While I've been lucky to have a mixed-breed dog free of the infirmity that often comes from inbreeding (i.e. purebreds), I have had to shell out some dough for my doggie.
The biggest thing about owning a pet is saving up for vet bills. There is great technology to help pets so we don't have to put them down when they get hurt. But that technology costs.
For example, when my dog had a prolonged cough and regular vomiting, I took her in and had to pay $50 for the visit plus $90-something for a blood test to see if she had valley fever. Then we got antibiotics for $30-something. Right there, you've got almost $200 in vet bills, plus the gas it took to get to the vet and the mental distress your dog would sue you for afterwards if she could.
I read an article today about the costs of pet ownership. As with most articles I've read lately, the information was common sense.
I did learn a few interesting things that could save you an expensive pet-related bill in the future:
-The following foods are poisonous to dogs: grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts and onions. (Whoops.)
-Animals do not need massive toy collections. (Whoops.)
-Taking your dog to a nearby veterinary school is a good way to get cheaper pet care.
So if you're a starving college student like me and you want a cute little puppy or kitty or piggy or ___, think about the money before you give in to that precious face. At this stage in life, you shouldn't be getting a baby animal anyway, because you don't have the time to train it and give it adequate care.
You need to think about the time factor, and you also need to think about how much you have (or will be able to have) saved up for visits to the vet, groomer, store (for food and treats), park (for exercise, hopefully) and any other emergencies that come up along the way. And what about pet insurance? Designed to help you out in case of emergency, it's yet another monthly cost to consider. And guess what. The costs of everything pet-related have been rising.
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