How Much $ Do You Spend On Your Dogs

[Guest Panzer Attack!]

Just curious about how much of our budget we blow on our furry friends! I spend a hell of a lot of money on my dog, and wonder if maybe I need to cut back. I guess people with more dogs would spend less per dog, and it would depend on the size or breed...

My breakdown for this month so far would go something like -

Dry food - $25

Bones & meat - $25 (for Scooter and ex's dog)

Grooming tools - $30

Obedience membership - $60

Treats - $15

Wet food - $10

Toys - $30

Jacket - $25

Lead - $10

Misc - probably another $30

= $260... and it's only the 15th!! I'd ideally like to spend no more than $50 per week.

Give me hope DOLers! Are there any others as tragic as me? Or are we mostly thrifty heroes?

E x

edited to add poll

Edited August 15, 2011 by Panzer Attack!

[WreckitWhippet]

I don;t have a breakdown but I estimate it would be about $1000 a month, it could even be more

[Tiggy]

I'd rather not know what I spend.

[Mason_Gibbs]

I spend about : $50 on dry biscuits and bones, meat etc combined

$90 on antihistamines for my dogs allergies

$20 on toys ec

$30 on treats for training

When I enter trials its more a month though as each trial is $10 + - and I used to do 2 or 3 a month so you have to factor that in too... Then my dog sees the dermatologist every 3/4 months which is at least $200/$300 a visit plus all his sprays, immunotherapy etc.. I cant actually even add it up I recon its probably at least $180 just for all his allergy stuff really per month not including food. This month I have also bought him a new bowl and some toys...

I suspect he wont be as spoilt when new puppy arrives on 3 Sept

Edited August 14, 2011 by Mason2009

[WreckitWhippet]

My $1000 is way off , it's more like $1500.

I could afford another mortgage

[megan_]

Mine is pretty close to RSG's - thing is I only have two small ones!

[Guest Willow]

God, I feel like the crappiest owner ever!!!

Dry food (Supercoat) about $40

Raw bones (when I'm not pregnant) about $10-$20

Worming & heartworm about $40 (when broken down & cost divided up per month)

Shampoo about $10 for a bottle which lasts 6 months

So, about $100 or so.....

Jarrah has cartrophen injections which cost a couple of hundred, once a year, and Rhu gets his teeth done every 12-18 months which costs about $300.

HOWEVER....if you add up the money we have spent on repairs from damage they have caused....that's a whole other story!!!!

[W Sibs]

Well.. umm... a lot

I don't pay attention to how much I spend on them anymore.

Edited August 15, 2011 by CW EW

[OSoSwift]

Hmmmm not really sure

My dry food I buy in large bulk, but I guess it would last the three dogs a good month if not 6 weeks

I grow my own meat so gon't have to buy bones and occassionally buy some roo or chicken

Over a month

Dry food $85

meat etc $12

Old dogs medication $120

Flea stuff etc $8

toys - haven't bought any for a while

so around $225.

Most of that is the old boys medication though.

Oh and the dogs (2 of them) got a vaccination, and the month before the old boy cost us $800 when he was off colour and dehydrated!!

......................don't think I wanted to work that out!

Edited August 15, 2011 by OSoSwift

[minyvlz]

I have two little ones, but spend quite a bit on their diet. Hormone/AB/GH-free (at least I haven't gone to organic) red meats etc. Then there's obedience and vet visits.

Already have grooming tools, jackets, toys, leads, collars etc so those already cost a bomb. We used to go to obedience in a taxi before we got the car so it was about $100 per trip in cab fare alone, weekly...

[Starkehre]

I used to have a budget for the dogs... not anymore.

I don't wanna know. I am too scared to start adding it up

I stopped working to a budget with them around 6 years ago. It would be seriously high taking everything into account. Ridiculously high. But the dogs are our lives, they are what we do, so I think that is fair.

[Agility Dogs]

Food - about $80 for the 3 dogs.

Supplements - about the same as food.

Training treats - $20.

Training 'stuff - toys, lessons etc etc' - $50.00

Competition entries - $200.

Vet save up - $200.

General Vet bills - $50.

Travel - twice a year about $2k so $170 a month.

I think that's about it.......

$850.

[BC Crazy]

I spend lots !!! & I love it !!!

They are my furry kids. I wouldn't have it any other way. They want for nothing.

And are loved to bits which is of course the most important thing.

[Guest Willow]

I spend lots !!! & I love it !!!

They are my furry kids. I wouldn't have it any other way. They want for nothing.

And are loved to bits which is of course the most important thing.

Which thankfully, is completely free!!! :D

[Danois]

As a start I go through $120 of dry food a month. $20 of chicken wings. $20 of dog roll and I'd say another $60 in other food and treats etc. Insurance is about $60. So $280 on the basics.

I only flea and worm on an as needed basis.

[Panto]

Hey there are more replies than votes on the poll!

Would be curious to see what people spend based on those who show / do dog activities and sports vs those who don't too.

[loveretrievers]

Not a good month to ask, with purchase price of puppy, crate, toys, food plus what I've bought our other dog it's well over 2000. lol OMG I don't tell my friends. With our older dog we probably spent about 100 a month and that would only be food. She never liked playing with dog toys. We feed raw and I find it's a lot cheaper. Puppy might up the cost for me cause he loves toys and my other dog never played with toys lol.

Not to mention what I spent on the bird yesterday and I will make another trip to city farmers today for a couple things I forgot yesterday.

Edited August 15, 2011 by loveretrievers

[Bubitty]

:D Hehehe I dont count anymore!

But we dont forgo anything for their sake. The rule is that everyone has to have their basic needs and medical care met for good health and well being, dogs and humans alike.

Anything on top of that for both dogs and humans will depend on the family budget. No one is more important than anyone else. I think thats fair!

[The Spotted Devil]

I have no idea but they never go without - dogs and cats are fed good quality diets and the dogs have regular Bowen treatments but to me that's also preventative. I don't go silly with leads, toys, training tools etc but I do buy for quality so they tend to last a long time. If my time and energy is worth anything they get an awful lot of that and I did essentially buy the car for the dogs I wouldn't count trial entries a) because I consider that my expense for my enjoyment, and b) because I really don't want to know :D

Edited August 15, 2011 by The Spotted Devil

[Maddy]

I'd never really thought the costs much until very recently (when the dogs nommed through roughly a quarter of my tax refund and I finally noticed the spending)..

Lamb meat- $180

Chicken- $45

Roo- free, otherwise we'd be paying roughly $40 a month

Beef- $75

Other bits (bones, heart, etc)- $30

Supplements (Livamol, fish oil, etc)- $20ish

Flea treatment- $60 (for four dogs)

Wormer- (given every second month but worked out for monthly) $14 (I buy wormer in bulk :p )

So, $400ish for the basics, not too bad for four dogs (that's basically $25 each a week).

The other stuff.. (this is where it starts getting messy)

Beds/bedding (replacing covers on trampoline beds, new blankets)- $150

Toys and dog treats- $40

Grooming stuff (mostly Malaseb and Aloveen)- $30

Other random stuff (replacing other things used up/chewed/lost, buying particular things for foster dogs with special needs, vet bills, rego, coats, etc)- $250

This month (which we're only halfway through) is already up to $800+ (and we have one dog is who due for vaccs very soon [so add another $65], another half a month of food to buy [$175] and three new bed covers to get ($150+, which will hopefully mean I won't have to buy new blankets all the time).

I do rescue though so that definitely bumps up the spending.