Yearly Cost of Owning a Dog
Dogs are an expensive luxury, as they can be quite costly in a variety of ways. However, the cost of upkeep that a dog requires starts to dissipate as the dog matures and grows older. The first initial cost of a dog can be quite expensive. If dogs are purchased from a pet store or breeder, they are often time's well over 500 dollars, versus if you were to adopt from the local shelter for under 100. The cost of a dog however covers quite a large range of things. However, all costs range quite drastically, but over the years start to accumulate to large sum of money. Often times it is predicted that dogs generally cost anywhere from 4,000-30,000 dollars over the course of their life time which technically excludes miscellaneous and emergency problems as well. The large gap between the numbers depends on the breed, age, and size of the dog, as certain things scale out more as they start to become large breeds.
The costs of dogs can be categorized into several strata's such as: medical costs, food, supplies, and grooming. Medical costs of dogs depend on the size of the dog, age, and what their current health conditions are. Surgeries are extremely expensive; however, the routine veterinary appointments are generally between $50-125 dollars.
Puppy vaccinations are the most expensive, as there is quite a bunch that need to be given and usually run all together up to $350 dollars. The cost of spaying or neutering a dog is $50-200 dollars depending on the size of the dog and whether there are health conditions that can complicate the surgery. The cost of puppy vaccinations and boosters is $20-150. Worming and fecal exams cost $20-40 dollars. If you live in an area that puts your dog at risk for heartworms, basic testing and preventative treatments run $25-130 dollars. Food supplies depend on the breed greatly, as bigger dogs usually cost anywhere between $125-400 dollars, as the more expensive kibble is double the price of off market brands. Supplies are often times dependent on the owner, as most dogs do not care what color their leash is, or if there are rhinestones coming from the water bowl, some owners wish to spend extra cash, which is why the area of supplies can be anywhere from 25 dollars all the way to a couple thousand. Last is grooming, as all dogs do need to be bathed at least one a month, doing so at home drastically reduces the cost of bathing them, however, if brought to a pet shop it can easily run anywhere from 45 to 150 dollars. Aside from their monetary cost, they are also quite costly in love and affection as well, which in return can be the greatest end product of all.
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