Maintaining a dog – the financial point of view
Raising a dog is a huge responsibility resting on the shoulders of his guardians. As the owner, the quality of your dog’s life rests in your hands. In order to provide your dog with the optimum living environment, you must ensure to provide him with all of the accessories that he needs to navigate daily life and live in comfort and convenience. What’s more, remember that not only material things affect the quality of a dog’s life. Regular visits to the vet or hairdresser are just as important. Additionally, ensuring that your dog eats a varied diet and maintains a high level of personal hygiene, is also very important.
Keeping your dog happy requires a significant financial commitment. Therefore, when deciding to take care of a dog, make sure that you have the financial means to provide him with the right living conditions. These expenses will to a large extent generate fixed costs. Dogs need more than just a comfortable dog bed or a proper dog bowl, but also appropriate feed and regular veterinary care.
Dog food and treats
Undoubtedly, a good diet, containing all the necessary minerals and vitamins, can not be based on giving your dog leftovers from your own meals. Properly selected food is the key to keeping your dog healthy and vital. In addition, food well suited to your pet helps him maintain a healthy body weight.
First of all, the choice of food cannot be accidental. Dogs are different, so their need for a specific calorie or type of vitamin will also be different Dog food that a producer says will be suitable for every dog is not a good choice. Although the low price may be tempting, the composition of the food after careful analysis probably leaves much to be desired.
- Dry dog food
Good dry dog food is primarily at least 30% animal products, rich in vitamins and micro elements. This value is the starting point, which is why, of course, the higher the index the better. In reality, most dogs are eager to eat food that is far from ideal. This food may fill up their stomachs, but it lacks the nutrients required to support proper functioning.
- Wet dog food
Wet dog food is usually sold in the form of a can. This type of packaging make it easier to portion your dog’s meals and helps to maintain the freshness of the food. Producers offer a wide range of flavours, so it is not difficult to find a combination that will suit your pup’s personal tastes.
What to avoid in wet dog food? First of all, pay attention to the proportions between the content of meat and vegetable protein or fat. Often, these values are characterized by a significant disparity between the components of animal origin and the remaining part of the food.
- Dog treats
Treats are a constant element of a dog’s diet and are often what he enjoys the most. Delicacies are a perfect snack between meals, and can serve as a source of motivation and reward when you are teaching your dog new skills. That being said, with goodies, be careful not to overdo it. Although they may seem like small, innocent snacks, eating to many treats can cause your dog to become overweight.
The best treats for your dog’s health are dried delicacies with a high meat content. On store shelves, we can find products that contain 90% meat related ingredients.
Veterinary care of four-legged companion
Permanent medical care provides the basis for proper dog health The puppy period is the time in a dog’s life when frequent visits to the veterinary office are most important. A puppy’s first tests and vaccination package are a considerable expense. You must be aware of these costs when deciding to take care of a young dog. Under no circumstances should you omit any of the mandatory vaccines.
In the middle part of dog’s lives, it is likely that they will be able to visit the vet less often. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you should only take your dog to the vet if he is unwell. Don’t forget that some vaccinations must be repeated regularly. The same applies to deworming your pet.
A visit to the vet is also important if your dog has been experiencing disturbing symptoms. If your pooch is experiencing any kind of food allergy, skin change, or irritation, it is necessary to have these issues looked at by a specialist. Treating these problems will often require special medications. Keeping a dog is about taking care of his health. Neglecting your dog’s health even once can result in long term effects that will impact the rest of your pet’s life. This is unacceptable.
The price of dog medicine varies greatly. Individual medications can cost anywhere from a few to even several hundred zlotys.
Dog care
Maintaining a high level of hygiene for your dog requires proper care. The complexity of your dog’s hygiene routine depends greatly on his breed. For some dogs, proper care is fairly complex and demanding and can be quite expensive. It is worth keeping this in mind when choosing the type of dog that is right for you.
Products used for your dog’s daily care routine, such as shampoo and brushes are necessary. That being said, they are a relatively small expense and only need to be repurchased from time to time. Visits to a groomer or hairdresser are a larger expense, but are also necessary for many dog breeds. Professional groomers will not only help deal with your pup’s unruly hair, but also take care of his claws and ears.
The price of a grooming visit ranges from 60 to sometimes 300 PLN. It should be emphasized here that the cost of care is sometimes set individually. It depends on the specific dog and the amount of time that the groomer must devote to his work. Cleaning the ears or cutting off claws will cost you about PLN 30.
Take good care of your pup
Your dog’s health is priceless and is the best investment you can possibly make. That being said, every dog owner should also bear in mind the fact that the process of keeping our dog healthy generates many expenses. Having a dog means taking care of his physical and mental health. At the end of the day, though, no dog accessory will ever be able to replace the love and attention that your dog needs and expects from you.
Ultimately, the attachment and unconditional friendship that our canine companions provide us with is worth every penny that we spend on their care!