What Price Is Right?
Pets Are Priceless, But They Do Cost Money
The price of owning a pet? Priceless, as they give us such a wonderful gift of love. The cost of owning a pet is something else entirely.
As a veterinarian, it is not uncommon that we are discussing financial concerns as a part of our pet health care offerings and it is also the place where many struggle. There is a tangible cost associated with a cat or a dog, or any pet for that matter. It can be variable, but it is never not there.
Here are comparisons for the cost of the first year care for a sampling of pets from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA). These include the capital costs of purchase or adoption, as well as supplies and veterinary care:
• Fish – $235, including food, aquarium and some miscellaneous items.
• Guinea Pig – $705, including food, treats, toys, cage, litter, veterinary care (that comprises $70 of the total).
• Cat – $1,050, including food, litter, litter box, toys, treats, carrier, scratching post, pet insurance, etc. along with spay/neuter, initial medical care and ongoing veterinary care (the veterinary items add about to about $450-$500).
• Small Dog – $1,350, including food, toys, treats, carrier, training and pet insurance with estimated veterinary costs for spay/neuter, etc. of about $500. Add more if needs regular grooming.
• Medium Dog – $1,500 with the same items as the small dog, with around $500-600 in veterinary care.
• Large Dog – leaps to $1,850 due to size, doubling the volume of food purchases, bigger toys and treats, along with around $650-$750 for the first year’s veterinary care.
Over their lifetimes, with the first and the senior years being the most expensive, you as an owner can expect to spend about $6,000 or more for your cat and much more on a dog. Do I think that you should get a fish? No, but pet owners need to know that there will be costs to keep that priceless dog, cat, guinea pig or other great companion creature healthy, happy and loved.
In a world where every dollar is often spoken for in our budgets with kids, cars, rent or mortgage, educational debt, etc., we all would benefit from a pet to give us unconditional love and support. But we have to look at the bottom line of the costs to make sure that we can take care of them.
One, keep them healthy with preventive care such as examinations, vaccinations, regular veterinary and home dental care, checks for external and internal parasites and the preventative medications against said parasites. Even an indoor only cat can “catch” intestinal parasites or be exposed to disease-causing viruses or bacteria from their environment. Your veterinarian will tailor your pet’s care to their lifestyle and risks based on species, breed, age and more.
Two, plan for the high likelihood of accidents or illnesses at some point during your pet’s life. Preventive care prevents lots of diseases, but there are many that cannot be prevented or develop due to the insults of aging or unexpected accidents. Pet insurance is a great way to expand your pet care dollars to help cover both preventive can unexpected health care needs.
Dr. Margot can be reached at parkhillvet.com