Are the days of the family dog over?? Can the average family afford dog food and trips to the vet??
dreher
Member Posts: 8,882 ✭✭✭✭
I buy a premium brand of dog food. 5 years ago I was paying 37 bucks for a 40 lb. of dog food. Today I just paid 55 bucks for the same bag of feed. I felt this was excessive so on my way home I went into Wal-Mart to check prices on the good stuff. If Wal-Mart is any indication 55 bucks for 40 lbs. isn't that bad. Thank God my two Borders are the 40 lb. size not the 60 lb. size. Little dogs are going to become very popular. It wont be to bad if you are feeding a 5 to 10 pounder.
Are big dogs on the way out??
Vet visits here in S.C. are out of sight. There are almost no independent vets here anymore. My local woman, independent vet, reasonable in price, early 70s just retired. I'm now without a vet. Almost all the other vet offices are corporate and sky high for an office visit.
It looks like when it is time for their annual vaccinations I'll be swinging past my farm supply store and picking up what I need. That and I usually have a bottle of penicillen in my refrigerator for use if I get a sick bunny. That will also work for my dogs!!
Can an average family support a couple of dogs?????
Comments
Don't ask me, I have two cats. They are not cheap either, but well worth the expense and pan cleaning.
CAN they afford it? Probably not, since most are deep in debt. WILL they have them anyway? Sure they will. Just like $100K trucks, $25K off-road toys, boats, etc……seems like everyone has them.
I take my dogs to the traveling vet. when he is in Liberty S.C.Shots are very reasonable and I get a notice in the mail if they are due.
I hear you, we are down to two dogs right now, and we usually have more. Often in this rural area they just show up and adopt us. We have decided that the limit is three, because of the cost and the hassle. As I get older, "hassle" is the governing factor and final vote on almost everything.
And a similar subject, where are all the Labrador retrievers? Used to be everybody had a litter available out in the backyard, now I can't find any with papers, or if I do, do they're $800 and up. Wow.
we have three dogs one is 15 one is 12 the other is 8 yrs old
and many cats that we have taken in over the years and several , arrived pregnant and popped out kittens with a week of arriving. 😕
my wife can not turn away a stray and we get them all " fixed " to keep from adding more asap but still over the years they add up
for years it was never cheap to feed them all but now its plain crazy like all products cat and dog food prices have really jumped in the last few years ( thanks creepy Joe ) we feed them a lot of chicken also we bake it up but even chicken is over 2.00 a pound any more
food bills are putting a hurt on us I will guess a hundred dollars average including normal shots and vet visits a week
No, I don't think so. Not yet anyway. At our house the animals will eat before us if need be.
We are fortunate I can give shots ect... And our retired vet and Dear friend Dr Bob just passed away and I'm lost without him and his guidance. We keep a lot of meds in stock. We always started our Collie's on Science Diet Large breed puppy.... When I got it for Bobby it was 60.00 for 40# 😮💨 gasp I went to get for Davy it was almost 80.00. So Davy gets Diamond Naturals Large breed puppy and lots of hard boiled eggs and anything else I have on hand. I haven't been to the vet in awhile thanks to Dr Bob. But, Lad will have to go because I think he has a broken tooth that's giving him trouble and he is 10 and half now....
"Independence Now, Independence Forever."
John Adams
If I ever won the lottery, I would establish a national sanctuary for unwanted and abandoned pets.
My wife and I have similar thoughts
Would be top on the list
I also think our pets should be tax deductible or at least a flat amount you can claim
And one more while I am on a roll
I would really like to see more towns and shelters have several free days to spay or neuter people's pets and free service to help doctor the animals Even a few days a year the vets surly could afford to give up a few days or the locals pitch in and help with funding
A lot of pets get dumped over having a healt issue litter or suffer because the owner(s) can not afford it
Yes I know some of you will say maybe they should not have a pet then what tens or hundreds of thousands dumped along the roads
at least they have some one who cares and loves them sadly just not the funds to pay crazy up keep
We had to feed the dogs, pet fresh, since the one dog required special food for her diabetes and other health issues. She passed away two months ago, and my wife tried some other food , for the Chihuahua. Nope. She was having none of it. Back to the expensive pet fresh. Thank god she doesn't eat much, but it does put a dent on the food bill at 38 dollars for this tiny roll. She is worth every penny. We always had Labs and this tiny little girl, stole my heart. Best dog I ever had. Even better then my hunting labs.
Our 4 legged fellow ate way better than I did. 2 home prepared meals each day.
50.00 a month for "grooming', I get a haircut about every 3 months for15.00.
Been said by the time you keep one for 10 years you will have 10,000.00 cost, before corn pop inflation.
Worth every penny and more but if you can't afford one don't get one.
He was a Yorkie. Diabetes got him. Will never have another dog, never going through the heart break again. They will give you all their heart and take part of yours when the go.
Yep, same at this house.
My dog just got his teeth brushed.
It was $1,100.
This ^^
Our dog is like family. The last thing I worry about is the price of food and vet bills. If people are worried about expenses in owning a dog, maybe they ought not own one.
We just had our Chihuahua's teeth cleaned it wasn't that much. Cost us $650. That is a lot of Crest.
It's a disagreeable bunch, Austin!
When the pups were little we started messin' with their mouths a lot. Loki let's us get in there and brush his teeth without a lot of fuss. We also put a product called VetriDent in his water. It really helps keep his teeth clean.
We had our Ginger for a little over 8 years. She was part Australian Shepherd, part Rottweiler, that my wife and daughter "rescued" from a puppy mill at about 2 years old.
Unfortunately her last 4 years contained many trips to many vets for treatments, surgeries......and nuclear medicine trials.
We never actually totaled everything.....and never will.....but think it all came to a bit over $35,000............and worth every damn penny, for the love and devotion she gave us.
We'd do it all over again.....in a heartbeat.......for Ginger. ❤😔
Our dogs and cats for that matter eat better than I ever did growing up and just as well as I do now if not better
I will not even try and guess the vet bill's over time
One story of heart break We had a lab mix my wife got me for Christmas one year from a local shelter she wad very young less than a year easy . we have had and have dogs but she was so special in so many ways .we miss her dearly
along with all our departed companions of course .
Her name was Betsy when she got older she started getting tumors I have read a huge problem with labs
We went all in trying to save her never added up vet bills for her just like we would not for a kid
In the end we lost the battle
My wife has said she will never put another dog thru Betsy's ordeal
All the surgerys , meds , and trips to the vet she was a trooper and fighter but had to have Been dealing with a lot of stress and pain but never lost that love or relation ship to be happy to the end
We have a section of our yard we have buried them in we have lived her over 30 years so we have had and lost including dogs ,cats and even pygmy goats .
My wife has said when she goes just spread her ashes on the graves of our lost pets
I quit taking my 'barn dogs' to the vet every year(approx $40 each). They're 7 or 8 years old and probably short on time. What happens, happens. They still get wormer and flea/tick meds but the other stuff not.
I've got a Three year old German Shepard Dog. 70 lbs.
Vet fees a year are around $ 85.00.
Food 30 Lbs of Premium $ 30.00 (lasts a month). We put two-3 cups out a day and she only eats part of it. And a few snacks because mom loves her. No people food.
She is mostly an outdoor dog, spending the nights on the Swing . Even in the real cold. (with lots of blankets).
She has access to the Gun Shop day and nite, so yes, she is the Alarm / Security too. So I take her off the taxes !!
Storm is lovable.
My dogs are loved...a lot, but I'm not paying $1000 + or even hundreds for dog teeth brushing. If they've got a toothless bite that's alright, just as long as they can still bark when strangers show up I'm satisfied.
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
The way things are going, keep feeding them and hope not to be calling them Chinese dine in.
I'm curious what do y'alls consider "premium"? And any of y'alls got pet insurance? And what does that cover and is it worth it?
Shipping on heavy items these days are expensive.
austin20 - That under bite. Wow. Picked up some bulldog genes back in the day? Cairn?
Warbirds - $1100 did they have to tranq the pooch?
I have been using Chewy.com for most of my dog & cat food & supplies. The shipping is free if you spend 49 bucks or more on an order. Buying the Tidy Cat litter several 35 pound cans at a time saves my back big time and they are super quick to deliver! Highly recommended!