How much does your dog cost?

[bakewellbride]

We've had our greyhound for 3 months now and I love him to pieces but he is so expensive! Just wondering what the average is, how much do you spend on your dog every month?

I just worked out we spend £130 a month plus £50 every 8 weeks on kibble!

Is that more than what you spend?

My understanding is that worm counting might be inadequate to swiftly detect heartworm

Heartworm isn't native to the UK, it's normally diagnosed in imported dogs or dogs that have travelled to southern Europe

Insurance varies depending on the breed and the age of the dog - as well as the cover you get. A St Bernard will cost far more to insure than something like a Cocker - because St Bernards aren't healthy, have short lives and are very large.

My mums Cocker costs her £80 a month to insure. She's 11 and had some serious operations (eyes and jaw) both of which have been claimed for on the insurance. My youngest Golden Retriever is 2, but costs me £75 to insure, but he's never had a claim.

I don't have vet plans for my dogs. I think they're a bit of a waste of money. But any dog owner without fully comprehensive (at least £10k worth) of insurance for their dog is negligent IMO and is gambling with their dogs health and life (unless the dog is very old - in which case you weigh up whether the cost of insurance is worth the chances of the dog recovering from something serious).

For example, if you have a dog that comes from a breed where eye issues are prevalent i.e Cocker Spaniel (and even if the mother and father are clear they can still be carriers of the gene that causes issues) and something goes wrong with your dogs eyes and they get cataracts then the basic operation on both eyes + aftercare is about £6K. Without it, chances are your dog goes bind - not many people can afford that cost without insurance.

That's interesting. I have to pay the excess the first time each illness happens every year but not for subsequent claims for the same illness.

It’s widespread in the south east, other southerly parts of England, and has been detected as far north as northerly Scotland. And not just in dogs that have travelled.

We have 2 large breeds, between insurance, food, treats, toys about £300 per month for both.

Do you have a source for that? This is what our vets say and they're happy with our worm count approach.

@SolarWinds i think we may be taking at cross purposes. I’m thinking of French Heartworm, ie Angiostrongylus Vasorum and I think you may be thinking of Diofilarmia Immitis. If so then absolutely you are right, that actual heart worm is much more common in dogs who have travelled and is not endemic to the UK. The one I am thinking of needs preventive meds and is a risk UK dogs. It’s not immediately fatal and in some dogs can be indolent but in others, can make them really poorly, really quickly, and leave long lasting effects even if treated.

I’ve a greyhound and his insurance is £200pm (he’s only 4) and food about £80pm . Pet health plan is £25pm. Then I spend about £25 a month on chews and treats.

plus £35pn boarding whenever we go away

I’d budgeted £100 before getting him…

So far I’ve claimed more on the insurance than I’ve spent ..

£120.00 per month on food
£23.00 vet plan
£ 25.00 per month probiotics
£200.00 pain relief and arthritis meds monthly
£50.00 dog walker

I adopted Toby last year aged 15, he had lived an horrific life in Romania. He will turn 17 in February. Toby loves everyone, and expects everyone to love him back.

We have a young GSP. C.£200 max a month but that includes dog walking here and there throughout the month depending on workload, and i've accounted for some petrol as need to drive him for walks in far away fields almost daily. Occasionally we also get some accessories, bed, new collar etc. but that all blends in and included in the c.£200 p/m budget. Too expensive for my liking!!!
The regular fixed costs though are c.£100 food and we self-insure so set aside £20 p/m to build a vet fund.