Keeping a pet .... Labrador vs Cocker Spaniel

[bluedolphin]

On average what would be the cost of keeping a pet dog? I am wondering food and trips to the vet. Regarding size as above what would be the average outlay. Am not interested in dog shows just a family pet.

[xyzzyplugh]

My medium sized dog costs me �20 a month in food, and no vet bills [touch wood] except �50 for jabs and he's 7 years old. Also �2 a week, say for treats and toys (they get through a lot of balls!) So that's approximately �2000 so far. Good value for money I'd say, considering he thinks I'm God. :-)

[xyzzyplugh]

Forgot to mention, he's a labrador spaniel collie cross, shorter in height than yer average labrador but slightly fat, very muscular (I can hardly lift him) and eats 1kg per day in a tinned food and biscuit mix.Runs about 3 miles a day. And his mother was a collie spaniel cross who weighed much less like a feather (i could pick her up with one hand) but ate the same amount due to her being a mad, crazy hypermetabolical herd retriever and ran about 20 miles a day including hither and yonning. Don't go there, colliespaniels are mental. Imagine herding and retrieving simultaneously - Mad I tell ya! Too much info?

[rekstout]

I'd say that was about right - we have a Westie so she eats a little less but has poorly joints so she costs us about �15 per month in medication and vets bills come to about �300-500 per year as she needs regular checkups and such.

Initial outlay should also include items such as lead and collar (�15), Bed(s) (�15 each), microchip tagging (�30), vaccinations (�10-�20).

Othe costs include kenneling (if required for holidays) (don't know costs for that as we use the parents as sitters), worming tablets (�5 every 6 months) and doggy shampoo (�3 a bottle) and professional grooming (depending on the type of dog and how much filth they roll in) - we pay �30 every 4 months for clipping and stuff and ours is no show-dog.

[comloulou]

You can get insurance from various places which will cover much of the vets bills after an excess. Tesco is very good...