Cost of raising a medium size dog to the age of 11 is $6,400

[NNN0LHI]

http://kterrl.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/did-you-know-that-more-steel-in-the-us-is-used-to-make-bottle-caps-than-to-manufacture-automobile-bodies/

Was just thinking about this the other day. Pets are damn expensive. Seems like it is something all the time. Almost like having an extra car payment with the vet bills some months.

Don

[BrklynLiberal]

1. and they are worth every damn penny of it......

[Mari333]

2. [phone]

[mod mom]

39. my thoughts, exactly.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Yes they are if someone has the extra money

If they don't not so much.

Don

[BrklynLiberal]

8. If you are not going to give your pet the right food and right medical attention due to

financial concerns, then do not have any pets...

[KittyWampus]

42. compared to kids, cats and dogs are a bargain!

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. Pets are expensive.

[Auggie]

5. How can you put a price on unquestioning loyalty and friendship?

Sounds like a bargain

[joeybee12]

9. They are as wonderful and as loyal as...

Red Sox fans!

[Cant trust em]

16. I try to let my dog down less frequently.

:)

[Auggie]

25. LOL

:thumbsup:

[Dappleganger]

11. +10000

They make damn fine foot warmers, too. :)

[hlthe2b]

6. Unconditional love... what's that worth?

Kids and spouses are rarely able to give that and they cost one heck of a lot more. ;)

[BrklynLiberal]

15. Priceless. Right????

[hlthe2b]

24. Absolutely....

their eyes are direct windows to their soul... I never tire of looking at any of my furbabies wonderfully expressive faces.

[BrklynLiberal]

27. Absolutely.

[NNN0LHI]

22. I like my cat a lot but I am a long way from comparing him to my wife or kids

If it ever got to the point I couldn't support one of them the cat is going bye bye. Not one of the kiddies.
Even if they didn't like me as much as the cat does. :)

Don

[hlthe2b]

23. Just comparing cost....

certain intangibles will vary, of course....LOL

[Ian David]

7. The last year of my dog's life cost twice that much in vet bills. n/t

[DBoon]

10. No such thing as a free puppy

and while you might eventually pay off the car, the vet bills just keep coming

Given that my dogs have more decency and integrity than most people, it is well worth it

[BrklynLiberal]

20. There are lots of folks out there who agree...

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.
- James Thurber

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between a dog and a man.
- Mark Twain

My little old dog: A heart-beat at my feet.
- Edith Wharton

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
- Andrew A. Rooney

The more I see of men, the more I admire dogs.
- Jeanne-Marie Roland

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
- Ben Williams

There never yet has been a dog
Who learned to double cross,
Nor catered to you when you won
Then dropped you when you lost.
- Mary Hale

and last but not least...

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.
- Harry S Truman

[Cleita]

12. I think my cat has cost me that much, especially in vet bills, because

for the first half of his life, he couldn't stay out of trouble. Between an operation to remove a needle he had swallowed and patching up from countless cat fights he was a bonanza to the vet. Now in his senior years he has to have regular medication for thyroid and prednisone and that also means regular labs. He will be my last pet and I guess it will be very lonely for me but once I can't work anymore I won't be able to afford any new ones. However, I think kids are still far more expensive.

[BrklynLiberal]

21. ....and far less grateful

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Cleita]

29. You are right. He has no problem biting me when he doesn't get his way.

:rofl:

[flvegan]

13. I actually think that's a low estimate.

Of course it all depends on how often you visit the vet, what food you feed the dog and if any serious medical issues occur during that life.

For example, I spent over $4k on cancer treatments on my last great dane. Not that it worked. And that was done at a "animal rescue friendly with the vet" rate.

[Cant trust em]

14. My dog is priceless.

What a great friend and companion.

[BrklynLiberal]

17. ..and adorable, too.

[davekriss]

55. What a beautiful and happy puppy!! (nt)

[sinkingfeeling]

18. Yep, have 3 cats and 3 dogs. I lost my 'expensive' 13 year old last year. Over $10K in vet bills.

[hfojvt]

19. that only works out to $49 a month

which is a pretty cheap car payment.

[NNN0LHI]

43. That is the average. I have a medium sized dog that I had over $6,400 into before she was a year old

Two bad legs. Two expensive surgeries. And she is still going 10 years later. With a little limp when it gets cold.

She is bugging me to go outside as I am writing this.

Don

[Brickbat]

26. When our last dog got old, we had a dollar amount in mind that would be our cutoff for care. We let

our vet know and they were very understanding. It ended up not being an issue, but I think it's important for people to be ready for huge costs and either get pet health insurance (also expensive) or have some hard discussions about what to do when medical bills climb.

[NNN0LHI]

31. The living will I have for myself dictates to take financial cost in the decision to let me die

I wouldn't want my wife to go bankrupt from medical bills trying to keep me alive to the bitter end.

That would be the last thing I would want.

Don

[Brickbat]

38. Good on you to have the tough conversations.

That would be harder than telling the vet that if my dog breaks a hip, I'd put him down rather than pay to fix it.

[tjwash]

28. And 1 human prisoner on trumped up pot charges=55000 for 1 year.

To put it in perspective...

[BrklynLiberal]

40. LOVE that pic in your sigline.....

[zonkers]

30. That number seems too low. I bet it's a lot more.

[4_TN_TITANS]

32. My women couldn't function without our menagerie

[spinbaby]

33. We figure at least $500 a year per cat

And we have five cats.

[Bonhomme Richard]

34. After having dogs for 30 years we decided that.........

it was enough. We have our lives back.

[eShirl]

35. I can understand that, too.

[McCamy Taylor]

36. That's cheap compared to a child. Cable would cost more than that.

[BrklynLiberal]

41. LOL. that really does provide a good sense of perspective....

:thumbsup:

[DBoon]

45. and a dog is far more intelligent and entertaining than anything on cable! (nt)

[zorahopkins]

37. About $50.00 per month

If my arithmetic is correct, $6,400 over eleven years is a little less than $50.00 a month.

[MerryBlooms]

44. I have a rescue bunny, a 9 m/o Manx and a 15 y/o wiener dog

$50 a month between the three is about right, but they're all in excellent health (knock on wood) and indoor/limited outdoor (supervised and leashed only outside) pets. The leashes, shots, tags, toys, beds, etc ... but I'm known to not able pass the toy aisle without indulging in at least some sort of toy or treat. With the Manx, he requires home-made (no canned) food along with a good balanced kibble, so I hold out chicken, beef, liver etc ... from our daily cooking for him and then have a bag of fish in the freezer that I make individual meals for him. Then you have the monthly expense of two kinds of litter for the cat and bunny. The old wiener is definitely the least expensive for now.

[xchrom]

46. and like others have said -- they are worth every penny. nt

[a la izquierda]

47. This guy was worth that and more...

I'd have gladly spent a fortune to keep my special guy alive. RIP little buddy 5/28/10


"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went."-Will Rogers

[Raine]

48. and worth 10 times that amount

I've given up so much for my dog and don't regret it one bit. My dog is priceless.

[REP]

49. ONE year of ONE of my cat's vet bills (at age 6) - $10K. Worth EVERY penny

That was 3 years ago and he's doing fine. We'd rather he not get that sick again, and we're very glad to have him (and the other three) with us.

Monthly they cost about $60 (Rx cat food and litter). For four kitties, that's not much.

[Incitatus]

50. Cost of raising a medium size dog to the age of 11 is $6,400

The look on an intruder's face when he's halfway through your window and comes face to face with your dog.




priceless

[depakid]

51. Unfortunately, all too often that's what a child see before he's mauled

[Bluebear]

52. It's a bargain.

[SoCalDem]

53. Sounds like a great bargain to me:)

What else can you enjoy as much for only for $48.48 a month :)

[davekriss]

54. Then there's 4 years of Canine College...

...and the phenomenon of boomerrang beasts who never really leave the home. It adds up.

But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my Wiemeraner and my mixed lab (who died recently). They are small children who look up to us and love us and trust us and give sooooo much back. $6400? A bargain!!

[proteus_lives]

56. It's what keeps me from getting a dog.

I would dearly love to have one but I'm afraid of a vet bill wiping me out. It's happened to some of my friends.

But I would pay if I had a pup. How could you not?

[Arugula Latte]

57. I can't live without my kitties

I MUST have cats in my life and in my house. I can't stand to be without them -- I even have to search them out on vacation to get a kitty fix. I'm taking one in to the vet tomorrow morning and I am petrified that we're going to get a serious diagnosis that will cost us hundreds and hundreds. :scared: