Everyone knows that I am an insane animal person, right? OK well you now know. I often do the most ridiculous things for my pets, and most people don't understand.
The other day before my dogs were to get their yearly vaccinations, I sang the “SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS” song to them. Yes, I actually did that.
Today's post will most be about the background on my pets and their costs and soon I will have another posts detailing how you can take the right steps to finding the perfect pet for you.
Background
Both of our dogs are technically “rescued.” Our bigger dog (pictured below) was from a rescue agency.
She was found by the agency at around 6 weeks old tied to the ground with a chain.
Her chain was so short that she could not move at all. People are REALLY horrible out there!
Now, she is about 90 pounds of love. They think she's a Brittany/Pitt/Boxer mix. Seriously the nicest dog ever (but has a mean bark and protects me!).
She is the favorite of everyone. Great personality, always perfect, even though she does jump, she just wants some kisses.
Our other dog is a French Bulldog. He wasn't technically rescued from an agency, but we bought him from a neighbor. They bought him and it turned out that their other dog didn't get along with him at all (fighting a lot, and their other dog was an Olde English Bulldog, so they are HUGE), so they had to get rid of their newly acquired pup as soon as possible. He is around 15 pounds now (he is a runt).
He is super cute and loyal, but he does have a bad temper. I'm guessing it's because he's about half the size he's supposed to be but is scarily strong (all muscle, our vet laughs because he is built), so he doesn't get along with any dogs his own size and can't find any friends since he's so small 🙁
We used to have a third dog. We rescued her with knowing that she needed around $200 a month in medications. She was an Olde English Bulldog and only around 4-5 years old. She has the same coloring and sort of the same look as our dog pictured below, so we just couldn't say no. She ended up passing away 2 months later. I'm still very sad about this. But we gave her a really good 2 months.
Animal costs can definitely add up quickly, but I think they are well worth it. My dogs are wonderful and without them I would truly be very sad.
Food
Food for our small dog is not very much when compared to our bigger dog, but he still eats a lot for his size (about 2.5 cups a day). Our bigger dog eats around 5 cups a day. We try to buy decent dog food for them. We often switch between Beneful and Iams. You're probably wondering why I say that we switch dog food brands since technically you are only supposed to give dogs one type of food forever. Our dogs WILL not eat the same food for a long period of time. I have talked with the vet about this and he said it's fine.
Yes, I know these brands are not the best but I haven't really researched further even though I should. What types of dog food do you buy?
I've never really kept track, but we probably spend around $450 a year on dog food.
To save on food, toys and treats, make sure you get a customer loyalty card if you can. I usually am able to save a lot of money with this. Shop around as well. I found that pet stores generally have much higher priced food (not sure why), whereas Target and Walmart seemed to have the best prices.
Toys and Treats
I am horrible when it comes to buying toys and treats for my dogs. I find a lot of joy in going to PetSmart and Petco because I love buying them stuff. The boy usually gets mad because they have so many toys now.
I probably spend around $40 a month on toys, treats and bones for them.
I don't really recommend extremely cheap bones, mainly because lately there have been a lot of stories about how bone and raw hides are breaking in dog's stomaches and are causing them to die. That terrifies me. However, with toys, I usually just buy cheap items from Target or the dollar store, as my dogs will destroy nearly all of their toys in one night.
So I found that it was not worth it to buy the $15 toys anymore. Oh yeah, and they also hate Kongs and will not play with them, so that does not work either.
Medical
There are a lot of medical costs when it comes to having pets. When we first got our dogs, there were even more medical costs. I'm not for sure how much we spent at the time, but we did get all of their shots, plus get them spayed and neutered.
To save on spaying and neutering, see if there are any local organizations that will offer this for cheap. This is what we did. The Humane Society does spays and neuters for around $30. I would definitely look into this, as our vet wanted over $200, and I've heard in other states that some charge $800.
I'm not sure if they do this all over, but the Petcos around here do really low cost vaccinations. I was able to bring up both dogs to get all of their shots and one to get micro-chipped, and it cost $150 (would've been only $90 for both, but our city charges a $12 surcharge “tax” for each dog that goes to the vet, and the microchip was $35). Usually it would be around $800 for their yearly shots and for the little one to get micro-chipped. So $150 instead of $800 is MUCH better.
For other dogs it might not be as expensive, so you're probably wondering why it's usually $800. Well my little dog is a French Bulldog runt, and he needs lots of shots because his immune system is horrible. And then my bigger dog (pictured below) finds joy in eating animals in the backyard, so we always make sure she gets every shot imaginable so that she doesn't get sick.
Preventative care is key here. Make sure to always get yours pets checked for heart worm and that they receive all necessary shots. Not only would it be sad if they became very sick, but once they're sick, you are spending much more money than what you would've spent if they would have just received their shots.
My girl the other day while waiting for her shots
Even though we did save a ton of money, I don't know if I would do it again. I actually enjoy bringing them to their actual vet so that they can get one-on-one time with him (I love our vet). At Petco, they pretty much just line all the dogs up and give them shots quickly. It's definitely efficient, but my bigger dog hated that it wasn't the normal vet. Has anyone else ever gone to Petco for their cheaper vaccinations?
Our smaller dog will need many medical treatments soon. Our vet has recommended an endless list of things that he needs since he is a French Bulldog and also a runt. Laser nose surgery (his nose is super small and he's always our of breath) is one of the things that we will be getting next. She said he doesn't need it now but will need it when he's older.
Grooming
We don't take them to the groomer as often as we probably should. In fact, we've only taken them a couple of times. They're both short haired dogs, so we just bathe them in our shower or in the backyard usually.
However, I recently just found out that Petsmart will do a full-service groom for our smaller dog for only $10, so we might start doing that. They said our bigger dog would start at $40, so I'm not sure. If only they knew that our smaller dog would be much more hard to give a bath to haha.
Grooming your pet at home will of course save much more money than having it done somewhere else. However, if your dog (like mine) absolutely refuses to have their nails clipped (but loves getting it done by their vet), then it might be better just to bring them somewhere so that you don't end up hurting them.
How much do you spend on your pets?
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DC@Young Adult Money says
September 25, 2012 at 6:17 amThe cost of having pets can definitely add up…especially dogs. I've noticed this more and more as I am gearing up to buy one in a couple months. We also plan on getting a rescue dog, there just seems to always be so many that need homes.
"I don’t really recommend extremely cheap bones, mainly because lately there have been a lot of stories about how bone and raw hides are breaking in dog’s stomaches and are causing them to die."
Thanks for sharing this especially. I will avoid the cheap bones!
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 8:14 amYes definitely got a rescue dog! I am totally anti-pet store animals because they are mostly from puppy mills. Unless of course the pet store pets are actually animals that they are adopting out.
And yes, please keep the cheap bone thing in mind. It scares me.
My recent post My Pets and Their Costs
Sam says
September 25, 2012 at 6:25 amI' m all for cheaper shots. Louisville has a local store called Feeder's Supply, and every week a vet comes for 3 hours to give annual shots, clip nails, etc. It ends up costing about a third of what it would cost at a regular vets office. The best part is, this vet has a regular office right next door to Feeder's Supply, so I can take my pets there if need be, too. That way they see the same vet each visit.
I hear ya on the dog toys! Dollar store all the way. My lab eats everything!
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:44 pmSounds like a great deal on the shots!
@ClubThrifty says
September 25, 2012 at 6:37 amI feel like the worst pet owner in the world:) We don't spend nearly as much as most of you other pet owners. Our dog gets his annual shots, food, and some $.25 frisbees to play with. He probably costs us $10/month.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 8:23 amDefinitely nothing wrong with that. I'm crazy when it comes to my pets.
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Becky R says
September 25, 2012 at 6:39 amWe have a 90 lb. Old English Sheep Dog. We rescued her. She is 8.5 years old. I spend $50 a month on her food (it is a good, healthy brand.) Her yearly vet bills are about $400. And her grooming is about $100 every 3 months. So that is about $1,200 a year (not including toys and treats, but I take that from my monthly food budget.) That does not include emergencies. I just had to take her for a UTI. It was $200 with vet and meds.
I did not anticipate that she would cost us that much each year. I need $100 a month just for food, vet, and grooming. I also recommend another $400-$1,000 in a pet emergency fund.
But we love her so much. She is the sweetest dog.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:45 pmI take it from my monthly food budget as well. And I agree, dogs are worth it.
bogofdebt says
September 25, 2012 at 7:21 amI have a cat as you know (not that I talk about him all that much or anything….) Let's see: I bought him some toys in bulk for $5 (fuzzy balls from Hobby Lobby) and they've lasted for ever. His yearly vet visit is about $45 ish and I spend $15 on flea medicine every month. Kitty litter and food–hmmm roughly $50 every few months. He's a pretty cheap cat actually. Oh and I spoke to my vet about Iams-(the dry food I feed him) and the vet said it was fine for him. He's a very picky eater (will starve himself if he doesn't like the food we bought or at least only eat if he HAS to) so I wanted to make sure and the vet said that food was great.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:46 pmHaha my dogs are picky in that they like variety. They will not eat if they have to eat the same thing for more than a month.
plantingourpennies says
September 25, 2012 at 7:40 amWow – your pups make KittyPoP look like a true bargain! He's about $20/month in food, litter, toys, and his yearly vet check-up.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:46 pmWow that's cheap!
Lance @ Money Life and More says
September 25, 2012 at 7:47 amWe spent $430 this weekend on allergy testing and temporary meds to get my dog’s insane allergies under control. I just really hope the allergy test finds something.
MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:46 pmI hope your dog gets better.
Sean@OneSmartDollar says
September 25, 2012 at 8:05 amPets are so worth the cost. We usually buy one large 30-40 pound bag of dog food per month and then 12 cans of wet dog food. It's roughly $100 per month.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:47 pmWe used to buy wet dog food, but our two dogs would fight over it. It never went well with them, they just like it too much.
Rachel says
September 25, 2012 at 8:05 amWe've spent thousands and thousands on our pets, especially our older dog. We have three cats, and two dogs.
The outdoor cat (she came with the house) is low maintenance. Vaccinations, monthly flea meds, food. She's about $30/month.
The indoor cats are pretty low maintenance too. Vaccinations, food, litter. About $30/month between the two of them.
My older dog gets vaccinations, monthly flea and hearworm meds, food, in the spring allergy meds at $100/month. Right now he's on a homecooked diet, and so is my little one. He's had surgery for a luxating patella ($2k), had complications with being fixed ($800), and lots of testing, trial meds, etc. Not counting the "extra" surgeries, he's about $50/month.
My younger dog gets vaccinations, monthly flea and heartworm meds, food. She's about $30/month.
I think the best advice I've ever gotten was to feed the best food I could. Good food equals fewer vet bills, generally speaking. Also, brush your dogs' teeth, especially if they're prone to dental disease!
If you google dog food ratings, you can find some good sources that break down the content of dog foods for you and how good they are for your pets or not. Personally, I won't feed my dogs a lot of common commercially prepared foods, as they're full of fillers and chemicals. My cats and dogs don't get corn and junk in their food. My cats currently eat Wellness. My dogs, as I mentioned, are currently on a home-cooked diet per their vet, but have eaten Wellness, Taste of the Wild, etc.
MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:51 pmJealous that you can have so many animals! We can only have 2 dogs and 1 cat, or 2 cats and 1 dog in my city. And thank you for that tip, I will definitely be googling dog food.
Jordann says
September 25, 2012 at 8:06 amPets can be very expensive! But they don't have to be. I have a dog and a cat. They get the same brand of food, which I can buy at the grocery store, but thanks to label reading, I've discovered it's miles ahead of brands at a similar price point. Food probably runs me $30/month for the pair (she's a small dog). Cat litter another $5/month (my cat will only use the cheapest no name brand – score!). My dog gets anti tartar bones which are about $6/month, and flea/tick/heartworm control at about $21/month, plus the occasional toy. The cat is indoor so doesn't get vaccinations or flea control, and I haven't had the dog long enough to need to renew her vaccinations. I do both of their grooming at home, including nail trims for both.
All in all I have a "pet fund" with about $60/month in it, and I'm running a surplus right now. They can be expensive, but they don't HAVE to be expensive.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:51 pmI agree, they definitely don't have to be.
SWR says
September 25, 2012 at 8:11 amWe rescued a dog early this summer from an agency that spays/neuters all of their animals right when they come in.
You feed your little dog 2.5 cups per day??? We were told to feed our little guy 1 cup per day. Methinks I should check in with the vet on that one. We (well, the dog) like Iams Natural and the occasional cup of plain yogurt. The dog does NOT like Kirkland/Costco dog food, which everyone else says is really good and inexpensive.
We don't spend anything on toys – because our dog won't play with them! He just wants to be held and occasionally walked. We've probably spent $200 on boarding him when we're away for a few days- that's the cost that we're most surprised by.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:52 pmWell I think it really depends on the breed of the dog. He eats a lot, but he is pure muscle and EXTREMELY bulky. It's almost funny.
Em1723 says
September 25, 2012 at 8:36 amI think the only major expense we have is food but that's only about $30 a month. I give them there vaccinations myself, that I purchase from the vet I used to work for. She knows I know how to do it and that I can do a thorough annual exam so she's comfortable just letting me bring them in if they get sick. Luckily, neither has ever needed to go in because of being sick. For dog toys I give them my children's stuffed animals that they don't like. Surprisingly, the dogs know which animals are off limits.
MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:53 pmWow that's great that you can do the shots yourself!
mycanuckbuck says
September 25, 2012 at 8:39 amDo you sing the :"Shots" song to the tune of "Spam Spam..'? :). I don't know exactly what we spend on the cat. Vet costs aren't too bad- just 1 main visit a year (about 150.00 dollars) and a few extras to get her nails trimmed. Litter and food – probably 25 bucks a month. She's worth it – unless she's being moody.! Mind you, that's par for the course for cats..
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Little House says
September 25, 2012 at 8:51 amPet costs do add up. I have cats and they seem to need less medical care and maintenance than dogs. I really do want a dog, but we have to wait until we have a house with a small yard. I actually made the mistake the other day going into a pet store and a very pushy, but nice, lady took a min- Australian Shepard out of the cage and placed it in my arms. Ugh! That was so hard. Such a cute dog, but I just couldn't take it.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:54 pmGood for you for saying no! It can definitely be hard.
worksavelive says
September 25, 2012 at 9:22 amOver the last few weeks it seems like a ton of bloggers have been discussing the costs of pets. Do I need to be writing about this as well? lol. Anyway, we budget $70/month for our dog and it includes food, treats, and heartguard/flea meds. It may even cover his annual shots but we often have to come out of pocket for that as we always seem to spend what we've budgeted for him.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:54 pmHaha I love pet posts, so yes you should write one as well.
Miss T says
September 25, 2012 at 9:23 amOver the years we have spent thousands on pets but to us that is ok. We know they cost but they are part of the family. I really don't like putting a price on a life. I think you can do pretty good with the day to day stuff like food etc.. What hurts is those unexpected vet trips.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:55 pmI agree, I couldn't put a price on a life either. I love my dogs as if they were my children and would spend an endless amount of money to help them if something were wrong.
John S @ Frugal Rules says
September 25, 2012 at 9:25 amPet expenses can definitely add up quickly, especially if you have dogs as has been stated. We used to have two dogs and it always amazed me how much we'd have to spend on them each year. My in-laws took them from us a few years ago, so I am glad to be rid of the expense. We still have a cat and he, for the most part, is reasonable when it comes to expenses.
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Sharon says
September 25, 2012 at 9:26 amThat makes me so sad that your dog was found tied up 🙁 Both of my dogs are rescues. I spend $70 a month on their food. I was using a cheaper brand, but Jinx developed an allergy so I have to splurge. Oliver (my other dog) can't tolerate rawhides, so I only buy them femur bones which are more money but last a looong time. They're a lot of money but I think it's worth the joy they bring to my life. 🙂
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:57 pmThanks so much for letting me sponsor! I'm excited. Also, that is great that you have two rescues! I am completely for rescues and against puppy mill pet stores 🙁
Lane R says
September 25, 2012 at 9:32 amWe are crazy about our pets too. Obviously we spent a ton on Murph, but chemo is pretty expensive. When we got Finn I was looking back through all the costs with Murphy and saw we spent around $400 having him neutered. I did some research and found a low cost animal clinic in our area that neutered, heartworm tested, and gave Finn a few shots for under $100 and they couldn't have been nicer. I was so impressed and think I will be using them as my vet from now on. I can't say enough good things about them. For food we buy Nutro which runs around $40 for a large bag, but Finn is only about half way through the bag we bought three months ago when we got him. Once we get the new pup we are going to burn through food though. As far as treats and bones – sign your pets birthdays up with petsmart and they give you a free toy coupon. I buy the hard stuffed bones and all the dogs still love them after the filling is gone. Those bones last forever so I have only bought 1. Fluffy toys they only get one every once in a while because they are destroyed in seconds. I give up buying them and they just carry the toy remains around the house until they are non existent haha. In my mint account we have a monthly budget of $40 but right now we are actually spending way less that that since Finn eats very little.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:58 pmYes, I know you guys are crazy too! I'm glad it's not just me 🙂
therandompath says
September 25, 2012 at 10:01 amPets are like family so I totally get where you are coming from 🙂 I'd buy my cat more toys to play with, but he ends up hiding them and then I can't find them! He's very sneaky, that one 🙂
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:58 pmHaha my dogs do that too. Right now I can't seem to find a single toy of theirs. HMMM
Shannon-ReadyForZero says
September 25, 2012 at 12:29 pmNice breakdown of all the costs! These costs are literally the only thing keeping me from getting a Frenchie (right now my fiance and I settle for watching hours of youtube videos of Frenchies *sigh*). Maybe instead of registering for gifts for our wedding, we can just register for a pup ;).
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 3:01 pmhaha awww! Yes register for a pup! That would be so cute. I think they are worth it. They are great dogs. If you do end up getting a Frenchie, you should try looking up French Bulldog rescues around you.
Shannon-ReadyForZero says
September 25, 2012 at 3:04 pmGood idea, thanks for the tip!
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Teddy says
September 25, 2012 at 12:52 pmWe spend around $1300 a year for the dog — we raw feed, give her all of our vegetable scraps (no onions or grapes). She is groomed every six weeks and gets to the vet yearly. In the interim, she generally needs and RX ear wash to prevent swimmers ear. This year we avoided a staph infection but in really humid and wet summers, that adds about $200 bucks on to her vet bill. I brush her coat almost daily and also brush her teeth. She is 4.5 years old and looks like a puppy. Feeding raw costs us about a dollar a day. I uploaded a picture of her to dogshaming.com today — she is healthy and naughtly.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:59 pmThat is great that you raw feed! This is something that I want to do.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar says
September 25, 2012 at 1:09 pmI spend more on the pets than on myself. Great you took in a special needs dog. Those so often go to the pound and don't get adopted.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 3:00 pmYes, she was about to be put to sleep, but she was a great dog even though she only lived for 2 more months.
Crystal @ PET says
September 25, 2012 at 2:51 pmYou know we spend some major moolah on our rescues. I didn't sign up for it, but I knew it was a possibility. Mr. Pug needs $150 of medicines a year, $450 a year on just his food, and $300-$400 just for his two main checkups to make sure his steroids aren't killing his liver too fast. And this $1000 a year is just after the $3000 we spent on figuring out all of his problems over the last 3 years…
But by far the most expensive pet we ever had was Oreo the Pointer…had her for 2 weeks and spent nearly $3000 on carpet, vets, medicines, and kennels. She had pneumonia, passed that on to our two dogs, and had severe separation anxiety issues. She literally pulled apart a metal welded kennel and dug through to the subfloor in less than 3 hours…
But at least our first dog together, Ms. Doxie, is a pretty healthy one. We've had her for 7 years, she is now 14 years old, and she costs less than $500 a year total.
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MakingSenseofCents says
September 25, 2012 at 2:53 pmHaha that's why we love dogs, they're always in a good mood.
Amanda says
September 25, 2012 at 3:29 pmWe probably should start adding up how much we're spending on Louie, but we haven't yet, as we're still trying to figure out what food to stick with. We do spend a good amount on bones and toys, but stopped buying any stuffed ones because he'd destroy them in minutes. As for getting him fixed, it was close to $700…
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savvyscot.com says
September 25, 2012 at 4:02 pmI always forget how expensive pets are! We only have 5 fish in our pond and they cost about £20 a year to feed… 😉
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Daisy says
September 25, 2012 at 5:27 pmI don't have any pets, which I guess is a good financial thing. I want a dog so badly!
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CF @ OutlierModel says
September 25, 2012 at 5:33 pmMy cat is pretty cheap. He eats cheap food and litter is not too expensive. All in all, about $15 a month. He likes the taste of the cheap food better and he doesn't eat wet food (he drinks a lot of water for cat). *shrug* My previous cat liked wet food and preferred a more expensive brand of cat food, so I probably spent a bit more per month on him.
We adopted him at age 7 after his previous family decided to give him up.
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thethriftyspendthrift says
September 25, 2012 at 5:43 pmRight now I have two cats and since they are strictly indoors, they don't really need much in terms of vet care.
I love dogs. My husband is super allergic so I may never be able to have one but they are very pricey. My poor dog (at my parents' house) just got treated for tapeworm from eating a flea.
Erica says
September 25, 2012 at 6:27 pmEeek, please try and budget for a better dog food. Iams and Beneful are all corn, wheat, and meat by-products (a Google search on this will make you gag). Dogs cannot digest corn and wheat and this kind of food usually causes them to have more frequent bowel movements, gas, and other issues down the road.
We feed our dog Natural Balance and it's about $50/month (but this is also in Hawaii, so I imagine this food is a tad cheaper on the mainland). Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Orijen, Innova, Canidae, etc. are all great and slightly more expensive options. A good rule of thumb is to at least never purchase a dog food you can find in a grocery store. And beware of treats from China! There's been a lot of recalls on these lately. Don't be fooled into Science Diet either, it's just as crappy as Iams. Vets are paid to promote the brand.
But to get back to your original question, we spend about $75/month on our 1 1/2-year-old Pointer mix. Food, toys, treats, monthly heart worm prevention. We also have health insurance for him at about $350/year, well worth it, IMO. His annual vet visits usually cost us about $20 at the vet clinic on the military base we live on.
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Stephanie says
September 25, 2012 at 7:37 pmJust wanted to second Erica's sentiment on the food!! We give Elvis Natural Balance's L.I.D. (limited ingredient diet) line and it's been great. We usually switch flavors each time to keep things interesting for him, but the great thing with the L.I.D. is that they have little or no grain (depending on the flavor). It's more expensive, ranging from $48-59 for a 28 lb bag (again, depending on the flavor), but our 51 lb pointer only needs 3 cups a day to keep his weight up. And not to be gross, but the lack of grain in his diet makes his poop more solid, so it's easier to pick up. 😉
Between the food, treats, toys, heart worm prevention and flea and tick prevention, we probably spend just over $100/month. His yearly vet appointment usually runs us $125-175 depending on what vaccinations he needs.
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chocoliv says
September 25, 2012 at 8:11 pmyou sound like an awesome person — can't go wrong with a dog lover, i always say 😉
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Lesley says
September 25, 2012 at 10:56 pmaww, you should post more pics of your babies!
we only give our dogs science diet so i would say we spend about $600 a year on food, but you can tell from their fur that they get the good stuff. i think good dog food is totally worth it compared to the generic versions.
we rescued a dog and she died 8 months after we got her so i can totally relate. it's so sad but knowing you gave them a good last few months of life really makes it easier.
what would we do without dogs?! i know i probably would be very unhappy.
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Mary says
September 25, 2012 at 11:42 pmSeveral vets have recommended Nutro to me, since it doesn't contain corn and the first ingredient is meat. It ran me about $50 for a 35 lb bag every 2 months. I did some research, and it turns out Kirkland's best has the same ingredient list and is $26 for 40 lb, which lasts 10 weeks around here.
seedebtrun says
September 26, 2012 at 12:00 amI keep reading about how expensive dogs and their vet bills can be….but I still want one! I will just be patient and wait until we are in a better financial place.
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Christa says
September 26, 2012 at 3:11 pmI have a Great Dane and two cats, so you can imagine I spend a pretty penny on my furry children. The Dane is now about $40 per month for food/treats/toys and the cats $20 per month for food and litter. Vet bills run about $500 per year. Boarding costs about $500 per year as well because I always treat the dog to a day of doggie daycare when she boards. We bathe the Dane 2 to 3 times per year outside, so I only have to take her to the groomers once in the winter at $40. All in all, we spend a lot on our pets, but they are definitely worth it!
Madison says
September 28, 2012 at 1:24 pmWe feed our dog Fromm Adult Gold. http://frommfamily.com It's a grain free dog food made in small batches at low temperatures to help keep all of the flavors and nutrients in the food. She refused to eat Iams or any other cheaper food I gave her. This is the first she will eat. A 15lb bag is about $22 at my local store and it lasts about a month. So only a few more dollars more than the best Target/Walmart brand and SO much better for them.
My dog definitely likes chew toys but will destroy any cheap one I give her within ten minutes. I've found that the Kong brand squeaky toys hold up REALLY well. We have a long fetch stick and a little donut type one for months and they're still in perfect condition.
We also bought this other squeaker from Petco that's in a shape of a gummy bear that she's had about a month and still is holding up well even though the squeaker is broken now.
I'm considering buying one of these: http://www.dogsgonuts.com/ They're supposed to be super tough.
Also, I've tried Tuffy brand plush animals. http://www.tuffietoys.com They hold up much better than any other plush we've tried. She loves soft toys but I hate buying something she's going to destroy in minutes… So I get these occasionally and they last a week or two.
Have you tried those Nylabones? They have various 'toughness' types. My dog chews threw the flexichews in a week but she's still working on the same durachew I bought her in March!
So, uh, as you can see I also like to buy toys for her. haha. I buy her so many things and then find out that she either wont play with them or she chews them up too quickly. *sigh* But she's worth it. 🙂
sorry, long comment is long lol
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