Need help from dog owners....

DH and I are on the track to getting a dog sometime this summer - prob end of June. We started talking about what we would need and realized we have no clue as to the cost of any of it. So, I'm turning to you guys for help/guidance/suggestions/etc.

How much are metal crates for a dog under 20 pounds?

How much are vet visits, typically, including costs for updated shots, etc?

How much are flea/tick/heartworm medicine that need to be taken once a month?

How much are leashes/harnesses?

How much is dog food? Where are the best prices for food right now?

How much is a pet license and registration?

Am I missing anything? I know where to get toys and treats and their cost.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Hi there!

Here are some of our costs per dog:

How much are metal crates for a dog under 20 pounds? anywhere from $30 - $75 depending on where you get it & what features it has. Look at http://www.partipoodlepetsupplies.com/ for pricing ideas.

How much are vet visits, typically, including costs for updated shots, etc? My vet is about $50 for a visit fee, and the shots are about $150 annually. For my dogs that are over 15 lbs I bring them to the PetSmart clinics & their shots cost me $40 annually. You should get the first year's worth of shots administered by a vet though, regardless of their size.
SPAYING/NEUTERING COSTS: You can find a low-cost vet through friendsoftheanimals.org for about $75. My vet charges $150 for the surgery, anethesia, and overnight recovery stay, plus follow up visit. You can FM me if you want her info (She is in Huntington).

How much are flea/tick/heartworm medicine that need to be taken once a month? I have an all-in-one monthly that costs $100 for a year's worth. Often it comes with a rebate coupon for anywhere from $10 - $25 back.

How much are leashes/harnesses? Lupine leashes & collarsare the best for larger dogs, and can cost between $20 - $30 for a colalr/lead combo. Harnesses very greatly depending on style & size. I would start with an "H" harness, as they are easy to use & distribute the weight evenly across the dog. My "H" harness for my Pug was $18.99 at PetSmart...he is considered a medium dog at about 30 lbs.

How much is dog food? Where are the best prices for food right now? Dog food can go anywhere from $17 for a 40lb bag of Pedigree at Costco to $65 for a top of the line holistic brand at a specialty store. You & your vet will have to decide what is best for your pup after a checkup & determine which brand/type will best serve your dogs needs.

How much is a pet license and registration?
Check your local town website. In Babylon I think it is $25 per dog, and the papers filed need to be accompanied with proof of vaccination. I think there is also a discount for neutered dogs.

You will also need a raised food & water dish, teething toys for a puppy, tooth care, grooming care (at the minimum a brush or comb if you intend to have the dog professionally groomed on a regular basis) and pee pads for training. Please also keep in mind that some of the items you buy in the beginning will only be temporary, as the dog will need larger items as it grows. Collars, harnesses, food dishes and toys even will be good for only a few months as the dogs needs will change.

Good luck!

Re: Need help from dog owners....

How much are metal crates for a dog under 20 pounds?
-lets average about $50


How much are vet visits, typically, including costs for updated shots, etc?
-usually $50 on avg for visdit and then it depends on what you had done. you should bring them for boosters once a year

How much are flea/tick/heartworm medicine that need to be taken once a month?
-i sont know, i dont use those

How much are leashes/harnesses?
-depends. you can get a plain one or a fancy one. my cheapest one was $17 my most expensive was $75 (for a harness/leash in one)

How much is dog food? Where are the best prices for food right now?
- i spend about $35 on a 18 lb bag (of solid gold)

How much is a pet license and registration?
-good question, i forget

Am I missing anything? I know where to get toys and treats and their cost
-bed & toys. you can get a bed at Target for about $30 on avg.
dont forget cost of dog!

Re: Need help from dog owners....

How much are metal crates for a dog under 20 pounds?
We paid about $60 for ours, Cooper is 18lbs. But we got him a big crate, one that would probably be good for a dog anywhere from 30-50lbs. We did this because no matter how big or small the crate was, he was peeing in it (when rule of thumb says a dog won't pee where he sleeps... well Cooper did) so we figured he'd have a big one with a peeing section and a sleeping section.

How much are vet visits, typically, including costs for updated shots, etc?
For our annual yearly checkup with shots it's about $130-$150, but it varies vet to vet

How much are flea/tick/heartworm medicine that need to be taken once a month?
For each we pay between $60 and $80. Cooper is on Heartguard for heartworms and Frontline for flees and ticks.

How much are leashes/harnesses?
You could probably get away with spending $25 for a leash, harness, and collar. We also bought a super duper long leash for the backyard (we rent, so we can't give him free reign of the yard) and that was about $25.

How much is dog food? Where are the best prices for food right now?
Since Cooper has some stomach issues, we don't feed him regular food that you can get in the grocery story. We feed him Eagle Pack Holistic Selects and we order it online, it's way cheaper than buying it locally if you can believe that. We spend roughly about $75 on 25 cans and a 10lb bag of dry food every 2 months-ish.

How much is a pet license and registration?
I don't know.

Make sure you remember to have PLENTY of toys avaibable for chewing. Also a bed, brush, nail clippers, if you get a dog with specific needs you'll have to account for that (for example, Cooper is a Boston Terrier with a flatter squish in nose that create folds in his skin, we need to buy special wipes to clean them so they don't get irritated), shampoo, cleaning products for accidents, I highly recommend Nature's Miracle it's safe for the dogs and works really really well (keep in mind too that some of the stuff you use to clean around the house may not be pet safe such as carpet cleaners or room sprays... a lot of that stuff can severely irritate a dogs skin).

Good luck!

Message edited 5/8/2007 11:09:51 AM.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

I am selling Scout's crate (he outgrew it) so let m eknow if you are interested.

License for ToH: $7.50 for a neutered male, $10.50 if he isn't neutered.

Also as far as heartworm, etc -- depending on the breed you get you will have to adjust the dosage through the year - whcih means you will have to get it from your vet - and it will be more expensive per pill than when you buy a package.

Message edited 5/8/2007 11:09:24 AM.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

How much are metal crates for a dog under 20 pounds? Usually anywhere from $50 to $75

How much are vet visits, typically, including costs for updated shots, etc?
About $150/year

How much are flea/tick/heartworm medicine that need to be taken once a month? Usually about $100/year

How much are leashes/harnesses?You can get good quality leashes and/or harnesses for about $20

How much is dog food? Where are the best prices for food right now?
I buy dog food at Petco, this totally depends on what kind of food you use..anywhere from $10 for a 20 lb. bag to $30 for a 20 lb. bag. That would last a medium sized dog about a month or so.
Canned food is somewhere around $1/can.
How much is a pet license and registration? Brookhaven is $20 for a license and the dog has to have a rabies vaccine

Am I missing anything? I know where to get toys and treats and their cost.
Petco, Petsmart and Pet Supplies Plus are all good places for toys and treats.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Congrats on making the decision to get a dog! For us, getting Charlotte was the best decision we ever made besides commiting to each other! She is fantastic and literally makes us laugh, smile, or brings some kind of happiness to our lives every single day...

With that being said...

How much are metal crates for a dog under 20 pounds? Well, ours was about 80 bucks or something (I don't remember exactly what we paid b/c we got it from some store we were buying a ton of stuff at-- So, the exact price got lost in the shuffle. In any event-- We have the crate and now that she is 100% trained we will never use it again so if you want it- you are more than welcome to have it. I am not looking to make up the money we spent- I would just be happy to see it get used (right now, it's in the closet where it has been for months)... So, FM me about that if you want.

How much are vet visits, typically, including costs for updated shots, etc? Well, I'm lucky because with Vinny's business we have a bartering network so we don't pay for Vet visits- I think we have laid out mabe thirty dollars since we got her (and she has all of her shots, is fixed and just went for her annual) so we are lucky... But, I would guess (from my foggy memory of looking at the invoices that went to the business network) that the initial visits are around 200-300 dollars (for the shots) and then she was fixed around 5 months old (that was $260) b/c she was female and it was before her first heat and then she just went for her annual to get the last round of shots she needed which was about 150 bucks. So, it really wasn't too bad. Also, you could, if you want, take the dog to Petco when they are offering their discounted shots and they are DIRT cheap- you would just have to wait in line all day-- but it's worth it b/c then you would only have to get it fixed.

How much are flea/tick/heartworm medicine that need to be taken once a month? oh geez- the heartworm stuff comes in a chewy tablet that tastes like beef so she LOVES it... i think the package I get is like 30 bucks and it comes with about 8-10 in there... Then, the flea and tick stuff (frontline) is about the same price as the HW and it comes in a packet of five little applicators.

How much are leashes/harnesses? Well, we got her the non-pull leash which was great-- the harness itself was 12 bucks and then the leash (we bought an extendable one) was about 10 bucks. That was it. She has a Coach collar lol but that was my own choice!

How much is dog food? Where are the best prices for food right now? We get ours (she eats Iams) at the Price Club-- huge bag for like 12 dollars!!!! It's great. other than that- Petsmart or Pet Supplies Plus has good prices... My vet told me to give her either Iams, Vet Science Diet (By Hills) or Eukaneuba.

How much is a pet license and registration? uhh gee, I don't know if we have any of that-- I have her rabies tag the vet gave me and I have her paperwork saying she is purebred. I registered her micro chip which was 20 bucks-- one time fee.

Am I missing anything? I know where to get toys and treats and their cost. I think that's pretty much it!

Again, if you need anything- I'm just an FM away.

GL!!!

Re: Need help from dog owners....

great info !!

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Q - can you take the dog to the vet 1st to get shots BEFORE reg with the town?

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Posted by LadyPrincess

Q - can you take the dog to the vet 1st to get shots BEFORE reg with the town?

Re: Need help from dog owners....

The majority of our expenses have come from figuring out what works for him. We went through several foods to find one that didn't upset his stomach, several vet bills while his stomach was bad, some harnesses, several toys that he chewed up and even a few leashes until I figured out what length I like. He likes any toy, so that was not an issue for us! Also, we started to notice some things at less expensive places. Walmart has some of the same dog toys as Petco, but for less. Value Village in Ronkonkoma has the rubber footballs that he loves and they are around $3-$4.

Now we have it all down and we only experiment with new toys or silly clothes when we have some extra money.

It was funny, Betsy, last night when you noticed the chewed seatbelt in my car, all I could think was, "I guess this would be the wrong time to recommend our trainer."

Re: Need help from dog owners....

TY - we are trying to figure out the monthly expense also. Since he is spaded & up-to date on shots, that helps.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Posted by MsMBV

Posted by LadyPrincess

Q - can you take the dog to the vet 1st to get shots BEFORE reg with the town?

In the town I live you cannot get the dog a license until the vaccinations are done. I would check with your local town's website.

Message edited 6/16/2007 9:19:33 PM.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

There is a lot of great info already posted......
a few things i learned...
-check out ebay/craigslist for stuff...i bought a brand new crate for a large dog much cheaper then the store
-i buy food in bulk at bjs and store it in a tupperware/airtight container (but i have a large dog who eats alot more then a 20 lb dog!)
-the vet bill will be more expensive in the beginning with a puppy, they go thru a series of vaccines.....then they go only every 6-12 months depending and when they have a problem. if the cost is too much, there are also cheaper vaccine programs, I haven't used these, but ive seen petco with vaccine days.
-we bought a quality leash, but when he was a puppy bought a less expensive collar knowing he would quickly outgrow. now he has a quality leash and collar which last well
-find a vet that you like and feel comfortable with--try to get recs from people you know.....just like 'people doctors' there are good ones and bad ones
Good luck!

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Posted by MsMBV

Posted by LadyPrincess

Q - can you take the dog to the vet 1st to get shots BEFORE reg with the town?

In the town I live you cannot get the dog a license until the vaccinations are done. I would check with your local town's website.

Re: Need help from dog owners....

Posted by PotofLuck06

Posted by MsMBV

Posted by LadyPrincess

Q - can you take the dog to the vet 1st to get shots BEFORE reg with the town?

In the town I live you cannot get the dog a license until the vaccinations are done. I would check with your local town's website.

DH works for the town and he said its cheaper to register the dog AFTER it's been spayed/neutered.