Pet vs $$$

[NoTrespassing]

I realize a lot of people value their pets much more than our family. I guess it's just the way I was raised. My wife, being Filipino and raised poor, was raised in a similar way with regard to animals. In our family budget, people come first and that includes retirement savings. At the present time we have 2 large outside dogs as pets and guard dogs. I take them both to the vet at least once a year for about $120 each including heart worm medicine and flea and tick treatment. Their food costs about $20/50# bag. I buy a bale of straw each fall for bedding in their houses. We also maintain an invisible fence and collars for them. I'd say we spend a total of about $800/year for 2 dogs.

If heaven forbid, one of them were to get sick I would consider spending up to $1000 per dog depending on the prognosis, but that would be my limit. Anything more than that or if it wouldn't buy them much time and I would have them put down. That's just reality at our house.

I have a coworker that spent over $5000 to save his daughter's cat. Their family doesn't have much money and he had to take out a loan to pay the bill. He has 2 mortgages on his house and drives a van worth about $1000. To me, he could have used the cat situation to teach his daughter a valuable lesson about money. I guess he valued his daughters immediate happiness more than her future.

How do you handle pet expenses? Do you put a limit on them and if so, how do you determine it?

Kevin

 

[rhunt]

We presently have three cats and since they are members of our family, we do and will do what ever it takes to keep them healthy within reason. I can not put a limit on the expense but as long as we can afford it, we will. Common sense dictates the amount with us. Bob

 

[Mace Canute]

What you spend on a pet depends on a lot of things. In my case my dogs were THE most important thing in my life and I know that no matter the cost, I would have spent the money. My financial situation allowed me to have that luxury.

It's like a lot of things...when it affects you personally, it becomes much harder to make the tough decisions. When you are an outsider looking at it from a distance it's much easier to say what someone should or shouldn't do.

 

[Clint S]

I am as cheap as they come. Grew up on a farm and love my dogs and cats. It really depends on prognosis and quality of life. My buddy spent $4k on a hip replacement for a 2 y\o dog. Prognosis of a full recovery with many years left in the tank. Would I do that, yes. Other friend spent $3.5k on cancer treatment for her dog. Prognosis poor and even if it worked the dog was 10plus years old and it's very best days behind. I would not chose that.

 

[Sigarms]

We've been blessed in that my wife and I both work and love our jobs and can afford medical care for our animals when needed, and believe me, we've been in the thousands when it came to a large vet bill for more than a couple of dogs, but this says it well...

I am as cheap as they come. Grew up on a farm and love my dogs and cats. It really depends on prognosis and quality of life. My buddy spent $4k on a hip replacement for a 2 y\o dog. Prognosis of a full recovery with many years left in the tank. Would I do that, yes. Other friend spent $3.5k on cancer treatment for her dog. Prognosis poor and even if it worked the dog was 10plus years old and it's very best days behind. I would not chose that.

We knew we had a issue with one dog because she wouldn't go upstairs to sleep with our one boy. Took her to the vet the next day, then had to run her to a specialist that same day. Looking at 4k with a 50/50 chance through surgery, then they weren't even certain about recovery. We loved that dog as as much as all the others, she came to us as a rescue, and she was the only one whose "story" we knew before she came to us. We ran, got the boys, and spent as much time with her before we put her down. Her last 12 years with us I have no doubt were better than her first 6 months where she came from.

Every pet we've had put down has gone in our arms, loving them. That's the way I'd want to go.

 

[Sigarms]

I have a coworker that spent over $5000 to save his daughter's cat. Their family doesn't have much money and he had to take out a loan to pay the bill. He has 2 mortgages on his house and drives a van worth about $1000. To me, he could have used the cat situation to teach his daughter a valuable lesson about money. I guess he valued his daughters immediate happiness more than her future.

You hit the nail on the head. Pets, just as children, cost money.

Our two boys are now in middle school. My one boy just told me one girl at school just told him she was pregnant (not his:laughing. Thing I found amazing was that my boy explained she was excited she was pregnant. Boy told me that he told her that she now may not finish school, may not be able to get a decent job to earn money to care for the child. I told him he didn't need to say anything else that he was glad she was happy, but from his line of thinking, I hope we're doing right.

On that note, years ago, it was funny seeing my boys eyes light up when their mom told them that if they ever got a girl pregnant before they became adults, she would cut off their ***** with a rusty knife. Look in those eyes was priceless.

 

[Looking4new]

With our 7 cats and one dog (soon to become two) we put a cap of about $1,000.oo on vet bills each.
The dog (12 year old Lab border collie cross) we were to the point of pricing out a backhoe to dig the hole to bury her, when I suggested a vet appointment first. Turns out she is diabetic and can survive on 10 units of Lantis insulin twice a day and a diet and food change as well as eating habits. She now gets 1 cup of dry dog food twice a day and the insulin. She is doing good.

Every body gets their annual checkup and rabies shots.

 

[rekees4300]

How do you handle pet expenses? Do you put a limit on them and if so, how do you determine it?

Different strokes for different folks. My main variables are prognosis, age and quality of life after treatment. Can't see spending thousands of dollars to prolong the life of an older dog. All living things die, those are the rules.

 

[smstonypoint]

My late wife was a "cat person," while I have always doted on dogs. She had a cat that passed away despite a $400 visit to the vet. A line I related to friends (but not my wife):

"The bad news is that we had a $400 vet bill for a cat -- the good news is that the cat died anyhow."

Steve

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Daughter in law said look at my tatto. It cost me so many hundreds of dollars, the very next breath said I don't have any money to buy the kids Halloween costumes. My son her husband came over one day had a boxer pup with him, said it cost him 500 bucks, a little later said he didn't have enough money to pay the electric bill or water bill, was living in a house me and my X still owned jointly for free. A dodge cummins truck I bought for him needed batteries, he was proud to say he stole two new ones from Walmart and had the kids hanging in the shopping cart when he did it and at the same time his wife bought him a used set of drums. Just a couple thing the oldest one did won't say what the youngest one has done but it involved several pets over the years among other things.

Pets, if you like dogs and cats more power to you and if you have and want to spend millions of dollars on them so be it. I have helped all kinds of people and family members as long as they help themselves. I have always said a person needs to do what needs to be done first and then do what you want after. Every time I have helped and I mean every time it always turn out they expect it to continue and they do what they want while I had to do what was needed. When the giving hand quit giving I became the A-hole.

I just can't understand or will I try to wrap my brain around spending thousands on a dog or cat when you don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out. Sorry about the rant but it's a sore spot with me and the kids pets and other escapades.

 

[JRobyn]

I'm sure that their fund for cigarettes and beer was ok.....

 

[Bird]

I'd say we spend a total of about $800/year for 2 dogs.

You may very well be right, but I think most people under estimate what they've spent on their pets. Just out of curiosity, I started keeping pretty detailed records when we first got our Chihuahua. She turned 12 years old this past week. And over all, that one little dog has cost us just about $100 a month, or $1,200 a year. At our age, I have assured my wife that there will be no more pets if or when this one goes. Of course, I know that this little dog may outlive us.:laughing:

 

[Sigarms]

At our age, I have assured my wife that there will be no more pets if or when this one goes. Of course, I know that this little dog may outlive us.:laughing:

When we did rescue work, you would be amazed at the amount of little dogs that are in need of a home because their last master has died and because there is no more family around of the existing family doesn't want the dog.

 

[Looking4new]

Having watched Birds' posts ever since I joined this site, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he has a clause in his will for the dog should she out live him.:thumbsup:

 

[Bird]

Having watched Birds' posts ever since I joined this site, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he has a clause in his will for the dog should she out live him.:thumbsup:

:laughing:She's a very unusual little dog, at least in my opinion. She never learned to fight or bite; loves everyone, just looking for new friends. She won't even bite if you hurt her; just try to get away. And the younger of our two daughters wants her. She and the little dog have long been friends, so I've no doubt she'll be well cared for.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Buddy of mine spent 3-4K on a 17 year old cat. Still died. We have 3 large outside and 1 inside dog. Inside dog would get a little more as it's the inside dog (American bully) but after the outside dogs just killed two new kittens that adopted us I don't think she'd be inclined to spend much on them. Growing up dogs were a tool, when they get hurt it's time to get a new tool. I'm not emotionally attached to pets but I don't mind the inside dog

Brett

 

[rgr33]

Hoo boy! This hits me right where I live, our only pet is a Newfoundland. They are very big dogs, and ours is on the upper side of that, at 208 lbs, and he is not fat.

When he was 2 years old, he blew out a knee while chasing a ball. The cost of that repair was $5400. I used our entire vacation fund to pay for the operation, and have never regretted it.
I was warned after the surgery, that there is a good chance the unrepaired knee might fail. It only took about a month for that to happen. Another $5400, this time out of the emergency fund, to be paid back later. The money spent for the procedures didn’t affect the family much, other than a missed vacation.

I imagine a great many of the readers here think I’m an idiot for spending that much on a dog, hard to argue that I guess. But I had to look for a very long time, and drive a long way from home, and go through lot to prove to the breeder that I was the best choice to own this dog. And I think I am.

There are only five of us in this family, and money will never stop me from doing all I can to insure the best life possible for each of us.
By the way, Zeke is 6 yrs old now, and he is everything I hoped he would be, healthy as a horse, and not much smaller.

 

[goeduck]

Daughter in law said look at my tatto. It cost me so many hundreds of dollars, the very next breath said I don't have any money to buy the kids Halloween costumes. My son her husband came over one day had a boxer pup with him, said it cost him 500 bucks, a little later said he didn't have enough money to pay the electric bill or water bill, was living in a house me and my X still owned jointly for free. A dodge cummins truck I bought for him needed batteries, he was proud to say he stole two new ones from Walmart and had the kids hanging in the shopping cart when he did it and at the same time his wife bought him a used set of drums. Just a couple thing the oldest one did won't say what the youngest one has done but it involved several pets over the years among other things.

Pets, if you like dogs and cats more power to you and if you have and want to spend millions of dollars on them so be it. I have helped all kinds of people and family members as long as they help themselves. I have always said a person needs to do what needs to be done first and then do what you want after. Every time I have helped and I mean every time it always turn out they expect it to continue and they do what they want while I had to do what was needed. When the giving hand quit giving I became the A-hole.

I just can't understand or will I try to wrap my brain around spending thousands on a dog or cat when you don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out. Sorry about the rant but it's a sore spot with me and the kids pets and other escapades.

Sounds like a lot of work needs to be done in regards to their priorities and I agree adding pets to that situation is not good.

As for myself I will spend the money within reason considering prognosis and age. Different subject but related, the wife gives to animal charities before human charities. Her reason being humans are overpopulating and pushing animals out. Humans can help themselves while animals (particularly pets) are taken from nature, bred to be incapable in many respects of living on their own.

 

[Birdhunter1]

My dad and I had Brittany's for about 20 years, a long time ago I had one expecting pups that went limp and energy less overnight, the pups were delivered emergency C section and with other treatments the bill was near $500 dollars I think. That dog was a hellacious hunter, I would have loved for her to have survived but she died on the table. A few years later another female I had had problems at birth and had a reaction to the anesthesia and didn't make it. She was just as much a hunter than the other.
One of my dogs a year ago in November, who was the lone survivor of a litter of eight from my first Brittany I lost, we think died of kidney failure. He died in my arms at the vets office trying to figure out what was going on with him.

My oldest Brittany I had to have put down just after Christmas last year at 15 1/2 years old. At one time I had been offered $7000 for him but declined it and hunted the heck out of him for the next 10+ years. That one was probably my cheapest in overall vet bills as he only required stitches a couple times (sheared metal T posts can make for a heck of a slitting item when they are about 6" tall.. found in an old fence row while hunting one day), feed and shots/vaccinations/worm medications.

But the lifetime of memories I have with those dogs was priceless. That being said I don't know what amount I would have said no to on my oldest living one.

Now I have horses, two to be exact. One is a 20 year old gelding 'Whisper', the other is a 23 year old mare 'Tonka'. My 7 year old daughter and Tonka are best buds, I hope when its Tonka's time she goes quick and isn't a long drawn out affair. I also wish that I had that horse about 7 or 8 years ago when I had awesome birddogs, I think my team of horses and my birddogs would have worked in the field well together.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Pets, if you like dogs and cats more power to you and if you have and want to spend millions of dollars on them so be it. I have helped all kinds of people and family members as long as they help themselves. I have always said a person needs to do what needs to be done first and then do what you want after. Every time I have helped and I mean every time it always turn out they expect it to continue and they do what they want while I had to do what was needed. When the giving hand quit giving I became the A-hole.

I had a friend who was in the hospital taking chemo for leukemia when the bank sent her an "intent to foreclose" letter. I ponied up $5400 to catch her up on her mortgage payments, a trivial amount for me but 10x more money than she had in the world. I was not going to let her die on the street, and a year and a half later she passed peacefully in her own home. I have spent more on a dog; I sure wasn't going to refuse to bail out a friend. I had the money, and would never miss it.

That said, I was a farm kid. I have 5 dogs and an indeterminate number of barn cats. I go to the Co-op and buy their vaccines for $10 instead of paying a vet $100 to poke them with a needle. Their heartworm medicine, flea medicine and medicated shampoo comes from Mexico for a quarter of the cost locally. They see the vet once every 3 years for their rabies shot, because the county won't believe I did it myself. We cook our own dog food with 49 cent a pound chicken hindquarters, 87 cent a pound frozen vegetables, and 29 cent a pound potatoes. There's nothing in it I wouldn't eat myself, with a little salt that the dogs don't get. We cook big batches in a 40 quart stock pot and freeze it in re-used cottage cheese containers. When I was a kid we had a cocker spaniel that lived to be 21 years old on nothing but table scraps and oatmeal. We give them rawhide chews to keep their teeth clean, that we buy from a local butcher and dehydrate in the smoker. The big expenses are things like canine cruciate ligament surgery, and we gave one a hip replacement once. We just don't let the monthly expense of owning a pet bleed the bank account.