Has anyone else noticed that the costs associated with our dog hobby continue to climb? I have always considered myself lucky if I came close to breaking even but, for the last few years, when I tally up my costs, I am thousands in the red.

Vet costs continue to climb, cost of health clearances have dramatically increased, quality food is more expensive, show costs, litter expenses,and overall care of the dogs throughout the year result in a big red number at the end of the year.

Thankfully my dogs are my family,they give me much more than my couple litters a year, and my dog lifestyle is not profit motivated. However,I hope the trend of increasing costs does level off at some point. It is funny how John Q.Public thinks we get rich breeding dogs. LOL

horses! Try showing horses and or breeding them, then complain about dogs!

Yes, I can imagine how expensive breeding horses would be! Although not financially rewarding, it must be quite rewarding on so many other levels.

Not Rich, am with you. It is sad something we love to do so much is getting so costly. And I am with you. When you can roll over puppy money to pay for shows, x-rays, stud fee and hold your own that is good. But these days when you are digging into family budget to pay for things, we really have to think twice. Maybe something will get a little better.

This might start tons of flames, but a 4-H rabbit person who also showed horses as a child told me that the longer you're into your animal, whatever the species may be, the less you should be spending in vet bills. She said you learn to do most of the vetting yourself. That really got me thinking, researching, etc.

I had over $8,500 of credit card dog debt when she told me this. I have since rethought how I do a lot of things. I now give horse panacur instead of dog - it's much cheaper and more concentrated, I give fipronil for home pest control, not frontline (which is fipronil), I give Tolatrazil (sp?) instead of prescription ponazuril, and I also give my own vaccines. A retired vet gives our rabies for 1/2 the cost of our regular vet. I use Listerine for ears - that alone has saved tons. Once when we had ringworm after hunt training with collars and water staying underneath, vet wanted to give a $150 med, online I found a weak bleach solution cures ringworm and had success with that. I actually think my dogs have better parasite control than when I relied on the vets. All dosages are online, some on this forum. I called around and found a local vet who sections for 1/3 of the price of my repro vet. I still feed really good food, of course, but I am saving literally thousands in vet fees. I found a newbie handler who has finished other breeds and is starting to do well with my labs - less than 1/2 the fee of the well known handler we used before. I can't have $9000 of credit card debt build up every year. I've also taken in dogs to board to help with show fees, etc. My dogs are just as healthy if not healthier than before. Just our experience.

That is some good advice. Can you please explain in more detail how you use the Listerine for the ears? Which kind, do you use for cleaning or to fight infections? TIA

I agree, the longer you are in dogs the more you can do yourself. And if you are lucky, you have healthy animals as well.

I do a litter every 3-5 years, so it's a good thing I love my dogs for the pets that they are, because there is no financial recouperation going on. My last show prospect has washed out but fortunately I love performance, so I still have fun with my dogs until its time to breed again.

Yes, we do a lot ourselves but it is still very expensive. What many of the general public fail to realize is, before and after a litter, adult dogs still need vet care, food, etc. They do not just sit on a shelf until a litter is desired. I do not try and justify the costs since pretty much everything we do involves the dogs and, as long as I can afford it, they will always be a big part of our lives.

Regarding Listerine use for ears. I clean ears every month with BROWN Listerine at the same time I trim nails and give ivermectin for heartworm (this is also labeled for horses, dosage for dogs is online). If I see any start of infection at all in the ears, I wipe with Listerine twice a day for at least 2 weeks, longer if yeast/infection is severe.

Once a vet gave me ear meds (don't remember which kind) and a cortisol injection for a pregnant bitch - I wasn't comfortable with that - infection and yeast was severe and I was desperate - I wiped ears with a 1 to 10 bleach/water solution - I have a professional otoscope for my own children -ears tolerated the very weak bleach solution without any redness or irritation and ears were perfectly clear within about 5 days.

Yes, it's a good thing we're not in it for the $$, or I would have quit long ago! However, I just spent a quality 2 hours outside in the early cool spring morning training and enjoying my dogs - that's priceless!

Well said. What many fail to realize too its that before and after any litter, there is year long care needed for every dog including vet care, food, etc. As you said, they enrich our lives in so many other ways.

Yes to the Listerine, it is the regular BROWN kind (the other versions have sorbitol in it). But since I went grain free, I never have ear issues.

I do the ivermectin (for COWS) heartworm and save probably $1,000.00 or more a year. ($30.00 for YEARS of preventative vs whatever the Heartguard version is per year).

I give my own vaccines (except rabies), and save $60.00 per dog/year.

My local humane society does spay/neuter for $75.00 vs $300 by my vet. When I mentioned that, my vet offered a significant "professional" discount (and that kept me in good graces with him, and willing to offer other discounts and free info).

I work part time at a kennel/rescue so dog food and gas is "free". Saving thousand per year.

What I can not get around are the price of entry fees. Typically I have two dogs competing each year (in conformation and primarily higher level performance) and that costs $2,000-4,000/year.