To feel that soon , dog ownership will just be for the well off? And thats not fair.

[Tunamelt]

We had a family dog and as a child I really benefited from it . As did my own dc when we had our beloved dog.
When the dc had a hard day she cheered them up so much and it was such a good experience for them.
We have just adopted a dog.
She needed the vets in the first week due to upset tummy.
Ist vet appt £75 and then x2 meds.
She now needs a stool sample and a further vet appt to
check her health.
stool sample test alone will be over £100.
We had appt with behaviourist at £90 ph .
Her food is £60 pm.
the vet thinks she may need fluxotine for anxiety and those meds are around £80 pm
So thats come to a good amount and she has only been here a few weeks.
Its made me realise that these sort of costs are just not do able for
many - and a concern to us -and it seems so unfair that the joy of a dog may be beyond reach for many these days .

Why? Horses are a luxury.
(I have several horses, run a yard and have multiple other animals- dogs, cats, reptiles etc so fairly qualified to comment!)

If the fact that things cost money isn’t fair, you’ve got bigger problems than dog ownership.

This. There's no shortage of chavs with dogs. Look at the XL bully trend.

I can't help think that a lot of the people moaning about vet bills are the authors of their own misfortune. If loads of people decide they want a dog (as happened during covid), and insist on treating it as 'one of the family, just like a child' (plenty of comments like that on MN), then of course a capitalist is going to think 'Kerching!!! We can milk this lot for millions'. If it were still the case that dog ownership was a minority pursuit, and if a dog was ill repeatedly or couldn't behave it was put down, then there wouldn't be much money to be made and private equity wouldn't be interested. But if we're walking past mentions of 'dog behaviourists' and taking them to the vet every time they've got a dicky stomach, then well...we look very much like a bunch of mugs.

Promax is an over the counter NON PRESCRIPTION medication. You can buy it online or in a shop ( and similar pastes)
Also noone forces you to send a stoolmsample off. You can just say " no, I dont want faeces sent off at this point"
Also maybe try and find an independent vet practice. Prices are often cheaper there and care is still good.
You can also ask for a written prescription for anti anxiety meds and it will likely be cheaper than from the vets directly.
BTW I work for an independent vet practice.
I spend about £200 per month on my cats and dog including insurance. And I strongly feel that pets are a luxury, not a necessity/ given.
Vets should give you options of treatment ( with any problem/ illness) you are the owner and essentially you decide which you want, how much you want etcetc.
Also wondering how large your excess is...you are mentioning several visits for the tummy upset and faeces sample and meds. Surely this would have been more than the excess and you should be able to claim.
If I saw a newly aquired dog at the practice with diarrhea and not much previous history known about the dog with diarrhea that doesn't respond to promax and bland food then I most likely would suggest a stool sample to be sent. I'd inform you about the costs and if you'd say "no Thank.you, I dont want this" id probably say...okay...let's try xyz instead.
Also can people ( not you in particular) stop bashing vets. You'd be surprised to know receptionists are usually on minimum wage. And vet nurses and vets earn a lot less than people think.
And yes, science and care and equipment have moved on A LOT. But it has in human medicine too. And this is not cheap. But you dont have to go all out for your own pet if you dont want to as IT IS YOURS AND YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS.
On another note, I hope your dog is better now and I also hope you have found the right behaviourist and are able to help her/him through the anxiety issue!

Not read any of this thread , but nothing in life’s fair …my dad told me this when I was very young & it’s great advice !!

Only used the term to give a concept of size - they’re small crossbreeds - is that better??

I didn’t say not spending the money makes you a bad human, it doesn’t. Saying ‘it’s just a pet’ is horrible though.

It depends on the issue and the temperament of the animal. My previous had cat had a broken jaw and had to have multiple surgeries. He was absolutely fine afterwards and lived another 8 years until he was 18. I have no regrets about him having the surgery or ‘leaving him in a strange place’ as he didn’t mind the vets and wasn’t too worried about travelling - we used to take him on holiday with us. I wouldn’t have put him through treatment for cancer or had him fitted with a prosthetic leg for example. One vet mentioned amputating his jaw if surgery didn’t work and again that is something I wouldn’t have even considered.

Can i just ask - would natural yogurt on a lick mat help tummy.
? We don't livr near anywere that has pets at home etc . But cd order the stuff like the meds and pumpkin powder on line . Thanks .

I live in a rural area. Our vet’s clients are mostly farms. If you take your dog to see her she’ll charge cost price for the medicine, but she doesn’t charge for the appointment at all. I just buy her a generous Christmas present for being an indispensable part of the community.

Its interesting- I do wonder if initially she just thought she was on ‘ holiday’ as now she is also displaying slightly different behaviour. For eg she was so exited on walks - now she stands still on walks and stares at me . Then when I say come on happy voice - she trots on.
I think she is exhausted too . She came from a home were she was rarely walked… and she follows me round all day . We have been working on getting her to settle if i leave the room by staying on sofa and so far she can sleep / rest for 20 mins.
I really think she is so tired and its not helping.
but i cant sit still all day! At least that 20 mins has been build up
this week .
i am trying so hard but i feel exhausted myself atm and trapped in my own home .

It already is. Buying a puppy, all the kit, dog training classes, food, insurance, kenneling for a week or two. Already several thousand a year.

@Tunamelt if she's left is she destructive?

We have a very needy rescue, nearly 5 years on now. 4 things that i haven't seen you mention (only read your posts @Tunamelt) that helps with ours:
Dog calming plug in (we have TeddyDo).

Clothing that me or DH have wearing left with her.

3 walks, early morning, after work and a short walk before bed.

Scent work; part of her daily kibble hidden around the garden for her to find. This taught her to get interested in smells and she loves her walks and having a sniff around as a result.

I joined breed specific FB groups and got some really good advice for things that were not pricey.

Our dog has a sensitive stomach and is not good with chicken, she has AVA Sensitive kibble with fish from Pets at Home mixed with a little Butchers canned food.

Hm I can’t imagine that all the families I knew with dogs in the 80s/90s had them seeing behaviour specialists and taking anxiety medication. I mean that’s probably the difference right there. Dogs used to cost basic food plus emergency vet care once in a blue moon.

So just curious: what's the average monthly spend for a dog?

Personally I would stick to the bland diet, small portions.
You’ve had her for such a short amount of time and you all need to try and relax. The more things you introduce in a short space of time will only add to her anxieties as well.
Dogs pick up on any feelings of stress and anxieties we are having which makes them
feel anxious as well.
When I pick up a new foster dog I set up a crate in a quiet area of the house, with lovely bedding and a blanket over the top, then my household carry on as normal.
Most of them use the crate as their safe place and would retreat to it when for instance we had visitors or I was hoovering. Most choose to sleep in it and even our resident dogs always love having one up and pile in. Our children know not to interact with dogs when they are sleeping or in their ‘bedroom’.
Over a matter of weeks/months they would rely less on their safe place and relax in the dog beds in other rooms, but a safe place in a low traffic area is so helpful.
Plug in adapatil diffusers, again available online can be a useful tool.

YABU. There are too many dogs around anyway. The problem is though that there will be too many feckless people taking them and then dumping them, but that's not the fault of the vet, they need to make a living too.

We have 3 resident dogs and 1 foster dog at the moment. With food and insurance and basic medical care for our own dogs (foster dog is not insured as the charity pay for their medical expenses but not food) we pay out roughly £40 pw

I agree OP. I've always had dogs. One of my old dogs was very greedy (Yorkshire terrier) and ate a large raw potato that I dropped before I could grab it off her. I took her to the vets immediately and they kept her in for observation. They told me if she couldn't pass it, it would cost £6000 for them to open her up to get it out. Thankfully, the little madam just had a massive poo so it still cost me about £300 just for them to observe her having a poop. I dont understand why it would potentially cost £6000 when spaying costs about £300.

I agree, dog ownership would be affordable for everyone if we applied 1970s dog ownership standards - no treatment for chronic conditions just put to sleep and the dog barking in the backyard all day while owners at work!

They can't be house trained

FFS “vet thinks she may need fluxotine (aka Prozac antidepressant) for anxiety”. Just no!
Sounds like you have only recently adopted your dog. Maybe she just needs time to settle and feel safe and confident in her new family home. Also takes time to settle on a new diet.
Give the dog time to settle in and consider get a second opinion from a dog trainer / behaviourist before starting meds.

We intro her to pets love fresh . I am wondering if too fast / soon.
she came with cat kibble mived with dog kibble. A really chesp one.

initially I cooked chicken , pork, beef with veg ( she ignored veg) for her - with chicken being the main ingredient.
She seemed fine .
But i was concerned re the extas like vitamins.
So then we weaned onto pets love freah and initially she was also fine( 70 % chicken, rice , seaweed, berries) but now had runny tum woth blood in stools.
Any advice appreciated.
i presume that it may be best to go back to chicken for now ( we have over £100 worth pets love fresh in freezer to use at some point) .
She seems a bit brighter today and i hope to build on that.

LydiaFunnyGums
behaviourist also suggested meds to help her chill and accept separation anxiety training

the more i think about this , the more i disagree that she needs to get used to being alone - not yet .