive part really. Mine are 3 months, 2 years, 4 years, and 8 years, and I have pet insurance on all of them just in case. We're fortunate enough to be able to drop a decent bit of cash on emergency medical care for them but I'd rather not risk it. I would die for those little goobers. I think for all 4 of them, insurance is about $100 or $115 a month. Very doable
splorp_evilbastard@reddit
Depends where, what kind, how healthy, and how much extra shit you buy for them.
mich_8265@reddit
Not expensive till they get sick. Then it’s hella expensive :/
Pinwurm@reddit
Pet insurance is really useful. I have two cats - one is an idiot and the other has asmtha (and related issues). Getting reimbursed for all their treatments and health issues has been a godsend on my wallet. Premiums paid for themselves in spades.
Perdendosi@reddit
>Premiums paid for themselves in spades
To others who are looking into this, just note:
- Pet insurance coverage is almost always in a reimbursement model. So you have to pay the vet first, and then ask for reimbursement from your insurer. That means you have to float that expense at least for a few weeks. Just make sure you have an emergency fund to do so.
- Pet insurance is much less comprehensive than (most) human health insurance. Deductibles and copays are much higher, so you still may be stuck with a vet bill that's in the $1000s, just not in the $5000s or $10000s. If you're not willing to spend that much on a surgery or other catastrophic care, then pet insurance may not be for you.
- Premiums increase A TON as your animal gets older. Check the premium increase every year and start calculations to see when it's no longer worth it. (I.e., could you just put that much money in a savings account every year to build up an emergency fund instead?)
- Obamacare doesn't apply to pet insurance... so, for example, your pet insurer might not cover pre-existing conditions, it almost certainly won't cover preventative care, and there can be a whole host of other exclusions (even breed-based exclusions IIRC) that you need to closely look at to see if it's worth it.
(We got pet insurance for our cat, who was 9 when we adopted him from a shelter, for piece of mind just in case there was a latent health issue the vet didn't see at the shelter. It was worth it as he developed bladder stones and other urinary issues. But the premiums are getting so expensive now that we probably should cancel and just put the money into an interest-bearing savings account if there are other unexpected vet expenses.)
iHaveLotsofCats94@reddit
The premium increases with age is absolutely true. I have 4 cats that are 3 months, 2 years, 4 years, and 8 years. You can literally see the premiums increases proportionally to their ages. It's extremely worth it though. Haven't had to use it yet but if I ever do, it'll alleviate the financial burden of whatever they need
Pinwurm@reddit
All good points.
One of our cats has asmtha and was diagnosed before we got the insurance. Which means it’s a preexisting condition and his inhaler is not covered. However, subsequent vet visits are covered - in which, because of his asthma, he needs more medical attention than average cats.
The reimbursement model is very important to note. Which is why it’s important to have a credit card to float big expenses until the check comes in. Probably something I couldn’t comfortably do when I was 20 with a cat than now in my late 30’s.
My insurer’s premiums don’t go up with my cat’s age once I’m locked in. They profit by incentivizing signing up when they’re young and healthier. Every insurer is different, so shopping around is impirtant.
One other thing to note is that pet insurance is often a fringe benefit available as an add on through homeowners insurance or car insurance or sometimes through your employer. It’s important to read the fine details in your benefits handbook, could be a good bargain in there.
dabeeman@reddit
insurance companies are for profit companies. no one is getting a deal. you are posting more on average than it would cost you just get to spread your investments into predictable monthly payments rather than sporadic large lump sums. you may come out on top every once in awhile with a specific pet but the more pets you have over the longer periods the more you trend towards the average that the actuary calculated.
Competitive_Web_6658@reddit
My job offers pet insurance, I have no idea why I haven’t signed up yet. I’m kicking myself because I’m $2300 in the hole so far this year. The little turds need to get jobs of their own and contribute!
Spam_Frittering@reddit
Bit like humans then
Fathoms_Deep_1@reddit
Outlawed in 1865
Spam_Frittering@reddit
Only officially.
LivingTheBoringLife@reddit
Well I just spent 3k at the vet today getting my 2 cats teeth cleaned.
Profleroy@reddit
It's all over the map, depends on the person. It also depends where you live. It's cheaper in the midwest and the south.There's dogs and cats and birds and fish and reptiles,etc. My grandson married a vet tech, she has a ton of pets. Not that much cost, I have had dogs and cats and birds and fish, no reptiles. I made my own dog food, I got recipes from my vet.
Next_Sun_2002@reddit
A ton of factors involved. What animal is it?
Where did they get the pet?
If it’s a dog, is it one that sheds or needs to be groomed?
Vet bills. Regular shots and unexpected visits
Does the owner live in their own house? Landlords can charge extra for pets.
How much effort for caring for the animal does the owner put in. Bare minimum or treating the pet like royalty
SaintJimmy1@reddit
Just did the math for my cat. Essentials (food, litter, and insurance) work out to $71.37 a month. For toys and cat treats I’d probably add in another $30 or so per year. Her annual vet visit costs $150 I believe, then it’s something like $20 per dose of flea medicine, 4 doses a year, so that’s another $80. So I’m looking at about $1100 annually for one cat.
paxrom2@reddit
Beyond vet bills. There's a lot of people who have dog walkers or pet sitters if they work a lot and don't have time during the day to take care of them. This would add a lot to the budget.
DomiShea@reddit
So anything in the US varies depending on where you live. For easiest example I’m in New Orleans and gas is about $2.50 a gallon but in parts of California it’s $5 and up.
So vet bills and pet supplies are the same, depending on where you live how much things are. And then like everyone else is saying some people will dish out tons of money for pets to live lavish lifestyles. And some barely take care of bare minimum. But I think most of us cover basics, yearly vaccinations and vet cost for emergencies.
Spiritual_Lemonade@reddit
Wildly expensive.
Senior citizens used to have little dogs for exercise walks and a companion.
One not even complex vet visit for some shots and maybe some easy antibiotics or flea prevention meds will bankrupt them. Or anyone really.
Pets, not even fancy breeds are a luxury item now.
Years ago a pre-pandemic I got a $1500 quote for a dog spay. Just at a regular vet clinic.
My Mom insists it never costs more than $300 out the door in her memory.
Educator-Single@reddit
I have a large dog and two small dogs. I looked at my bills and food and it runs about $250 a month. I also make homemade dog food. It’s affordable and cut way back on my vet bills due to my labs allergies.
Unusual_Form3267@reddit
I have had two dogs at once. I lost my boy earlier this year.
I think I do better than the average person about caring for my pets, but I don't have a ton of expendable income to throw at them. If I made more money, I totally would spend it on them. For now, there is no doggy acupuncture for my animals.
My dogs are (were) giant breeds. I spend this much:
Food: $70/month (high quality, but homemade meals) Medicine/Supplements: $220 Toys: $200/year Dog Sitting: $250 2-4x a year, depending on vacations for the year. Vet Appointments: $900/year Grooming: I do this at home and probably spend about $200/year on tools and dog toiletries Cleaning Stuff: like $75/month. Things like lint rollers, dog poop bags, and special cleaning products Extra Treats: $30/month Necessary Small Things: like dog beds, replacing old bowls, new leashes, collars, etc, maybe like $200/year.
So, at the high end, I was spending over $7,000/year when I had both.
My boy had medical issues. He was very high maintenance. Now that he's gone, my costs are waaay down. By way more than half. My girl doesn't need any medicine. She gets a check up 1x a year, and that costs like $150. It'll probably be closer to $2000/year.
dragonmuse@reddit
Just today I was putting on my cats flea/tick topical medication and thinking about this. I currently have 2 cats- if I want to go all out and make sure my 2 cats are covered for everything- flea(adult/eggs), tick, heartworm, other parasites... $156 basically every other month (comes with 3, I have 2 cats). Sure, there is Hartz...but that almost killed a previous cat and now I won't cheap out (please read into Hartz and never ever use that stuff).
I have to feed 2 cats. I buy mid-range food...but gotta have dry and wet because ~variety~ ~$30-$40 ish per month...and one of my cats has a major sensitivity to chicken so that cuts a LOT of options.
Litter- $22ish per month
My 13 y.o cat has hyperthyroidism. $20 per month for meds. $90-$120 every couple of months for bloodwork. He just got a cancerous tumor removed... about $2100 total from diagnosis to follow-up. Oh, he has asthma and degenerative disc disease- back injections: $70 per month plus I get charged Technician appt fees because they won't let me just give them myself. Asthma: ~40ish per month, I'm doing this one on the cheap and fortunately, his asthma is pretty mild.
Yearly wellness visits +required rabies vaccine: $300
This completely ignores toys, treats, water fountain and filters, how much I spend on carpet cleaning crap, cat carriers, first aid stuff... its not cheap.
wawa2022@reddit
I do basic healthcare. Preventative and pain and dental etc. usually hits about 1200-1500/year. Annual physical is $500ish. Heart worm/flea/tick is $1000/year or more. It’s insane!
I keep Saying I won’t do anything like chemo or kidney replacements if ever needed, but you never know. My little dude has grown on me.
There is just so much more care available than when I was a kid 50 years ago. And vets want to use their skills, so of course they encourage you.
Deolater@reddit
What's YT News and what's their source on this?
Vet care can be expensive, but people are also paying for treatments that previous generations would never have dreamed of getting for an animal.
Gecko23@reddit
It’s one of many luxuries that people treat as necessities these days, and then wonder why they can’t afford what previous generations could (allegedly) afford.
ClaretCup314@reddit
This. During the lifetime of my most recent cat (2006 to 2023), I felt like the expectation for vet care increased a lot. It's one reason I don't want another cat.
JadeHarley0@reddit
I'll speak specifically for dogs and cats since I've had both.
A vet visit typically costs between 100-200 dollars. The visit itself is usually 60 dollars, and then you add on vaccinations and medications.
When my dog was disabled and elderly, his medication cost about 100 dollars a month. He took pain meds for arthritis and dry eye.
I would guess that kibble for both dogs and cats typically costs about a dollar per pound.
There are other expenses too that are not necessarily ongoing expenses, such as toys, leashes, bowls, things for the cat to scratch and climb on, etc.
You also have the expenses surrounding the change in lifestyle too. These can be difficult to calculate. When I moved house with my disabled dog, I had to limit my apartment search to first floor apartments.
Certain_Mobile1088@reddit
I spend about $2500 per dog per year for food, grooming, and medical care.
Mine are Australian Shepherds and I have them groomed every 4-6 weeks to control shedding.
My dogs are properly vaccinated and receive the recommended medical exam and blood tests annually. They eat a relatively inexpensive food my family has used for decades and nearly all our dogs live their normal lifespan for their breed.
I give them medicine year-round for heartworm, ticks, and fleas.
EggplantAmbitious383@reddit
$570 at the vet today for one of my dogs who may or may not have swallowed a foreign object. If I had taken him on Sunday to the emergency vet, it would’ve been a minimum of $3k. $1,200 last month for all 3 dogs to get their annual vaccinations, heart worm preventative & 3 months of flea & tick treatment. About $100 a week for food. All 3 are large breed dogs. Then there are the grooming supplies (or paying a groomer) boarding fees, daycare and toys…you can spend a fortune easily. So it can vary wildly, but I would say it’s certainly not cheap even if you’re giving them just the basics
FalseRow5812@reddit
I have two medium sized dogs. We pay about $30/month in food and about $30/dog/month for vet bills (usually one large vet bill per year, but this is the monthly cost if we were to break it up)
jxdavid20@reddit
It depends on how long you want your animal to last I know people that take their pet to the vet to get neutered but not much else ala if it dies it dies
professorfunkenpunk@reddit
My ex worked at a vet clinic. Quality care is expensive but probably the humane thing to do. I’ve also known people who basically treated pete as disposable. Outdoor cat, feed it once in a while, get a new one when it gets run over, so no sense in spending anything on it
rawbface@reddit
A grand a year for dental care? I haven't spent that much on a human dentist, outside of my insurance premiums.
kartoffel_engr@reddit
I think at that cost they typically put the dog under some light anesthesia each time for a thorough cleaning. Factor in X-Rays, possible extractions, etc. $1k seems light.
Potential_Job_7297@reddit
That doesn't mean it's anywhere within reason for an average household to afford.
Shot_Help7458@reddit
They can get Care credit card. For vet use.
kartoffel_engr@reddit
It’s a luxury.
A person could always brush their dog’s teeth the old fashioned way. Best way I found to make this successful is to start when they are puppies. Get them comfortable with messing with their mouth. Same goes for nail trimming. If not, you’re gonna fight big wiggles.
If your pet has dental health issues, you’re at the mercy of the vet and any insurance you carry for the animal.
Shot_Help7458@reddit
Yep.
Chimney-Imp@reddit
My sister got her dog acupuncture, water therapy, and a pet masseuse to ease the dog's pain in old age (on top of a ton of medicine). I was torn because on one hand, might as well euthanize the dog. She was blind and deaf at that point, so it's not much of a life. But on the other hand, the life expectancy she had was 12 years and she had lived to be 20, and that was 8 more years she had with her dog (the dog was only blind and deaf the last year)
Shot_Help7458@reddit
I thought sister was blind and deaf. Glad I read it again
Leutenant-obvious@reddit
A lot of blind and deaf people would be pretty offended by that statement.
If they could read it.
Subvet98@reddit
If can’t tell the difference in the value of a person and a dog that’s a them problem
J-Dirte@reddit
For sure, they should have taught it dog braille then the dog could have read stories and not been bored all the time. Maybe they could have then wrote a novel about their experience and then teach other young pups.
DollaStoreKardashian@reddit
“The Miracle Barker”
Red_Beard_Rising@reddit
The fact that you chose the words, "want your animal to last" rather than "want your pet/companion to live" has been noticed.
bkdunbar@reddit
There can be a range for sure. One of my ducks had a leg issue. Curious how avian vet medicine works, I took her in.
All-in would include consultation, imaging, and etc etc. Or he could make a best guess, give her antibiotics and see what happens.
Now, she was kind of an expensive duck ($20 as duckling) so I wasn’t ready to send her to freezer camp. But neither was she worth a $1,000’vet bill.
We gave her the antibiotics ( and swore off eating duck eggs for two months ) and she got better.
tsukuyomidreams@reddit
Food is also expensive. But food, prevention for heartworm and fleas, cleaning... At least $200 a month, if you're doing it right. Sometimes more. Good vacuum? Grooming? Annual vet visit (200-500+)
Divinityemotions@reddit
Our 14 years old cat had bad teeth so one vet wanted her on pain medication since “she’s an old girl” and we didn’t like that so we got a second opinion and that vet went for the extraction. The bill was $2400 and they extracted 11 teeth. She is happy girl ever since.
Our other cat has perfect teeth, he is also 14 but he needs a cleaning and that costs $700. He also had high blood pressure and his thyroid lab came a bit high so they wanted to run a whole thyroid panel to decide if he’s going on medication, that cost $200.
Because they are senior cats every visit cost $600 because they do their senior labs and such.
But it never even entered our minds to not do all these things for them. These cats were with us through thick and thin and we will be there until the end.
Stunning-Track8454@reddit
It really depends on the animal and the owner. My dog's medication is about $600/year, he just had teeth extractions that cost around $2.8k. Also, he can't be groomed normally due to temperament issues, so we have to get him sedated at the vet and shaved. That's about $800 every 3 months.
seanx40@reddit
Vet bills can be extraordinary. Thousands of dollars for an illness or injury. Most people don't have an extra few grand laying around.
PretentiousUsername1@reddit
Right now I'm paying 100 bucks a month for insurance to Healthy Paws for my two cats, 10 and 7 years old. The rates have increased a lot the past few years, 2022 I paid $45 for them both.
YamLow8097@reddit
Apparently, owning one cat is about $600-$800 a year (including food, litter, vet, and vaccinations) while owning two cats is about $1,200-$1,500. Raising one small to medium sized dog is about $900 (including food, vet, and vaccinations).
Red_Beard_Rising@reddit
Yes. In 2020 people adopted a lot of pets. Those pets are now 5 years old and need normal care. OMG!
One-Possible1906@reddit
It depends on the pet. My Madagascar hissing cockroach cost less than $100 for the whole three years he was alive and most of that was the tank
JohnMarstonSucks@reddit
I got my dog for free when someone had to get rid of him. Neutering was $80. He has health insurance that costs $70/month, that covers physicals and vaccinations. Grooming is about $20 every two months. His food is about $60/month.
He's a healthy dog. I don't know how much he'll cost down the line and if his insurance will cover whatever procedures he might need.
Self-Comprehensive@reddit
Negligible if you're pet is healthy, crushingly expensive if it's not. I had a healthy cat that lived twenty years, I doubt she ever racked up more than a few hundred dollars of vet bills, and most of that was at the beginning (shots/spaying) and the end of her life (kidney meds/euthanasia). Others do not have the same experience.
everything_is_cats@reddit
It gets expensive when your pet is elderly and has health issues. In the case of my 17 year old cat with diabetes and mild kidney disease -
Solsenia Injection (for arthritis in his pelvis) - $20 per month, done in office by a vet tech
Insulin - $120 per vial, lasts 3 months
Insulin Syringes - $20 per box of 100
Lactid Ringers IV Bag - $20 every ten days; \~$30 per month
Overall, I'm putting out over $1000 each year just on the above prescriptions, which reminds me that I need to put in a refill for insulin, syringes, and the IV bag. This isn't counting the cost of office visits and blood tests. When he need to have all his teeth pulled as he needed pain killers just to eat wet food, that was $10,000.
Also my cat had a very wonderful and devoted vet, but she left the practice in December. The vet that took over that he saw in January had me wondering what I'm even playing for after she admitted that she doesn't know nearly as much about cats plus also admitted that she doesn't know how to do a blood glucose curve using a freestyle libre. She had a very hard time getting my cat to cooperate, which only upped his stress level and meant that any blood glucose curves done in office will be expensive and worthless. She's an incredible vet surgeon as she did some very delicate surgeries on the family dog, but cats are better off being taken elsewhere...
So I'm moving my cat to a different vet at a different office that is going to cost me slightly more... but it will be worth it to me as the office is better staffed (in terms of both vets and support staff) plus the vet that one of my other cats saw as an urgent situation does know how to work with cats that really don't want to be there.
Capital-Designer-385@reddit
For the recommended shots, roughly $700 per year, per pet.
My older dog has a food allergy, so for years he was getting $150 oral meds to suppress the itch. The medication led to a tumor in 2023($3000 to remove) so we switched to $150 injections every six weeks in addition to $100/month on food without poultry, beef or egg and treat the resulting ear infections every few months (usually $200 for visit, cytology and meds)
My younger dog is pretty healthy now, but I got her shortly after a hip surgery (FHO). So she HAS been expensive, I just didn’t have to see the bill.
Capital-Designer-385@reddit
Oh! Almost forgot the flea/heartworm prevention!!! Add on $150 every three months for that too
herewefuckingooo@reddit
I have a Border Collie. She is 6. We carry pet insurance which is about $60 a month, it includes preventative care as well. She goes to morning care for 4 hours to socialize twice a week, which is $50 a month. Groomer bi-weekly $90 a month. Her dog food and treats are $65 a month. She is incredibly spoiled.🤣
Odd-Help-4293@reddit
Veterinary care can be expensive. A few years ago I spent $4000 on unsuccessful cancer treatment for my cat. Otherwise, though, it's not very expensive typically.
IwannaAskSomeStuff@reddit
The biggest regular pet expense is for renters because a lot of places charge a monthly fee plus a deposit and that can add up. I lived a place that had a 50$/month pet rent plus 400$ one-time pet fee -- that was over 15 years ago and I'm sure prices haven't gone down.
TheNarrator5@reddit
Cats must be the cheapest, you literally don’t have to worry about your cat and you don’t have to buy a cat litter for a very long time or go to the vet for a very long time unless you’re high maintenance, most of our cats lasted a very, very long time
Theutus2@reddit
Depends on the pet
LittleChanaGirl@reddit
My coworker got a dog. She ended up needing a lot of medical intervention to help her poop and is now on lifelong medication. My little dog has a temperamental tummy, which is largely under control now. But the first two years of her life, I spent about $2K trying to figure out what was wrong. (Nothing diagnosable, just an occasional bad belly.) Otherwise, she’s great!
lyndseymariee@reddit
This is going to vary greatly on the health of your pet. I spent probably close to 30k on my Frenchie who passed in July 2023. He was epileptic, had multiple hospitalizations, MRI, spinal tap, was on four different anticonvulsants.
Dorkapotamus@reddit
Heavy depends on the pet. A Horse? Pretty expensive. A beta fish in a small bowl? Not that much
j2142b@reddit
Depends on the pet type and location / environment they live in. All the dogs I had as a kid on a farm were strays and none of them ever saw a vet, many lived long lives. My sister in law is a veterinary doctor in Texas and people down there don't even blink an eye to drop 6-8 thousand on their dog that got into rat poison and was dying if she can save it (this happens a lot).
bi_polar2bear@reddit
I have a basset hound that I rescued. Her yearly checkups run $400 before medication for heartworm, which is $300+ for the year.
Back in 2012, my 2 dachshunds cost me $100 for a yearly checkup and another $75 for medication. Inflation has gone from $1 to $1.40 in that time. I think the big problem is that veterinarian practices are selling to big businesses and jacking up the rates while saving money on being a larger company. It's the free market screwing over the animals and people. Add to that cost $65 for dog food, toys, chewies for their teeth, and anything else you can think of. Plus, boarding can reach $45 a day if you go on vacation.
A dog is a middle-class symbol.
I love my dog, and she brings a lot of joy and laughter, but the expenses were a wake-up call that the world is becoming worse. I've had dogs most of my life and would love a playmate for my Daisy, but I can't afford it.
Obsidian-Dive@reddit
Personally in terms of vet bills
It’s abt 50$ for a urinary test. And 30$ for worm meds.
70$ for flea and tick meds every 3 months.
That’s all I’ve had to pay so far. Maybe some other expense here and there but u can’t remember any other vet bills.
I did however pay 1200 to fly to another country to get my cat after I was forced to moved without him. Very thankful a friend was willing to keep him for several months til I was able to go back for him. I also paid probably 1400 total in pet certificates for going across borders. However most people don’t have to pay that lol. If I did have a pet with very expensive vet bills I likely would put them down as it’s not something I could afford.
Responsible_Side8131@reddit
My cats cost about $500 for a spay/neuter and about $600 for kitten vaccines. Annual vaccines run about $250, and food/litter costs me about $150/month for my 4 cats
revjor@reddit
That really depends on the owner. There are people who spend thousands a year and there are homeless dudes with dogs who don't. Then everyone in between.
TricksyGoose@reddit
Yeah in my experience the vet bills haven't really increased that much over the last few years (yes they have increased some, but nothingtoo crazy). But groceries (including pet food and other supplies) and other living expenses not even necerily related to pets have skyrocketed. We love our animals so we make it work, but unfortunately some owners think of their pets more like property and when it no longer suits them (like if it cuts too much into their budget) they just get rid of the animal.
skateboreder@reddit
Can confirm knowing homeless dudes with dogs.
Dogs ate what they ate. Sometimes better.
And people like dogs more than people. A lot more. So they're more likely to give the homeless panhandler money...for the dog. It's kinda messed up.
FitDingo7818@reddit
Cats too. They know if something happens to them the little cats are survivors.
MsPooka@reddit
Vet bills have spiked like crazy. I've spend probably $10k in the last 2 years on vet bills. My dog got a few extractions about 6 years ago and it was about $400. He got more last year and it was $1500. It's crazy. He only has 2 teeth left but I hope he doesn't need those out.
CarmenDeeJay@reddit
My friend was told most of her pug's teeth needed pulling, so they pulled them. $2k. A year later, same vet said the rest should come out. She called me, and I told her to get a second opinion. Second vet said there was absolutely nothing wrong with the teeth.
stitchingdeb@reddit
In our experience our rural vet is much less expensive than our city vet when we lived in a larger area.
CarmenDeeJay@reddit
We have eight dogs (large merged family right now) in our home. Whereas pet food is what you want to feed them, the health care depends on how far you are willing to go to save a critter or ease the discomfort/pain before you let them go.
One dog required $1400 surgery because he got in a disagreement over the love of his life and grrrrrred at a visiting lab who didn't care for his tone of voice. Same dog has developed a twisted lung, which has probably run us around $3500 to date (he's 11). Some friends of mine spend thousands and thousands on their pets, but they have their teeth professionally cleaned, the anal glands expressed, board them when they travel, etc. One of their vets suggested the youngest dog had rotten teeth and needed most of them to be pulled. I think that ran them over $2k. A year later, they said the rest needed pulling. Friend called me, and I told her she better get a 2nd opinion. She did, and the teeth were perfectly healthy. We would never have spent that kind of cash. We did have a dog whose teeth were showing signs of aging, but they should. She was 26.
PartyPorpoise@reddit
Price can vary wildly, depending on what kind of pet you have, where you live, and what standard of life you aim to give them. It can be cheap if you do the bare minimum for food and little to no vet care. Pricier if you aim for a higher standard of care, vet bills can get pricey.
Extension_Camel_3844@reddit
What is YT news? They are being taken to shelters because far too many people got Covid Pets and now they are back to work and don't have the time nor want them anymore. That's the truth of the matter.
holyhannah01@reddit
Food for my 70lb dog 60 dollars every 6 weeks (520ish total) -i feed dry kibble that's grain and corn free from HEB
Annual physical and shots 120
Toys and enrichment 200
Emergency very bills 700
Property damage 400ish his anxiety was pretty bad when we first got him and he chewed things up we've since trained things out and worked with him.
2040 total for last year...costs have been lower this year since we havent had an emergency bill yet or nearly as much property damage.
stitchingdeb@reddit
We have dogs and have always paid for their care when needed. Year round heartworm and flea/tick preventives, vet care when needed, grooming every couple of months. We had to take both dogs to an after hours vet, cost over $800 for both of them. We buy good quality food, about $250 every couple of months, shots for vaccines, and so on. Probably around $4000 a year. They are family members so we care for them accordingly. Forgot to add spay and neuter. And boarding when we go out of town.
We live just outside of a rural town. Our vet has told us we’re among the few of his clients that has them on year round preventives. We usually see stray cats on our property because people dump them thinking they’ll be ok, when they want to go on vacation, get tired of them or want a new puppy or kitten. The strays very seldom survive due to traffic, predators or starving. It’s appalling to me that some people refuse to care for their animals - why have them if they aren’t part of the family.
strahlend_frau@reddit
We treat our cat as a child. We spend money on him as he's our only child.
Huge range family to family.
4-Inch-Butthole-Club@reddit
Really depends on how you got it and how well you take care of it. It could be as cheap as the food if you found it or had it given to you and you never take it to the vet and just put it down if it has any serious medical problems.
But most people aren’t that dickish. Vet bills are going to be the big driver of cost. A checkup and maybe some vaccination will be like $100-200. Anti Tick and heart worm meds are like $150/year. Serious problems like needing surgery will be like $2000-3000. Food is like $50/mo. Adopting a dog is like $300. Getting a purebred from a breeder will be like $1000-3000. These aren’t terribly precise numbers. I haven’t had a dog in six years and I’m just operating on memories. I could be misremembering or things might have changed. But overall I’d say expect a dog you got at a shelter (which is the only way I’d do it) to end up costing you $3000-6000 over its lifetime. Also, if you’re in a city, a lot of apartments in big cities charge pet rent of like $50/mo in addition to the deposit of like $300.
Complete_Aerie_6908@reddit
It varies. Mine are all older and they just keep getting tumors and things. It’s expensive, but I’m going to keep them as healthy as possible.
TakingItPeasy@reddit
Depends on their health. Blowing out a knee can mean surgery. My current dogs blown acl cost $5,500. I was happy to do that for him, but we had to skip a summer vacation due to that. He's back to 100% now.
I had a dog that was very healthy and had no complications in his life. That was great. Just go get his flea med and inoculations for about $300 once a year.
lawyerjsd@reddit
If the pet is sick, it's can be a huge and unexpected expense.
pigeontheoneandonly@reddit
Each cat costs me a baseline of roughly $1k per year (vet, food, litter, etc), assuming no medical emergencies.
tarheel_204@reddit
Depends on the person and depends on the animal.
Plenty of people can spend thousands on a dog or cat over the course of the animal’s lifetime (food, vet care, boarding, etc). I also know plenty of people who’ve barely spent anything on their pets. I live in a rural area where too many people get a dog, leave them in the yard, and then forget about them. It’s sad.
Purbl_Dergn@reddit
Maybe a few hundred a year in food depending on what type and brand you get. Maybe a few hundred in tertiary expenses like toys, comfort stuff, and other things depending on species.
I spend a lot of my ferrets cause I love them, and the same for my cat and crested gecko. I will always pamper them because they are my little creatures.
stayclassypeople@reddit
With my dog, it’s probably between $2000-$3000 per year between food/treats/, vet visits, and kenneling her when we travel.
Competitive_Web_6658@reddit
It costs me about $2000 a year total (food, routine vet care, joint supplements for my old man, flea and tick treatments, etc.) to keep a 50lb and a 10lb dog in good health. It’s pretty typical here for landlords to charge rent for pets, so when I lived in an apartment having a dog cost me an additional $50/month.
I have a good job now, but when I had my very first dog in my early 20s I was very poor. I remember crying over a $110 vet bill when I only had $20 in the bank; I sold a bunch of stuff to the pawn shop in order to afford it. I used to sell my plasma to buy him dog food.
Odd_Cranberry_9918@reddit
Depends what type of pet. A cat might be like $100 a month, an elephant could cost a lot more.
NemeanMiniLion@reddit
3 cats. 4k per year in expenses. Includes all medical and food.
mickeyanonymousse@reddit
I adopted a dog about one year ago this is basically what I spend and it might help put into perspective why people end up surrendering:
Food: $100/mo - this includes dry kibble food, bone broth, snacks and treats Toys: $10/mo - I don’t get new toys every month but just averaging it out over a year Meds: $48/mo - Anti flea tick worm whatever is about $25 and his other medication is 15, and then toothpaste averaged out is the rest Vaccinations: $20/mo Vet bill: $4K - after having him for about 5 months he started having seizures and so I had to take him to an emergency vet, he was hospitalized and put on anticonvulsants, 24 hour hospital stay
HighTechLackeyMH@reddit
Your dog sends his love.
mickeyanonymousse@reddit
thanks. he does, he gives me love every day. I don’t regret it at all but I’m fortunate enough to be able to drop that, and that it was only 4K I’ve heard of 40K.
let_id_go@reddit
I have two cats. My apartment sucks and charges me $35 each for them every month, so base of $70 monthly. Their dry food is $45 for a three month supply, $15 more a month there. Their litter is about the same, so $15 more a month.
So mine cost $100 a month for two cats after startup fees of bowls, litterboxes, and having them fixed (around $400 total).
I can't afford wet food for them, and they'll probably die younger for it. I also can't afford to take them to the vet, so we have to hope they never get sick, otherwise I'll be saying goodbye to them.
They lasted longer than their siblings that died as kittens before I picked them up, at least. 8 years of life vs a few months feels like a net benefit for them.
GrimSpirit42@reddit
A very large range:
We have five cats. Probably spend $100-150 a month on foodd. Every six months we get flea medication which runs about $150 for all. No major vet bills yet.
We did have one previous cat that vet bills ran over $4000, but that was extraordinary care and was worth it.
Used to have a horse. My sister had land so the upkeep was cheap: $75 a month for grain, couple hundred once a year for hay for winter feed. Vet bills were about $75 a pop. $125 to have them shod. So not too bad.
Now, if you don't have land, it would run thousands annually for upkeep and a place to take care of them.
cdb03b@reddit
There is a huge range.
If you have an animal given to you, or you adopt a stray that wanders onto your property then there is no cost in getting the animal. If you simply pay for food and just the medical legally required (shots and the like) cost is minimal for maintaining the pet. But if you treat every ailment as thoroughly as possible, including chronic medical conditions and surgeries then it can be very expensive.
garysbigteeth@reddit
Friend has a dog that eats single bits of kitty litter the cat tracks here and there and gets sick.
$600 per visit and last year there was at least 2 visits that I know of.
She can "afford" it sort of. Sort of and quote because my friend told me over the weekend she was concerned about being behind on retirement saving.
She showed me how much she had and she was in fact behind for what a 40 year old should have (which is 3 times one's income).
Can see how having a $600 expense come out of "no where" could set people back. Less than half of Americans who work don't have $500 to cover an unexpected expense.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/31/63percent-of-workers-are-unable-to-pay-a-500-emergency-expense-survey.html
Aggressive_FIamingo@reddit
My cat just had her annual checkup. She's a 5 year old cat in very good health, no chronic medical issues or anything. This was the breakdown of the bill:
I have insurance which ended up paying for the checkup and most of the rabies vaccine, so once I got my refund from that I ended up paying just over $200 for everything.
CnC-223@reddit
Bare responsible minimum is around $200 a year some people spend $2000 a year some people spend $20k a year.
rawbface@reddit
Vet bills for what? Our annual checkup for our dog is only like $150.
My dog has had an ear infection before, which is an unexpected $400 for a sick visit and antibiotic eardrops. And we paid to have a tumor removed when our old dog was 15 - it cost about $1500 but she lived another 2 years after that.
Vet bills are few and far between enough that it shouldn't be an issue. You should know what you're getting into when you adopt a pet.
r_GenericNameHere@reddit
Depends on the owner and depends on the pet.
Cats can be roughly $100/month (per cat)
Valuable-Election402@reddit
it depends on the animal, the condition of the animal when you got it or any known issues, how you treat it and how well you take care of it, and other very random factors like whether your specific pet gets a disease that you can't do anything about.
for example, my cat has never had a weird medical issue, just normal stuff and routine maintenance. it was about $2,000 the first year I got her because of all the furniture and food and stuff and it ends up being about $1,000 a year give or take to feed and care for her without any medical issues whatsoever. however, pet insurance sucks so I had to drop $1,000 into her dental service last year. this year she's developed allergies so I'm spending an extra $100 every couple months on her medicines.
it's certainly way less than having children, but it's not cheap. this is just one cat, if I had two some expenses might be shared because they would likely share furniture and toys, but I would be spending an additional $600 on food every year.
on the other hand, my friend whose dog is chronically ill is spending thousands per month on medical treatment.
TeacupCollector2011@reddit
I'm very lucky in that my vet has been practicing for 40 years and has very reasonable rates. He is talking about retiring. He has been looking for someone to take over the business, but, for various reasons, has been unsuccessful.
My dog is a senior, and when she goes, I won't get any more pets because I'm also a senior and cannot afford some of the ridiculous rates I read about other people paying.
AvailableAd6071@reddit
Our beagle rescue was 1000 on vet bills to save his life when we found him. Then maybe 30 dollars a month for food and 250 yearly vet visit and flea med. So maybe 50 bucks a month. The last 3 years of his life he had congestive heart failure. 100 a month in meds plus 350 every other month for labs and x-rays. Alot of people would have put him down but that was my heart dog and we had it so we did.
PsxDcSquall@reddit
Depends on the animal and what issues come up.
My 16 year old cat has cost very little. Blood work and a dental cleaning once per year and then just food and littler. I never add it up but imagine that ends up being like 2-3k per year at most.
im-not-a-panda@reddit
We have 5 dogs and sometimes 6: a standard poodle 48 lbs, golden retriever 85 lbs, havanese 13 lbs, miniature schnauzer 11 lbs, and at least one miniature poodle 12 lbs (my mom has the litter mate and we care for her at least a week a month). We spent $3500 total for their purchases, not including the standard poodle.
We spend about $50 per month in food and treats.
We spend about $180 per month in pet health insurance. The standard poodle is a service dog so her health insurance coverage is a bit more complex and costly. It’s about $80 for her and the remaining $100 is for my other 4 dogs together.
Toys are maybe $60 per year. I feel like we go through a lot of toys. Their favorite are the soft plushies, but they love to take them outdoors and they get left outside or torn up. We usually pay about $2-$2.25 per toy - we stick up when they’re on sale and we’re cheap. Most toys are $7+ per toy.
Gear Iike leashes, harnesses, and such is way atypical because of the service dog. We make a lot of custom biothane sets and she has of TON of gear like leashes and collars and clothes/shoes, etc. For our regular pets, I’d say we probably spent maybe $200 total for all our dogs. These costs aren’t really recurring for most people. The service dog has well over $1000 in gear and supplies.
We go through dog beds a lot because we have so many dogs. I’d guess we buy and replace 2 per year, we have 8 dogs beds throughout the house, including 2 that are kept outside. So maybe initial investment $350 and then $60-$100 per year ongoing after that.
Grooming adds up. All our breeds require regular grooming. We take them all on 7 week cycles. After tipping the groomers, we spend about $400 for all 5 dogs each grooming cycle. It’s about $2800 per year.
My state requires annual dog registration in your county. It’s $80 per year for the 4 pets. The service dog had to pay the first year $20 and it’s a lifetime registration for her.
We microchipped all our dogs. We went to the Humane Society when they were doing them for donations so we gave them $100. The cost is subsidized through a grant so it’s much less than what vets charge. We also bought Bytetags when the company was newer. I totally recommend them! We spent about $75 with them.
Over the life of dog ownership, we have spent maybe $2000 in boarding and care costs. I have paid family members to come stay at my home during vacations rather than send all my dogs to professional boarding. So this expense is much less since I’m blessed with helpful family members.
Vet. Yeah. We’ve had some doozies. Annual exam and vaccinations are about $250/dog - so about $1250 per year. We spay and neuter all our dogs and that was about $1600 for all 5 dogs together.
My mini poodle ended up getting acute hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in May 2024. She nearly died, the vet warned me it was low chance of survival. It cost me $3400. Thank god for CareCredit. I was able to finance it interest free. I’ll never be able to really repay the vet team though. Their knowledge and skill kept my baby girl alive and she recovered. She still takes a medication daily for GI support and probiotics which, because of her health insurance, only cost about $60 per year.
We spend about $20 per year for trazodone - we have 2 that lose their shit during fireworks and sometimes even bad thunderstorms.
Urgent care - our vet has urgent care and “nursing appointments” with a vet nurse? Anyhow - you can see them for less money - they can treat ear infections, manage follow up appointments, etc. We have spent about $2500 over the life of dog ownership. The poodles and their damned ear infections. One of our dogs has a luxating patella.
Emergency care - apart from my mini poodle mentioned above, we’ve spent maybe another $1500 throughout on emergency vet care.
Christmas Eve 2023 I had to put down my lab/pit mix. I still can’t talk about it. A part of me definitely died that day. Euthanasia, cremation, and packaging her remains together was $400.
We have about $19,000 invested in service dog training. Initially the golden was being trained but she ended up flunking out so now she just a pet with an expensive history. After that, the service dog training agency placed one of their poodles with us as part of the training cost.
God I have never really written out the numbers or done the math on these furball shits. But here I am, stretched out on the couch. One is sharing my pillow, one is snuggled up at my belly, and another laying behind my knees. My heart is happy and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
HighTechLackeyMH@reddit
We love you Mom
forested_morning43@reddit
Much more expensive after private equity got involved in the industry and bought small, local practices.
HighTechLackeyMH@reddit
Hedge fund Satans
TheBimpo@reddit
Vet care can be expensive, especially if your pet has long-term health needs.
The last few years of my dog's life I was spending an average of $400-600 monthly on special diet, supplements, therapeutic treatments, extra vet visits, etc and I'm in an area where care is reasonably affordable.
People absolutely end up putting pets to sleep or surrendering them if they can't afford care. Is it "common", yeah, shelters have plenty of old animals and vets put lots of pets to sleep every week. It's heartbreaking, working in veterinary care is insanely stressful and vets and their staffs have high rates of suicide.
drink-beer-and-fight@reddit
We have a few cats. I spend about $25 a month on food and litter. So around $300 a year.
elonmusktheturd22@reddit
It varies. Cats are free just about anywhere and dont cost much (barn cats breed like crazy and easy to get a farm kitten, or get one from a place that fixes ferals for free/based on donations, or get a street cat. My family grabbed a feral and her kittens from my uncles trash pike in the 90s, i kept one of the kittens for years after i moved out, skiddish but tollerated me since i fed him as a house cat). Turtles can be found easily in most places and really dont cost much, my mother kept picking them up on the road and kept them in the bathtub. I dont know if she still does it, havent spoken to her in 20 years. Dogs are a bit more expensive unless you get a pitbull mix (free just about anywhere but tons if dipshits get them for an image and dont care for them much and keep heving puppies to get rid of and give away to ither dipshits to cintinue the cycle if dipshittery) also depends on breed, lab mix puppies in my area are about $150 each from the many mennonite farms, shelter dogs are $300 each (always mix breeds).
As per my lab i spent $150 on him as a puppy, i use cushions from a couch someone dumped in the ditch down the road as a dogbed, spend about $300 per year in dogfood and treats (pork legbones, pig ears, milkbone treats, hoofs, plus a lot of rabbits, woodchucks, eggs, venison, goose, fish, etc from my farm, he loves apples, mice, turnips, and sunchoked too, just kills frigs for fun but doesnt eat them). Cost $300 for him to be fixed, cost $30 to go to free rabies clinics (no vehicle, gotta pay someone for a ride), maybe $20 per year in dog shampoo and flea drops. Havent had any other expenses. When he gets a face full of quills i hold him down and pull them with pliars (i shoot porcupines on sight, not only a risk to my dogs but they fuck up trees in my orchard by stripping and eating the bark), skunk juice gets washed immediately before it can dry on and make a lasting problem but i also dont let him out after dark. Never had any other issues
My blue heeler is similar in costs, but came fixed from the shelter for $300. Eats slightly less (their food is rationed per day so they are fit, not thin nor fat), heeler had to be treated for Lyme once and that was a $250 vet bill. Unlike the lab he figured out porcupines after the first time it happened.
Avery_Thorn@reddit
Vets are very, very expensive. They are medical professionals, and yeah, they earn it, they are worth it, but they are crazy expensive.
A bad vet bill can be in the $5-10K range. An office visit with my vet costs about $200 + whatever he does. For example, we tried to board my cat a few months ago, and her $150 hotel stay turned into a $600 hospital stay.
My two cats have gotten about $15K in vet care over the last 10 years. One of my cats, who had a higher vet bill, was at about $12K total when he passed away (under the vet’s care) last year.
Vachic09@reddit
It depends on the pet and the owner. Some dogs have very few health concerns in their lifetime. Some dogs are prone to bloat or another very expensive condition to manage. Some people go above and beyond for their pets, but there are still some people who are negligent in their vet care.
Guinea pigs are not a cheap animal to properly care for either and many people don't realize that until they get one.
FlappyClap@reddit
It’s so odd what people are willing to believe about the US globally because they saw a few videos, and that somehow equates to “many”.
Beautiful_Watch_7215@reddit
Between nothing and a lot. Depends.
steely_92@reddit
In general my cats don't cost that much.
But I did spend like $100 last year to find out my cat's issue is that he's horny. Apparently, sometimes male cats still get horny after they're neutered... Didn't know that.
Quick-Obligation-504@reddit
Always get pet insurance.
Enough_Roof_1141@reddit
Two $4000 surgeries this decade.
$550 vet bill for an annual.
cogabig409@reddit
I have a leopard gecko; $10 a month
Bluemonogi@reddit
It depends on the pet and what their needs are. Some people get health insurance for their pets. Some pets are prone to health problems. Some pets only need an annual check up.
In my area the animal shelters are bursting with puppies and kittens right now. They are begging people to foster or adopt. I don’t know if people are not spaying or neutering because of cost or if this is the same level but people are adopting less pets. Costs of everything have gone up.
Otherwise-OhWell@reddit
Youtube news? We are so fucked.
Fine-Sherbert-140@reddit
Since January I have spent
$75-125/m on food and treats,
$260ish for each round of shots (×3),
$60/m for simparica trio,
$60/m for a bath, sanitary cut and nail trim at the groomer,
$52/m for pet insurance, which reimburses some portion of preventive care and vet costs over 500 (the deductible) but only reimbursed 150 of
$863 for a neuter/microchip surgery with bloodwork and two days' boarding plus post-surgical suit and Simparica until the one-year checkup in November, at which point I will pay for
another round of vaccine boosters and more pest/worm prevention.
This does not include harnesses (we've bought 3 because he grew very quickly), leashes, crates, toys, puzzle feeders, shampoo, toothpaste, beds, or the actual cost of our puppy. We haven't had an emergency vet visit.
skateboreder@reddit
I have 4 cats and they cost me over $100 a month. It's close to 150-176/mo. That's just food and litter.
KyorlSadei@reddit
You will die in destitute and poverty trying to feed them and care for them.
TwinFrogs@reddit
Owning dogs has become stupid expensive. Even just getting a routine rabies vaccine is $$$.
ggbookworm@reddit
I spend $3-4k per year. She has medical issues, so prescription food, grooming, boarding rarely, medication if she has a flare. First year I had her I spent almost 7k.
shouldvewroteitdown@reddit
I spent $1000 on my dog between memorial day (may 28) and flag day (june 14). This was just for UTI and followup.
FourLetterHill3@reddit
Depends on the pet. And the breed. If you get a stray cat off the street, not very expensive. But if you get some sort of pedigree purebred dog, that can get crazy because they often have a lot of health problems.
SoftLast243@reddit
Depends on what type of breed, species & size. Not including where you live, which affects the price of pet products.
Slight_Literature_67@reddit
My girls are spoiled, so they are expensive, lol! They get Farmer's Dog for their food, have a toy subscription, have a specific brand of turkey tendons on auto-delivery because it's the only bones they chew, and they see a vet that specializes in reactive German Shepherds. One dog has allergies and takes medication for them. I easily spend thousands on them a year, and I'll continue to figure out how to afford their lifestyles because they're worth it to me.
Meanwhile, my childhood cocker spaniel probably cost a few hundred dollars a year because she ate basic dog food, mooched off everyone, and was built like a tank in terms of nothing ever hurting or making her sick. She only went to the vet to get her nails cut and for her yearly checkups. My golden retriever had some crazy medical expenses, so she had expensive years. My great-grandma had a little rat terrier that ate nothing but human food, and that dog was damn-near indestructible. My great-grandma never took her to the vet, and she was estimated to be around 20 or so years old when she died (she was found as a stray when she was maybe 7 years old, but no one really knows how old that dog truly was).
You can't really pinpoint a cost because the range varies wildly depending on breeds, locations, what you want to feed them, toys, medical issues...
Bright_Ices@reddit
Varies greatly. The problem is that everything is becoming more expensive relative to our incomes (and has been for quite awhile), so many things that people could afford to pay for in the past are out of reach now.
Add to that the fact that vet clinics have invested in expensive specialized equipment, so more treatments are available, but they are very costly because the office has to recoup the equipment cost.
Plus, whether they rent or own, costs are rising disproportionally for leasing building space and covering property taxes.
Emotional_Star_7502@reddit
Also, vets are lobbying and forcing restrictive laws which drive up costs. Simple medical supplies and procedures that you used to be able to do yourself, you now need a prescription or “licensed professional” to do it. No vet is writing a prescription without an examination. So what cost the owner $10, now costs them $300-$500.
Zealousideal_Cod5214@reddit
Not super expensive if they're healthy. When they start to get old or sick, then they start to get more expensive.
Just got an estimate on how much the dental visit for my 2 cats would be, and it's about 3000 USD for the two of them. I don't exactly have that kind of money. :(
geekteam6@reddit
Quick cat calculation is $2500/year on avwerage counting insurance which you definitely need, especially as they get older. Health bills go crazy in the later years.
Sleepy-Blonde@reddit
Depending on animal $200/month + vet care. You can get pet insurance to make it easy. Our German shepherd costs us about $400/month to make sure she’s cared for well. Then you can get expect a vet bill of $200/year unless something goes wrong. If then, it can be $2k-$5k, as high as $10-$15k.
Eureecka@reddit
There is a huge range and A LOT of factors. What kind of animal is it, how healthy is it, what kind of pet owner you are. How you calculate costs factors in too.
Every year as a kid, we’d have a tank of tadpoles from the pool cover. We’d raise them into tiny frogs and then let them go. Total cost: a jar of fish food.
Opposite end of the spectrum: my mom’s friend bought a purebred dog. The initial outlay was thousands of dollars. Then it had significant health issues that required constant vet visits, surgeries, special diet, crazy expensive medicines, you name it. THEN it bit a kid and she got the shit sued out of her for the reconstructive surgery. All told, that one dog cost her more than $200,000 over its short life time.
I adopted a cat from a rescue. That was $400. I already had toys, cat trees, litter box, etc but that would have run about another $500. He’s an indoor only cat and he’s still fairly young so I buy food, fancy expensive corn litter, and take him to the vet for a check up and shots annually. Additional cost between $700 - $1000 per year. But I expect that to go up as he gets older and needs more medical care.
Eureecka@reddit
A lot of veterinary clinics have been bought by private equity firms and the costs are sky rocketing as a result, which is probably going to result in fewer pets getting routine checkups and care.
Thedollysmama@reddit
Back about 15 years ago, in my rural area, we guessed it was between $3k and $5k a year to own a horse with farrier, vet, and feed costs and limited pasture access. Our current dog, 12.5 years, cancer/arthritis, is running us about $250 a month for vet care and another $150 or so for meds and food. She’s short timing and we are going for quality, not quantity
LeGrandePoobah@reddit
I have a hairless cat. He gets a bath weekly, and we use a cat shampoo with some dawn soap. That is about $10/year. A bag of cat litter once per month- $22/bag. Cat food last about 1.5 months, $35-$45/bag depending if we can get it on sale. Vet bill for vaccinations and teeth cleaning- $500 annually. He cost $800, depending on how long he lives, could be $75 a year, give or take $10. So, for me, just over $1200 annually. We don’t spend a lot extra because this is our third hairless and we have sweaters and toys already. There may be a few expenses I missed, but probably not much. Last off, our previous cat was toilet trained, so we did not have litter to buy.
MeanTelevision@reddit
I did not see the story you refer to so I do not know how accurate it is.
It isn't so much vet costs but food costs probably. Pet food costs a lot, as does litter and so forth. But I do not know how widespread the issue is. "Many" could mean a lot of things.
YoshiandAims@reddit
300.00 a year for a medium dogs base vaccinations. 200.00 for dental cleaning 100.00 blood work for vaccination. 50.00 visit fee.
Spay/neuter in my area is $550.00 on the cheap end for a small/medium dog or puppy.
Accidents, Illness, a cheap vet bill average here would be $1,500-5,000... for common illness injury (obstruction, a broken bone, ACL issue) even then, it can be larger than that. Often leaving donations and a rescue with finds as the only option.
Responsible-Fun4303@reddit
Depends on the pet, what you feed it, how you house it, if you get them the proper medical care, etc.