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 .

I’ve never had a dog in my life current landlord won’t allow one same back in my childhood home anyway I suppose to an extent you need to be well off enough for your own house to get a dog anyway.
Id never admit this irl but with my fellow dog haters on mumsnet 😉bring it on, less people owning dogs means less dog shit everywhere I go.

I'd agree with this, lots of dogs with complex health issues from overbreeding.

Then there's the whole inflation of vet bills due to insurance companies. Plus rising costs.

Did you adopt this dog from a rescue? Was it already unwell?

I took in a rescue cat about 10 years ago (still going strong).
He was hyper scared and had been seriously starved.
It took about 6 months for him just to stop jumping up vertically in fright any time someone walked by him. He was fine after that but is still skittish if there is any sudden noise and hides when anyone he doesn't know comes into the house. Initially he would not let me pet him at all - he'd scratch me to get away.
Then after a lot of patience and perseverance he started coming to me for pets and now looks for them every single day. I don't know what happened to him before I got him (he was 5 months old by then) but it had a colossal impact on him.

Btw, I brought him to 5 different vets in the first couple of years and every single one milked me for all they could get - that's when I realized they had all been bought out by a corporate chain. I now go to an old fashioned family owned vet further away but he will be retiring soon.

Anxiety was the core issue for my cat - the pills different vets prescribed changed nothing but cost a lot of money.

Patience and perseverance is needed.

Well, it's hardly a necessity. Plenty of us manage just fine without a dog.

We got a westie as a puppy. Apart from jabs/worming/flea treatment he hasn't cost a penny. He is now 6.
There are no guarantees but if you start off with a hardy and healthy breed (or a mix of them) and raise from a puppy you are giving yourself the best chance.

Interesting to hear from a vet. But many posters have pointed out the dog had just been rehomed, so upset stomach and anxiety surely is a common side effects?
Would you, as a vet, have immediately recommended all these tests and medications after such a short time?
Or would you have said give the dog time to settle and suggested a bland diet for a week then establishing a routine before medical intervention?
It's the immediate ramping up of physical and drug interventions which a lot of posters seem to find distasteful.
There are 2 vet practices in my area. One is independent and one is Medivet. People do talk to each other in the villages. Medivet does seem to encourage more up selling than the independent vets for the same outcome.
That's why some people are a little cynical.

Glad it meets your approval - I feel so much better now.
and thank you for acknowledging that the most important part of the post was how the dogs were referred to rather than the illustration that those on limited income can still afford to be responsible dog owners

@Tunamelt join this group on facebook- their guides are invaluable and once you’ve read them they will answer any specific questions you have

Is she crate trained? Obviously if not don’t just stick her in one but I’ve found it useful for giving a safe space which can help them rest. Worth a read up about as you need to instruit carefully and build up use.

I am not a vet, but I totally agree with you. You spend years training to do what you do, only to have people baulk at you charging for your 'expertise'.

I remember James Herriot saying once that the vets stand out as the ones who charge, and I do think some of the problem is that humans have the NHS. We simply don't understand the cost of treatment, drugs, surgery. This is what unsubsidized medical care looks like.

Our vet was amazing with our cat. She gave us all the options for treating his cancer including Chemo, but was clear it was incurable, and chemo would merely extend his life by six months at best. It wasn't about money for us, it was about his quality of life, and at 15 we weren't going to drag our boy who hated being in his basket as it was on a two hour journey to the vet who could do the chemo.

When we made the painful decision, the vet said she thought we were right, but she had to give us options because many people want that choice. They all couldn't have been kinder as after a few months palliative care at home with painkillers, we had to say our goodbyes.

Thank you for all you do.

Why don't you feed what the rescue centre gave her if they didn't have problems and then gradually introduce new things so you can see what she tolerates best?
If she won't eat it, don't stress. It might be good to give her tummy a rest. How many humans feel like rich food if they have a tummy upset?
Alternatively my dogs just liked a bit of kibble on the rare occasions their tummies were bad. As long as they had access to plain water too they were happy. Reintroduce meaty food gradually.

Well why do you think dog culture is so heavily pushed? There's lots of money to be made.

The environmental impact of dogs is huge. 1% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions come from dogfood production alone and the sheer amount of dogshit flung into trees in bags around here is a disaster all of its own, never mind the stuff left lying around on footpaths.

I actually like dogs, but the sooner people are priced out of having them the better for everyone.

And cows and sheep account for about 6% of the uk greenhouse gas emissions but not many people go vegan to save the planet (some do). So I’d hope anyone complaining about dogs on that score is vegan.

Maybe it is a luxury not a right to own a dog/pet BUT that doesn't alter the fact that these animals exist and still need loving homes. What will happen to all of these animals if people can't afford to take them on? Rescue centres maxxed out with no room left for any more animals. Don't you think that's an insane situation to be in given that, if owning a dog was more affordable, there are literally thousands of families who would desperately love to give them a home and the love they need - my family being one of them. These animals need to go somewhere. It's just really sad that the families they could have been adopted by may not be able to afford them. I watched the Panorama programme on the crazy cost of vets fees the other day - the more people are priced out of owning pets the more animals will remain homeless with no-one to look after and love them. To me that's the main problem here, not whether we have a 'right' to have a pet or whether it's a luxury. It's not about people feeling entitled to own a pet, it's about animal welfare.

My dog costs us a couple of hundred a month l reckon. Pet insurance up to 8k cover £26 . VIP vet membership including flea/worm/ vaccs/ annual check up - £20 Her food , a BARF diet is around £60 inc. training treats , dog bags etc. Take her to a breed specific meet on a dog field once or twice a month -£10. She goes to a doggy daycare one day a week , all day(11 hours) , to socialise , plus gives us a free day -thats £25 per day/ £100 per month. I know the latter isn't necessary but she loves it and is knackered for a couple of days after so is much calmer (very hyper breed) plus we love to go out at least one day without clock watching.
All above doesn't include toys/bedding/ kennels when we go away etc either.
Yes very expensive and that's just one medium sized dog.

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

In answer to the OP question - YABU.
As with most things that are not essential, if you can’t afford or you don’t get it.
Holidays, theatre tickets, cars, designer clothing, meals out - these are many things people cannot afford regularly, maybe ever. A dog can cost a lot more than these within a few years, let alone its lifetime.

Surely, eventually the market for them will reduce and people will stop breeding them for sale?

...also just spent a tenner on sardines in spring water that she has twice a week for a bit of variety, plus the swede/carrots etc that l buy to mix in with her raw food. I think l underestimated my £200 per month so better stop thinking about it.🙈

Sadly it seems to be going that way. The cost of pet food keeps rising, and vet bills a whole lot more.
There is an Panorama about vet bills on iPlayer right now which is worth a watch.
I have had my dog for over 15 years and I am on benefits. I live a frugal life to make sure her needs her met. She has never gone without anything at all.
My vets are an independent and I have never felt ripped off by them. They have never pushed for expensive tests.
I never considered her a luxury. That is how you refer to possessions and things like holidays. She is a living being, a family member. To me, she was essential.

I am saying goodbye to her tomorrow. When I am ready, I will be getting another. For some of us, our canine companions are all we have.

Dog ownership should be expensive. It should be limited also only to people who can be responsible owners, train their animals and not need to take them shopping.

OP has bought a rescue mongrel from goodness knows where, with no medical history, has been lied to about the character of this animal, and is now finding out that these choices have financial consequences.

That’s a good age for a dog anyway. I’m pleased she had a calm and peaceful end to her days - it must be so stressful for them going back to the vets all the time.

You must know that this is not normal. I have lived in 10 different homes in my lifetime, in 4 different counties, rough towns, nice towns, nice suburbs, big cities, and countryside, and I have NEVER experienced people shitting in the streets!

It’s true that responsible dog ownership is very expensive. My father spends a fortune on his dogs and that doesn’t include any nonsense stuff. Of course the benefits to him far outweigh the cost and be can afford it, but it is a lot of money.

Why does he spend a fortune though? On what? You mean on vet vills? That's what this thread is about. If it IS on vet bills, then why? What is he paying for?