Dog related spending out of control

HampshireH

Insurance £20.93 monthly
Dog Walker £210 monthly
Food £42 6 weekly

Worming/tick treatment £65 a year

Pro bath/groom once a year £37
Treats £10 monthly
Vets annual jabs £80

Our dog has one collar and if it's get too tatty/faded we buy a new one off Amazon  £10

He has one coat for heavy rain £25

We use our old towels.

Water bowls came with him 5 years ago

Over the years we have probably paid out about £100 a year in other vets cost (ears/eyes/ticks under the skin)

If we didn't pay a walker he is quite cheap really 

lordmountararat

I cancelled my dog's insurance when the premium went up 25% in one go, despite never having made a claim. Pet insurance is a complete rip off, imho. I put £5K into an easy access savings account earmarked for vet's bills. It doesn't earn much interest these days, but at least I'm not swelling the coffers of the insurance companies.

sheramber

Not everybody has 5K  to put away, hence the value of insurance to them.

I took out insurance for a medium amount but also pat some away monthly to  a separate account. once that amount had built up I stopped the insurance. i wa also in a better financial position by that time to cover any large bill.

I have received more money from the insurance than I paid in premiums so I am quids in.

onylon

sheramber said:

Not everybody has 5K  to put away, hence the value of insurance to them.

I took out insurance for a medium amount but also pat some away monthly to  a separate account. once that amount had built up I stopped the insurance. i wa also in a better financial position by that time to cover any large bill.

I have received more money from the insurance than I paid in premiums so I am quids in.

I realise that on average insurance will be more expensive than self insuring but it's worth it for the peace of mind. We just moved house and are trying to get our cash reserves back up. That's why I'm looking for money saving ideas. 

I have got DAF mince as recommended, so that will save maybe £5 per month if I'm smart with the veggies. I got some meaty bones and other tidbits in the same delivery. They are much cheaper than the air dried versions and I think the dog prefers them. The only downside is the mess and risks involved with raw meat.

I joined a sighthound sewing club online and bought fabric instead of doggy jumpers so that's a good saving. I might try making my own collars too. My time is worth more than the £ savings but I do enjoy getting the sewing machine out.

LippyDoodle

onylon said:

I got my dog 4 months ago and I love her but I need to cut back her spending! How much do you spend and how to you (try to) cut down?

This is my breakdown:

Monthly unavoidable costs: 

Insurance - £50
Vet subscription including worming/deflea - £17
Food that doesn't give her the bad poops and/or deadly gas- £65 and totally worth every penny

Set up costs:

Dog Beds - £100 because I have one in every room
Walking boots, raincoats etc for 2 humans- £300
Doggy accessories eg. lead, harness, collar, raincoat, plus spares so that we can wash/dry stuff - £300
Grooming stuff: £40
Blankets - £30


Ongoing costs that need to be trimmed:

Toys - £20 per month
Treats, bones etc - I don't even want to think about it

Supplements - £10 per month

Fancy collars - Too much. I know I should stop buying these but I love them and this is one of the few things I buy for myself. Not going to pretend the dog cares what colour her collar is XD
Grooming - nothing because I do everything myself

Dog clothes - I'm not into doggy dressing up and neither is my dog but winter is coming. Greyhounds have very little body fat and value comfort so if I'm to keep walking her in the colder months she will need coats and possibly boots or paw wax depending on how she does with ice/grit. 

Welcome to the world of dogs! 

There are some things you are spending that you really can't or should cut back on. 

Things to keep...

1. Pet insurance it's a MUST because if you think you need to cut back on your spending now God forbid your dog get one or more health conditions that are on going and they need either regualr check ups and meds, blood tests etc. I had way more back with claims then I ever paid in premiums. For example, my dog needed to go to the out of hours vet. Had to stay over night. Had treament, blood tests etc. The bill was just under £1000. That's just one instance. I had cats too. One cat had an ulcerated eye and it wouldn't clear up so was sent to a optomologist. He had regular visits and treatment to do at home and that ran into the hundreds. He ended up needing an operation on his eye and that cost £1,500. Then the poor soul had the same problem start in his other eye but thankfully didnt need an op. My dog also had a problem with his eyes and had to go to the same optomologist. Dog's treatment cost more then cats and so does the consultaion. To walk through the door it cost £185.00 and this was 14 years ago. 

2. Vet subscription because from memory it's cheaper this way then if you just buy wormer, flea spray, yearly boosters etc. 

3. The type of food she needs to keep her digestive system settled

4. I agree that a Greyhound would benefit from a coat. Doesn't need more then one. 

Things you can stop. 

1. All the treats you are giving could be aggravating your dogs digestive system. I guess they are on a prescription diet and if not on one that they need. Giving the dog treats are counteractive. (Been there, got the t-shirt.) They don't need treats to survive. 

2. If on a complete diet they don't need suppliments. 

3. No need for fancy collars. You don't need them either (unless you were on a night out! lol)

4. I don't think your dog needs boots or wax. 

5. Toys every month? You can definately stop this. Some dogs have a favorite toy and they have it all their life. My dog had to have Kongs, they were they only things he couldn't distroy lol

My dog had one bed. It was a plastic one with a padded duvet type cushion. I'd take the cushion cover off wash, dry, put back on. He had one lead and collar, and replaced when he grew and needed a larger collar and stronger lead and one long lead at the start for training. They would get washed, hung on the line to dry. He used to love to roll in swan poo, dig up warms and roll in them. 

Prices will only continue to go up throughout the life of your dog, so make as many savings as you can and save it, then you will have something to fall back on when needed. 

I hope you and your dog have many happy years together! 

TBagpuss

I think insurance is sensible, particularly for dogs , unless you have significant savings and could absorb the cost of a major accident, illness or claim if your dog hit someone.

Do sit down and work out if the monthly healthy pet club, or whatever your vet calls the subscription, is worth it. 

I have two cats - I joined the club for the kitten last year as it included a big discount on her spay, as well as the consultation fees for her check up, first and booster vaccines and operation,  so it did work out cheaper. They suggested it for the older cat when he had his vaccinations but I haven't signed him up as having looked at the numbers,  it doesn't save any money over paying for - if anything it's slightly more expensive. I will probably be cancelling YoungCat's now she's out of her first year.  

If you take your dog for more regular check ups it might be worth it for you, depending on what is covered, but don't assume it is cheaper - sit down and work out the numbers. Also, it may include things like flea and worm treatment but you may find those are cheaper if you buy them online .

I don't think your dog is likely to need boots or wax, unless you live in the Scottish Highlands or somewhere that gets lots of snow and ice - for the small number of times we may get really cold weather you're probably better off being vigilant about how long you take him or for on those days! 

JGB1955

We no longer insure our 12 year old ESS..the premiums were ridiculous. Instead we put aside £30 per month which (touch wood) pays for his quarterly grooming sessions and jabs. Flea and tick treatment costs £8 per month via Pets at home subscription. Dog food comes from Amazon at (roughly) £5 per week. His favourite toy?  A couple of empty 4 pint milk bottles...the cheapest toy any boy could want!

As for treats...he gets a weekly carrot to chew (he knows that Thursday is shopping day and waits while we unload the bags) and a weekly snack of sardines in olive oil (40p from Sainsburys)

Second edit...it's ESSENTIAL that you have 3rd party insurance if you have a dog...ours costs £12.50o.a. from the Dogs Trust.

Katiehound

Phew... I don't pay out anything like that

My hounds have big oval plastic beds- one each upstairs & down. Some were new some years ago & others £1 second hand. They have doggy duvets inside. I make these for charity from old human duvets (and have raised over £4k from these.)  If you can't get second hand duvets just buy a cheapie supermarket one and a cheapie cover. It's bound to work out cheaper than something that says 'for your pet dog!!'

My girlie is wearing a leather collar I bought for £1 from a charity over 12 years ago!
I like Halti police style leads- soft on the hands and adaptable lengths. I think they are around £12. They last for years.

My hounds have short this fur, like a boxer (or greyhound) so they need waterproof and warm coats. Warm coats are mainly home made from old fleece waistcoats, jackets or blanket and tied with tape or old style rufflette tape. I used a bought one for the pattern!
Some waterproofs are bought- such as at Aldi when being sold off cheap, one is made from an old waterproof anorak & another is from a buggy bag!!
we do have dog shampoo (Aldi) but I really don't know when they last had a bath.......

Toys? No they don't really play much. Just the odd kong
Treats? My boy has thin hide chews (Wilko) my girl has a very strict diet as she now gets colitis.  I bake sardine flapjacks for them- bake until hard and they keep in a tin- and I know exactly what goes in.

Fleas? No
Worming? Yes. Every 3 months.  I buy Cestem tablets- same as Drontal but usually cheaper (and bought online)
Boosters from the vet - but no longer for my 14yo.

Generally the vet subscription is not worth it- but you need to work that out.
Check ups should come free with booster

I mainly use Harringtons food - buy online when on discount. My old girl does well on their salmon & potato. My boy also has Skinners- again buy online from the cheapest supplier.
They also get daily carrots, sometimes apple/ broccoli stalks. Madam also gets a cooked egg & potatoes!

The dearest thing is my dog walker/ runner! Worth every penny. They went out every day all through lock down and usually they do about 5 miles. (I no longer walk those distances sadly)

I don't have pet insurance. Luckily over the many many years of dog ownership I have never had a massive bill however I do have enough savings if anything dire happened.
I do have Dogs Trust membership which includes 3rd party insurance

As with all things you need to decide what is essential and what is fashionable! Pet supplies & food are very big business- you only have to see what is spent on creating pet food adverts. As long as dogs are well fed, happy and warm they are now going to worry about wearing the latest trend!!!

Enjoy your fur babies!

just remembered some toys that others like are cotton bones/ tuggers. These are easy to make from old tee shirts- just google for instructions. I have made & sold some

Katiehound

you don't seem to have mentioned dog training classes.
I would consider those an essential. We used to go regularly until the dogs were about 7 years old- my boy just loved going. I am lucky because our classes are run by (very experienced ) volunteers so the only cost is hire of the hall.

onylon

Katiehound said:

you don't seem to have mentioned dog training classes.
I would consider those an essential. We used to go regularly until the dogs were about 7 years old- my boy just loved going. I am lucky because our classes are run by (very experienced ) volunteers so the only cost is hire of the hall.

We tried a couple of sessions but Daisy was terrified of the trainer and becoming more reactive to other dogs. Even outside of class she found training stressful, the trainer didn't know what to do with her and it was becoming counter productive so we stopped. I'm now doing a cheap online course with which is very low pressure and more fun. £27 total and more than covered by the refund we got from the first trainer.

I have been making toys and clothes. Dog beds were rejected so we use foam mats, rugs, duvets and blankets. Basically anything soft that she can nest in