Comments on: How much do you spend on your pets?

By: Pete @ biblemoneymatters

Pete @ biblemoneymatters — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:26:23 +0000

p.s. here’s something i wrote on the topic – as well as a picture of our pooch:

http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2008/04/paying-for-pets-when-is-it-too-much.html

By: Pete @ biblemoneymatters

Pete @ biblemoneymatters — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:23:47 +0000

we have had a small shi-tzu for the past 4 years, and she is a delight – even tempered and friendly with everyone and cuddly (my wife likes that). If it had been my choice we wouldn’t have gotten a dog, but i wanted peace in the house

Our expenses break down like this for our 9 lb dog:

$10-15 every 2 months for food
$40 every 3 months for grooming (less if you do your own)
$50-100 2-3 times a year for vet visits.
? time to feed/walk/play with dog…

when you factor everything in – its about $50 a month i think.. not too horrible..

By: bob

bob — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:46:14 +0000

@sean

you know that is a good point, I have seen similar charts and it does seem that some breeds are just “doomed” – I mean not necessarily, but I would rather take my chances with one less likely to get a disease or have its knees go out

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:00:41 +0000

In my parents home, we have 3 dogs, 3 cats and a weird looking “shell-less” turtle. My parents probably spend more than a hundred dollars to take care of them.

Now as a new father, I’m not really thinking of pets*laughs* to save more money.

By: tiffanie

tiffanie — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:17:26 +0000

we have two cats and i don’t think we really spend too much on them. doesn’t really apply to your wanting a dog , but i think we spend about $20 for our two cats…that’s including litter, dry food, and wet food. although, we are stopping wet food because our new kitten doesn’t really digest it very well

By: Travis

Travis — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:14:54 +0000

I think people should listen to their veterinarians. I know some of their ideas may be expensive but with the advances in doggie health care and the way that “buster” has always been there for you…how can you say no?

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:52:53 +0000

Whenever I’m in the waiting room for a long time waiting for the vet, my eyes are drawn to a chart on the wall with common ailments for each breed. There is more of a disparity than I would have suspected… some breeds have no big red “X” and others have many. There’s a ton of useful websites and busy forums, but I’d start by looking for a time-saving chart like that.

We’d still choose our dog over and over again, but ideally manage the situation earlier (bad neck) and know how much to budget for the worst case scenario.

By: bob

bob — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:03:33 +0000

@cory
I have been putting the whole dog thing off for the very reason that you mentioned. We will probably start having kids in the next few years and I would hate to have to get rid of the dog… And good point about them being an emotional decision, that seems to be the case…

By: cory

cory — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:09:04 +0000

Did you hear about Leona Helmsley leaving something like $5 bil to her dog?

We got rid of our dog a few months ago because it was mean to our 2nd baby. I loved that dog, but once she was gone the grass in my yard started growing again, my carpet stayed cleaner longer, and the financial loss of an occasionally chewed up shoe was no longer an issue. It costs more than you think.

If you can avoid getting a dog, by all means try not to get one. However, dogs are not practical decisions. Dogs are emotional decisions, so if you decide you want the companionship and if you fall in love with one, get one!

Or, you can skip that step and just have a baby.

By: bob

bob — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:40:04 +0000

@Renee
Ok, sounds good – sign me up

@Amy
thanks for the thorough response – so from your response I am figuring (conservatively) an average of $50 a month for one little dog if we had one. That really isn’t too bad, but it is those things like the kennel and surgery that make me a little nervous…