[nagdu] dog expenses question

[Karyn & Thane via nagdu]

Goodness all I can say is thank goodness my bank offered me a credit card 
shortly before my previous dog passed away.

Thane had a lot of problems for a few years as a young guide which in the 
end was finally diagnosed as chronic lyme but it took years to do so where 
we were testing him for something on a monthly basis. Had I been healthy and 
active then, I would have retired him, but I still would have had the 
expenses. He was only diagnosed due to a friend who put the symptoms 
together and encouraged me to ask for tick borne disease (TBD) testing.

I have spent thousands on him to rehabilitate him from Lyme. As a result of 
this lesson (journey) no matter where I live, I will ALWAYS test for tick 
borne diseases as this all happened in NW Oregon. The test isn't expensive 
through Hemopet.org but the disease is.

But when it comes to the basics. I spend about $60-$70 a month on food 
depending upon the supplier and food and if its free shipping as I sometimes 
use multiple suppliers. I feed super premium food only. Thane was raw fed 
for a few years (which was much more expensive than this due to where I 
live- less discount resources). He came to a place where he could no longer 
have that so I do the best I can now and try not to feed anything that has a 
history of recalls or potential for ingredients from China.

I use a more expensive shampoo on Thane (~$12.00 if I shop around for deals 
but can be as much as $16). but a bottle generally lasts us about 3-6 months 
depending upon frequency of bathing. He needs more bathing during rainy 
months with us reliant on fixed route transit to get around and him having a 
lot of white fur.

Combs/ brushes/ other tools: Like Julie I bought some good tools years ago 
so I dont have a monthly charge here. I do buy drums for the pedi paws nail 
grinder about 1-2 times a year. I found them on Amazon as an add on product 
last time for about $3 a box but usually they are about $10.00 unless Petco 
has them on a sale. I go through 2-3 boxes a year with Thane as I choose to 
change the drum every time to give us the best grinding capability.

Working Gear: Most gear I make myself so the cost is a lot less for say 
harnesses, handles, raincoats, etc The current gear has lasted a year (3 yrs 
on the raincoat). I purchased this harness for around $100 and modified it 
as he needed a cooler harness for summer fast. I am designing his next one 
right now and it'll probably cost about half that with ample supplies for 
other gear projects left over.

Misc weather dependent gear: Boots/ coats/ etc-- I plan for these needs to 
occur from time to time-- the kind of boots I use don't last as long but 
they stay on Thane's awkward feet Ultra Paws is the brand in case there are 
curious folks. I plan on getting the better lasting ones next time directly 
from the company since no one else sells this model. Those ones run about 
$80 I also like to keep PAWZ disposable boots on hand for any medical needs 
to protect feet being treated from environment. Those can run anywhere from 
$12-18 depending on website or if they are needed right away and thus have 
to be bought locally.

This winter was very cold for a few spells so I bought Thane a fleece coat 
to go under his harness. That was about $25

Thane has had sporadic foot and skin infections over our partnership of 6 
years. These happen (foot) from bad terrain and construction or broken 
bottle debris. As a result I keep good products for soaking, treating, and 
protecting on hand. $30-$60 for all the products and quantities I like to 
keep on the ready just in case. Like recently he shore two of his pads on 
his front feet playing. Basically it is a contingency medical care category 
including ointments, solutions, epsom salts, gauzes, vetwrap, cotton balls, 
etc .

Veterinary Care.
This can vary depending on if you are in a small town with a small clinic or 
a large city with hospital style vet practices. I spent about $26 for exam 
in my small town before moving. Now the price is more like 50-60 for the 
same and not any more competence/ skill for the added price so plan 
accordingly. I plan for this expense now about 3-4 times a year to cover any 
emergency needs. In the past he required care more frequently but this is my 
preparatory approach presently. Sometimes he only goes in twice a year (and 
much of that is just for a letter for Housing and Foodstamps case workers so 
they will count expenses for the year)

Labs
I run all blood labs through hemopet unless answers are needed instantly. I 
save a tremendous amount of money doing this. Take a look and/ or contact 
them at Hemopet.org especially if you are in USA and have a dog needing 
thyroid testing as they do the full panels through the lab they have. They 
do accept international but the shipping would probably negate the savings. 
If it were not for them, I would not have been able to handle the Lyme 
followup care

Not everyone will need all of these things. I just rather plan for more than 
I really will need. He takes a good chunk of my disability check. This was a 
healthy dog when I got him just like most of the dogs many of you work with. 
One tick bite is all it took to turn our life upside down like this.

Most vets unfortunately do not take payments-- there are a few out there 
like Rox'E has, but generally it is a pay me now strategy. I would have had 
to let Thane go to the bridge if it had not been for credit. Not ideal, but 
it saved his life and our partnership. So it is important to imagine the 
worst case scenarios when determining just what kind of expenses one might 
incur

Karyn and Thane