A pet can bring so much joy and companionship to a family.  When you are daydreaming about a new puppy or kitten, you tend to focus on how much fun they will be and how cute they are.  What you forget to think about is the cost associated with adding a pet to your family.  With a new pet comes a ton of responsibility, and that includes financial responsibility too.

It seems like getting a pet has become the step people take once they get a place of their own.  I know I sure did!  I got my own dog right after college graduation (she’s the best!), then I got a cat to keep my dog company (lol, makes sense right?).  What I never even thought about was the cost associated with having a pet.  I rescued my dog, and man did I hit the “free dog” jackpot!  She had multiple surgeries, food allergies, and environmental allergies to deal with all within the first year of life.  She has been THE most expensive dog!

What I wish I had known prior to getting my dog was, according to the ASPCA, in the first year of owning a pet, you will spend over $1,000 for routine care.  

Now, as a veterinarian, this topic is near and dear to my heart.  At least once a week, I will meet a new pet owner who “rescued” a cat or dog but can’t afford to do what I am recommending for its care.  Another common situation I find is people save their money to buy the dog of their dreams from a breeder, and by the time they go to the vet, they have no money left to actually take care of the dog.

Don’t be that person.  That person feels horrible when they see me because they can’t afford anything for their pet.

Purchasing/adopting an animal is just step one.  If you are considering adding a new pet to your family, I want to walk through the expenses you can expect to have in your future.  I forget that what I consider to be common knowledge (because I spend every day talking about it), a lot of people have no idea what vaccines and care their pet will need until they see me.

Let’s break down the dog/cat life into 4 categories of expenses of what you can expect to encounter.  Once you know what to expect, you can budget for it to eliminate the stress of routine care requirements.

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 1.  Year 1 – Puppy/Kitten Stage Expenses

This is the stage of life when you are building their immunity, training and set them up for success later on.  Also known as the super cute stage!

Associated costs can include:

• multiple exams with vaccines (typically 3-4 visits with your veterinarian),
• dewormings,
• microchipping (for identification if they are ever lost).
• Your pet will need to have surgery to be spayed/neutered.
• Additional surgeries could include umbilical hernia repair or preventative gastropexy (so their stomach can’t flip on itself).
• Puppy training classes are strongly encouraged and
• pet insurance is now a nice option to begin when they are young and healthy.

All of these things could cost you $1,000-$2,000 pending on a few factors (age of pet when purchased, cat vs. dog, breed, genetics).

Suddenly, that cute little puppy is breaking the bank with basic care requirements.

2.  Year 2+ – Yearly Expenses

Every year you will need to be prepared for your pet’s:

• exam,
• vaccines,
• fecal exam or dewormer
• heartworm test,
• heartworm prevention (given monthly year round) and
• flea & tick prevention (given year round).

On average, these basic costs are $500-$1,000 pending on location and size of the pet.

Pro tip:  What your veterinarian would LOVE, is for you to call them and get an estimate of what everything they recommend will be.  You will have a year to save for the annual visit and nothing will be a surprise to you at that appointment.

I am always floored by owners who come in for their yearly appointment and they act shocked and appalled about the price at the end of this visit.  Like they didn’t know it was coming.  All they have to do is call ahead and plan for the upcoming year. I (and I’m sure any other veterinarian) will gladly give an owner a plan for the next year of what will be recommended and the associated costs.  That would make me do a happy dance!

If your pet is older, you will run into the recommendation for:

• yearly blood work,
• and eventually, a dental cleaning

which can run you anywhere from $500-$1,500 pending on where you live.

3.  Everyday life – Monthly Budgeted Expenses

These are things that you will spend money on throughout your dog/cat’s life (some more often than others).

One-time expenses for your pet (you may have to replace a collar if they grow out of their first one):

• crate,
• collar,
• leash,
• food and water dishes should be one-time expenses.

All of these things could run you anywhere from $100-$200.

More frequent purchases include:

• food,
• toys,
• treats and
• a bed.

As an example, I budget $60/month for food and bed/bone replacement.

This number will be based on how many pets you have, the quality of food and how fast they destroy toys.

Other costs to consider include:

• boarding/pet sitting if you are traveling and can’t take your pet with you.
• Dog park membership or doggy daycare program.
• Having a pet indoors will also damage your home in some way (carpets, rugs, couch, etc.)
• or you may rent and have to have a security deposit or monthly pet fee.

4.  Unexpecteds/Emergencies  – Puppy/Kitten and Beyond

Nobody expects their pet to need emergency surgery/care, but it happens all the time.  I adopted a dog for free and she ended up having allergies (so expensive to manage!).  If you are not familiar with allergies in dogs at all, they are a constant game of management which can really add up over time for medications.  Other unexpecteds that can come up include ear infections, urinary tract infections, intestinal obstructions (Fido ate your socks!) or a torn ACL.

I strongly recommend having a pet emergency fund, just like you have a $1,000 emergency fund for yourself.

Most pet emergencies can be covered by $1,000-$2,000.

I have seen owners struggling with a decision of “Do I keep my lights on?”  Or “Do I have this surgery for our best friend?”  It is agonizing to watch owners go through this kind of decision-making process.

Plan ahead and create a savings account for your pet just as you would a child.  The last thing you want to deal with is choosing between your pet’s life and putting food on the table.  Save the pet emergency fund so you can just put your focus on loving, snuggling and enjoying your pet.

Are you shocked at the costs?  I’m sure there are people out there who will tell me they only do a Rabies vaccine for their pet, never use prevention (heartworm, flea, tick, intestinal parasites), never have their pet spayed/neutered and they have never had a problem.  I will save that conversation for another day :-).

All of these costs are based on the best recommendations from a veterinarian, and you will have similar recommendations from your personal veterinarian.  We all want the same thing, what is best for your best friend.

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So, is there anything you can do to help keep costs lower for your pet?

Absolutely!  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

Pro tips:

• Follow the preventative care recommendations (ie. vaccines, screening tests, preventative medication).  If your pet is up to date on vaccines, they are less susceptible to disease.  If they are on prevention they are less likely to get sick with common tick-borne diseases or heartworm disease.  
• Don’t skip the annual exam.  Veterinarians are trained to catch diseases early, it’s why we recommend what we recommend.  The physical examination tells you the most information, it is the best screening tool we have.  It is much better to catch things early and take management/preventative measures than try to play catch up and stabilize.
• Smaller animals are cheaper.  When it comes to anesthesia, medications and preventative (flea, tick, intestinal parasites, heartworm), size dictates price.  Also, bigger dog equals more food, bigger bed, higher boarding cost, etc.
• Cats, overall, are cheaper than dogs.  Dogs require more vaccines, are larger and their preventatives are more expensive.
• Short-haired dogs are cheaper because they don’t require grooming.
• Brush your pet’s teeth.  If you start brushing your pet’s teeth every single day from the beginning, you may keep them from needing a dental cleaning(s).  Dental cleanings are expensive!  By brushing every day you can decrease the frequency of dental cleanings and save a ton of money.
• Feed quality food.  Ask your veterinarian what food they recommend for your pet.  Skimping on food quality can end up causing you to buy more (because they aren’t digesting it well and poop a crap ton!  Pun intended). It also can cause GI issues (diarrhea) that will cost you money in vet visits and medications.
• Learn how to cut nails at home and empty anal glands at home (your vet will gladly teach you!).

At the end of the day, having a pet is a privilege and should not be taken lightly.  That being said, pets are freaking awesome!!  They bring so much joy to your life and give you endless amounts of love.  The best thing you can do to give your pet the best life possible is budget for them!  It doesn’t take much time and it is so worth it.

For a brief recap:

Year one:  $1,000-$2,000

One-time expenses:  $100-$200 (crate, bed, dishes, collar, leash)

Yearly expenses:  $500-$1,000 (age 2-7)

$1,000-$1,500 (age 8+)

Monthly expenses:  $50-$100 (food, toys, bed replacement)

Emergency fund:  $1,000-$2,000

Now, start saving for these expected expenses and put your pet in your budget!  Stop stressing about upcoming vet bills by preparing for them.  You got this!

What expenses do you budget for your pet?

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