Vets Bills Are Important When Choosing The Right Dog!
Or more accurately, all the costs of owning a dog.
It can cost $5,000 (£3,500) or more to buy a pedigree puppy and own it for 12 months. More if you ship it in from overseas. That’s including all the standard items like vaccinations, insurance, bedding, food, leads/collars, equipment, toys. And that’s NOT including any specials such as waterproof boot liners for your car, or HEPA air filters for your home!
But people get so caught up in the ‘now’ of choosing a dog that they forget how much cost can be a factor in choosing the right dog, long term.
Generally, the bigger the dog, the more it costs for long term expenses. Dog beds cost more. Leads and collars cost more. Dog food costs considerably more! Standard veterinary costs such as spaying/neutering and vaccinations also cost more.
The reason I’m talking about this is that I factored all that in when I chose the dogs I have. Cost was not a deciding factor – lifestyle match was. But I did take cost into consideration.
However for some people cost could be a deciding factor in choosing the right dog. Therefore when choosing, pay attention to this area.
Back to me so I can explain this point. I have 4 dogs – 2 greyhounds and 2 lurchers. However my general day to day expenses aren’t huge. I live in a cheap area. I feed a non-branded working dog food which is half the price of the branded equivalent. We don’t do treats and toys because the dogs don’t need them and aren’t interested. We have good quality leads, collars, coats and bedding which rarely need replacing.
The one expense I do have is vets bills. Greyhounds and lurchers tend to have few inherited health issues. But they are running dogs. Which means when they see something enticing, they run after it at full pelt. Through everything! This means a regular assortment of cut feet, cut legs, bloody and broken noses and sprained things requiring vet treatment.
I knew this when I took the dogs on. I had already done my breed homework.
The reason this is timely and topical is that Kylah is nursing a badly sprained leg after chasing a roe deer in the woods yesterday. Thankfully I don’t need a visit to the vets this time!
If cost is a big factor, it’s really important to make sure you list and tally up all the estimated monthly costs of dog ownership. Including accidental ones.
That way if you are on a tight cost budget, you’ll choose a dog that fits into that budget.
And that dog will be the right dog for you.
Claim Your Free Guide Today!
You’re about to discover what most people will never know about choosing the right dog for a lifetime of joy. Make it better, cheaper, faster, easier, and a whole lot less risky to get the love that you want. 16 easy, powerful, no-nonsense lessons to Quick Start your success, where millions FAIL. Don’t delay, claim your FREE Guide today!