Do you want to raise a dog? To be honest, there are a lot of people who want to raise a dog, but they are afraid that the expenses of raising a dog will be very big, so even if they want to raise a dog, they don’t go to raise a dog. Do you know how big the expenses of raising a dog are in the end? 66% of Argentines own at least one animal as a pet, making Argentina one of the top countries in the world for dog ownership. However, don’t buy or adopt a dog without planning ahead or budgeting for the costs involved.

Additionally, living in a country where the annual inflation rate was over 50% last year, it is important to consider not only the fixed monthly cost of owning a pet, but also the cost increases throughout the year so that you don’t stop halfway through the year.

　　People who decide to get a dog should not only consider who will take care of the pet once they have it, where it will sleep and what it will be named, the first question to be answered is: how much will it cost to own a dog each month?

It is reported that the monthly cost could be more than 6,000 pesos (Rs. 600 contractually) considering the cost of food, walking, flea removal and bathing for the pet dogs.

Disregarding the fact that the pet owner has enough space to keep the dog in an apartment or a residence, the first thing to consider is the feed, and in addition to the annual cost of flea and tick cleaning, costs to include in the budget include the cost of vaccinations, bathing, finding someone to walk the dog if you don’t have the time to walk it, the cost of the veterinarian’s consultation, and extras such as dog toys, necklaces, leashes, and dog tags with a phone number, to name just a few.

　　If we consider the main expense, it is the dog food, which varies depending on the size of the dog, the brand and quality consumed. For medium-sized dogs, the daily consumption of dog food is between 180 and 300 grams. On the other hand, if they are medium-sized dogs, they consume between 300 and 350 grams of food per day, while if it is a dog of more than 25 kilograms, they consume between 500 and 700 grams of food per day.

The average price of affordable dog food in veterinarians and pet stores in the city of Buenos Aires (in 21-kilogram increments) is 1,250 pesos per bag. Thus, the monthly cost of dog food for a medium-sized dog is 660 pesos. On the other hand, in the case of high-quality brands of dog food, the price rises to 1,350 pesos (an average of 3,400 pesos for an 18-kg bag).

To this must be added the price of a bath, which varies from 200 pesos to 500 pesos, depending on the store’s charges and the size of the pet. There are also 1,000 pesos to be spent on vaccinations one to four times a year, such as rabies (once a year) and vaccines against parasites (every 3 or 4 months). And there’s also the cost of veterinary visits to consider, which can range from 600 pesos to 800 pesos.

The average price of a dog walker in the city of Buenos Aires ranges between 3,500 pesos and 5,000 pesos per month, depending on the number of hours spent walking the dog per day.

The average daycare price for a medium-sized dog is 450 pesos per night, so a weekend of care would cost 1,350 pesos (including three nights).

In short, just as a dog is man’s best friend, it is important to know if its owner can fulfill all the obligations required to keep the animal. Therefore, before adopting or purchasing a pet, it is not only important to know if the owner can spare the time to take care of them, but it is also important to plan ahead for the expenses of owning a pet.