[nagdu] dog expenses question

via nagdu nagdu at nfbnet.org
Sun May 25 19:55:18 UTC 2014


Hi,
I'm not sure if Michigan's Social Security Income program can help with that 
or not.
I will have to look in to that.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
John Sanders


-----Original Message----- 
From: Raven Tolliver via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2014 3:42 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog expenses question

Approximate annual expenses for a dog depends on a variety of things.
But I think the 3 main factors are grooming, diet, and health care.
These 3 factors could vary in cost depending on what you are able and
willing to do, and how well you care for your dog. For instance, the
only money I spend on grooming the Golden Guy is spent on liquid
castille soap, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and essential oils.
Initially, I invested in higher quality grooming tools than those
provided by the school, a pair of baby nail scissors for grooming his
feet and ear hair, , and a electric nail grinder. I also bathe my dog
myself, and only when necessary. If you are not able or willing to
groom your dog yourself, it will definitely cost you more money. It
certainly did cost me more when I wasn't doing it all myself. Because
I use pricy essential oils, I spend about $90 on grooming annually.
Seventy of that is the essential oils, which I also use on myself.
What you feed your dog could vary in price from $30 to $200 monthly,
depending on what you feed and where you source it from. I advise
everyone to thoroughly research a proper diet for any dog they have.
Diet is the foundation of health, and a dog on a proper diet will
rarely fall ill or fall victim to a wide variety of pest and ailments
that affect many animals today. Thus, a proper diet will also keep
your dog out of the vet's office. Hippocrates always said "Let
medicine be thy food, and food be thy medicine." If you spend more
money or at least invest in a diet that is close to nature, you will
spend considerably less money and time at the vet's office.
As far as health care, it depends on how healthy your dog is and what
kind of health care you provide for your dog. If you invest in all the
pesticides and vaccinations that vets push on you, your dog and bank
account will feel the pain. But if you feed your dog a proper diet,
treat minor problems naturally, and avoid every vaccine you can, your
dog and finances will be far healthier. I'd say only pay for any
diagnostic testing, namely an annual physical exam and a heart worm
test. Take advantage of the free eye exams also. If your dog is not
exhibiting signs of a health imbalance, no more than this is
necessary.
That aside, you should always have money saved for an emergency. You
don't expect crap to happen, but unfortunately, it does. You can't
always be emotionally ready, but being financially prepared will save
you some grief.
I can only speak from costs of vets I've visited here in Michigan, but
$120 give or take a bit is a reasonable annual veterinarian expense
for a healthy dog.
>From my experience, the first year was the most expensive. I saved
$300, and spent the better part of it on a good crate, crate pad, and
proper grooming tools. At the time, my dog was unhealthy, so I spent
quite a bit on veterinary expenses as well.
Ultimately, figure out who will groom your dog, what you will feed the
dog, and what kind of health care and medicine you will use on your
dog. That will help you determine approximate expenses for your
individual situation.

On 5/25/14, via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi,
> I have a question: does it depend on the type of dog as far as finances 
> go?
> I hope to hear from you soon.
> Sincerely,
> John Sanders
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
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>


-- 
Raven

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