Ah, puppies. Few things are as lovely as a soft, cuddly, tiny little puppy. Believe me, when you bring in your new puppy for his or her first vet visit, the entire hospital staff is as excited as you are about your new addition. Especially after a day of seeing mostly sick patients, a healthy, happy, fresh-out-of-the-oven puppy can really boost your spirits.
Puppies are great, but what do they cost? I don't just mean what you pay the breeder or in adoption fees, or how much food is going to cost, but what is the true cost of owning a pet?
When you buy a car, there are a lot of things to consider. How much is it going to cost to insure? Will I need maintenance from the start? How long is the smog certificate good for? Is it a gas-guzzler? How much am I going to spend on parking? Buying or adopting a puppy is much the same, with lots of costs to consider at the start. Cutting one cost can lead to a bigger bill later (think parvo!)
When deciding if you can afford a puppy (or kitten!), consider the following:
When deciding if you can afford a puppy (or kitten!), consider the following:
Vaccines
I'm leaving the current debate about the role of vaccinations out of this post, but if you fall on the side of people who see the benefit of vaccinating your puppy against dangerous diseases, especially at a young age with a vulnerable immune system, then you should know that most puppies will require 3 Distemper-Adenovirus-Parvovirus-Parainfluence shots (DA2PP, is it is often called) and 1 rabies shot, as a minimum. These shots are given over 3 appointments, with the last appointment when the puppy is either 14 or 16 weeks of age (depending on State law). Kittens will a series of 3 Feline Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Parvovirus (FRCP) shots, and 1 rabies vaccine. If they go outside, it's good to include the vaccine for Feline Leukemia Virus, which needs to be given twice, 3 to 4 weeks apart.
At my hospital, we charge for the first exam, but for each subsequent vaccine appointment over the next year, we wave the exam fee. Other clinics might charge for each appointment, so check their policy before hand. By the way, examining a pet and giving a shot takes up time, and vets and technicians totally deserve to be paid for their time!
At my hospital, we charge for the first exam, but for each subsequent vaccine appointment over the next year, we wave the exam fee. Other clinics might charge for each appointment, so check their policy before hand. By the way, examining a pet and giving a shot takes up time, and vets and technicians totally deserve to be paid for their time!
Intestinal Parasite Control
Please don't forget this! Puppy will have worms, which they pick up from their mother when nursing, or from sniffing around the ground and eating everything they find. Additionally, humans can get these worms from puppies! You won't usually see them in your puppy's poop, but they're there, and in humans they can cause blindness (toxocariasis) or the larvae may live in your skin (Ancyclostoma duodenale infection). Especially if you have any children, elderly people, or immune-compromised people in the house, you should deworm your puppy regularly.
There are a lot of over-the-counter dewormers out there, but many of them only target a very small selection of worms, and more and more often, those worms are becoming resistant to these products. So, if you want more bang for your buck, I would suggest skipping these products and going for something more robust, which you can get from your vet.
If you have heartworm in your area, you may be using a monthly heartworm medication for your puppy/dog, which will also cover some, but not all of these intestinal parasites. That's why I recommend checking stool samples from puppies, especially if they're new from the breeder or shelter, so we can identify any other parasites and add "the right drug for the right bug."
And just to reiterate: your puppy will have worms! Even if they received a dewormer from the breeder or shelter, it will need to be repeated periodically in young puppies.
There are a lot of over-the-counter dewormers out there, but many of them only target a very small selection of worms, and more and more often, those worms are becoming resistant to these products. So, if you want more bang for your buck, I would suggest skipping these products and going for something more robust, which you can get from your vet.
If you have heartworm in your area, you may be using a monthly heartworm medication for your puppy/dog, which will also cover some, but not all of these intestinal parasites. That's why I recommend checking stool samples from puppies, especially if they're new from the breeder or shelter, so we can identify any other parasites and add "the right drug for the right bug."
And just to reiterate: your puppy will have worms! Even if they received a dewormer from the breeder or shelter, it will need to be repeated periodically in young puppies.
Microchipping
This is absolutely worth the small cost, in my opinion. If your pet is lost, your chances of being reunited are so much higher if there is a microchip in place. Whenever a stray is brought into my hospital and there's no chip, we try our hardest to find his or her home, but sometimes we can't. I always wonder if there's an owner out there still looking for his or her pet
Spaying or neutering
If this is something you're interested in doing, I recommend getting an idea of the price before adopting or buying a pet. The price will be related to the size of the animal, as more drugs will be needed for anesthesia and the surgery can be more time-consuming in a heavier animal.
There are lots of organizations and shelters that will do neuters and spays at very low cost. The surgery is exactly the same as you would get in a veterinary hospital, but costs are cut by either (a) charitable donations, or (b) cheaper and sometimes fewer drugs are used. Ultimately, you will get what you pay for. My recommendation would be that it's perfectly fine to shop around, but I would only check between local veterinary hospitals. Save the charities for people who are in truly bad financial situations.
That's why I recommend getting a cost estimate in advance. If you can't afford the surgery at this time, it might be worth waiting on getting the puppy until you can.
There are lots of organizations and shelters that will do neuters and spays at very low cost. The surgery is exactly the same as you would get in a veterinary hospital, but costs are cut by either (a) charitable donations, or (b) cheaper and sometimes fewer drugs are used. Ultimately, you will get what you pay for. My recommendation would be that it's perfectly fine to shop around, but I would only check between local veterinary hospitals. Save the charities for people who are in truly bad financial situations.
That's why I recommend getting a cost estimate in advance. If you can't afford the surgery at this time, it might be worth waiting on getting the puppy until you can.
Insurance
In fairness, this isn't just about owning a puppy, it's about looking into the future. I see healthy pets that make it into their twilight years with hardly a medical bill, but I also see puppies diagnosed with epilepsy and requiring long-term medications, cats with bite wounds that turn into abscesses and need surgery, and dogs that have chronic severe allergies and their owners have tried every medication available to stop. the. itching.
The breed of puppy that you get may influence your decision whether or not to get insurance, as some breeds are more prone to developing health conditions. If you choose against getting insurance, start an emergency fund before you get your new pet, and be realistic about what kind of bills you might face, and the situations where you might want to try and treat any problems. Take the example of leg amputation: maybe you find, on ethical and moral grounds, that you wouldn't want to remove a leg in an older dog that has an aggressive bone tumor with a poor prognosis. But if your young puppy broke his or her leg and amputation meant they could still have a long healthy, happy life, would you want the option?
The breed of puppy that you get may influence your decision whether or not to get insurance, as some breeds are more prone to developing health conditions. If you choose against getting insurance, start an emergency fund before you get your new pet, and be realistic about what kind of bills you might face, and the situations where you might want to try and treat any problems. Take the example of leg amputation: maybe you find, on ethical and moral grounds, that you wouldn't want to remove a leg in an older dog that has an aggressive bone tumor with a poor prognosis. But if your young puppy broke his or her leg and amputation meant they could still have a long healthy, happy life, would you want the option?
In summary: take the time to consider the costs
I'm not afraid to come across as a buzzkill here. Owning a pet of any type is a big responsibility, and you owe it your puppy, kitten, bunny, or whatever, to be knowledgeable and have a plan in place for that early care. I love, love, LOVE seeing a new pet, but what really warms my heart is knowing they're getting all of the care they need, including basic preventative medicine. Then, everybody wins.
Image by Edgar Olivera