Thanks to the advances in veterinary medicine our dogs now live as long as 10 to 17 years, depending on the breed, but along with this longevity comes a price. Dogs can now get a lot of the same treatment for illnesses that people can, but they are almost as expensive.
Last summer, my beloved Lhasa, Delilah, came down with a mystery illness. She had a fever and did not eat for 10 days. Without veterinary intervention, she would have died. However, the cost of saving her life (which included a two-day stay at a veterinary specialty hospital) came to $2,500! For me, it was well worth it, cause she is as good as new, but it is certainly a good argument for purchasing pet insurance.
Yearly veterinary visits for vaccinations, fecal tests, heartworm tests, etc. can come to around $100 per animal. If you buy an dog with a genetic defect such as hip dyplasia the corrective surgery can run into the thousands, so think before you buy that cute puppy. Owning a pet is a priviledge not a right, and it is an expensive priviledge!
Go to one of the following three sites to get a better idea of the expense of owning a dog.
www.cbrrescue.org/articles/owndog.htm
www.kidsanddogs.bravepages.com/cost.html
trinityofhope.on.ca/real_cost.html