Cavachon: Cost of ownership (how much, allergic, clean, vet)

[NovaDragon]

Hello everyone,

One of my wife's cousin's is looking to find another home for her 3 yr old cavachon (it looks like her son is allergic to him). We love the dog and have even talked about getting a cavachon like him when we look to get our next dog. We think this might be a great opportunity for us to get a dog because we are familiar with him (and hopefully he is with us), he's already trained and we know what kind of background he came from.

But one major thing we are worried about, among other thing's we're discussing, is the cost of owning the dog. We recently bought a house and, while not completely house poor, we are on a tight budget. The last thing we want to do is take him, only to have to give him away again in another year or so because we cannot afford him. Obviously there is no definite answer but does anyone have any estimates for how much the yearly cost would be to own a cavachon? As far as we know, he's healthy and doesn't have any major issues. He's about the size of a bichon so not a big dog by any means. Any estimates or resources would be appreciated.

Thank you for your help!

[Driller1]

IMO.....the old saying is true.

If you have to ask...you can not afford it.

[no kudzu]

wouldn't the present owners be the best ones to ask?

[foxywench]

1: let me get this out of the way first.
theres no such breed as a cavachon, so this leads to a potential slew of unknowns.
a: GOOD breeders health test thier geneitc stock...
b: good breders dont intentiallly mix breeds
c: this dog is likely NOT from genetically tested stock which means it coul be prone to ANY of the genetic issue sof the breeds that whent into its make up.

Mixing breeds can do 1 of 2 things: 1 it can "strengthen" a line, with something commonly refered to as "hybird vigor" (since all dogs no matter thier breed are dogs this actually isnt the correct term, but well go with it) this means the genetics work together to help push out potential negitive gentic traits and "strengthen" the gene pool...now this is a lovely thing and a common "my dogs healthier because its a *insert mixed breed here* however it doesnt realy work like that...this vigor only realy kicks in when used in conjunction with natural selection...youll see this vgor in dogs that have pretyt much been let to breed to whoever they want henever they want because only the strongets and healthiest survive and mate...
when it comes to Backyard breeding...this DOESNT work that way as only the dogs the human picks to breed breed, (or only the ones in the home ect) and thus theres NO natural selection involved...stiil good genese can match up...
2 it can WEAKEN the gentic lines...all the faults of both breeds can mash together into one serious mess of a dog, this is more common in mill/byb bred dogs.
so we have to take both breeds:

Bichons: tend to be prone to eye, hip and ear problems as they age, they also tend to be "prone" to cancer and allergies

Cavaliers: oh boy...these guys are a mess...Hearts, its said that aprox 50% of cavs will be diagnosed with MVD by the age of 5 and by 10 99% will have it...
epilepsy, knees and hips, eyes, allergies, ear problems, diabetes, thyroid issues, and issues with blood clotting and teth issues are all common as the dog ages...

So with this mix your going to have to be prepared for any number of potential "suprises" as the dog ages...
the heart problems are EXPENSIVE to treat, eye issues can also be expensive, and cancer of course is never a "cheap" disese...so theres potential for this dog to become a financial OWIE in the future.

2: ALL dogs no matter what their breed beocme money sinks as they age...its just like humans, old age is expensive, some dogs age gracefully, but all will require more frequent vet checks at minimum...

3: VET CARE, because were not phsychic cant say whats going to pop up in the future...is it in your budget to get pet health insurance? if not you need to see if your credit is good enough to get an emergency medical expence creit card or set assde a chunk of change each month for emergencies and unforseens...this is true of ANY dog...no matter what its breed

4: food...small dog so shouldnt eat too much, a GOOD food will cost youmore in the beginningbut last you longer, id expect to pay $30-$40 for a $25-$40lb bag of food (avoiding corn, wheat and soy) an expect that back to last a 15 lb dog 3-6 months (a 40lb at $30 a bag was lasting my 5 and 10lb cresties 6 months) so foods not a big expense...

5: supplies...given this dog currently belongs to someone are they sendnighim or her home with toys, balnket, crate collar lesh ect..if so youvesaved yourself some good money there. i generally spend $20 per dog on new toys per year (i only BUY them toys at christas and buy 2-3 GOOD toys that will last a full yer, the rest of the year i buy cheap stuffies, fleece scraps ect and make my own toys...
i buy each dog a new harness and leash every few years depending on wear and tear...collars again depnds on wear and tear, dozer will need a new leash LONG before jasper or ruby, just becuase his leash gets alot more actual use as hes currently a bit of a puller...

its impossible to say how much per year it costs to own a dog...because every dog and every person varies...health issues, grooming needs, food you feed, toys your dog likes ect will all play a huge part in the budget.
my 10lb crestie may cost x while someone elses 10lb dog my double or tripple that because there toy destructive or have a health condition that requires medication ect...
i try to put away $10 per month per pet into a high yeild savings for VET ONLY use, i have an emergency card with a $5000 limit for pet emergences too...its still not realy enough but its what i have right now...
i then put $5 per pet per month away for "gifts and goodies" this pays for toys, toy supplies, treats, collars leashes, clothes ect...as needed. this goes into a personal "account" (jar hidden away) for frivolous pet supplies.
i dont have pet insurance because we had issues with it in the past...but expect another $20-$25 a month there (and id still set savings asside for emergencies as theres things the PHI doesnt cover)
rabies is another $25 every 3 years...
food again tough to say as itl depend on brand but assuming a dog under 20lbs and a good food, look at $10-$15 a month to feed and you should be good, whatever you dont spend from the food budget can be added to the emergency fund

theres grooming costs to take into account too...

[NovaDragon]

Thanks for all your responses. This is by no means a done deal as both the current owners and us have a lot to think and talk about.

Driller, very good point and certainly something we talked about.

no kudzu, we are doing that as well.

foxywench, as always an awesome post that was really helpful. Will keep your suggestions and examples in mind if/as we move forward and for the future.

[foxywench]

personally i think no home is complete without a dog...BUT you definatly have to go forward with eyes wide open as to what the future might bring.

keep us updated

Soundslike personality wise you guys already love him and ll dogs deserve a loving forever home

[maggiekate]

first the grooming each 5 weeks food not to bad for the cost the vet check once a year around 175.00
then the flea and heartworm meds add 150 to 175. The most costly is when a dog is ill and the vet needs to
do tests. it is a choice which is not easy to make the dog does sound nice. Some pure bred dogs
just to get them start at 1500 and up then add the puppy shots etc for the first year.

[foxywench]

see thats where each individual is going to run into the "variation factor"
i do all my own grooming so other than blade wash wd40, shampoo, and a new blade once in a while grooming costs me nothing...
my dogs see the vet only on an "as needed" basis, i dont do ANY yearly vaccinations an donly do rabies every 3 yrs, we go in every 3 yrs for rabies and a titer test, and its alot lower here for the visit than it was in CT...

flea/tick control again, i minimize that by buying in bulk, and heartworm protection i go a different route with completly, i paid $120 for enough advantage to cover 3 dogs and 3 cats for a year, and another $40 for a bottle of heartworm preventative that will cover not only the cats and dog but the goats and rabbits for about 2-3 yrs...so its truly impossible to give anyone a number because method, personal belife and location will also play a huge part in everthing.

[Katie1]

1st... cost of food depends on what you feed him... Me I have a Corgi & Papillon they eat what I eat! When I cook chicken breasts [deboned] they get chicken also! When we have Ham/hambergers or even steak they eat that also LOL Being small dogs Katie the Corgi 40# eats palin 1/4 pounder Lady the 7.5# Pap eats 3/4 of her 1/4 pounder BTW the Meats are Lean!! Just to give you an idea. When I dont cook as in summer or rarely cook they eat dog food. Right now IAMS Puppy 2 small bags last about a month. Keep in mind when I cook they dont get dog food! LOL SOOO Find out what he is use to eating! Dont change food sudden or you can have a very sick dog do it gradual... OR If hes doing great on it healthwise Dont Change!

2nd... Vet Bills You really need to call around to local vets for cost of Office call...DHLPP+C All in 1 shot basicly. Heatworm blood test & Heartworm pills cost Fla & other Southern States dogs NEEDS the preventive Year round Northern State Spring Summer & Fall about 6 months .... Some one [new neighbor] moved from Alaska to WV Didnt have a clue about Heartworms Seems they dont have have them Wahooo!! So it Depends on your location. Anyway this is a Yearly cost! My vet charges $200 for Both dogs ... so that $100 each for me!

3rd .... RABIES You Need to check local laws [Vet will know!] Every dog over 3 months MUST have Rabies shot 1st shot is good for a Year! Afer that depends on Local Law. Vaccine is By Manufature 3 yr shot BUT some state Only reconise them for 2 Yrs ... well Last yr they changed it to 2.5 yrs!! MOST areas have Rabies Clinics...watch your local papers the yr hes due for Boosters Save month or call locol humane socity/animal control! Our last clinic was in Spring cost $10 per dog!

Barring accidents & illness this is just basic.

Do you have Good Dog Proof Fence? IS he Total Housetrained ... Not just trained to go potty But also Trained Not to Distroy the place when your out or sleeping? IF not your going to need a Crate to Keep him when You Cant watch him! I got LAdys crate off my local Freecycle! Pet shops & Walmart they run about $50 more or less depending on size. PLEASE keep in mind when the dog comes to live with you no matter how well trained he is he Still needs to adjust to you time tables for walks eating etc & Accidents might happen!! One way to help him transist is to keep him as close to his old schudeles as possible ... Make time changes slowly [say 15 mins at a time LOL] IF he use to some one being up at 2 am to take him out You best be ready to do that or cleanup after him hehehe BUT IF you want him to change to you getting upa at 5 am after a few days take him out say at 2:15 few days later make it 2:30 etc!! Go out with him & Praise him so he will know he IS doing things Your way!!

PLEASE IF s/he is not spay/nutered get it done!! Again cost will depend on local vets. My neighbor has his 20# mix spayed for $75. This is a ONE Time Cost!

[WildnFree]

I actually had to so a search on what the heck kind of breed they were talking about. These designer dogs get weirder and weirder.