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Post by avonord on May 27, 2015 9:57:49 GMT -5
I'm trying to budget for the ownership of a retired greyhound. I'm hearing different numbers, anytime averaging 100$ to 300$ over the lifetime of a relatively healthy retired greyhound.
I don't plan to buy insurance for my dog but I plan to save up my own pile of money for unavoidable medical bills.
So, including this rainy day fund, does $300 a month sound right? It may actually be a bit high for me now cuz I just bought a new house. What's been your experience?
Thanks!!
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xtrawld
Grey Lover
Both thirsty....can't wait for their turn....
Posts: 625
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Post by xtrawld on May 27, 2015 11:38:01 GMT -5
Well, I can say with relative certainty that as they grow older they become more expensive, so your budget should be increasing slightly every year IMO. In addition, are you planning on feeding kibble or raw? Does this fund include food monthly/toys/treats/annual vet visits incl shots & meds/dentals etc or are you only worrying about emerge vet bills?
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Post by avonord on May 27, 2015 12:05:22 GMT -5
Well, I can say with relative certainty that as they grow older they become more expensive, so your budget should be increasing slightly every year IMO. In addition, are you planning on feeding kibble or raw? Does this fund include food monthly/toys/treats/annual vet visits incl shots & meds/dentals etc or are you only worrying about emerge vet bills? I'll be feeding hopefully good to decent quality kibble. I'm just trying to work out a budget to include everything for the dog, everything from food to toys to emergency vet fund. I understand that the vet bill will get more expensive as the dog age. That's why I want to start saving money into my very own vet fund from day 1.
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xtrawld
Grey Lover
Both thirsty....can't wait for their turn....
Posts: 625
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Post by xtrawld on May 27, 2015 12:44:44 GMT -5
When I used to feed kibble (LTD or Premium Quality) it was easily $70 a bag a month. Cookies and treats lets say $10 a box for a month for one hound. Toys, depending on if your hound destroys them regularly $10 I guess. Ryder's fave toy is actually $15 and we've gone through 4 of them in good squeaky year. The other toys, he doesn't really play with as much. Annual vet visits where I go are minimum $400 which includes shots, bloodwork and heartworm/flea meds and then who knows if you have to jump in for a quick consult here and there through the year. A bout of D for example will set you back $130 for consult and meds, they break a nail when running another $110 etc. Need a set of x-rays? - another couple hundred. Greys are notorious for having bad teeth so a dental at a minimum is $400, and if alot of teeth need to be pulled just increase the cost from there. Some houndies NEED these cleanings regularly, others go years between cleanings. My boys also get some vitamins and supplements as well so you'll have to include that if you choose to do so. Are you getting a crate? Other things I keep around the house that need to be replenished are first aid kits, shampoo/conditioner, a hand brush, blankies, towels, leashes, bowls, collars, coats, booties, how about a harness, beds, poop bags.....
I'd recommend taking a walk around a pet store for more ideas..... startup costs of course come with the territory.
Good luck and remember the rulz....we need pics of the new pup!
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Post by avonord on May 27, 2015 17:36:39 GMT -5
Wow. That's lots of info. Thanks!
So sounds like $200/month for a healthy hound, plus an additional $80-$100 for emergencies and the unexpected.
Start up cost is an non issue. It's the recurring cost that I'm worried about.
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Post by Sally Blossom on May 27, 2015 19:34:22 GMT -5
The love that you get back from a greyhound is greater than any cost
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Post by avonord on May 27, 2015 20:09:55 GMT -5
The love that you get back from a greyhound is greater than any cost Oh I know. We drove to see heather this past weekend to see some greyhounds in real life. They are such gentle souls. And so misunderstood. I was talking to a friend about adopting a retired greyhound afterward and I found myself correcting him sentence after sentence. But cost is still a concern. I want to have a budget to give my greyhound a life that it deserves.
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xtrawld
Grey Lover
Both thirsty....can't wait for their turn....
Posts: 625
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Post by xtrawld on May 28, 2015 11:55:37 GMT -5
You can consider insurance for your pup as well. About $30-$40/mo I think. Read up on it to see if it's right for you. We got it initially and then I cancelled it after waaaay too many restrictions in the fine print. I thought he could be refused coverage when I was in a time of need and didn't want to be in that situation, so I put the money I would have given the ins co into a separate bank account. Helps you draw from that when you need it as long as you have some really good will power!
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troysmom
Hound Nut
Troy & Leopold
Posts: 1,717
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Post by troysmom on May 28, 2015 16:12:05 GMT -5
How exciting!!! I never really added what I spend on my 3 (2 greyhounds and a dachshund) but I think I spend more on them then myself. LOL they are sooo spoiled but they love they give in return is ten fold. You $300 a month sounds good to me. Not sure where you live but vets costs vary significantly. I find if you can find a good vet out of the city your better off cost wise. Sounds like you are on the right track and planning ahead...those pups at the kennel are amazing, aren't they?
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Post by avonord on May 28, 2015 20:47:34 GMT -5
You can consider insurance for your pup as well. About $30-$40/mo I think. Read up on it to see if it's right for you. We got it initially and then I cancelled it after waaaay too many restrictions in the fine print. I thought he could be refused coverage when I was in a time of need and didn't want to be in that situation, so I put the money I would have given the ins co into a separate bank account. Helps you draw from that when you need it as long as you have some really good will power! I also considered insurance, and I had the exact same thought as you. So that's why I'll take my chance and save my own emergency vet fund for the dog, rather than getting insurance.
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Post by avonord on May 28, 2015 20:50:29 GMT -5
Yea.. we were very much sold on the greyhounds. We are still going to see some Whippets (similar temperament to greyhounds) and Cardigan Corgis (cute but noisy!) in the next two weeks before we make a final decision though. Those, being smaller dogs, will be slightly cheaper in terms of raising them. But I don't think the difference will be significant enough to be a factor in my decision.
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scarletta
Grey Lover
On FB as "Onyx Can-Do"
Posts: 537
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Post by scarletta on May 29, 2015 20:55:34 GMT -5
I am a single gal with a mortgage and nowhere near wealthy and I do decently financially with my 2 greyhounds Onyx & Elvira. I feed grain free (my dogs are allergic) Earthborn Holistics kibble with Wild Calling canned as a topper and then RAW for some meals. They seem to do really well on this. I also spoil them with good grain free treats which can be costly but dehydrating your own liver and other things really cuts the costs and keeps it super healthy and is something I intend to start doing soon. Just for food and treats per month I figured it out to close to $300 a month for both my houndies. Vet bills are on top of that amount. I also thought of pet insurance when I got mine but sadly anything offered here in Canada seems to have a lot of addendums and things they won't cover so I opted to put the money I would spend on it, into a bank account for emergencies. So far it has worked out well and I always have Visa if anything more expensive happens although we have not had a lot of that so far *knock wood* You will love having one of these super smart and sweet doggies in your home and I bet within a year or so you will find you need another one as most of us do!I can't wait to see which houndie picks you
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Post by campgreyhound on May 30, 2015 19:40:21 GMT -5
Having a credit card available that you don't normally use is a good way to cover yourself until you've built up some funds. Years ago my greyhound dislocated his hip, a very unusual injury for them. I was not well off financially at the time, but just by chance I luckily had a credit card in my desk drawer that I never used, and I was able to put the surgery on that, and pay it off over time.
It's almost impossible to know how much to save, I have had 13 greyhounds all together and most of them have never had a serious medical issue. Until last month I had only ever had 1 large vet fee, for the dislocated hip. However in the last month we've had two major surgeries for serious illnesses. I know plenty of people that never have to deal with a serious illness in their hound, so it really varies! Probably the biggest bill most people see is for dentals. If your hound has the gene, there's not much you can do about that, even brushing won't save you from fairly frequent dentals. If you're blessed, you're hound will have good teeth and gums, and you can keep them that way by brushing every other day.
One way you can save on the smaller bills is to learn some basic first aid. Things like nail pulls and small skin tears, conjunctivitis, and upset tummies can be treated at home with a little bit of research and a few supplies.
You can also do a home cooked diet, and make your own treats. It's not that hard to do, especially if you have a slow cooker. Your hound will have a lot less to deal with in the way of health problems if you're able to avoid commmercial diets.
If you sew, you can make your own martingale collars too. Maybe sell a few!
Looking forward to seeing pictures of your new hound!
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Post by angelollie on May 31, 2015 21:14:09 GMT -5
There has been greyt advice given so far, maybe others will chime in as well. Some other thoughts .... learning to cut your hound's own toenails will save you at least a $10 visit to Pet Smart or $35 at the vets. And if you do your own brushing of their teeth, you may not totally avoid dental/extraction bills but you might be able to keep your dental bills lower. Yes some hounds do have poor teeth but with brushing and the use of bones (tartar busters), it should help keep the plague at bay and the brushing will stimulate the gums.
With kibble being my base for their diet (I currently have 4 hounds), I also add cooked veggies/rice/meat and sardines (every 3rd day) to their diet and dehydrate some of their treats.
And the greyhound community is like no other. Not only do we have the GRA forum but also GRA FB which offers members support, advice and a sharing of ideas. As well, there are greyhound sites with those directly involved in the racing industry who will also provide helpful information.
I too hope we see a greyhound in your life .... good luck with your research!
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