Costs involved with a small dog

[whatisforteamum]

I've always had cats and rabbits.Since my beautiful elderly cat died in lockdown I've considered getting another one or perhaps a small dog like a dachshund.
The kids are off hand and it would be great company.
The thing is I don't know what is involved regarding vets bills,vaccinations etc.
Obviously always got our cats insured.
Any advice regarding pros and cons of caring for a small dog please.Thanks in advance.

Small dogs are awesome. Very portable, take them anywhere with minimum of fuss. Tiny poos. They don't eat much, mine costs about £25 a month to feed on a mid range dry food with treats and chews. Insurance is about £6 a month. Spay was £200. Vet consultation fees are the same as a cat at my vet. I didn't have to do her jabs as she was a rescue so she came fully jabbed. Be aware that dachshunds can have a lot of health problems especially spinal issues because they're bred to have very long backs and very short legs so id suggest doing your research on the kind of health problems dachshunds are likely to have as that will affect the cost of vet bills.

Our pet insurance is about £100 a year plus I pay for the vet healthy pet club which is a tenner a month and covers quarterly flea and worm treatment, 2x a year vet check-ups and annual vaccine boosters.

For a dachshund you probably don't need this (I have a very high energy border terrier) but I pay a dog walker which is expensive (£200/month 😱) and she gets hand-stripped twice a year (£60 a pop)

Other costs include kennels for holidays (average £13 a night) and food / treats (c. £20/month).

As I said you probably won't need the dog walker as dachshunds don't necessarily need the 1h+ off lead with other dogs (BTs are very high energy) or the grooming costs. Small dogs also don't eat a lot.

I love our border terrier but she costs us a fortune! Of course she is blissfully unaware!

Insurance is about £6 a month.
There’s no way you’ll get £6 a month insurance for a dachshund. And if you do it won’t be worth the paper it’s written on. 1 in 4 dachshunds suffer with IVDD and lose the use of their back legs. It costs huge amounts, thousands and thousands. With statistics that high you don’t want to take a gamble on cheap insurance.

If you really want a dachshund I would recommend researching if there are any local dachshund walks near you. Ask to join and use it to find out all the realities of dachshund ownership. Don’t let them sugar coat it.

Unless you need a dog walker/carer a small dog may not cost a lot more than a well looked after cat.
They are more of a tie though as cats can be left a lot longer than dogs.
Personally I wouldn't get a dachshund as they are over bred, over popular and that long back looks really uncomfy for them.
Toy poodle? Intelligent, low shedding, small

Dachshunds often suffer with separation anxiety so factor in the costs of sitters/day care. Although the benefit is that they are much more portable than big dogs so you’ll find you can take them to lots of places.

It really is hard to predict. I have two dogs ( although they are spaniels so larger) and one costs me about £30/month in food plus annual vaccinations and flea/worm treatment plus insurance. The other has cost me thousands in vets bills, about 2k in the last 3 months alone, £40/month in specialist food and £100/month for medication. None of which is covered by insurance any more as part of an ongoing condition. Plus flea/ wormer on top. It’s not a condition that is common in the breed, just one of those things. It’s worth considering the unexpected costs and if you can afford that.

we have a small-ish dog (a cocker) and his insurance is about £40 a month, his food is about £20-30 (including treats). We send him to a dog walker a few times a week too.

We also pay for monthly worming, de flea stuff and he also gets hand stripped a few times a year. That probably adds another £10-20 a month on top.

not including the walker, you're probably looking at about £80 a month I think.

you can never guarantee what sort of health problems your dog may have so the insurance could be a lot more than you think. Then again, you can say the same for cats!

Dachshunds also can suffer with their teeth. £220-350 for tartar dental scrape. Just paid £663 for 9 teeth extracted and a bone graft (abscess had tunnelled through to the sinus cavity). You couldn't see any decay, it was all on the back inside surfaces.

He's on gabapentin tablets for his back, that's £30 a month. Insurance was £48 per month before his back went, and he got off lightly, his disks are only bulging - he's not insured now, the renewal was too much, I put £50 a month away instead. He's 9 years old. Luckily he's the light of my life!

Oh and he has separation anxiety. Daycare is £20 per day.

Wow thank you all.
I walk everywhere and live in a rural setting so not an issue I may have to slow up how far I went.🤣
We hardly ever go away and some hols are dog friendly.
I work unsociable hrs and dh has opposite shifts so the pet would have constant company.
I just wanted the heads up rather than have a huge consideration I hadn't thought of.
Good to know the food bill isn't much for a small dog.
Do they need their nails clipped? Or any other dog treatments.

Kleptronic.Ouch that is expensive.!

Do they need their nails clipped? Or any other dog treatments.
Yes to nails. You can do this yourself or pay a groomer.
As PP mentioned you need to look after their teeth. This will probably be a mix of home and vet/groomer care.
Their ears need keeping clean and also you’ll also need to take them to a groomer for a trim or hand strip (if long or wire haired).

If you allow them on the sofas then they ideally need a little ramp to help protect their backs. Otherwise equipment is the same as all dogs (car transport, beds, toys, shampoos, food, treats, chews, bowls, enrichment items, training equipment, leads, collars, fleece/coat, flea/worming treatment, etc).

Yes I've got a ramp for mine, that was £99.99. And a jumper, a winter and spring/summer coat, and a wet weather onesie thing. But he hates that.

Even though he's short haired he goes to be groomed. The vet said the short hairs were getting in his gums and inflaming them.

And a stairgate. They are terribly nosy and stubborn and WILL go upstairs if they've a clear run. They musn't go down the stairs, or jump off furniture, it puts too much pressure on their backs. My vet said even sand dunes can be a problem (we are by the sea).

Mine is crate trained and sleeps in it downstairs in a nest under blankets with his teddy, the crate covered by another blanket. Otherwise I think the separation would be too much for him. I didn't want him in my bed at all, but especially with all the stairs involved!

You don't need to get a dog's nails clipped if you walk them. They get ground down naturally when walking.

It might depend where you live. Insurance here is £300 a year. Spay was all together over £400, with additional trips to vet and medical after some complications.

Grooming, £30.

Advantages: easier to travel with, cuddles don't mean being squeezed, more room in the bed. Pete are less likely to be frightened. And oh yes, smaller poos to pick up.

A 15mns appointment plus some drugs is £60. Vaccinations, about £50.

Food, treats, toys, about £25 a month.