How Much Does It Really Cost to Own a Dog?

You've been dreaming of the day you can take your new dog home and spend many happy years together. But as a first-time dog owner, what can you expect to pay as you maintain your new pet’s health and happiness? Just like raising a child, you'll need to prepare for some significant expenditures as you care for your four-legged friend. Let's open the books and take a look at the ledger regarding the cost of dog ownership.

Overall cost of dog ownership

When you consider that the average lifespan of a dog ranges from 10 to 13 years, you can imagine how much a single canine friend might eventually cost. The size and breed of the dog definitely makes a difference, with smaller breeds costing less to care for than larger ones. On average, over 10 to 13 years you can expect to pay anywhere from $16,440 on a small/toy breed to $52,075 on a gentle giant. A medium-sized dog may end up costing you $29,500 to $33,700 over its lifetime.

Where you get your dog, and the pedigree of the dog, also make a difference to the initial cost. If you adopt a purebred champion of a popular breed, for example, you can expect to spend a few thousand dollars just to bring it home. By contrast, adopting a dog from a shelter may cost $50 or less. These fees sometimes, but not always, include basic preventative care such as microchipping, vaccinations and deworming.

Dog Food Expenses and Accommodations

Annual dog food expenses can range from just $101 for a toy breed to a whopping $938 for a giant breed. You'll also want to budget at least $60 annually on treats. As for accommodations, you can purchase a comfortable dog bed for $50 to $200 dollars, depending on how fancy you want to get. If you'll be boarding your dog, figure on spending up to $300 a year. A crate can cost up to $390.

Dog Toys and Accessories

Dogs can make a toy out of practically anything, so you can probably get away with spending less than $100 annually on fun and games. But you'll want to walk your dog regularly, which means spending at least $45 on a leash and harness. Small (but recurring) additional items to purchase include pee pads, poop bags, brushes, and odor removal products.

Preventative Wellness Care and Annual Vet Visits

Preventative wellness is a necessary dog ownership cost which not only keeps your best friend healthy, but can reduce the need for more expensive illness care down the line. Preventative medications cost an average of $180 per year, while routine shots, pet vaccinations, and wellness exams average $225. Overall, routine wellness care tends to cost between $700 and $2,000 annually.

Illness and Injury Treatment

Treatment for acute and chronic illnesses or injuries can prove extremely expensive, even for initial diagnostic procedures. For example, bloodwork can cost up to $200, with ultrasound imaging costing as much as $600. A single veterinary hospital stay can range from $600 to $3,500 depending on its duration. Wound care tends to start at around $800, while emergency surgery can set you back thousands of dollars. Chronic disease may require treatments for the rest of your dog's life -- which, of course, means ongoing expenses.

How to Control Dog Ownership Costs

As you can see, the cost of dog ownership can put a significant dent in your pocketbook over time, especially when it comes to veterinary expenses. Fortunately, you don't necessarily have to pay all of those veterinary expenses out of pocket. Pet insurance, which operates much like health insurance for humans, can help pick up the tab for a variety of canine care needs, from sick visits and emergency care to prescription medications. It can prove especially helpful for easing the financial impact of sudden, major medical events.

For all its virtues, pet insurance also presents certain stumbling blocks that you should know about before you sign your dog up for a policy. For one thing, insurance companies generally require you to pay the entire cost yourself out of pocket before they'll reimburse you. Additionally, pet insurance doesn't usually cover treatment for pre-existing conditions.

Veterinary discount plans are another option that may make more sense for your particular situation. These types of plans cover pre-existing conditions that pet insurance won't, and offer instant discounts at the vet with no waiting for reimbursement or deductibles. 

Mint Wellness, a program offered by Pet Assure, doesn't cover sick visits but does cover essential routine wellness care like vaccinations (while also keeping your costs under firmer control). You can use Mint Wellness at any veterinary facility in the U.S.

Caring for a dog isn't cheap or easy, but it is infinitely rewarding in every other respect. So budget for this long-term commitment, protect your pet's health, and purchase the kind of coverage that's right for you and your best buddy!