I tracked the annual expenses for my dog in the past two years, and in both, it was around 2% of my gross income. I have had her for almost 10-years and she was an adult when I first fostered, then adopted her, so she is currently around 12-14 years of age. I often see posts on various FIRE social media groups about the cost of pet care, and how expensive it could get, which inspired me to write this post.
When I started my post-doc position, I adopted two cats. One was blind, and 13-years old. The other was deaf, and his paperwork had him at 21-years. Both were pure white. They lived for 5- and 3- more years, respectively, and like most cats, had kidney issues towards the end. After each passed, I adopted four more senior cats, and the last two were FIV+ (feline HIV). Having old kitties meant taking many trips to the vet, but because I live in an LCOL area, I have access to low-cost vets.
About 10-years ago, one of my cats needed fluids, so he was kept in the vet’s office for 6-nights. When I picked him up after a week, I had to buy some medication for the other cat as well, and the total bill was around $220. That is how low the cost was. Even 10-years ago that was unbelievable, and I still use the same vet for my dog, currently my only pet. In 2019, my dog needed surgery in her ear for a hematoma, and it cost me $180. This included an overnight stay.
I have fostered close to 250 dogs and cats and have learned some tricks to reduce pet care costs. One is to buy flea and tick topical treatment for large dogs (120 lbs), and use each vial for two months, instead of one, because my dog is around 60 lbs. If you have a 40 lbs dog, you can use one vial for three months, and so on. Another trick is to buy the active ingredient of heartworm medications (ivermectin) in bulk and dilute it properly based on your dog’s weight. If you buy the medication at the vet’s office or the store, it could cost more than $10/month/dog, but with the active ingredient, it can cost $10 for 3 years for multiple dogs.
Yesterday I took my dog to the vet for her monthly allergy shot. When she was younger, the same shot lasted for a year, but now she needs it every 4-weeks. The cost for the shot, along with two different sets of pills for 10-days was $45. I know that if I go to a different vet, the same would cost me more than $250, because I have tried taking her to various vets in town. The veterinary industry is as ridiculous as the human medical industry in the U.S., with higher pricing for care than it needs to be.
As a pet owner, I try to give a high quality of life to my pets. As a former stray, my dog now lounges on hardwood floors in air conditioning, or numerous dog beds throughout the house. She occasionally wakes up to bark at the mail carrier or to sniff and investigate the backyard. She has been to a dozen U.S. states and loves long car rides. She stays away from humans, but greets every animal she sees, from foster kittens to baby opossums.
