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 .

@Allisnotlost1 But it is a bit unfair if people can't have a dog , not due to normal necessities, but because of the extremely and unjustifiable exorbitant vet costs . A dog can much joy, combat loneliness, and help with mental health for anyone. Should people on lower incomes or older people on pensions be denied this?

I quite agree. I doubt OP's childhood dogs were given fluoxetine for anxiety or had their poo checked "just in case".

100% agree. Once our last remaining pet, (a cat aged 18) has gone that's it, no more pets. Can't risk vet bills that run into 5 figures. (And this is happening a lot now....)

Too many big conglomorates have taken over now (65% of vets have been taken over by them!) and it's all about profit. Not about people and pets, or the best thing for the pets, and their owners.... It's about making money! It's a huge money making industry now and most people are just not going to be able to have pets going forward because they know they won't be able to afford the vet bills.

I have seen/heard reports of people forking out £12K to £20K in vet bills this past year or two. Vets upselling and pushing treatment on their pets that is not suitable and/or not necessary. Often, euthanasia is the best route to go down, but they try to milk 1000s of £££ out of the owner first. It is not always the veterinary surgeon's fault, as many of them are TOLD to push expensive treatment and to upsell... So I DON'T blame the vets themselves.

DH and I are OK financially and have a sum in the mid 5 figures in savings (£38K-£40K-ish,) but it's for our later years/retirement, that is only about 8 years away ... We don't want to be in a position where 50% of it is eaten up by vet bills.

Very sad. So many animals will be left to be put to sleep because people are put off adopting them....

Like many people here, my parents and I (and every family I knew) had multiple pets growing up - dogs, cats, rabbits, etc, and no-one ever paid half a year's wages for a vet bill! People can go on about much more sophisticated vet treatment is la la la, but in most cases, it's not needed. Often, much simpler, cheaper treatment works fine, and in some cases (as I said) euthanasia is the best option. But they can't make multiple 1000s of pounds from that!

.

The charity will be fibbing.

The prices have gone up due to the likes of MediVet taking over and buying out vet practices all over the UK. Medivet is owned by Major private equity firm whose sole concern is the bottom line. Equity firms are buying up small and medium businesses all over the West and unfortunately this is always going to mean that prices will rise automatically. I personally know a vet that worked for a small practice that was bought out by Medivet. She was gone within 6 months as she said their only concern was the billing and how to increase profits.

I would willingly spend that on a pet if I had the money and it was in the best interest of the pet. People who say 'it's just a pet' really wind me up and makes me realise why I don't like some humans.

Not necessarily, I’ve fostered dogs for 3 well known animal charities and dogs having an upset tummy after a house move even if they are kept on exactly the same food is pretty common down to the stress of the move.
I always wormed the with panacur over a week, bland diet, small portions spread over the course of the day and they usually come right within a short space of time. It would be irresponsible to lie about a dogs medical needs because you risk the dog being returned.

Not dogs but I have had cats most of my life.

i’ve had two pairs from rescues. One pair (kittens) were fine the other pair had major issues.

you unfortunately cannot rely on rescues to tell you the issues (or they may not know them).

i wouldn’t go to a gp for an upset tummy for me, I’d assume it was a bug and eat bland stuff for a bit. I do the same with my cats - although one will try to eat human food and often voms as a result.

that having been said vet costs are expensive.

Agree!

I feed my 7.5kg dog raw meat 80/10/10 minces for about 40p a day. I mix in a fancy raw veg/fish/egg supplement pushing it to about 50p a day.

So many of these fresh cooked, "customised" dog food subscriptions are a con. All lentils and marketing.

It's not necessarily the case that they can't though.

You don't have to buy in to all of the gubbins that comes with having a dog these days - you don't need puppy classes or puppy hotels or puppy soft play and all of the rest of it.

Pet insurance is not ridiculously expensive unless you get a breed that is high risk for certain conditions (so pug, frenchie etc). I have spaniels - they're batshit but don't have loads of health problems so not difficult or expensive to insure.

If you take the approach we did 20 years ago, the costs are still reasonable and feasible for many.

Oh, and my mum is an OAP living on state pension and has two shorkies who are insured, so it is possible

Get a better dog trainer.. a dog who is well cared for, settled - which includes understanding what is coming next in the day, when food is, when walks are, and how to behave - eg stay, settle on their bed etc etc - does not need fluoxetine. I wouldn’t take that vets advice on that. I’ve had lots of dogs from difficult situations and not once gone that route. A great dog trainer will change everything, obviously you need to do that work aswell on yourself / your household so everyone is on the same page.

The stool sample etc is not every week is it; these things do crop up. Best thing to do is save up with a vets fund so you have some cash when you need it. Xo

@Tunamelt I too have a rescue dog, she’s been with me for almost six years (she’ll be 9 in March). It’s typical for them to get tummy issues, I keep her on a basic diet of Chappie (chicken and rice) and a good quality kibble. You don’t need to pay £££’s for their food. In the case of an upset stomach, keep feeding (don’t withhold food) and if symptoms continue after 12 hours I buy pro-kolin paste (£15 - check weight of dog) and possibly rehydration drink from Amazon. I spent money at the vets to begin with, but actually over the counter treatments are very effective too. Definitely make sure you have insurance just in case, but learning how to treat immediate health concerns can prevent hefty vet bills (aside from annual vaccinations). Enjoy your new addition, I wouldn’t be without mine 🐾

How long have you had the dog ? I thought most rescues say that it takes at least 3 months for a dog to adjust to a big change like being re-homed ? One of my old dogs took at least 6 months to decide we were their people.

Well yeah, but OP didn't imply she thinks vets should be subsidised by the government or anything of the sort.

Are you really going to put your dog on Prozac? Maybe leave that one and save yourself some money.

@Tunamelt also meant to add that it can take a dog up to six months to fully decompress once in a new home. Your dog is anxious but doesn’t needs meds, it needs calm, patience, consistency, routine, eye contact, trust, love and familiarity. The time you put in now will pay dividends in the future. All members of your household need to be on board, consistency is key, and ensure the dog has a safe space (eg a bed) where they will be ignored if they are in it. My rescue has learned to wag her tail when she is in her bed as a sign that we can stroke her, otherwise we leave her alone.

Maybe im completely out of touch...but i dont think you have to be 'well off' to have a pet that costs a few hundred a month (including a sinking fund for vet bills).

But then i have a horse who spends every penny i earn so maybe my judgement of whats normal to spend on an animal is skewed 😂

Dogs need anti-depressants? Wow.

That’s why every pet owner needs a really good lifetime cover insurance policy. If you can’t afford that, don’t get a pet

I’m not spending 10-20k on a dog. If that makes me a bad human to some the so be it.

I’d give pain meds and or put to sleep depending on the actual issue rather than putting an animal though multiple surgeries leaving them in a strange space for days or even weeks at a time for my own pleasure and want, when it might only give them a painful
mediocre life.

It sounds like your vet is trying to make as much money as possible. Upset stomach was because she was anxious in her new home....I've taken dogs to the vet for upset stomachs and they've never investigated. Also, she doesn't need fluoxetine...give her time to settle in. And go to a different vet.

My lovely boy, cocker spaniel, was abandoned, he was found sunburnt, riddled with everything possible, matted and emaciated. He was anxious but we understood that and created the environment for him to heal and gradually and
gain strength and confidence.

We can afford him, but I don’t think he is expensive. His food costs about £40 per month, his health insurance £15 per month. This covers health checks and vaccinations.

He injured his eye in the summer, he needed to go to the vets, examination and anti inflammatories did cost £70, but how many
times is that going to happen. I have kept the medication. On Christmas Day he ran into something, was limping, in pain, I had a good look, no injury, gave a dose of the kept meds, he was fine.

He does have a 3 month grooming session, a treat not a necessity, £50.

I have the time to look after him and keep him healthy, clean and cared for. That is priceless! He is young, but I can look after my dog, know him and his needs.

I agree with PPs, a dog is not a necessity. A friend of mine, wealthy, has just spent £6000 on surgery for her Dachshund.

Looking after dogs has its costs, pets provide us with so much in return for their care. It’s a hard one, but for me a worthy cost.

Why is the food 60 quid a month?
Can you have a few sessions with a dog trainer to help the anxiety?
The dog could be anxious being in a new environment and needs to settle in

I agree with this.