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 .

Porknis not a bad choice. I'd go for a salmon and potato diet for now. Kibble...kibble is fine. Take some time to change it over gradually.
Food allergies aren't worth testing through blood samples but better to exclude stuff amd stick to it. I fit doesnt work you can change to hypoallergenic/ hydrolysed diets. If we do allergy testing we never recommend bloods for food allergies but trying a different type of food/ protein. And actually pork is high on the list as unusual. But fish may be better. We also find that chicken isn't always the best option!

lessglittermoremud

no she didn’t have upset tum on arrival. She had a diet of kibble , human biscuits and toast.

Honestly with that information I wouldn’t have though a food allergy likely
I totally understand why you changed her food quickly, it’s very easy to look at something and say im
not going to feed that awful rubbish and change it to something else. I had one arrive with cheap dog food and sugary cereal mixed in 🙈 I refused to put in the cereal and then over the course of a month gradually moved her over on to the same food as our dogs, 90% of her original food 10% of the new food to start with then after a week 80% old food 20% new food and so on until she was completely on the same food as the others.

I am a little worried to give her plain chicken as her new food was high in chicken ( 70%) .
But yes , I accept that is probably the way forward.
I wonder if white fish would be good with it too?

I will keep to either of the above for a few days then slowly introduce new.
can anyone recommend any treats for training? As we ate doing wait atm .
i presume just bits of her food !

Dogs are expensive yes, so are kids, so are holidays, large houses, private schools, flash cars etc. I’m not sure why you are picking pet ownership out as something that everyone should have regardless of their financial situation.

I don’t think anyone has suggested that someone else should pay? There’s been some sensible and insightful discussion around soaring vets bills in this country compared to other countries and the reasons for that.

And yes, it does seem unfair that big corporate firms wanting to maximise profits are cashing in on this. I think I read before that there’s only a small number of large corporations in the background of the majority of vet practices. So hard for any real competition. I do agree if you can find a truly independent vet practice you will probably have a better experience.

Someone earlier mentioned about shopping around for a procedure and asked if that’s what they should be doing. Absolutely. If my pet needed any from a routine neuter, a dental, to bigger cruciate ligament stuff I’d be shopping around. Prices may vary. Your pet does not have to be registered as an existing patient , they will still accept an animal for a one off procedure. Prices do vary.

people absolutely need to be aware of rising costs, insurance being very important. Also take into account dog walker, food costs. It does add up. Small dogs will be cheaper to feed and also a lot of medication and operations are cheaper the smaller the animal. Even being put to sleep is cheaper for a small dog, meds are based on weight.

Trying to source a healthy dog is important. So avoiding breeeds with known issues. I like daschunds, I’d never have one due to the risk of IVDD. I imagine insurance for such breeds is also more expensive than say a border terrier or a mongrel. If you have a pedigree avoid backyard breeders, do your research and get a decent health tested dog.

Use her own food as treats of its kibble once her tummy has settled.
I always weigh out our dogs food and then take out a portion from that for training, it keeps costs down, keeps them lean because you’re not feeding on top of their daily allowance.
My Mum always buys our dogs lots of treats, and then moans when she sees the hardly used in the cupboard
Thats not to say they never get treats, however it’s probably a once weekly event rather then daily.
I guess some people would say it’s a mean way to do it but our vet always compliments me on our dogs weight, although I’ve had people say on walks that they are too skinny but we’ve been one a nation used to seeing over weight dogs, plus treats can also cause upset tummies so by feeding their food it avoids the issue entirely.
You need to settle her stomach first.
Edited to say you need to leave it more then a few days once tummy is settled before trying her food gradually, it should take a week or two until she is solely back on her own food.

I could afford vet bills no problem but if my cat became ill with something that needed invasive treatment it would not be happening. They have no idea what’s happening to them at all. I agree with you @Periperi2025.

I think it’s fine to have a complain about the unfairness of life regarding income amongst other things. But the only assistance can be with absolute necessities.

But if it's related, it's only one excess....

Yes, vet care is expensive, but it's not always necessary. They do often insist on unnecessary treatments now and I think it's because most of them are no longer independently owned, they part of profiteering companies who buy multiple vet practices and force salesmanship upon the vets who work there.

Anyway: she's brand new to you so it's normal that her anxiety will be high, and upset tummies don't always require attention from a vet, there are tons of things you can do inexpensively at home. You're hyperalert right now because you just got her which is absolutely the right thing to do, but for future ref try some of these:

For upset tummies:
A great daily probiotic is Protexin Sybiotic D-C or ProPlan Fortiflora
When they need extra help, get Protexin clay, it lasts for a while even after opening
What works for mine if it goes on longer than 24 hours is missing breakfast (so essentially fasting for 24 hours, from dinner to dinner), having only a probiotic drink made with Fortiflora during the fast, and then plain rice mixed with chicken for 2-3 days and their tummies typically settle

Order all these from Amazon.

For her anxiety, she's new to you and your home so anxiety is to be expected - she doesn't yet know if she's safe. My two were both rescues, and one settled in in about 3 months, and the other was clearly still settling in up to 9 months in so sometimes it just takes a while. I got a Furbo pet cam so I can check in on them when I'm not home and feed them treats - one is still clearly mostly anxious and I could never leave him if he was an only dog, but having his best friend with him eases things somewhat.

Training treats: I used cheddar when I first got mine as a trainer recommended it as a high-value treat, but plain chicken might be best for yours right now if her tummy needs settling. Hope this helps, and be prepared to give it 3-6 months for you all to settle in together.

I totally agree!

We have always had rescue dogs. We have always fed them dried food regardless as to what the latest dog food fad was! Dogs need simple food with all the necessary nutrients - they don’t need human food. It sounds like the people you got the dog from have misled you regarding its behaviour I’m afraid.

Keeping an animal in your home is a luxury. If rising costs reduces the number of dogs, I’ll be very happy with that.

YANBU, but your vet is. You've probably heard, most vets are now part of a money grabbing cartel of big businesses. Change your vet. Find an independent, who works for the love of animals, who is experienced and pragmatic, but probably has a rather shabby premises.

I don't think dog ownership is a luxury, especially with people hybrid working, but it has become big business with lots of greedy entrepreneurs looking to rip off anxious animal owners.

I have never felt pressured by any of the vets at the practice I take my cat to. I am given options, normally one of them is keep an eye and bring him back if necessary. He was having recurring stomach issues, again I was given options. I chose to go ahead with tests. They couldn't find anything. They prescribed steroids. when I ran out I rang up, a vet rang me back and prescribed more. No cost for the vets time.

My cat is insured and I have the health plan at the vets. Maybe my vets is in the minority but I have no complaints

There was a Panorama on vets recently I think. The landscape changed when non-vets were allowed to own vet practices so private equity swooped in and obviously their task is to drive prices up. Shop around for vets as not all are PE owned. I have a feeling that Vets for Pets remain not very expensive, at least in our area, but am I wrong as they are a big chain?

Chicken and rice - my cocker is now on it due to upset tummy. The trick is to blend chicken into rice haha!

Hollings sausages were a life saver for training. You see, she came first in her first set of puppy classes and last in her second, so we realised correct treats were essential 😁 We asked (too late, should have done so before the second set of classes started, but we were full of hubris after the first set 😁) the class teacher the brand she uses. Not the whole sausage but bits of it at a time.

Just read all your comments.

With my cat i was recommend bland diet for a short time, chicken, white fish. Im sure he said scrambled egg. He also has dry food specifically for his stomach. And was told to stop wet food for around a week and just feed the dry then slowly reintroduce.

Check youre insurance but im sure I only pay excess once per year for the same issue. I claimed back on all my tests and appointment costs barring food (part of my t&Cs) and the £80 excess.

I do the same. As a treat at home my dogs have a whole egg, a bit of tinned mackerel or peanut butter or a bit of a smoothie. I sometimes buy natural dog chews, they bits of animal type. But they stink so I’m not wild about it winter when they’re indoors chewing.

I also scatter feed them, in the garden but also on the kitchen floor. It does mean cleaning the floor more but they love it. They’re hounds so sniffing their food out keeps them entertained as well as fed. And we do hand feeding, for paw, sitting and waiting. I’ve found that a good way to build the bond.

I can’t remember if you’ve mentioned your dog’s breed @Tunamelt ?

A pet dog shouldn't be a luxury - that's the point.

Yes, because that’s essentially what they are.

I would not take a dog to a vet for an upset tummy. Plain food and it should sort itself out?

Anxiety meds for dogs ? Nope !

I grew up in poverty and always had cats and a dog.
It wasn't a luxury back in the seventies so why has it become one when most people are better off?
Answer: Corporate greed
Big corporations have bought up old family vet businesses and are applying the same rules they applied to the food industry to this formerly caring profession, namely maximize profits any way you can (which is why there is so much sugar, salt and seed oil in processed foods).
They are ripping off the customers who can still (often barely) afford pet care while leaving more and more other animal owners without any vet care at all.
That won't reduce pet ownership in any great number - however,it will reduce pet care.

It’s the same with children though, so I don’t really see the issue.

I’d have loved more children, but I had the amount I could afford.

Quite frankly, if you are the OP I think you are…you got a dog with behavioural issues that need an experienced owner. The fact you are choosing to drug your dog and bring in a behaviourist after four weeks of ownership is YOUR choice. Dog would be better off in an experienced home that can afford it.

Poor dog . I wouldn’t rescue a dog like this and I’m not sure it should be left to suffer. It’s obviously in distress. You’d be better off with a young pup with no history of abuse.