How much does your dog cost a month?

[CandyMelts]

We said we could look at getting a dog when one of us next got a promotion and thats now on the cards.

Plan is for an adult rescue, probably something medium sized. How much do you spend a month on food, insurance, routine health stuff etc?

I don't imagine we'd go for something that needs lots of grooming but will probably need 1 day of doggy daycare a week which will bump the cost up a bit.

Thanks

[missbattenburg]

Springer...

Insurance: £30
Food: £80
Flea/worm: £10
Daycare/walker: £150 (2-3 days a week)
Treats and toys: £50+
Grooming: £40 every 8 weeks
Training/activities: £60

Total: about £400

They are the regular ones but other costs have included:
New sofa because he has jumped all over the linen one and ruined it: £1600
New carpet that is more easily cleaned: £700
Repainting the hall in something washable: £200
New car because he was too squished in the old one: £10,000
Orvis bed he hardly sleeps in because he prefers the floor: £200
Crates, pens and vet beds and leads etc when he was younger: probably around £250
Various vet trips that were too low to claim on the insurance: £250

Now that I look at it all, I don't think he's worth it.

Would anyone like a springer?

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

Bloody hell Mmssbattenburg £400 per month on one dog!

What does he eat to pay £80 per month on food ?

Can I come and live with you - I could get used to that style of luxury

[Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten]

sorry it was the shock missbattenburg!

[missbattenburg]

Ha! No need to apologise.

It's shocking to me and I spend it.

He eats a raw complete which is pretty much the most expensive way to do it, I think. I sometimes think about changing for something cheaper but he really seems to enjoy and do well on it. I don't think he'd like kibble alone and a wet/kibble mix is not going to save me too much in the grand scheme of things.

The dog lives better than I do and the only defence I have is that I don't have children so the dog gets a lot of the money most people spend on their kids.

Also, I waited 10 years plus for him and so am ridiculously over indulgent

[Yourownpersonaljesus]

Small dog.
£160 day care
£20 food (raw)
£10 treats
£20 grooming
£25 insurance
£10 worming, flea treatment etc
TOTAL - £245
This doesn't include extras like vet excess payments.

[BrokenWing]

5yr old lab

£50/month insurance petplan
£11/month health plan (vacs, worming, flea, health checks)
£50 for 6 weeks of quality dog food
£16 week for 2 x 1hr dog walks
£5 week on treats

Then various costs like bedding, collars/leads, nail trimming, boarding, vet bills/excesses, shampoo, toys, waterproof coats/welllies/walking boots for winter walking. Crates, car restraints/guards (new estate car here too so 34kg of lab has enough room!), vet bed.

Also, if you go for a puppy add on damages during first 12-18 months - new carpets (edges chewed), redecoration (due to chewed skirting /wall one night), sofa (chewed/ripped open seat and ate foam), curtains, several dog beds, brand new football boots, shoes, books, all chewed.

Dh taking time off work (self employed) to take to/bring back from vet referrals, operations 80 miles away cost us a few hundred.

If done responsibly they are not cheap pets, you've got to enjoy walking in the rain/dark/cold and the smell of damp dog but worth every penny.

[missbattenburg]

Ah yes.. the dog guards in the car. Twice - one for the old car and one for the new. £300. Chewed shoes £150. Wicker dog bed £100 followed very quickly by a plastic non-chewable one instead £100. Poo bags £5pm. Little neckerchief to go sailing in £15.

Seriously, I am starting to think I could have bought a 2nd house instead

[fleshmarketclose]

Bella is a very small dog. I pay £28 insurance, £11 flea and worm, food works out at £8 and grooming is £30 every six weeks, booster jabs will be £30. She's worth every penny tbh.

[EdwinaLIzzard]

We have a 4 year old cocker spaniel and our monthly costs are:

£50 Insurance
£16 Healthy Pet Club - which covers vaccinations and annual check up
£200 Dog walker for when I am at work
£50 Food - raw fed
£35 Groomer - ever 8 weeks

Treats and toys ar probably about £10 per month, although we are very lucky as he is brilliant at finding tennis balls when we are out walking!!!

The start up costs were more significant but are more of a one off or irregular replacement
£150 Crate for the car
£100 Several dog beds so he can be comfy in several rooms !!
£50 Leads and collars
£200+ Throws for sofas that can be easily washed

I won't even begin to add up the cost of replacing items that have been chewed, eaten, hidden, buried or just destroyed !!

However, he repays me one million trillion gazillion times as the most gentle, kind, loving and adorable boy - and I wouldn't change a thing :-)

[theboxofdelights]

Labrador - no insurance, vaccinations when titres blood test shows they are necessary, blood tests every third year at £90 unless levels are lowering when we have it done more frequently.

Nail clipping at the vets every quarter £25. Burns dog food £20 a month, joint supplement £10 a month, Plaque off £8 a month.

Equals about £50 a month.

[snackarella]

We have a staff and a vizsla.
Costs each per month:

Insurance £50
Food £150
Fleas and worming avg £10
Treats and toys £5
We don't have they professionally groomed.
Washing the towels after a forest walk: ££££!!!

[TomHardysNextWife]

Working type cocker here. We pay £5 a month for emergency/accident insurance. £50 a year for boosters. Get wormers and flea stuff from Viovet online about £20 a year. His food is the main expense, he's on Natures Menu and we spend around £60 a month. Additional vet bills happen usually once or twice a year....usually ear infections or split/torn dew claws or grass seed stuck somewhere.

[CherryPavlova]

Food £64
Petplan £16
Insurance I think is £42
Daycare about £200 average
Plus additional travel costs when we go away - €55 for worming tablet at French vet last week. Higher Shuttle costs and hotel charges.

[LegoandiPads]

Monthly
Insurance 25
Food 80(raw)
Treats and bones 20 (spoilt pooch)

Grooming every three months
45

That’s about it..

[Motherofhounds]

My crossbreed costs:

£28 a month on food
£5-10 on treats/chews
£13 insurance
Not technically a ‘monthly’ cost, but she has seasonal allergies not covered by her insurance which probably average out at £30 a month to treat - lots in the summer, little in the winter
Again not a ‘monthly’ cost but probably averages at £5-10 for leads/collars/harnesses/coats/toys
£10-15 on flea and worming treatments

And she is worth every penny and more!

[NeverEnoughCake2]

Greyhound owners - what kibble are you feeding? Think we might be paying over the odds for DHound's.

In answer to OP, we spend £50/month on insurance, £35 on kibble (& extra on various treats) but our major expense is dog walker (£60/week. Yep, we're in the south east)