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The Financial Impact of Pets

The Financial Impact of Pets

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The financial impact of pets really hit home for us last night. We have a Rhodesian Ridgeback. He’s a flop-eared dog. Dogs with floppy ears are more prone to ear infections, so we check and clean his ears fairly often. The most recent check resulted in an appointment at the vets, because our dog has polyps in one of his ears.

The low estimate for the surgery to remove them? $600-$700, and it could be “significantly higher” depending on what they need to do. Plus there was the $59 for the initial visit itself, and another $20 for steroids to try to reduce the inflammation.

This whole thing got me thinking though about the overall financial impact of pets. We do have various expenses relating to pets built into our budget but for the most part those items assume that our pets remain relatively healthy. With two cats and a dog, the associated costs can really add up. (Especially when you include boarding while we’re on vacation, which can sometimes run more than our own hotel stay.) I’ll be detailing some of the costs that can be expected during a pet-ownership period in a future post.

I really don’t think most people should have pets. They’re a massive financial responsibility that most people aren’t responsible enough to plan for. Think about it… how much will the typical pet cost over its life? Food, vaccinations, toys, accessories, kennel, stuff so they can ride in the car, time away from work to ‘go let the dog out,’ things like these cost a lot of money. I think before anyone gets a pet, they need to monetize the decision. How much will the pet cost over its entire life? Probably quite a few thousand dollars. Are you willing to spend so much?

If you are willing to spend so much… DO IT! Obviously, I made the decision to I think if you can afford pets as well, go for it. It’s a pretty worthy way to spend the money, in my honest opinion. Just be prepared for the financial costs first. Once that is figured out, put it behind you. Every time you have to pay for something for your pet, who cares? You’ve already made the commitment when you adopted the pet. Now let it go. Get them everything they deserve. They are a family member, after all and a lifetime commitment.

Happy pet ownership!

View Comments (3)
  • Have you tried a petsitter for when you go on vacation? I find this option to be much less expensive than a kennel, and my pets are also much happier to stay in their own home.

  • We’ve thought about using a petsitter, but haven’t except for very short trips. We don’t really know anyone that would be available for longer trips, and I’m not sure how comfortable I am with a service. It’s funny though, our dog loves, loves, LOVES going to the kennel. (And he seems to be doing ok – we’ve got a week before he goes back to the vet’s.)

  • I use a pet sitter too. This woman comes to my home for $20 per day, walks all three dogs, checks the mail, loves on them some, and feed thems. She’s a little old lady, that just loves dogs, and it supplements her social security.

    How’s your baby doing?

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