How Much is that Doggy, Really?

By Lorraine Houston

There is a fair bit of information out there regarding the costs related to ‘owning’ a dog, both initial costs and yearly breakdowns. Trust me, I read a lot of it and if you want the basic run down with associated estimated numbers, it’s there for the taking. The following I classify as ‘expected’ costs, such as; vet care, training, grooming, supplies, food, treats, toys, boarding, day care, pet sitter/walker, licensing, insurance and microchip.

My question and the essence of this article is what about the ‘unexpected’ costs, the ones that come out of left field? I’m sure most of us realize that there are no guarantees in life, but what if dogdom throws us a real curve ball? Will you be prepared, or will you be caught with your pants down, so to speak? Hopefully, we won’t have to get a visual on any dog folks without their pants on – but here are some real life scenarios that may make you think about wearing a belt to hold up those trousers. In other words, get prepared – these true ‘tails’ offer some real insight into what each and every dog guardian could potentially face; and these shared stories are only samplings of what could lie ahead.

Lynn Scott remembers all too well when Miko her Shiba Inu was 18 months. She noticed one day that he was having difficulty urinating and called her vet. “Our vet does not have a facility and makes house calls so she sent us to the clinic she uses when necessary. It turned out Miko had a blocked urethra from bladder stones and would need surgery. We did not hesitate with the operation which cost several thousand dollars by the time all was said and done. Unbelievably, nine months later it happened again. We were still paying off the first surgery, but we went ahead and authorized the second operation, how could we not? He’s part of our family. Miko is now over eight-years-old with no reoccurrences. Thank goodness for a line of credit.”

Two years ago Diana Shepherd adopted Gracie, a five-month-old Retriever/Poodle mix. “When she was nine-months-old, she contracted kennel cough from one of her dog-park friends. I took her to my veterinarian for treatment but unfortunately her illness was misdiagnosed and she wasn’t getting any better. By the third day she couldn't raise her head off the floor, so I picked her up and rushed her to the emergency veterinary hospital. By this time, the kennel cough had turned into pneumonia. Her lungs were full, she was badly dehydrated and she was not oxygenating well. The emergency vet gave her three different kinds of antibiotics; two intravenously, and one via inhaler. They also put her on a nebulizer to try to break up the mucus in her lungs as well as provide extra hydration. She spent almost a week in the hospital and when I brought her home, she was still a sick dog. For the first week, she could only walk a few feet without collapsing. During her home recovery I gave her two different antibiotics three times daily for three weeks, took her for two very short walks per day, put her in the bathroom with the shower running for 30 minutes twice a day to moisturize her airways; and I had to perform "coupage" (which is pumping her chest with cupped hands to help break up the mucous) for 10 minutes four times a day until her lungs were totally clear. She did recover and when it was all over I rushed right out and bought pet insurance - a bit like shutting the barn door after the horse has gone, but I decided that I never wanted money to be an object when it came to making decisions about my dog's health. When you take a dog into your life you have to commit more than just your finances if you hope to save a very ill or injured dog: it will take time, effort, and love.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. Gracie is family, and I owe her a happy, healthy life. In return, she has enriched mine in too many ways to tell.”

On New Year's Day 1996, Katherine Barnett and her family were up at the cottage enjoying a beautiful, clear, crisp day in the snow. They decided it would be the perfect day to go for a hike through the woods so they bundled up and headed out with their 11 year old Siberian husky, Mishka. "Since we were out in the middle of nowhere, we didn't have Mishka on a leash. She was pretty good about staying with us on a walk, and in the middle of winter with nobody around for miles, there wasn't much trouble she could get into, or so we thought. After walking for a good while we were heading back to the cottage when we heard yelping and crying. Mishka had found an old hollow log where a porcupine was hibernating. She had got into a tangle with it before realizing it was a bad idea. There were quills and blood everywhere; in her face, through her chest and front legs. We raced Mishka back to the cottage and found the number to the closest emergency clinic which was about an hour away. We called them to give them the heads up, and they brought in extra people to help. The head veterinarian said he had never seen such an extreme case. Over 700 quills and nearly 14 hours of surgery left Mishka with scars she has carried the rest of her life. For those who don't know, quills start making their way into the body where you can't see them. The vets had to cut open her face, neck, and chest and work down her throat to get many of these migrating quills as they could. Thank goodness we had a credit card. Months later we were still finding the tips of quills that made their way back to the surface".

Riian Cameron and her husband Mark adopted Libby, their Blue Tick Coonhound in March of 2004. “About a month after adopting her we were both preparing to leave for the evening. I was off to a birthday party, and Mark was going to visit family with his brother. As the two men were leaving, Libby got between their legs and out scooted out the door and bolted for the road. Just as I neared the end of the driveway I heard a sound I'll never forget; tires screeching and then a loud crash. I thought for sure Libby was dead but she came limping back to us. Neither of us cared about what was planned for the evening; all that mattered to us was taking Libby straight to the veterinary hospital. The vet looked her over and asked "Are you sure this dog was hit by a truck?" He was stunned. Libby had a bloody nose, a scraped paw, a bloody eye, and the pads of her front paws were cracked between the toes. Not one bone broken. She was given a shot and we were sent home with antibiotics. We were all extremely lucky”.

Lyndsey and Wendy Watson, a mother-daughter team, have been involved with Great Dane Rescue for many years. They know their stuff, so when they found their eight-year-old Dane, Giz, hunched over trying to vomit, his stomach bloating they were quite sure what was wrong – gastric torsion – Giz’s stomach had ‘flipped’.

“When we arrived at vet emergency, they confirmed it was bloat and 180 degree torsion and that the only way for Giz to survive was to have emergency surgery. We decided without hesitation to go ahead with the surgery and mom wrote a cheque from her line of credit and I rushed to the bank to deposit it at the bank machine. We had to call telephone banking to increase the Interact limit on the card and we immediately paid a large chunk of the bill. The staff told us they would call us when the surgery was over and my mom and I promptly told them that they could call us right there in the waiting room. I cried, paced and rocked the entire surgery which took over two and a half hours. The vet called us in to tell us that there had been a complication with the surgery and that it would require additional funds. We were in this far, we had to do what had to be done to give Giz the only chance he had to survive. He came through the surgery very well and over the next two days while in hospital, he amazed everyone with his sweet temperament and gentle nature. He never once caused a problem or complained. His emergency vet bill was more than worth the tail wags, big Dane smiles and snuggles. Giz has had no lasting side effects of his bloat, torsion and surgery. As long as Giz still wants to be here and shows no signs of slowing down we will do anything for this boy. If you have a bloat prone breed, please learn and know the signs of bloat”.

The above stories all reflect a medical condition or emergency, but we’re not done yet -not by a long shot. Here’s a complied list of other costs (some medically-related, but new ones) that were submitted to me via my poll post. The response was over-whelming. To everyone who shared their stories – thank you. I’m sorry I can’t name and thank everyone personally.

Dog ate sofa
Dog ate library books
Prolapsed rectum
Skin allergies
Food allergies
Blew disc jumping off couch
Broke front leg – missed the last stair
New windshield – dog tried to jump through it at another dog
Luxating patellas
Tore cruciate ligament playing at the dog park
Got evicted from our apartment, bought a house
Dog clothing
Corneal ulcers
Dog ate chicken bones
Adopted a large German Shepherd; traded sporty car for used mini van
Ramp for arthritic dog
Ultrasound
Dog has a heart condition
Special medicated baths
Dog ate clumping cat litter
Dog ate corncob husks
Dog swallowed a tennis ball
Dog got bitten by a rattlesnake
Adopted a cat – my dog loves cats
Puppy had parvo
Bought a cottage so dog could swim more often
Dog ate 2 pounds of grapes
Broke 2 front legs jumping off the dining room table
Got in a dog fight at the park
Chronic ear infections
Hip displaysia
Licked anti-freeze
Ruptured histamine tumour
Adopt another dog to keep first dog company
Dog opened fridge and ate all the food
Ripped toenail off
Broke tooth chewing on a rock
Oral warts
Has dry eye
Cut leg on frost fence
Teeth cleaning and extractions
Thyroid condition
Kidney disease
Auto immune condition
Needs to eat special food

I don’t think I need to go on as I’m sure you get the point. Know where your local emergency clinic is what their number is, have it handy.

Save money in an account monthly or keep a credit card or part of a line of credit open in case of emergency. You never know when you may have to make a lifesaving decision for a dog you cherish.

Whether you opt to have a designated bank account, a line of credit, pet insurance (choose and read your policy carefully so you know what’s covered and what’s not) hike up your credit card limit or a combination of a few of these, it’s important to be financially prepared. No one likes to think about ‘what could happen’ but if it does, you will have one less thing to think or worry about – money.

Dry eye: $45.00 per month, dog ate library books: $100.00, emergency surgery: $3,000.00, having a dog adore you unconditionally: priceless, having peace of mind about dog finances: also priceless!

Lorraine Houston is a feature writer for Dogs, Dogs, Dogs! and an evaluator for Therapeutic Paws of Canada and St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs. She is a member of the Etobicoke Humane Society’s dog adoption team and the director of Speaking of Dogs, an organization devoted to education, outreach and rescue. A Maxwell Award winner from Dog Writers Assoc. of America, Lorraine lives in Don Mills with her husband, two sons and family dogs. She may be contacted at lhh4dogs@rogers.com or through www.speakingofdogs.com