# Monthly Cost of having a dog



## mitzigollop (Sep 19, 2012)

Good morning

Out of interest how much would you say your dog costs you per month (obviously I know that there will be extras some months and of course vet bills) on average? Incl pet insurance (if you use it). Thank you. 

Lou


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Oof I have actually just worked this out for the first time by looking at my bank statement. On average over the last 3 months I have spent about £40 a month on Nacho. His pet insurance is £14 a month on top too! He is far too spoilt I think! I do buy him lots of treats etc once a month which obviously puts the costs up by about £10 -12 extra.

So worth it though xx


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## mitzigollop (Sep 19, 2012)

I was thinking that I would need about £50 a month, which looks to be about right. Out of interest what insurance company do you use? thanks.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Yes I would say that's about right. They are expensive little critters!  Nacho is with Sainsburys and they were very quick to pay out when my little darling swallowed a golf ball and needed an op to remove it. The premium has gone up slightly though. There are some good threads on here regarding insurance..... lots of people recommend John Lewis too! I would recommend finding one that has no limit. I think Nacho's is up to £7000 a year for each illness or issue which is great.


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## mitzigollop (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks. I used to use sainsburys with my cats but the monthly DD went up to over £20 for each  I changed one of them over and kept the other one with them as I wasn't sure she would be around much longer and bless her heart she died suddenly the next day, so sad.  I'm using pet friends or something or other with Jerry now but no idea how good they are at paying out! I'll look into John Lewis thanks (didn't realise they did pet insurance).


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## mitzigollop (Sep 19, 2012)

Oh and btw Nacho is just adorable! fab pics. Out of interest where did you get him from?


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Me neither until I saw some of the posts on here. There are so many different insurance companies so it is worth a shop around. Sorry to hear about your cat. Losing animals is just awful. 

Thank you for your lovely comments about Nacho. I got him from a hobby breeder in Lostwithiel in Cornwall (about an hour from where I live). He couldn't be more perfect. 

Good luck in the search for your new puppy. Although hard work (at first) you won't look back! I hope you manage to find some dog friendly accommodation to rent!!

I have found a lot of my friends who have pets and are renting have paid deposits up front (ranging from £500 -£1000) so there are always options.... just have to find a landlord who loves dogs!


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

The break down of the costs for me are:-

Insurance and vet health plan. £25

I'm a raw feeder and it costs about £0.70 per day. £22

So about £50 a month or £1.65 a day would be realistic, you will find it hard to get a sandwich for that.
And I think they are worth every penny, you don't get undivided love from a sandwich.


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## lynkev1903 (Aug 25, 2012)

What do you get with your vet health plan?


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Yearly health check, booster vacs, flea & worm treatment, a free emergency consultation, and discount on all other visits and meds.


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## Kate.E.P (Aug 9, 2011)

I worked this out a while ago - Dog number 1 cost £1 a day - dog number 2 slightly less so for both of mine including food, insurance, treats, a toy etc Its about £2 a day for me. This doesn't really include vet trips though - I.e. the injections which are approximately £60 each a year.

Personally I don't think they are a big cost at all - Monthly I don't even notice - I buy the giant bags of dog food also to reduce costs and I keep an eye out on offers as well


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## lynkev1903 (Aug 25, 2012)

Strof51 can I ask how much a month you are for health plan? As my local vet does it at a cost of £12 for medium dog and £14 for a large dog. We get our Cockapoo mid November so trying to price if its worth it or not, Thanks


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

The health plan costs £10.85 for a medium sized dog, and saves us £30 a year on the normal prices, not including the discount for other visits or the free out of hours appointment. Also remember you have an excess on your insurance so the discount for one off treatment is well worth having.


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## lynkev1903 (Aug 25, 2012)

Ok that's great thanks


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## mitzigollop (Sep 19, 2012)

Thanks all, I really appreciate you taking the time to respond.  I thought £50 would be about right. I just didn't want to miss anything and off and find I couldn't actually afford the cost of one.


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

No one has mentioned grooming, which can work out quite costly, so invest in some good equipment and do it yourself. Izzy really needed professional grooming every 4 weeks as her hair is curly, dry, matts easily and seems to grow so quickly. The groom cost £35 a session at a local independent groomer or £45 at Pets at Home. I now do it myself.


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## Debbie & Crunchie (Oct 16, 2012)

I pay £28.01 for insurance per month for my poo and 2 cats and then around £10 for a sack of food which last 2 months then just her treats and toys as extras


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