how much $ do you spend on your animals?

[lv4dogs]

I would say that just for food, litter, treats, pretty much necessities only I spend about $250/month.
Just the routine vet bills (not including emergencies or "extra" treatments) average out to be about $1500/year (vaccines, flea & heartworm meds).
The non routine vet bills probably run about $10,000 a year, give or take a few thousand or so. Then possibly about $5,000 more for strays/rescues/fosters that I take in/help out.

Like others said, the initial cost of a new pet is considerably more than the annual costs you will experience later. Kaige cost me $600 alone, then his crate, new dishes, leashes, toys, collars, etc.... It all adds up fast. I think I spent about $1,000-$1,500 on Kaige's supplies before he even came home.

[Zippy]

Oh gosh.I don't know and if my dad know really he would pass out.

[chocolatepuppy]

My vet bills so far this year are $2,083.94! The cats haven't been to the vet yet this year. I wouldn't even try to add up food, treats, and toys for the dogs and cats. Never mind fish food, bowls, tanks, filters,light bulbs...

[catnapper]

IS $500 a month, year, week?

I spent $500 on pouncer just for one broken foot this past fall. Then another $500 on crystals he developed from the stress of the break. I now spend $60 a month just in prescription cat food for him plus the $28 a month is urine rechecks. Now I have to add in the treats, litter, toys I have for the other 4 in additiona to him and I'm well over a couple hundred.

I can't forget Miss Nicki either. She's pretty easy but I also spend good money for good food, toys, treats, etc for her. She just got a new collar, and of course it wasn't a $10 collar

I make enough money in one month to pay for the two car loans and to feed the monsters.

[Chilli]

I'm not even certain on how much we spend!
I know that last month, when we bought 2 months or so of frontline for all the dogs and cats, it cost well over $100.
A few months ago, when Skylar first came, he kept coming up will illness to show, and the vet bills were getting pretty high. He had some type of worms, intestinal infection, and mange... and a few other things.
Not to mention five rats that LOVE food, I need to find food that is still good for them but in a bigger bag, I get tired of going to the petstore every two weeks just for rat food! Hmm.. and I'm about to spend $100+ on a new cage for the boy ratties.
In the past few months here is a few things I, myself, have bought for my pets:
$80 rat cage
$30+ on rats and rat supplies
$25 for getting an abcess removed from a rat
$40+ on guinea pigs and supplies
$25+ on parakeet toys and food
$30+ on goldfish and tank setup.
$20+ on cat supplies
$30+ on dog supplies
And that adds up to 280+, and its not even including the vet bills and food for the dogs and cats..... good thing I have alot of money saved!
Plus I'm going to Petco in a few days to pick up a few more things!
I'm not old enough to have an actual job, but I do pay for everything that goes toward all the pets except the dogs. And once I am able to get a job, the dogs will be my full responsibility, also.

[wolfsoul]

This is all of the money I've spent on my pets this month:

Dog:
~$200 on food/supplements (she's on a raw diet and I buy her all the best)
~$200 for hip and elbow X-rays
~$20 on treats
~$30 for herding
~$130 for agility
~$20 for CGN test
~$30 on cream (she cut her hock)

Foster kitten:
~$20 on food
~$50 on medications and Lysine supplement

Rats:
They eat the dog's food so that's included in the $200 above
~$25 for shampoo
~$10 for parasite shampoo (they had lice)

Mice:
~$50 initial cost

Betta:
~$6 on food

[ashleycat]

Actually it's probably more around 700.

Thats

vet
grooming
adoption fee
crate
doggie dooley
a few toys
grooming supplies for at home
I've gotten 2 big bags of food.

That price is just what so far. But after this it will be just grooming every now and then, food and health care.

[Zippy]

I have a feeling this topic was best left unposted LOL.I try to get the sales at the petstores for Zippy's treat and Sweet P.'s toys.Zippy needs some new toys as a lot of her's got lost in the move.Today we got Sweet P.some great toys for 2 dollars 3 nice ones

[lute]

hmmm....anywhere between $20 and $50 a week.

i understand your frustration. my mom is not an animal person. she thinks all these trips to the vet for the kittens is a waist of time and money. i've heard her say on multiple occations that "cats are disposable. they are something you get for free out of the newspaper." i love my mom to death, but we have have more argumens about this than anything else.

[IRescue452]

Dog: $40/year vet bill, $15/month food, maybe, $5/month toys, treats, other
my philosophy is "if it costs less than a dollar it doesn't count, so I spend lots of money on walmart's 88 cent toys and on dollar tree toys"

Cat: $2.50/month litter, $5/month food, a few replacement toys and sleeping baskets a year

Fish: Filter media and test kits $30/year, Decoration budget $50/year, Food $10/year, + camera batteries, extra tanks, nets, treatments, conditioners, water

I probably spend more on my fish than any other pets. I get a LOT of clearence items so I tend to spend more than I think.

[cyber-sibes]

I've never stopped to add it up, but I'm sure it's quite a bit more than $500/yr. each for food, heartworm & flea preventative, liscences, shots, grooming, etc., plus emergency vet trips for things like hot spots and broken toes ! It's not too bad spread out, but I know if something major happened that was going to be thousands of dollars at once, my hubby would probably not go along with it. At least, that's what he says now, he might feel different if his Star-girl had an emergency.

[king2005]

ummm maybe 100.00/year.. I usually only need to buy food 2-3 times a year

[binka_nugget]

Mice:
~$50 initial cost

That's cause you just HAD to buy the expensive mice LOL.


For initial costs, $500 is extremely cheap. Kai alone was $500 (breeder). Then there was neutering, vaccinations, grooming supplies, crate, leashes, collars, food, etc.


This is what I've paid in the past month for just the dogs:
$150 -- Food and Supplements
$80 -- Vet
$90 -- Agility Class
$120 -- Obedience Class
$25 -- Leash
$30 -- Treats
$50 -- Herding

Sooo.. $545 this month. Next month will be another set of Agility class and agility club fees, obedience class, even more food (I've just located Rabbit which is a HUUUUGE dent in the wallet) and CKC fees.

[Kfamr]

Lets see...

Dog food for three 47-75lb dogs: $50 for ever 35lbs of food.
I haven't really payed attention how much a 35lb bag lasts us.

I've spent atleast $150 on crap they don't need while on vacation.
About $20 just on my aunt's puppy that we're staying with.
Their shampoo and conditioner is originally $10 a bottle - we pay $3 something though.
New collars every few months - anywhere from $10-$40 on collars for all three.
New toys can range from $1-$50.
New treats (because they have to try every treat on the market) $2-$50

Everytime we go to the vets it's usually $200 min. PER dog for each visit.


Gosh I could go on and on!


The fact is. We can buy the bare minimum but the joy my dogs bring in our lives they deserve the best they can get. If that includes driving 20+ miles just to purchase the more expensive, healthier food compared to up the corner buying Kibbles & Bits - SO BE IT!

I adopted them promising to take care of them

There are just so many people stuck back in the days when it comes to many thing, not just pets.


With internet, computers, cameras, televisions, good vehicles, etc.. those would be the first things to go if we needed money to pay for an emergency. A living being comes before ANYTHING in my heart.

I would sell the clothes off my back if I had to.

[shihtzulover850]

Well with snuggles it is not that bad. for one thing my grandparents bought her for me as a christmas present from a reputable breeder they know that gave them a discount. Once when she had flees we spent $100 dollars trying to get rid of the pesky critters. She got them from another dog!!! She doesn't eat or drink a lot. mostly grooming $35 buying things from the way overly priced petsmart $20 food $20-30 toys $1-10. Vet visits $50-100 heartworm preventative $15-18 depending on which vet we get it from.

I guess it pays having just one small dog!!!