Most people enjoy keeping pets.
But sometimes there are those who don’t quite take into account how much it could cost to keep a pet. There are those who might want companionship – but don’t really have the funds to look after a pet that might require more than very basic upkeep.
What does a person do in circumstances like that?
Let’s take a very quick look at what it could cost to keep a pet; and the example I’m going to use is a medium sized dog:
Food: ± R250 for 8kg of food (for dogs), and depending on how much the dog eats, that could last you anywhere between two to three weeks
Food is the most basic cost that needs to be accounted for when getting a pet – so the next section I’m going to delve into, is (basic) vet costs:
(Yearly) Vaccinations: ± R500
This is if you have an adult dog – I’ll be mentioning the costs of what it could be to upkeep a puppy later on in this post. Let’s move onto extras you as a pet owner might get to keep a pet:
Collar: ± R150
Food/Water Bowls: ± R100
Leash (if you want to walk with your dog): ± R200
Bed: ± R300
Jersey (for winter): ± R200
Microchip (if your animal happens to get lost): ± R300
Sterilization (depending on the size of the animal): R500 and up
Deworming (usually every six months): ± R100
Ticks/Fleas (not the store kind, the sort you get at the vet): ± R200
Shampoo (for bathing): ± R50
Training (for your dog): ± R100
Toys: ± R150
Pet Carrier (usually for a cat): ± R400
Let’s move onto some other additional costs that might be incurred if you keep a pet:
Vet visit: ± R300 just for a consultation
If your dog happens to get sick:
Vet medication: R200 and up (excluding consultation)
Now, let’s move onto puppy costs:
Vaccinations (a puppy usually requires three vaccinations before being fully vaccinated): ± R500 each
Puppy Food: ± R300
Sterilization: R500 and up
Toilet Training Puppy Pads: ± R200
On the controversial topic of cat flu (if your puppy happens to get it):
Vet Medication: R4 000 and up
Now let’s add up the basic costs of keeping a pet:
Just to keep a dog fed, you’re probably going to be paying at least R250 (if not more – again, depends on how much the dog eats) a month – if you have a cat, it’ll most likely be a little bit cheaper, though probably not by a lot.
Basic vet costs:
± R500 for yearly vaccination
Additional costs:
Just for the extras I’ve stated above excluding any cost that might be incurred at the vet: ± R1150
Extra vet costs:
± R1100 (again, this excludes any consultation fees)
Training (for your dog):
± R100 per session
Let’s be realistic and state that not everyone has got money like that sitting around – and this is why it is ESSENTIAL to plan and decide whether you can afford the upkeep of a pet. You might need to save up money before getting a pet – but again, keep in mind that you will also need to account for any vet fees you might incur if your animal gets sick or injured. Take note that vets usually require money UP FRONT – so perhaps before getting a pet, take a few months to put money aside for this (again, it is not assumed that everyone can do this – so it might take some people longer before they get a pet).
The most expensive cost of everything will be vet fees – so, again – make sure that should something happen to your pet, that you already have money set aside to treat them – do not try to treat them yourself without a vet, it could end badly – set aside money for any vet/medical emergencies. It is also vital to have either your own transport or someone you can rely on to take you to the vet should you need it.
It is always encouraged to practice responsible pet ownership – is it fair to take on an animal that at the end of the day you aren’t able to afford?
Last, but not least – this blog post is part of the Pet Ownership 101 series – other posts will also be available under this category.
Blog Post By Your Pet Caring Friend,
Carmen Harris.
