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 .

If you can afford a dog on benefits (and I’m glad for you that you can, as dogs seem to be important to you), then doesn’t that prove OP wrong that they’re only for the well off?

Perhaps the question is why people choose to spend so much money on their dogs / think that things are necessary to give dogs a decent life that really aren’t?

She certainly isn’t like a bag or a holiday, she’s a living creature who loves and fears and dreams…I’m not trying to diminish that in any way. But owning her is a luxury, one which you prioritise, and one which a great many families simply cannot afford. There are millions of dogs living badly in unsuitable homes with owners who cannot afford - financially or in terms of time and commitment - to do them justice, and that’s wrong in my view. Nobody is entitled to own an animal, and it’s better for dogs if people recognise that it’s something that should only be undertaken when you have the means to do it responsibly.

Providing vets explain the options I don’t see a problem. When my cat was diagnosed with heart failure he had a scan and we were given the option of euthanasia or medication. We chose medication to see how he was. His medication was expensive but was covered by his insurance, although even if it hadn’t been covered we’d have gone down that route. Those last 5 months with him were worth every penny.

I guess so. I have been lucky with my dog. Apart from a couple of injuries, her biggest vet bill was a dental where she had lots of teeth removed.
Her second biggest bill is the one she has tomorrow. At home gentle euthanasia and individual cremation.
Some people just get unlucky and end up with lots of vet bills.

I’m so sorry about your dog, and I’m genuinely sorry if my comments have been insensitive or hurtful. It’s obvious how deeply you love her.

It is

@LighthouseLED It’s not about declaring dog ownership a right above other things. It’s about noticing how things that used to be ordinary have become luxuries due to structural decisions — stagnant pay, privatised risk, rising costs, and wealth concentrating upwards. When that happens across housing, healthcare, childcare and things like pet ownership, it’s reasonable to question the system rather than individual affordability.

It does not make sense, does it, when so many poor kids live on less than these dogs expenses

Apples and oranges. I have a dog (until 12 in the afternoon tomorrow) and no kids.
Me spending money on my dog takes nothing away from kids out there.
I have actually seen someone on here argue that the existence of dog ice cream is detrimental to children.

@trufflesandolives I know far more people who have pets now than I did when I was growing up, so I question how “normal” the current level of pet ownership (certainly dog ownership) actually is.

It seems to be one of the many things that went crazy after COVID.

I have actually seen someone on here argue that the existence of dog ice cream is detrimental to children.

How the hell did they justify that argument? Surely nobody is stupid enough to actually feed their kids on dog ice cream, which is the only way I think it could be detrimental.

They argued that dog ice cream should not exist when there are starving kids out there.
Another I have seen is that people that are dog groomers, walkers, sitters, should retrain and work in care, because there is a shortage due to people preferring to work with dogs. Which is shite.

Hmm, I get what you are saying, OP, but does your dog really need all that treatment or does the Vet do quite well out of recommending certain drugs etc? 🤔

That was my thought too.
Tummy issues and anxiety is normal with newly adopted dogs.

That’s what insurance is for. Most adoption/rehoming centres include a months insurance when you adopt. All my dogs have been insured, and I’m on a low income, we just budget carefully and try to keep a bit of savings to pay for excess etc.

Don’t resort to meds for anxiety yet. It often takes a rehomed dog months to settle into a new home, and during this time you can do a lot to help reduce anxiety, staying calm, setting boundaries, basic obedience work. Dogs need to feel secure, and that takes a while.

I'm a vet, work for a corporate and I am under no pressure to upsell or meet targets. The most pressure I ever got about targets was when I worked for independents. I care about my patients deeply.

But what am I meant to do if a dog comes in with diarrhoea that's not resolving? Yes I offer tests. If I'm worried an animal is very sick yes I'll offer blood tests/xrays. It's always a discussion though about the risks/benefits/costs of everything and ultimately you can say no. I often give plan A, B, and C. Would you rather your vet ignore concerns and offer a cheap and cheerful option every time or just tell you not to bother to come in? What am I supposed to do if you come to me with a dog with severe separation anxiety where medication could help? Just say "deal with it" and ignore the problem? And I wouldn't offer it in OP's situation but I might if it's not getting any better.

People are often moaning on here that their GP doesn't take them seriously and people are begging for investigation of their health issues on the NHS. Meanwhile vets who want to investigate things with tests are just trying to inflate the bill? And yes sometimes tests will be normal - we don't know unless we look. Most people would rather have peace of mind than have their dog deteriorate and die because the vet didn't take concerns seriously. And that does happen.

It's part of our professional code of conduct to offer all options including referral and euthanasia. I don't think dogs should be getting £12k heart surgery but it's my obligation to tell you it exists and discuss the pros/cons. Also when talking about euthanasia - over the years I have had my head absolutely bitten off for suggesting it in some cases despite it being a serious option to avoid high ongoing costs with a poor prognosis. I've also had my head bitten off for suggesting things like amputation or removing an eye for example than more expensive specialist fracture repair or eye surgery. People's expectations have absolutely changed in the 20 years I've been practicing. What do you think pets' average life expectancies were in James Herriot's day?

That rant was disjointed because I'm exhausted and frankly tired of this career. Vets can do nothing right it seems. We are doing too much or doing too little. I stay hours beyond my finishing time frequently and don't see my kids at night to take care of your pets. And I don't earn as much as you probably think. I don't have pets because I can't afford
them.

I buy it. Far too much faff making it in the correct proportions and I dont have a bone grinder.

I buy Bulmers or Durham Animal Feeds. Add a teeny bit of naturaw forage pure blend (thats the fish, veg and egg bit).

For the first time ever I clicked to see if mumsnet had a laughing emoji to respond to a post...

Vets have a super high rate of suicide, and I can understand that.

I'm really sorry to hear about tomorrow for your dog @YeOldeGreyhound

It is very clear through your posts on MN that you love your dogs very dearly and you have a precious connection.

Will be thinking of you for your final act of kindness for your girl. Xxx

So what if people choose to spend their money on their pets? I don’t have children but have a cat so l spend my money on him. Or should I be spending it on some random kids?

I'm told that sheltered lives are indeed very agreeable.

Ha, it makes no sense.
Must all childfree/childless people send funds to people with kids?

My dog was never a replacement for kids, as I never wanted kids.

No.

Same with me, I’ve never wanted kids and I’ve loved my cats (and dogs when I lived at home) for being cats, not replacements for children and I certainly won’t feel guilty about spending money on them!