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 .

sandyhappypeople

was the charity that suggested the behaviourist
what you say makes sense- i felt that we needed to grow hwr confidence , but she said best to work on it now.
she also suggested floxintne to
help out dog accept the training
From what you say i may just let her settle longer .

*A neighbour of mine has a cat who just had 3 teeth out. It took an hour. And she also had a 'scan' of her heart to make sure her heart could take the treatment/the anaesthetic. Then 3-4 hours in 'recovery' and a week's supply of meds. Cost = £3500.

No way would that have cost that much for a human being (who had it though private care.) Not in the UK!*

I think you’re hugely underestimating the cost of private medical care. A heart scan (CT, ultrasound?) plus removal of three teeth under GA (imagine wisdom teeth) plus pain relief, antibiotics and follow up could easily cost that much.

That said, I think that’s very experience for a cat and my vet would not have charged that much. Your friend maybe should shop around.

Sadly you can only speak for yourself, I was on reception one day in a small independently owned veterinary practice and a lady came in with a heavily pregnant dog.
She had been worried that there was no sign of puppies and the dog was panting so took her to a veterinary practice that was part of a chain. They examined the dog and told her she had to have a c-section the following day, which the lady couldn’t afford.
She came in to us for a second opinion our vet checked the dog over, checked the dates and told the lady to take the dog home and to stop taking her all over the place as it was too stressful.
By the dates she had given the pups were due but also roughly plus or minus 7 days so she took her home and was told to monitor her temperature, signs of discharge etc
The bitch naturally whelped by herself 3 days after our visit and a very grateful owner rang to let us know.
Now aside from the fact that she should never have got her in pup because of her lack of knowledge and funds the vet practice she had taken her to first had the same information ours did and they had arrived at the conclusion of a c-section….

What?

"Protexin Veterinary Pro-Kolin Advanced for Dogs Advanced for Dogs, 60 ml : Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-Kolin-Advanced-for-Dogs-60ml/dp/B07K18P237/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=182548085250&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cmaQtltpt4YpFKLyjTRidVVTKVRJxi66nQGl1qCTYSCzrlIdfrF1r-G8M_5DbrWYrTef3aMvS_EzaY9jByuVQG7f6mcmBPNTZzUhSKI1os-eJmSoDJmdu3a0E3Dt0i-GBAgJiVpecmzNq6b5EKLjJUcvOTILw07KUi1jkMgIkonGMWvcU_IwUFH1NhXnEY5BfOB31bCSTcVnN90M0yp03Q.aIk4KuoACOB9cNfFacUGB1GS8SPy8k1II7fUiY_HAB8&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&hvadid=788156062686&hvdev=m&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=1007423&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=4185767124058731166--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4185767124058731166&hvtargid=kwd-4410424478&hydadcr=18628_2412816_379283&keywords=pro+kolin+for+dogs&mcid=559ef8e171323d948fc3ac5ab16174d4&qid=1768602697&rdc=1&sr=8-3

Buy some of this for the dogs tummy. Quite normal for a dog in a new environment to be loose and have rapid motility.

You definitely have an expensive vet. I'm in the south east and fortunate to have a vet practice that is independent. It is still £54 for first consultation and £46 for follow ups. They don't upsell and will give me a private prescription if a medication can be bought cheaper from an online pharmacy.
That said, pet ownership has become horrendously expensive, especially as they get older and insurance skyrockets, even if you don't claim, but more so if you do. Anyone who thinks insurance based healthcare for people is the way to go, needs to get a dog, as it's a good education for how insurance companies operate. Dog day care and boarding is also very expensive.
It is a shame pets are so expensive, as dogs for many people are very therapeutic. I hope your dog settles down soon.

In reference to the fluoxetine , no way does this need to be £90 monthly .
I work in a vets, if the vet is referring to Reconcile which is the licensed product you can ask for a multi use script to buy them much cheaper from an on line supplier.
Even if there is a licensed product available the vet can prescribe the generic version Fluoxetine at their discretion for you to buy direct from the practice or buy a written prescription from your vet and get them from a human pharmacy , Fluoxetine is a cheap drug.

I totally agree with this. My very sensible sister had their beloved dog put down last year when no simple solution could be found to her illness. The vet would have put the dog through a multitude of tests and operations without any guarantees that they would be able to make her better.

But that to me is curl as the poor dog would have been put through stress and pain all with possibly the same outcome. I'm glad my sister felt the same way.

My lovely independent vet sold up because he wanted to retire. A big chain bought him out. We took our dog in because he was limping. New vet said he needed an MRI £3.5k did we have insurance. No we don't. AHH well then just keep him in the garden for a few days then see how he goes. He's five years older now and fine.

We found another independent vets

It may be a long slog, but I've always had rescue dogs, normally with issues of some kind (which is why they are given up) and after 1-2 years they are the best dogs you could ever hope for, it is worth the teething problems while you learn to trust each other, for the years of joy they give you and the great life you can offer them.

You'll get to know her and you'll get to know what is right for her, but just be slightly cautious of anyone offering products and services and offers of 'fixing problems' that cost money as their motivation is often just money.

If a behaviourist is going to give a better insight into what the dog is thinking or feeling and what YOU can do to help her settle in, with a view to her overcoming her fear of being left, then it would be worth it, so maybe give it a try, but don't pin all your hopes on it, or get disheartened if it doesn't work as you may be in for a long journey! Definitely worth it though!

More and more things are out of reach. That's what it really means when living standards decline. It sucks. Not sure what you propose though.

Hopefully.

My neighbours rescued a dog directly. It had been badly treated. Hated men at first. I had to leave the house with dog treats or she'd bite my heels.

She's wonderful now with adults and children. She was three when rescued.

Years ago a guinea pig of mine had an abscess on its neck. Vet said oh it’s a simple thing to sort but we’ll have to do it under GA so it stays still. I laughed and said don’t think so, you do it and believe me I’ll pin it down. So I wrapped piggy up in a towel, vet stabbed it with a scalpel and then squeezed. took ten seconds and saved me £200.

We have had eight dogs of various breeds, only two of them, a dachshund with back problems and a Staffie with cancer incurred much by way of vets’ bills. If you have a good independent vet that keeps costs down. Dogs don’t usually need a vet for diarrhoea, a bland diet for a couple of days usually does the trick.

It also helps their anal glands, which my dog has to have tended to every 3 months, not normal for all dogs. Covered by £15 per month health check.

sandyhappypeople

the behaviourist suggested that
1.
we make the living room her happy place . Give her lick mats there . Also get her to settle there on sofa and go into kitchen and practice her being alone .
if she comes into kitchen - be low key-virtually ignore .
no fuss.
she said that has to be the start.
2 we did do the door is a bore thing - but she got really frantic following that - us going to door several times a day just made her anxious and the door was not a bore but triggered anxiety.
3 she suggested fluxotine for her so that by the time it takes affect , she may be ready for leaving her
4 she suggested that she may not be a dog that is ok to see people leave - she is I guess part terrier and wants to be involved in everything- she is quite jumpy and noise sensitive. She lived in an area were fireworks were let off a lot for celebration s- and i do wonder if it had impact. Every little noise - like a car door shutting 2 doors away she jumps up.
5 She suggested we have her vet checked re pain etc in case that makes her hyoer sensitive .
she seems sensitive as when we play with her - if it goes a bit too exiting for her she stops . So it seems that her emotions need soothing?!
thanks for the encouragement- Ive never had a rescue before . When people said she is an unknown quantity I must admit made me feel a little nervous- so your encouragement is appreciated.

I wish there were less dogs. It’s not fair that the streets I pay for too are not a toilet for them. If people are not allowed to pee and poo there then why is letting dogs shit any different.

MNLurker1345
thank you - I will .
she has been with us a month now - and was fine initially.
Is the £15 pm pet plan ?
we just have usual insurance.
thanks again

You can buy pro max from Pet drugs online, it is cheap and I always keep a few in stock.

The reality is dogs are expensive, and frankly should be as providing good care is expensive. We couldn’t have one when I was growing up but it is important to me so I make sacrifices to afford my dog, clothes, holidays, extra pension contributions etc but also in my life generally in terms of work and life choices. We can’t always have what we want in life, you pay your money and make your choice.

It does generally take about 6 weeks for a dog to become more secure /confident in it's new surroundings.
If you are on Facebook, I recommend Dog Training Advice and Support. They have a specific guide on rescue dogs that can help you with the transition.

I have 3 dogs - 2 medium/large Belgian Malinois’ and one giant Kangal. In a standard month I spend around £500, which covers food, supplements, treats, insurance and vet health plans. This doesn’t include adhoc spending on any toys, kennel fees, vet bills for visits/treatments not covered by the health plans, grooms or booking fees for secure dog fields.

I’m lucky enough to earn well, so can afford it and, as my dogs mean the world to me, I’d happily personally forego stuff for me if it
means they are well looked after.

It is sad that people may end up priced out of dog ownership but the terrifying reality is that it will only be those who would make good, considerate, responsible owners who will make the regrettable but sensible decision not to buy/adopt due to affordability. The undeserving scumbags who can’t afford to properly provide or care for a dog will unfortunately go ahead regardless, and down the line, add to the animal rescue crisis this country is suffering.

Owning any pet, but particularly a dog, is a privilege, not a right; a fact I think lots of people have forgotten.

Not every dog owner deserves a dog, but every dog deserves loving, capable and committed owners.

Ask your vet if a very brief diazepam prescription might help her over the adjustment hump better than an SSRI, if for no other reason than she could have finished that course before she's taken enough SSRI on board to make any difference. It could be as much as 2 months before she's fully adjusted to Fluoxetine. (Ker-ching!)

Take a look at online veterinary pharmacies, you don't have to have drugs dispensed by the prescriber & that's where a lot of costs get bumped up by the private equity firms who've bought out so many vet practices & are now vigorously squeezing the pips out of staff & clients alike.

If you have a Dogs Trust branch nearby, their training classes & behaviourist advice are affordable.

Also, try mixing a teaspoon of pumpkin powder (available at pet shops) with warm water to make a paste & give it to her on a lick mat. Pumpkin is great for proper stool formation & licking is very calming for dogs - which is why some wind up over-grooming when they're anxious.

Also, don’t forget the 3-3-3 rule for dogs. A month in, your new pup will only just be starting to realise this is their new home and this stage is usually when any behavioural issues will begin to come to light, as they start to decompress and let their guard down.

I would recommend looking into vet health plans - mine covers 6monthly health checks, discounted consultation fees and annual vaccinations and flea and worming treatments.

Also as PPs have mentioned, you can often find meds cheaper online vs what the vets will charge so worth exploring.

Oh sweet, summer child. Where I used to live people shat in the streets.
Yes, in the UK.