Useful Tips for Pet Owners

ALBANY — For animal lovers, few things can be more satisfying than owning a pet.

After all, a dog or cat can provide much-needed companionship in a variety of households.

But before would-be pet owners decide a new four-legged friend would be right for them, they should take a few things into consideration.

“One is the financial aspect of keeping a pet,” Albany veterinarian Dr. Charles Deriso said in a recent telephone interview.

He pointed out that caring for an animal can put a dent in your budget with food, alone.

“A 40-pound bag of good food could run you about $20,” Deriso said.

Of course, the size of animal you get will depend on how often you have to buy food.

“If you get a big dog, it might not take a month to get through that bag of food,” Deriso said. “But you could be feeding a 5-pound dog off of one bag of food for longer than that.”

Then there’s the initial cost of comfortably housing a pet.

“If people are going to keep their dog outdoors, they need to fence in their yard,” Deriso said, “whether it’s with a structural fence or invisible, electronic one.”

Plus, pets need to be entertained.

“If you have an indoor cat or dog, you want to have toys for them to play with,” said professional pet sitter and trainer Maria Burley, who works with animals in Dougherty and Lee counties.

Aside from the regular purchase of food, a pet’s medical bills will be the most significant final drain on its owner’s wallet.

“Then there’s the cost of medication for heart worm prevention and flea prevention,” Deriso said. “You’ll pay $25-$50 for a six-month supply of heart worm prevention medicine and $14-$23 a month for flea prevention medicine.”

As with people, you should expect to take your pet for a yearly exam and vaccinations.

“Every puppy or kitten needs a series of shots,” Burley said.

The most will be spent when a pet is still young.

“You’ll spend about $100 that first year,” Deriso added. “After that, you’ll just bring them back once a year for shots and wellness checks.”

Barring illness or accidents, the single most costly medical expense will be getting your pet spayed or neutered within that first year.

“That can sometimes run $150-$300, depending on the animal,” Deriso said.

Pet owners can also be hit with the cost of dealing with their pet’s illness or accident.

“If their pet gets hits by a car, the medical bill could run anywhere from $500 to $1,000,” Deriso said.

To make sure you can afford to give your pet unexpected medical attention, Burley advises planning ahead.

“I would save $1,000 per pet,” she said.

Because adequately taking care of an animal does require such a financial commitment, Deriso said pet ownership shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“People who are financially strapped should hold off on getting a pet until they know they can afford to take care of it,” Deriso said.

But even if money isn’t an issue, other factors should be considered before getting a pet. For instance, what kind of animal would best fit your lifestyle?

“Cats are a lot more self sufficient than dogs,” Burley said. “You might consider them if you’re going to be gone a lot.”

And cats, as well as small dogs, adapt well to apartment life.

“A person in an apartment doesn’t need a large-breed dog,” Deriso said.

However, dogs are more sociable and are a good choice for people seeking companionship.

“They’ll be at the door when you get home,” Deriso said.

But no variety of dog is the same.

“The Jack Russell terrier is a hyper dog,” Deriso said. “It needs a lot of room to burn off energy.”

Other breeds range in other sizes and temperaments and work better in some environments than others.

To make sure you’re actually picking the right pet, do your research online or at the library.

“Don’t get a dog or cat because it’s cute or you saw it on TV and thought it was cool,” Deriso said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of researching a breed.”

When people don’t do that research, catastrophe can occur.

“To me, the most dangerous mistake people make is getting an animal that’s too big or aggressive,” Deriso said.

The veterinarian recalled seeing such potential disaster when a man, joined by his wife and toddler, brought in an aggressive 100-pound Rottweiler for a routine exam and vaccination.

“The dog went ballistic with me and with his owner,” Deriso said. “And that man’s wife was standing right there with their 18-month old.”

Deriso recalled that he advised the family to reconsider keeping such an aggressive dog because it was a potential danger.

Another mistake novice pet owners make is assuming their dog or cat instinctively knows where to go to the bathroom in their new home.

“A lot of people will bring a dog into the house and expect it to potty train itself,” Burley said.

That’s when an untrained pet will relieve itself on a place you don’t want.

“You have to bring the animal in and show it where it needs to go,” Burley said. “Otherwise, how will they ever know where to go?”

People should also realize taking care of a pet is a long-term commitment they need to make before ever getting an animal.

“You need to ask yourself, ‘What am I going to be doing for the next 15 years?’ ” Burley said.

That includes the willingness to take your pet with you when you move.

“If not, you shouldn’t get a pet,” Burley said.

It also includes spending quality time with your pet each day.

“If you’re training a dog, expect to spend 30 minutes to an hour a day with it,” Deriso said. “Otherwise, you should play with it for about 15 minutes 2-3 times a day.”

Pet ownership also includes making sure you’re up to all that taking care of it involves before ever deciding to bring an animal home.

“Believe it or not, I’ve heard people say their pet was too much trouble,” Burley said, explaining one of the main reasons people give up their pets and drop them off at animal shelters.

Hopefully, doing research and making sure you’re up to the responsibility will instead result in a lifelong bond with your pet.

PET OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

• Money for food, preventative medicine, toys, (litter box for cats) and medical bills

• Time to spend with pet

• Making sure pet gets enough exercise

• Willingness to housebreak pet

• Researching and making sure pet will mesh well with your personality, environment and lifestyle

• Lifelong commitment to care for pet