The real cost of having pets

gettingready

I always get pets meds from Animed, free and very d=fast deivery and good prices

Darren_G

Just read through all 14 pages of this thread with interest.

I'm assuming that with internet/mail order for most food and routine medicine products that these costs will be fairly consistent throughout the UK. Having seen the OPs original dogwalking and insurance costs, it has left me wondering if there is a 'regional divide' for some of the other costs such as insurance.

Harley is a medium sized Labrador (30kg or thereabouts) and my rough monthly costs are:

Food (Arden Grange Salmon) - £26 - This has shot up recently, but I try and look out for bulk deals. We get through an average of 7x15kg bags a year and I can currently get it at £44.50 a bag including delivery - was previously managing about £36 a bag

Treats/biscuits - £3

Insurance - £29.60 - have stuck with Petplan, who are not the cheapest, but most vets in my area will only deal direct with them, otherwise it is pay up front and take my chances with a claim, which could prove difficult if his hips go..

Flea/worm treatment - £4.85 (advocate every six weeks in spring/summer, then combo of drontal and frontline in autumn/winter)

Vaccination booster/annual vet check - £3.40 (usually about £40 for the annual once over and jabs, depending on which booster is being administered)

Total monthly spend, without any unexpected extras = £66.85 and he is worth every penny!

We are expecting to have to have his teeth cleaned this year, which is over £200, but last autumn our vets did a 'pet dental health month' where they did dental treatment at half price, so will hold out to see if they do it again.

It would be interesting to compare prices per region (I am in Leeds, West Yorks).

I don't use/need a dog walker, but the average rate in my area seems to be £8 per one hour group walk, and there is one national franchise (Petpals) who will do an 'express walk' - either let the dog out for a run round the garden or a quick trip around the block - for £5 a time

penny_pincha

Darren_G wrote: »

Having seen the OPs original dogwalking and insurance costs, it has left me wondering if there is a 'regional divide' for some of the other costs such as insurance.

Vaccination booster/annual vet check - £3.40 (usually about £40 for the annual once over and jabs, depending on which booster is being administered)

It would be interesting to compare prices per region (I am in Leeds, West Yorks).

I don't own a dog but have cats, but can comment on vet prices.

I live in North West Kent, Dartford area, so I have to pay London prices. I am also a cat breeder and so I am in touch with a fair number of other cat breeders mostly in my area (Kent) but throughout the country. Talking with others it does appear that vet prices do vary dramatically, regionally. For instance, a friend who breeds the other end of Kent to me, near Margate, pays half what I do in vaccination fees.

A couple of years ago when the credit crunch first hit, I rang around to find out what prices vets offered to do vaccinations for kittens. I contacted about 12 different vets in my immediate area (ones which I could get to easily) and found that the most expensive were twice that of the cheapest. (Varying between £85 to £38 for enteritis, flu & leukaemia courses.) However, although my existing vet was one of the most expensive, I stuck with them.
The reasons were as follows -

• Their opening hours were very long - opening at 8am until 8pm & at weekends (Sat & Sun)
• They did their own out of hours emergency calls - most vets seem to sub out this service, so you could get anyone or have to travel some distance so increasing the time it took to get treatment. Also, I had heard of vets in these circumstances charging extortionate prices as keeping you as a long term client is not of interest to them.
• My existing vets know me and my animals, I have been with them over 20 years & want to keep me as a client. I put a lot of business their way. Often I go in with something minor and don't get charged.

I told my vet my findings, saying that if I was ringing around doing price comparisons then other would probably be doing it too. The result was, they restructured their charging system and the cost of inoculations was reduced & the cost of operations was increased.


Different vet surgeries probably also have a pricing structure where they charge a higher mark up for some services than others, depending how they want to market their business. Also, not all vet offer the same services, having to pay staff if they open longer or do their own emergency cover must affect their prices.

paddypaws101

GR.....Yes I think you should still be ok to spray laminate etc...in fact the gaps round skirting boards are favourite places for the fleas to hide. Not so sure about leather sofa, I guess try a small patch to see...anyway I would be spraying under the cushions and in the 'creases' rather than over the whole surface it that makes sense.

gettingready

Just looked at Zooplus and my jaw hit the floor.. of course now when I think it is the time to order some litter - no offers whatsoever on OKO, grrrr

Yes, staying with Oko for purely financial reasons as it does last for ages, started the 40 litre bag on 20th March and still got quite a lot left. Bu hate to run out so wanted to order anoter, perhaps 20 litre this time.

Last week (when I had no money) there was price down, additional cat tunnel offer etc.. Now - nothing.. will wait with ordering then.

New dogwalker starts on Monday, I will be home for the first 3 weeks (plan on going back to work 21st May), hopefully all will work out here as this is a massive savings.

Asked daughter and her b/f t get me asda own ecnomy sardines for dog/cats - only when they brought those in (do not ask me how many....massesssss, months worth 1 for each dat for Zara and 2 per day between 4 cats) we realised they picked sardines in TOMATO sauce by mistake.... Hmmmm

Zara does not mind but I a not sure about the cats, did not give them any, do not want them to have runny poos but.....

Anyone knows about cats and tomato sauce?

The reason was the fish/oil thingy, now I have a month supply of fish/tomato hmmmmmmmm

Also got 30 tins of asda economy hot dogs - those we use as treats for Zara, se loves them. Chop for smaller bits and take walkies.. she will do anything for a hot dog my furry little girl

Paddypaws - when you coming over?

gettingready

Ah, was orderng Skiners for Zara from Vet UK so also ordered 10 litres of Oko from there, few pence cheaper than zooplus anyway and 10 litres together with what I have at home will last me t the end of May so will be ok.

Pity Vet UK does not do bigger bag but.....

scaredy_cat

i think a bit of tomato sauce wont hurt them, as the tomato is cooked. i have given my old Sugar cat tinned fish, some in tomato and some in oil when she was alive and she didn't seem to get any ill effects.

gettingready

Well, just gave them one tin (125g) shared between the 6 of them - to see how they get on.

They absolutely loved it no question.

Poor Zara was sitting there watching them ready to "wash up" their dishes but there was nothing left so... opened another one for her, her second today.

Fred polished off quite a bit of lasagne last night and he was fine - mushrooms, pasta, sauces etc.. but then Fred is.. Fred is a proper dustbin as far as food is concerned, nothing moved THAT cat's stomach.

He grew out of those forever runny poos some time ago and eats absoutely anything as long as it is not dry cat food....

Caught him with half of my avocado once - he growled at me and I was in histerics waching him eating the whole half oi it (small one but still), he likes cracker bread, fresh coriander (!!!!!!)....

calicocat

Tomatoe sauce....i seem to remember on one of fridaycats posts something she said about cats being allergic to or poisoned by tomatoes?....it was in her 'how to get oil off a cat' thread........but i did once have a cat that was mad about pizza,so she must have a bit i guess.

rising_from_the_ashes

Tomato sauce & cats ........ is a "no" (sorry)

If you've got any more tins with the tomato sauce on, I'd rinse it off before giving tot them.