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 .

Having a pet is a privilege.

Agree. But it's not even about change or the wheels falling off one's own life. People routinely make long-term commitments knowing full well they’ll rely on systems, tools, and paid services. that’s how adult life works.

Most parents rely on nursery, grandparents, pre-scool, childminder and even going to school for childcare. But we dont tell people to not have children unless they're able to stay at home all day every day for 16 years. Do we slate women for going back to work after their maternity leave ends? Of course not, as that would be awful. but they're not at home with their baby are they and are relying on a service which was always part of the plan.

And before anyone comes at me for comparing the dogs to children I am not saying they're the same, obviously. The comparison is made because they are dependent living beings, with free will that the accompanying adult is responsible for me meeting the needs of.

Upset stomachs can be treated at home with Pro-kolin Advanced, chicken and rice or even a day without food, before going to the vet. I wish my dog's food only cost £60 a month. Good luck.

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

You would think so, but the reality is that if people want pets they will have them, whether or not they can afford them. I work with a significant number of families who have multiple pets despite not being able to meet their children's basic needs. They will ask me for Food Bank vouchers or tell me they can't afford to buy school shoes for their DC and in the same breath casually mention they are going to pick up another new puppy. Some of these families are in serious amounts of debt, living in overcrowded conditions but unable to move due to rent arrears. Apparently there are charities that help people on means tested benefits out with vetinary bills, so hopefully the animals don't suffer. But I wish more people understood that pet ownership is not a basic human right and prioritised their children and paying essential bills.

Food and training is an individual choice and there are different options for different budgets... I taught one of my dogs to skateboard and it didn't cost anything as I used youtube videos.
Health wise, t's luck of the draw... I have had dogs all my life and only ever had one with a chronic condition that still costs a fair bit ...
The rest of them lived 12-15 years without issues exept maybe the last year, which is expected.

Yes, we have had the odd injury that needed vet treatment but nothing excessive.

I don't insure my dogs, but have a substantial emergency fund that is in essence what I would pay in insurance for them.

I do think that vet fees reflect the fact that pets are insured and prices are inflated. It's a vicious circle.
We also over treat our pets when it comes to medical care. An animals quality of life should always come first and treatment should not go on indefinitely to prolong life. Just because we can, doesn't always mean we should.

You were very lucky to find a cheap vet, people are complaining because they are being charged hundreds for the same type of treatment that you got for $26! The costs don't reflect only reflect the knowledge, treatment and facilities, they are extortionate in the UK because many of the vet practices have been taken over by private equity and private equity only cares about profit and nothing else. Just look at the shit show when they've taken over retail and rinsed it for all value. Nearly every chain that has collapsed as been down to private equity. Private equity are shooting themselves in the foot because in the longer term, how many people are going to not get a pet because of the costs?

It's the same with rats. Google will tell you that rats live 2-3 years and can live up to 4 years with good care. The reality is that 2 - 2.5 years is much more realistic, even for well looked after rats that receive good veterinary care. I keep rats and I'm active on lots of rat forums, several surveys of very keen rat owners have shown that rats very rarely live to 3 years (https://www.neratsociety.co.uk/html/longevity.shtml. I take all of my rats to the vet when they need it, I research the food I feed them, give them a lot of enrichment etc. My oldest rat so far has been 33 months and most haven't reached 30 months.

I think a lot of people exaggerate the age of their rats, hamsters, mice etc (I don't know why!) and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same with guinea pigs. The misinformation makes people feel bad when they're giving excellent care but their pet only reaches 2 years. Joining a forum with other really engaged, enthusiastic owners really helps as then you get more genuine information.

Also it's been in the news that the big companies that have taken over most vets are not offering value for money, I'm not sure why anyone thinks it's reasonable for them to be making such enormous profits. Money is not always an indicator that people will treat their pets well. To all the people saying that it's a good thing that pets are so expensive as it weeds out bad owners - plenty of rich people neglect their pets. And if vet bills are going up so much year on year then how can people plan? Pets are very sadly being taken to rescues by caring owners who could afford vet bills when they bought the pet, but can't afford them since they skyrocketed. And they will stay in the rescue for longer if the average person is put off due to unaffordability. It is wrong IMO for these big conglomerates to be making such big profits.

And up selling does absolutely happen but it's not all vets. I took a rat to a vet with a suspected UTI and was told they would have to sedate her to get a urine sample from her bladder invasively, it would cost £400. I asked why can't I just bring you a urine sample, they said it could be contaminated. The vet I go to now just asks me to bring in a urine sample for a suspected UTI, no expensive and invasive tests or procedures. Sedating a rat is quite high risk so the upselling is not in their best interests either, it is just immoral.

I go to an independent vets now and I trust them a lot more.

Here in London dogs are only for the well off. I'm a professional and can't afford a dog walker as I have a very hectic job and little time to walk the animal. A plant is OK.

Agreed. There have been countless news items & documentaries on the cost of living crisis where people on benefits & low income are interviewed in despair where they can’t afford rent, are in debt, about to be evicted etc. Lo & behold, what do I see in the camera, 2 massive dogs, dog bowls, cat bowls, a box of dog toys etc. Even if they buy the cheapest stuff it’s costing them £200+ a month in dog food alone.

You see this all the time.

This is an interesting perspective and one I agree with in theory. My vet recommended my cat had a op last year as concerned about his teeth. £1500 and his teeth had a clean and one removed. Now they’re saying he needs it again. I don’t want him to be in pain but I’m a bit uncomfortable with idea this becomes an annual thing.

My criticism isn't for the vets themselves, it's for the big corporations that are making the profits. I don't doubt that vets are hard working, under enormous pressure from anxious owners and relatively poorly paid.

I absolutely love the vet practice I go to now. All of the vets I've come across there have been extremely helpful and professional. The receptionists are also really helpful.

The previous practice I went to (which was an exotic specialist, as is the vets I go to now) had a much worse culture. They had high turnover, I rarely saw the same vet twice. I always felt they were pushing unnecessary tests and inflating prices. And the treatment my pets received just wasn't as good as it is at my current practice.

I don't mind paying for tests when they are in the animals best interest. The previous practice - when I took a pet rat in with a suspected UTI they wanted to sedate her to invasively collect a urine sample, instead of me taking one non-invasively. My rat was elderly and going under anaesthetic was absolutely not in her best interest. The vet I go to now will suggest x-rays and ultrasound when it is necessary to get an accurate diagnosis, but for rats with a suspected UTI she just asks for a non invasive urine sample. I wish I had taken my previous rats to her (took me a while to find the practice) as I think they would have received better treatment, which also happens to be less costly.

I trust my current vet practice and I would hate for them to be tarred with the same brush. I very much appreciate how stressful the vets job is. But I also resent the big corporations and the insurance companies for the massive profits they are making at the owners expense. I really think it must be a workplace culture at some practices, as I mentioned the first vet practice I tried had very high turnover so I imagine staff weren't treated that well.

It should be. If you can’t afford the fees that come with it then don’t ever get a dog.

The real issue here is how many family and local vet practices have been taken over by giant corporations - it is very hard to find an independent vet these days. Practices are expected to meet targets for profit and therefore ‘treatments’ that were never considered before are being pushed. My cat was dianosed with plaque - which then tranposed into needing two teeth extracted, which then transposed into four teeth when he was under anaestheric. It cost over £700 plus medicines which were twice the price of those (same brands) that can be obtained online. My insurance claim was not met because ‘plaque’ was a pre existing condition - which means any tooth problems will have to be paid for outside my insurance and their ‘Pet Plan’. Shortly after I was told he had a heart murmur and should have a scan. It couldn’t be done locally but another practice also owned by the same conglomerate. That was £800 for me to be told that the murmur was insignificant. I discovered after that about 50% of cats have heart murmurs that never amount to anything serious. Now I keep getting reminders that his ‘dental appointment’ is ’overdue’. Frankly I think this is just another wheeze- my cat eats well - kibble only as he won’t touch wet food - he is lively (very) and his coat is glossy. The tooth extractions left him traumatised and it was nearly a week before resumed his normal habits.
When I was a child my first cat never went to a vet, let alone had regular appointmntsments and lived to a ripe old age. So people are being priced out of owning pets that bring comfort - especially to older people living alone. Every possible advice is ‘consult your vet’ and the rights and privilege’ argument is what allows venture capitalist and insurance companies to exploit owners that love their animals

I am literally knocked sideways by a TEN THOUSAND POUND VET BILL for a dog's chipped tooth.😱

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse!

I am a bit conused though, are you saying he would have had to be put to sleep if he hadn't had the titanium tooth?!

My neightbour's cat visits me from time to time ( I don't feed him) for cuddles. I think I have the best of both worlds! And I catsit sometimes.
Definitely not getting a pet of my own after reading this thread.

I do agree with this. Should you even have a dog if you don't even have enough time to take him/her for walks? (Or can't be bothered to......)

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I wonder how insured pet healthcare in the UK compares to US human insured healthcare and whether the insurance model is part of the problem. I do appreciate that insurance is helpful to individual owners.

Funny how NO-ONE has ever had financial issues having pets and paying for vet bills, EVER, until this past 5-6 years.......

Go figure.......

Seriously wake up and smell the coffee. Many vet bills are 5-8 times higher than they were pre 2019. They have reached farcical levels, and many vets now try to push unnecessary and innappropriate treatment on peoples pets, that people can't afford, and often get into debt for. In many cases, just for the pet to die anyway a few months down the line.

People having pets - who are not financially well off - is NOT the problem.

The HUGE rise in vet bills is the problem.

And the big conglomorates who have taken over two thirds of the vets are the reason for this.

The pet owners are not the problem.

.

Agree totally💯 the government report into this issue didn't solve anything, it's greedy conglomerates that have caused this crisis as said above.

I take donations given by friends and neighbours to the PDSA regularly and the amount of people seeking help has mushroomed over the past years!

https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do

If any of the people on this thread are shocked at this situation and want to help out you could give a donation to them 🤔

My two mongrels have been healthy, the oldesr, aged 14,now has arthritis. The vet gave him librella, which is a miracle, but it's 100 quid a month. Luckily, my vet is happy to give me a prescription and we can buy it online more cheaply. A good independent vet is hard to find but luckily, I have one.

As mongrels and rescues, they are hard as nails. Upset tummies come and go if they've eaten something on a walk, but rice for a day sorts them. They have thrived on Bskers, which again,the vet said is a good cheap low fat option. I flea them myself with stuff from Amazon. Dogs don't have to be expensive.

When we got our dog (my first one, as I was frightened of them as a child), a friend of ours advised us if we feed her good quality food , she won’t have health issues.
The only time our dog goes to the vet is for annual check up and vaccination.
shw had upset tummy when we first got her but it settled when we switched her to grain free food. she’s 9 now

Most people I know who have dog walkers are older people who can no longer manage to give their dogs the exercise they need, so they get a dog walker to do it instead. I don’t think that means they should give up their dogs when they can do everything else for them.

Vet fees are extortionate and as others have mentioned surgeries have been taken over by large corporations.
My local surgery was bought out during Covid. The difference is huge. My lovely vet has retired and all his common sense and kindness has gone with him. No more "no charge" or "let's wait and see" He would recommend home remedies and cheaper solutions. My little schnauzer had itchy paws and he recommended Boots, over the counter hay fever tablets. Nowadays the surgery has targets to meet and the pet is more of a "cash cow" than a patient.

That must be so frustrating for you. Those poor children 😢

I get what you are saying about rising bills although that seems to be everything, but "Funny how NO-ONE has ever had financial issues having pets and paying for vet bills, EVER, until this past 5-6 years" sorry but that isn't true. People have historically bought animals and then realised they couldn't afford them and had to give them up. In fact 2 of the rescues we adopted were for that reason, the first of those being 18 years ago. Yes prices are rising everywhere, particularly now companies are struggling so much, but this has been a problem for a very long time. Sometimes people's circumstances change, but often people don't fully appreciate the cost of an animal or what it entails. My first family dog when I was a child was bought by a couple who "didn't realise he would get so big"... he was a German Shepherd 🤷🏼‍♀️. There's a lot more to it than just the rising cost of vet bills (albeit they are very high). I don't think OP bought her dog without understanding the responsibility however, it sounds like she was caught out by the timing of the medical issue not being covered by insurance due to how close it was to the adoption.