Do you spend this much on your dog?? (1 Viewer)

[4dmalamute]

Well, my Saint Bernard just had some surgery yesturday. They removed a "mass" that was around his neck. Thought it might be a salivation gland but when they got in there it wasnt. Anyway, we thought the bill was going to be under 700.00 bucks (just paid 400.00 two weeks ago for blood work for him), but to our surprise...............$1100.00. My jaw dropped to the floor! Sooo I chuckled out loud saying "I should just add up the amount spent on this dog"...the person at the desk said "well let me show you your year to date spending with us".........$3300.00 and some change she says!! Ok so right there I s*** myself!! The dog is only 19 months old and is a fricking beast...coming in at 185 lbs. The sad part is that he has epalepsy (sp) so he is on daily meds for that for the rest of his life, not to mention his 88 pounds of dog food a month=$165.00!! My god, all I can say is NEVER get a Saint Bernard!! He is great with my daughter and kids and other dogs but these bills are starting to kill me!! Especially since I am not working (just finished school) and trying to pay off some loans!

Anyway, I am just ranting is all. Thanks for just letting me ramble on. Here is a picture of the beast with the wife and kid..............ya he is a monster! Chans

 

[Doc]

Damn, that head is HUGE! He is a beast, but from what I hear about St. B's they are very loving.

It's rally hard to nail down a price on a family pet.

Not all St. B's have health issues like that though, I have a couple of buddies with 'em- no big problems so far other than the monster size poops.

 

[wesintl]

I don't spend that monthly but I would if it was my "little greta" or "gunther" I did pay 2-3k for Greta's broken leg and would do it again without a flinch if needed. They are our family

 

[razzoo]

They are worth it. I spent approx. $5K on my cat over the span of the first 4-6 years of her life.
She had some goofy blood disease and it took a small fortune and a number of tests and trials with meds to get her stabilzed. She lived to be close to 12 years old and my best little buddy the whole time.
If I wouldn't have bit the bullet and taken care of her like I did she would have been gone before she was 2 years old.

 

[trucruiser]

If it makes you feel any better i just shelled out close to $700.00 last friday to have a cyst removed from right above my dogs eye, but my dog doesnt go through $165.00 a month in food.

 

[rabid]

My Saint has been pretty cheap, short of food.

At 5 months, I had to buy a new cat door, however.

 

[alvarorb]

There's a fellow Mud member (from Northern California) who said to me: "If you are going to pay $40 a day for a kennel. And you are going to be away for more than 15 days, " You might as well get a new dog when you get back....

Regards

Alvaro

 

[rabid]

I wish I had a photo of her after she got into a hornet nest. Her right eye was swollen up like one of those bulge-eyed goldfish. That was a few hundred dollars for the after-hours weekend dog hospital visit.

She is tall, but light. Only clocks in at 120 at 2 years old.

 

[stinkyfj60]

We have a little terrier mutt (around the size of a Standard Schnauzer). About 25-30lbs. He doesnt eat much, turds are managable, and he seems pretty healthy.

But we have spent money and family pets in the past, they are like children.

 

[razzoo]

My Saint has been pretty cheap, short of food.

At 5 months, I had to buy a new cat door, however.

THAT is hysterical!

 

[mloudy]

Spent over $7,000 in one month trying to save our Boston. She did not make it and I have never regreted spending the money. It was a horrible month. Live it up while you got em.

 

[4dmalamute]

Thanks for the advice on this........Funny thing is, I would drop another 5k anytime on this dog, just gets a bit hard at times is all. Yes we love our dog, even when he takes those 5 pound turds in the yard!!!! We are off to visit him in a few soo got to go.

 

[LIVERUST]

If the vet would have told me when my dog first got sick that I'd be spending $2500 to maintain her I would have put her down, problem was not knowing in advance. It was $400 for blood work to help diagnose, and $200 a day for the hospital, then once you had spent $1000 and they come back and say it will be another $400 and another $400 you keep thinking well I'm into it this far I need to see it out. Before you know it you've spent $2500 . My Chesapeak Bay Retriever is now on daily insulin and blind from cataracts. Sure surgery could correct the vision problem but I finally decided enough was enough. Besides she is kind of fun to watch how she adapts and copes with the deficit. Pretty smart animals.

troy

 

[chet]

our dogs are our children and we have been lucky. Our dalmation has not costed us much over the 10 years and our part st. berny is the same with only a recent visit due to a bad limp she had. turned out to be a sprained ankle! Never dogs got those!

 

[NorCalDoug]

hmmmmm....let me see...
open box of nomex stuff...pull on the coveralls...gloves, check...hood, check...boots, check...covered up...I'm ready for the flames.

Dude -- I hate to say it, but you have a defective pooch. Isn't there a 2 year, 200 pound warranty on something like that? At some point, loving pet or not, it just doesn't make financial sense to keep a particular pet. I might have a different opinion if this was an old dog -- one that's been in the family for 10 to 15 years and he just getting old. In that case, I'd say help him out, make him comfortable...he's earned a little more comfortable time for all the years he's dedicated to you and your family.

This St. Bernard is less than 2 years old! Hell...you're dealing with mystery masses already? And seizures? Just wait until you have to deal with his hips. No...time for a new dog IMO. Shell out a grand for another one...a non-defective one the next time and you'll be WAY far ahead of the game -- financially AND emotionally. Why put yourself through so much misery?


For the record...I'm not the guy Alvaro is referring to...but I know who it is

There's a fellow Mud member (from Northern California) who said to me: "If you are going to pay $40 a day for a kennel. And you are going to be away for more than 15 days, " You might as well get a new dog when you get back....

Regards

Alvaro

 

[wob]

hmmmmm....let me see...
open box of nomex stuff...pull on the coveralls...gloves, check...hood, check...boots, check...covered up...I'm ready for the flames.

Dude -- I hate to say it, but you have a defective pooch. Isn't there a 2 year, 200 pound warranty on something like that? At some point, loving pet or not, it just doesn't make financial sense to keep a particular pet. I might have a different opinion if this was an old dog -- one that's been in the family for 10 to 15 years and he just getting old. In that case, I'd say help him out, make him comfortable...he's earned a little more comfortable time for all the years he's dedicated to you and your family.

This St. Bernard is less than 2 years old! Hell...you're dealing with mystery masses already? And seizures? Just wait until you have to deal with his hips. No...time for a new dog IMO. Shell out a grand for another one...a non-defective one the next time and you'll be WAY far ahead of the game -- financially AND emotionally. Why put yourself through so much misery?


For the record...I'm not the guy Alvaro is referring to...but I know who it is

I agree.
But I also know that it is easier said than done. You can be pretty attached after two years. But you have to think deep down that this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as costs go.

 

[cruiserman]

3 knee surgeries on one dog and another knee on the 2nd dog plus thrice daily Rimadyl . . . cha-ching! The pills alone are more than $1k a year. Surgeries add up to about $5k. My dogs have dropped down the totem pole since we had kids. I doubt I'll be getting any more dogs once these 2 expire.

Who pays $40 a day for a kennel? That's insane.

 

[NorCalDoug]

...Who pays $40 a day for a kennel? That's insane.

Welcome to CA!
When I checked locally, the prices ranged from $25 to $45 per day. We used one for about a week -- 2 dogs, $33/day (per dog) for 6 days = $396

 

[wesintl]

These Doggie spas, errrrr, I mean Kennels are hot s*** these days. You can take a look at your pooch on the net while on vacation via camera, you can pay for midnight treats and all kinds of pampering. It's outta hand.

 

[Jomama]

Lol, that bernard going thru the cat door is hysterical...


I have a $2000 "free" dog as well, after getting clobbered by a car at 2yrs old. She's now 11 and worth every penny I spent...