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The Cost of Owning a Dog

  • Writer: Dale Buchanan
    Dale Buchanan
  • Dec 24, 2025
  • 2 min read


dixie-top-gun-dog-training-huntsville-alabama

My dog Dixie has been diagnosed with heart disease after a routine checkup before teeth cleaning. They found a heart murmur, then, from an X-ray, found an enlarged heart and congestion in her lungs. I have created a GoFundMe account to help with her expenses.


Start-Up Fees:

  • Including adoption or breeder fees, initial vet visit, microchip, supplies, and training. 

  • $2000-$8000


Monthly Expenses:

  • Food 

  • Medication (heartworm, flea, and tick prevention)

  • Daycare

  • Dog Walker

  • Grooming

  • Treats and toys

  • Pet Insurance

  • For Dixie, this is about $700/month


Annual Expenses:

  • Vet visits

  • Shots (rabies, distemper, parvovirus, etc.)

  • Bloodwork

  • Boarding (when out of town)

  • For Dixie, this is about $500/year


Unexpected Expenses:

  • Heart disease

  • Cancer

  • Parvo, distemper, flu

  • Parasites and worms

  • Ear infections

  • Heartworm

  • Injuries such as broken bones or joint problems

  • It can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000 or more.


A dog gets heartworm from mosquitoes, so make sure that your dog is on heartworm prevention and that you also keep an eye on them for the summer, so they're not around a lot of mosquitoes. 


One of my clients, an older couple, has a dog they rescued that, all of a sudden, became aggressive toward their older dog and toward them. It started acting really funny. When I went over there for a session, I noticed that the dog was limping. I knew that the joint issue, which was untreated, was causing distress in the dog, and it was acting it out in aggressive behavior. They got a vet visit the next day and found that the dog had a torn ACL. The owners called me and let me know what was going on. The operation is $6,000. They were undecided about what to do. They were even considering euthanizing the dog because they could not afford the $6,000 operation for their dog. I have not heard back from them.


How do you prepare for this? How do you make sure that you are ready if this ever happens? Because with Dixie, I certainly was not prepared. I do not have the money in savings. I do not have a fund for her, nor do I have pet insurance for her. This blindsided me, and I had no idea that a five-year-old dog could even have heart disease.


I'm learning from it, and I'm also trying to get some funding together for Dixie's expenses. When things come up with your dog, you have to make decisions. Some people, as I mentioned earlier, might consider Euthanasia, rehoming the dog, or not getting the dog treated at all and just seeing what happens. There are a lot of options out there for you, or I can't tell you what to do.


The purpose of this article is education and preparation, and to let you know that if you are thinking about buying or adopting a puppy, make sure you are financially prepared for everything that you need for that dog to survive, grow, and thrive. 



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