The biggest cost of a dog is not what you pay at the start. The purchase happens once, while the dog is kept for twelve to fifteen years — and it is exactly what recurs every month that decides whether keeping a dog is a pleasure or a burden.
This article does not give figures, because they depend on the city, the vet, the choice of food and luck with health. Instead it lists everything that exists as an item, so that nothing comes as a surprise.
Why no figures
The same breed in the same city can cost significantly different amounts for two owners. The differences come from the choice of food, whether the dog is groomed professionally or at home, how much you travel and whether the dog has a health problem.
On top of that prices change, so any figure written today would be misleading in a year. It is more useful to know which items exist and how often they occur.
One-off, at the start
Before the dog comes into the house or in the first weeks:
- equipment — harness, lead, bed, bowls, carrier, brush, comb, nail clippers, toys
- setting up the space — non-slip runners, cable trunking, a safety gate, netting for the balcony
- a ramp or a step for the sofa, if the dog is allowed on it
- the first round at the vet — examination, completing the vaccinations, if that is not already sorted
- microchip and registration, if they have not been done
Equipment is bought once, but the odd item gets replaced as the dog grows or when it wears out.
Every month
- food — the biggest regular item, and the one where differences between owners are greatest
- treats, including those for training and those for the teeth
- zaštita od parazita — against fleas and ticks, and worming tablets on schedule
- consumables — bags, cleaning product, shampoo
Parasite protection is often underestimated because it is paid for several months at a time, but it is a constant item throughout the year.
Once a year
- the annual examination and booster
- the heart check in the Cavalier — in this breed this is not an optional extra but part of routine care, and it is recommended every year
- basic blood and urine tests in adult and older dogs
- renewing the protection before tick season
Occasionally, every few years
- scaling the teeth under anaesthetic — how often depends solely on how regularly the teeth are brushed
- neutering or spaying, a one-off
- replacing equipment — bed, harness, carrier
What cannot be planned
This is the part that most often catches people out, and the one reason it is worth having a separate reserve.
- illness or injury — from an ear infection to surgery
- long-term medication — in the Cavalier most often cardiac, which once started is given for life
- specialist examinations — cardiologist, ophthalmologist, imaging
- special food prescribed by the vet
- emergency treatment, including out-of-hours cover
An honest assessment is that the cost is uncertain in amount but certain to occur — over twelve years of life something unplanned comes up with almost every dog.
Costs that depend on your way of life
Not everyone has these items:
- dog sitting while you travel — someone who comes to the flat, or boarding kennels
- puppy classes or working with a trainer
- salon, if the coat is not maintained at home
- insurance for dogs, where it exists
- transport — a carrier for flying, additional carrier fees
- shows and registration with the kennel club, if the dog is shown
Where to economise and where not to
There are items where saving costs more later.
Do not economise on the quality of the food, on parasite protection, on the annual heart check or on regular dental care. All four are cheaper than the consequence of leaving them out.
It is easy to save on coat care, because a Cavalier is not clipped so a salon is not needed, and on toys, because most of the games this breed enjoys require nothing to be bought.
What this means for the decision
A dog is not a cost you bear once but a commitment lasting more than a decade, one that at some point arrives with a bill you did not plan for.
A serious assessment before deciding is not “can I afford a dog today” but “can I afford the vet in a bad year”. If the answer is yes, everything else falls into place easily.
Conclusion
The cost of keeping a Cavalier splits into one-off items at the start, monthly ones for food and parasite protection, yearly ones for the check-up and vaccination — plus the heart check, which in this breed is part of routine care — and unplanned ones, uncertain in amount but almost certain to arise over the dog’s life. The amounts depend on too many things to be worth quoting, but the list of items depends on nothing at all.
Related
- Neutering and spaying a Cavalier
- The senior Cavalier: what changes after the age of seven
- A schedule of veterinary check-ups by the age of a Cavalier
- Which health tests are required for the parents of a litter
- Cavalier care — an overview of all topics
- Puppies for sale from a kennel with health-tested parents
