# How Much Does it Cost to Have a Chi at Your House?



## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

Many people think the only costs related to having a Chihuahua are the initial 
price paid for their pup, some food, and their puppy vaccinations. Well, I 
have finished my Financial Plan for 2010, and here is the anticipated Budget 
for Tabitha and Jerry:

$34 monthly - food/treats (Top Grade Food)
$45 monthly - one full groom each (bath, nails, ears, trim, tip)
$39 monthly - Jerry PetPlan Insurance
$37 monthly - Tabitha PetPlan Insurance
Total monthly for the year: 155 x 12 = $1860

$184 annual - Frontline and Interceptor
$10 annual - dog license
$82 Vet - April Bordatella/DA2PP vacs
$112 Vet - July Annual Exam, Rabies Vac each
$36 Vet - Oct Bordatella Vac each
$20 two washable cat beds
$96 - Collars, Harnesses, Leash, Toys

Grand Total: $2400 per year/ $200 per month / $100 a month per Chi

And, of course, there are gifts, and other just fun stuff. I know many people
do their own grooming, so that could cut $540. It still leaves $155 a month 
for the two of them. 

These costs DO NOT include:
Illness/Accident/Meds ($50 deductible)
Trips, Crates, Ex-Pens, and other "Chi Furniture"

Now, I challenge you to post your 2010 budget


----------



## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

OMG! Forgot to anticipate $100 each for Dental around August!


----------



## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

It costs me a small fortune, but worth every penny!


----------



## hdynad (Jun 29, 2009)

worth every penny X3 don't forget their wardrobe!!!


----------



## rocky scotland (Jun 15, 2008)

Gosh when you put it like that Therese! Expensive wee animals lol!

I certainly think you need to be financially secure before thinking about pets, I hate to hear that a pet is sick and the owner cannot afford to take them to the vets, makes me mad. 

In the last 2 days with Rocky having had diahorrea it has cost me £40, thats an unexpected bill.

He is worth every penny though!! xxx


----------



## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Great breakdown! I refuse to calculate how much I spend on my pets annually...if I did I would probably pass out, just our monthly expenses are already sky high and we're probably going to have another chi in a few weeks. Yikes! lol I agree with Lisa though, they are worth it!


----------



## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

It's good to set aside $$ for unexpected vet bills also. Brody's eye problems back in the fall cost $1500. Insurance is a good idea.


----------



## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

Jerry'sMom said:


> These costs DO NOT include:
> Illness/Accident/Meds ($50 deductible)





Brodysmom said:


> It's good to set aside $$ for unexpected vet bills also. Brody's eye problems back in the fall cost $1500. Insurance is a good idea.


The insurance is 100% of the illness/accident and I pay $50 deductible. I have the Gold coverage...
Of course, I have to pay the bill first and wait a couple weeks for reimbursement. I just see that as a cashflow issue as opposed to expense.

Yes, expensive little critters  gotta love 'em!


----------



## MarieUkxx (May 19, 2009)

Hmmm I've never added it up, there's insurance, worming, frontline, food, treats, toys I'm forever buying lol. 

It's worth it though, I couldn't be without them.


----------



## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

We are all in agreement--our babies are worth every penny 

My hope is that readers will look ahead and be ready financially. No one wants
to see a Chi suffer or a Chi Parent under stress trying to come up with enough 
for a Vet bill...


----------



## MarieUkxx (May 19, 2009)

Jerry'sMom said:


> We are all in agreement--our babies are worth every penny
> 
> My hope is that readers will look ahead and be ready financially. No one wants
> to see a Chi suffer or a Chi Parent under stress trying to come up with enough
> for a Vet bill...


Have you read what happened to me with my late Benny? I'd never evr be without insurance now.


----------



## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

im horrible at calculating...lol

treats?... = $28137149012839189023 :lol:


----------



## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

I do think the insurance helps to budget, whether it covers accidents/illnesses/well visits, etc. at least it covers _something._
Really it is a big financial comittment--probably about $350 a month for everything----from piddle -pads to playgroup-to kibble and vaccines--dental--the lot.

Vet expenses and dog sitters, etc. tend to be more $$ here than other places. 

We have taken Rico to hotels with us and other times he goes to the doggie sitter...it cost $$ either way.


----------



## Vivid (Jul 23, 2009)

I dont have a chi yet but i'll still post with the cost of owning a pit.

I have never done the math my my sister says we easily spend $900 a year on ty if we only calculate food, treats, the occassional toy, and a coat for the winter. Most of the money we spend on Ty is her food which costs about $600 - $650 a year

At the vet i would say we spend a total of maybe $250 a year for check ups and boosters. 

So roughly $1150 a year for one dog and i think we get off easy because we dont have to pay for grooming/dental since i do that myself, puppysitters (thank god for my sisters), and we dont have pet insurrance.

I can only imagine what the owners of high maintance dogs pay annually.


----------



## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

In the past 6 months I've spent $633.00 on Jazz, and $240.00 on Tango. That's just Vet bills. Higher for Jazz because she was ill when I rescued her she had to be brought back to health, and then there was her spay. Tango needs a dental in the next couple months and that will cost around $245.00. A couple months after that, Jazz will need her 1 year wellness check, shots, heartgard test etc., and that's another $155.00.

Their routine care every year~~wellness checks and yearly shots, dentals, blood work (I do bloodwork once a year so I have a baseline and can monitor changes) is around $975.00.

That doesn't include their food, treats, any emergency care, clothing, blankies, beds, pee pads, collars, leashes, tags, nail clips etc. Just routine Vet care. It also doesn't include grooming, because I do that myself other than their nails. Yes, they are expensive little critters. Good thing they're so damn cute! :love4:


----------



## Ivy's mom (Feb 15, 2008)

Thanks for sharing your budget. I don't think alot of people realize just how expensive pets can be. 

Lori


----------



## ILOVECHIHUAHUAS (Oct 4, 2009)

Im with HuskyLuv...scared to break it down..lol...with 7 chi's...im sure im up there.


----------



## RascalsMum (Jan 2, 2010)

with me i am spending 
$40 on food per month to feed 2 golden retrievers and Rascal
$40 for heartworm for rascal last 6 months
$80 for 3 yearly vaccination
$2 for worming every 3 months
$6 for bones last him a month
I only take my dogs to the vet when needed, they never had to have there teeth cleaned. I also only treat for fleas if they have them as i don't want to use to much chemicals on my dogs. Rascal gets bathed with eucalyptus wool wash which kills fleas.


----------



## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

Well, I'm gonna take a stab at this, I'm sure I'll forget something lol but this is what's on the top of my head:

$30 a month on dog food, not including the foods that I cook for them once a while
$9 a month on Heartgard
$12 a month on Frontline
$20 give or take on toys and treats a month
$70 roughly a year on toothpaste, ear wash, eye wash, clippers, and shampoo and bath supplies
Then of course about $140 a year all together for their yearly exams and vaccinations

So that's roughly $1,062 per year for 2 dogs. Honestly I thought it would be a lot more, but, like I said, I'm sure I'm forgetting things.

EDIT: I forgot their licenses, which is $20 a year for both dogs. So roughly $1,082 per year.


----------



## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

I'll give this a shot, I'm sure I'll forget stuff but here's what I remember...

$35/month for food for 3 border collies and Lilo
$40/year for heartworm preventative for each dog so $160 total
$80/year for Frontline for all dogs (I get the giant size and split it between all of them)
$20/year/dog for vaccines (I only give 1 vaccine a year. Year 1 is Rabies, Year 2 is Distemper/parvo, Year 3 is nothing and then start over with Year 4 being Rabies) so $80 total
$20/dog for yearly bloodwork so $80 total

Not sure on toy money. I buy at the dollar store so it stays pretty low. 
I've probably spent more money on Lilo's clothes lately. , $50 since I got her.

So grand total is about $870 for the year and about $72.50 for each month for 3 border collies and 1 chihuahua. Really the chihuahua increases things very little for me.

Keep in mind that I work for a vet so I get stuff like vaccines, heartworm preventative and frontline for cheap and exams and such for free. I do all grooming, nail trimming and such. I take them with me on vacations and if I can't I have a friend who stays with them for free.

Olivia


----------



## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I spend about $400 annually, including vet bills and the highest quality food. She is spoiled rotten, too. I do my own vaccinations other than rabies, so I am guessing I save a bundle there (probably at least $150). Her blankies are pieces of cute fleeces from a discount fabric store and she potties outside so I bet we save a bundle on pee pads too!


----------



## JillR (Feb 13, 2010)

I'd add up the cost of all the beasties but I have been sober for many years and I'm afraid the total might push me to the brink. 

I don't know if any of you have included home insurance. When TS was calling around pricing insurance for the house one company hung up on him when they found out we had a Chow mix and a Chihuahua mix. We have good comprehensive insurance but the Chow and the Chi added to the cost more than a bit.


----------



## phoebedog (Sep 19, 2009)

I've never actually thought about how much mine cost. It doesn't really bother me because they have to have what they need.

If I was to add up what my chi has cost me through damage e.g rugs (due to house training) stuff he's chewed up, then I would think it's cost me more than just his up keep since I've had him lol


----------



## OurCheekyChihuahuas (Nov 18, 2009)

I am not even going to start adding up costs lol id feel terribly embarassed and might shock myslef let alone everyone else lol


----------



## Muzby (Jan 28, 2009)

Our budget will be more for them this year as Betty is due to be bred this week (EEK!) and spayed soon after, and Goose is going to have to be neutered (and he has one testie still hiding). 

$15-25 monthly - food (raw- depending on meat source can be cheaper too!)
$0 monthly - grooming (SH chis and I clip nails myself)
$0 monthly - insurance (but we have a credit card with a 6000 limit that is for the dogs/cats emerg situations)
$10-$30 for pee pads (spring/summer/fall $10- wnter they refuse to go out and it's $30)
Total monthly for the year: x 12 = $500

$20 annual - Advantage/Revolution (we only use this once a year, when we go to the beach)
$0 annual - dog license (awful, we don't license... unlawful of us, sure.. )
$0 Vet - vaccines (we only get rabies if made to, and no other shots.. we are as vacs free as possible here)
$20 for a new bed
$50 - Toys/treats/etxras (we have one leash each, one harness each and that's that)
= $90 per year


----------



## Jerry'sMom (May 5, 2009)

Jerry'sMom said:


> Many people think the only costs related to having a Chihuahua are the initial
> price paid for their pup, some food, and their puppy vaccinations. Well, I
> have finished my Financial Plan for 2010, and here is the anticipated Budget
> for Tabitha and Jerry:
> ...


I have a quote from VPI Pet Insurance that will reduce my costs by $30 a month. It's $23 per dog. :hello1:
Also, I can change grooming to every 6 weeks instead of 4 weeks. That helps by $11 more a month. 
Almost enough here to get that third little Chi


----------

