Do you worry about how you will pay for treatment for your furry friend? 

There are many plus sides to owing a pet.  It has been scientifically proven that owning a pet can provide physical and mental health benefits.  Whatever furry friend you choose, they give you love, companionship, a reason to get up in the morning and to exercise as well as providing their owners with plenty to talk about with other pet owners, family and friends.

One of the down sides to consider carefully when deciding to have a pet is how much the pet will cost you.  We suggest splitting the costs into initial ones, regular ones, annual ones and one-off or unexpected costs.  The list below is not exhaustive, but gives you an idea of things to consider:

Initial costs:

• Cost of purchasing your pet
• Initial vaccinations
• Things to make your pet comfortable e.g. bedding/crates/cages/equipment
• Things to keep your pet safe and entertained e.g. leads, harnesses, toys
• Pet-proofing your home e.g. fencing, dog gates, puppy pads, litter trays
• Grooming tools e.g. brush, comb, nail clippers, shampoo
• Training costs, if needed
• Spaying/Neutering
• Microchipping and dog tags

Regular costs:

• Food and treats
• Dental hygiene
• Parasite treatment e.g. flea, tick and worm
• Poo bags
• Dog walker/pet sitting/day care, if used
• Groomer, if used
• Insurance cover

Annual costs:

• Vaccinations
• Vet check-ups

Unexpected costs:

• Accidents
• Illnesses

According to the RSPCA’s cost calculator (Pet Cost Calculator | RSPCA – RSPCA – rspca.org.uk), it can cost from £62 per month to care for a small dog, rising to over £100 per month for a large dog.  Their calculations only take into account food, grooming, insurance, poo bags, routine health care and toys.  For dogs requiring specialist food and who might be given more expensive toys, for example, they estimate the higher monthly costs of £205 per month to over £400 per month, depending on the size of dog.  Within these costs, they calculate routine health care for flea, tick and worm treatments will range from £11-16 per month.  This does not take into account annual vaccinations or any other additional vet treatments.

For cats, the costs are lower, but still range from a basic £26-28 per month to over £206 per month for a large-breed cat such as a Maine Coon requiring specialist food and who has more toys.  They estimate that routine care for cats (flea, tick and worm treatments) will be in the region of £9 per month, excluding vaccinations, microchipping, neutering etc.

Peacock Vets – here to help

Choosing to have a pet is a decision not to be taken lightly, but if you do decide to have a pet, we are here to help you every step of the way.

We offer your first consultation with us free of charge where we can check your pet’s health, talk to you about any concerns that you may have about owning a pet and we can also introduce you to our Pet Behaviourist if needed.  We also have ‘Puppy Parties’ to help young dogs get used to meeting other dogs.

Many of our clients opt to utilise our Top Pet plans to help spread the cost of preventative care, check-ups and microchipping.  In addition, many procedures, such as lump removal and dental treatment are offered to our Top to ail Pet Plan members at a reduced, fixed rate as well as discounts off of the cost of animal health certificates; neutering and repeat prescription medications.

Talk to us today about how we can help you and to discuss the most cost-effective solutions to providing your pet with the best care, vaccinations and medication that they need.