How Much MY Basenji Cost is His First Year:

[Shaye's Mom]

We got Shaye at 10 weeks, and a companion mix for her when she was 9 months. The first total year, with all vet visits, including spay and hernia operation, everyone's shots, food, etc. was around $4,400. Of course that's Shaye and Gemma, who is the mix we got later.

[MacPack]

I have older basenjis and I do not not to add anything up; better not to know how much they cost! Food and routine vetting are fairly stable, but a trip to the emergency vet and a couple of days in the ICU…

So the first year is expensive with spay/neuters, and the older years can be expensive with dentals, issues. The in-between years have been 'cheap' for us. But worth every cent for the love and fun.

Probably a good idea to put aside a set amount ($20 or more) every month or payday in a special cookie-jar, to have on hand for emergencies or old-dog issues. Wish I had thought of that a few years ago!

[Shaye's Mom]

@MacPack:

IProbably a good idea to put aside a set amount ($20 or more) every month or payday in a special cookie-jar, to have on hand for emergencies or old-dog issues. Wish I had thought of that a few years ago!

That's a great idea! I will say, after that first mind-boggling year, I have stopped paying attention to the "Animals" category of my expenses - no sense in knowing, because it isn't going to affect the needs when they arise!:eek:

[eeeefarm]

What's amazing is how lucrative the small animal veterinary business has become. For less than I pay on a "routine" health check for my Basenji…..wherein I transport him to the vet, wait (invariably) for some time in the waiting room, then get "seen" for ten or fifteen minutes, my horse vet will come to my farm (yes, and in the middle of the night or weekends for an emergency.....my small animal vet wants me to attend an emergency clinic in those cases) and wrestle with a large, sometimes uncooperative animal (risking his own life and limb), float teeth, give injections, or in the case of a colic, medication by stomach tube and perhaps stick his whole arm up the horse's rectum......and invariably I end up with a bill that is less than I paid for my dog! (It's also cheaper to get a colt castrated than a dog neutered......go figure!!!)

[Kipawa]

@MacPack:

And best of all, you have Kenji, and that's priceless!

My sentiments exactly. I could never put a price on what Kipawa has done for me personally and our home/household. As I sit on the couch now and watch him chew up a tough fabric frisbee, I wonder if he knows how valuable he is and how much we love him.

[LewieFitz]

oh my goodness, if I tried to tally up the expenses of the treats and toys for my baby boy… I love to shower him with fun things to play with. But on the plus side, he has yet to ruin anything in the home after 9 months (crosses fingers)

[Basenjimamma]

very cool….and I can tell you this...Pippin has been WAY more pricey...starting from day #1..up until now..and he is 10 months old...but...A) you can't put a price on his love, I won't tell my husband all of the involved costs and C) I will do it again!!

[LindaH]

@Kenji24:

How Much MY Basenji Cost is His First Year:
Without this plan; when Kenji was neutered it would have cost me nearly $800, but it only cost $210.

Yikes!!!

It only cost us ~$384 when we had Blaze neutered…and that INCLUDED having him microchipped, his rabies vaccination, repair his umbilical hernia, pre-anethestic blood work, and the after-surgery medication.

[agilebasenji]

@LindaH:

Yikes!!!

It only cost us ~$384 when we had Blaze neutered…and that INCLUDED having him microchipped, his rabies vaccination, repair his umbilical hernia, pre-anethestic blood work, and the after-surgery medication.

I know prices around the country vary, but $800 for a neuter in KY seems really high to me too. Z's spay was significantly less than 1/2 that cost (including pre-op blood work, pain meds and the surgery). And often spays are more $. I would bet the cost of living in co is about the same or slightly more in co compared to ky.

[tanza]

In Northern Ca, average spay/neuter is around 400 to 800.00. There are cheaper, however as they say, you get what you pay for.

[sharronhurlbut]

I don't want to count the shoes I have had to repair/replace…our fault for leaving them where the b's can get them.

[Kipawa]

@LindaH:

Yikes!!!

It only cost us ~$384 when we had Blaze neutered…and that INCLUDED having him microchipped, his rabies vaccination, repair his umbilical hernia, pre-anethestic blood work, and the after-surgery medication.

Wow… you did not too bad compared to our costs on the west coast of Canada (we are basically in a suburb of Vancouver). Along with pre-surgery blood work and urinalysis, our bill was almost $700.00. And that was with nothing additional done. Rabies had already been done, no hernias to repair and Kipawa was already microchipped by his breeders.

I know I could find a less costly vet, but I have built up a very good relationship with them and trust them totally. They were so wonderful when my angel cat Barney got cancer, arranging for us to see a specialist two days later. Everything they do provides peace of mind for me and my animalsis, and I just can't put a price on that.

[sharronhurlbut]

A good vet is worth the price of their services, IMO.

[curlytails]

Wow, I must confess that I'm often shocked by how much spay/neuters cost on this side of the world, since I never had to do one. Bowpi was already spayed when we got her, and Bowdu was neutered when we were living in Taiwan – for the oh so exorbitant cost of about $60USD. S/Ns are actually subsidized there so the gov't will PAY vets for every spay/neuter they perform, and so vets stand to make a decent chunk of change even when they charge clients such a small amount.

Anyway, I do think it's important to keep track of expenses like this, and it'll probably help others who want a more realistic idea of the expenses incurred in raising a dog. There's always more than that cute face to worry about, especially for the first year!

[Voodoo]

I have Voodoo now for 3 months, and he is 9 months old now, but here it has been a lot cheaper. Had most of the stuff he needed allready from my other dogs, so only expenses I had was food and getting him ready to enter Sweden (rabi?s-titer, de-worming…). Over here his food is free, vet is free, so now he doesn't cost me anything. With some quick calculations, I spend a total of 140 dollar on him so far.

[tanza]

It is important to be able to explain to people the cost of proper care… Many are so hung up on the price of a pup, they do not realize that proper care way out spend the cost to purchase. And when they understand those costs, they can more understand why the price might seem high to them.

So many people question the price saying "I only want a pet", but the cost to breed that pet is no different then a show/performance puppy if you do it right.

[Kipawa]

@tanza:

It is important to be able to explain to people the cost of proper care… Many are so hung up on the price of a pup, they do not realize that proper care way out spend the cost to purchase. And when they understand those costs, they can more understand why the price might seem high to them.

So many people question the price saying "I only want a pet", but the cost to breed that pet is no different then a show/performance puppy if you do it right.

Excellent comments, Pat!

[Kenji24]

@tanza:

It is important to be able to explain to people the cost of proper care… Many are so hung up on the price of a pup, they do not realize that proper care way out spend the cost to purchase...

My thoughts exactly, this is one of the reasons why I posted this.

@LindaH:

Yikes!!!

It only cost us ~$384 when we had Blaze neutered…and that INCLUDED having him microchipped, his rabies vaccination, repair his umbilical hernia, pre-anethestic blood work, and the after-surgery medication.

Yeah, yikes is right. I did some digging and found that around 800 is on the high end and 200 - 400 is a good number for this area. Thankfully I could do the wellness plan. Since this was my first dog and first S/N, I kinda went overboard on the post op stuff. Meds (which he didnt need), the halo so he didnt lick himself, the laser up-charge and there was another up-charge that i choose. The laser, they said, would heal quicker and is less painful after the op. Apparently they were correct, Kenji was only lethargic that day. the next day he was close to normal. he ate well, slept all day and went for a nice long walk. Everyday after that he was back to his old self.

@MacPack:

Good post. It's very for anyone to have an idea how much this 'extra mouth' will cost. You didn't have a couch or expensive shoe replacement so you are actually doing really well, haha!
And best of all, you have Kenji, and that's priceless!

Thanks, I really do hope this post help future and even current owners. So far Kenji really doesn't like chewing on shoes. he used to chew on shoe laces but hasn't done that in a while. BUT he does like underwear and socks… and still shews on my chairs, :mad: GRRRR :mad:!! But I'd rather replace those then 50 - 100 pair of shoes.

Like everyone else said he is priceless. I cant put a price on him.

[agilebasenji]

@Kenji24:

Thanks, I really do hope this post help future and even current owners. So far Kenji really doesn't like chewing on shoes.

Don't believe I'd have said (typed) that outloud. Just sayin.

[Kenji24]

@agilebasenji:

Don't believe I'd have said (typed) that outloud. Just sayin.

I knocked on wood right after :p