Regular maintenance of a small adopted dog (how much, terrier, clean)
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I’m wondering what I should expect for routine maintenance of a 2 year old dog from the SPCA. They said the dog will be spayed/ neutered and up to date on shots as well as microchipped with a free wellness check. Over the years what other shots and checkups will they need? Do they need dental visits as well? What about flea dips? More importantly how much should I look to spend on a healthy dog? What should I look for when looking for a vet?
You make it sound like a car. Check up and routine shots every year. Buy a good quality dog food. Don't feed it much people food. None is ideal. Vets look at their teeth when the dog goes in for a check up. You may want to brush your dog's teeth. Dental cleaning for dogs is expensive, best to try to keep the teeth from needing it. Call a veterinarian office in your area and ask the costs. It will vary depending on the city.
I never had to flea dip a dog. Some areas have more fleas than others. I did have a dog that had a terrible reaction to heartworm meds. If you bathe your dog yourself instead of going to the groomer you will save a lot of money.
Some dogs are pretty much always healthy and others develop all sorts of problems as they age. They get cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, skin problems, allergies.... you never know what might be in store. Of you are looking at specific breeds, do a little research to see what the common ailments are for that breed.
Ask the SPCA if they have examined the dog's mouth, how the dog reacted to it. Hopefully you will be able to accustom the dog to your brushing its teeth (there are dog toothbrushes and toothpastes you can be; never use a human tooth paste); start on it slowly, by inserting first a finger to gently touch the gum and then building up slowly to use of toothpaste/toothbrush with praise and treats as the dog accepts the procedure. Brushing the dog's teeth a few times a week can improve the dog's dental health and lessen the frequency of expensive dental work in the future.
Using flea dip on a dog? That depends on your climate and environment - talk to a local vet about whether fleas are a problem in the area. Hopefully the dog will not come to you from the SPCA with fleas; and then you can start the dog on a flea/tick topical preventative.
When you get the dog, take the dog to a vet of your choosing within 72 hours (earlier would be better) of acquiring him/her, for a check-up. This is for your protection and that of the dog. This should be standard practice with any newly acquired puppy or dog, whether the dog is a stray or a dog lovingly and responsibly bred and reared; it's just a precaution. When you bring the dog to the vet, ask the vet about the best flea/tick preventatives, and how often to clean teeth and ears, about grooming, etc.
I'm super low income and can't afford to spend non-emergency money on my dog. I rescued a 5-6 year old rat terrier 6 years ago. So, she's now about 11 - 12 years old.
To keep your dog's teeth cleaner, feed raw bones. I feed raw chicken legs to my dog. Costco has nice sized small ones for only 99 cents a pound. Freeze them for at least 3 days, and then just thaw them out in the microwave and feed them raw. The bones aren't a problem if they're raw, and eating them will help clean your dog's teeth.
I also give a monthly dose of trifexis to my dog. This will take care of fleas and worms, etc. My dog is around 23 pounds. The dose prescribed by my vet is the 20-40 pound dose, so I just cut it in half, which cuts my cost for it in half, and so far so good as far as my dog's health. Why give a 40 pound dose to a 23 pound dog?
I did also pay for some training lessons when I first got her. I also buy some high quality dog food for when I'm too lazy to feed her real food. Other than the raw chicken drumsticks, I also feed her a little brown rice and veggies like carrots, and some flax seed and berries. She's really healthy and at most, just a tad overweight, if at all.
I think you should budget at least $50/month, depending on how much your puppy would eat, including worm/flea medicine.
Ok. My insurance company sent me an email saying
The industry’s best coverage
Whole Pet and Wellness® provides 90% reimbursement of vet bills
Choose any veterinarian
Freedom to use any vet, anywhere, including emergency services
Vethelpline®
Call anytime 24/7 to consult with a veterinary expert ($150 value)
Ok. My insurance company sent me an email saying
The industry’s best coverage
Whole Pet and Wellness® provides 90% reimbursement of vet bills
Choose any veterinarian
Freedom to use any vet, anywhere, including emergency services
Vethelpline®
Call anytime 24/7 to consult with a veterinary expert ($150 value)
I’m wondering what I should expect for routine maintenance of a 2 year old dog from the SPCA. They said the dog will be spayed/ neutered and up to date on shots as well as microchipped with a free wellness check. Over the years what other shots and checkups will they need? Do they need dental visits as well? What about flea dips? More importantly how much should I look to spend on a healthy dog? What should I look for when looking for a vet?
We have adopted two dogs from foster. They each have an annual check up where they get all their shots for the year. It costs about $200.@. Monthly heartworm and flea and tick preventative, I get from Allivet online. The flea and tick is $38. for 90 days and the heartworm is about $20. for 6 months. I would never wait until my dog got fleas . I make sure they don’t get them in the first place, not only because I don’t want fleas in the house, but also because they carry tapeworm, which involves more costly treatment.
If my math is right, this is $392. a year per dog. Dogs don’t normally need their teeth cleaned until they are 5-7 years old, and this costs $200-$300.
I take my dogs to get their nails cut which is $12. They do not need grooming. Talk to your neighbors and see which vet they like, or look online for reviews.
I wouldn't pay for an insurance policy for a pet. I did for a year when I first rescued my dog, then did the math and decided it wasn't worth it.
I can't afford to buy the dental work I need for me, so doing so for my dog is not an option. Her head was on the chopping block, so to speak, at the shelter, so her and I are in the same low-income boat. I kept her from the chopping block, but she got a home where we can't afford decent dental care.
But, what I can do for her is feed her raw chicken legs and raw beef marrow bones, which help clean her teeth. And otherwise, she mainly eats real homemade food like brown rice and some veggies. So, really good simple food and bones to help keep her teeth clean and gums healthy.
I have also stopped vaccinating my dog. At her age, I don't see the need. I also don't get vaccinations for myself anymore. I'm in my 60's. Just don't see the need for it. For a 2 year old dog, though, I would keep up the regular vaccinations recommended by my vet.
So, it's up to you. I do whole-heartedly believe in giving them worm/flea medications. That's good preventive medicine, and nobody wants to live with fleas. You can spend a lot of money or do like I do. We just do the best with what we have, and keep each other good company.
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