Dear Annie: Advice from a veterinarian on choosing the right pet

Updated: 48 minutes ago Published: 2 hours ago

Dear Annie: I wanted to make a comment on your recent response to the article, “My husband wants to limit how much we spend on sick pets.” Although I wholeheartedly agree with your response to consult with the writer’s partner prior to getting an animal, what goes into this consideration is so. much. more.

I am a veterinarian, and I frequently am involved in these decision-making conversations. It can be extremely frustrating, to downright heartbreaking, to see when pet parents have not put any forethought into the costs of owning a pet.

It starts with pet species and breed selection. A bigger dog equals larger doses of medication needed equals higher costs. Purchasing a breed such as a French bulldog, although cute, has so many known genetic health issues. French bulldog owners should plan accordingly for the higher costs of frequent veterinary visits. A high-energy breed pet needs a home where they can have the appropriate amount of exercise. An inactive family in a small apartment should choose a smaller pet that requires less exercise.

Then comes another consideration — how much work is an owner willing to do once they adopt a pet? In the time I have been in practice, I’ve observed a trend of more owners putting less energy into training and socializing their pets, resulting in very anxious and often aggressive situations. One example I can readily think of is the routine pet maintenance of nail trimming.

And then there is the owner’s financial preparation: With the increasing cost of living, veterinary care is also increasing. Yet, I rarely see people being proactive with saving for the cost of veterinary care. With pet insurance becoming widely available, owners should pause to consider how they will cover costs of their pet. In veterinary medicine, we try to place so much emphasis on preventive care to catch things early while they can be treated, rather than waiting until pets are very sick and then need a lot of expensive testing, extensive treatment and sometimes euthanasia. However, many owners don’t plan for any preventive care besides the occasional vaccine.

One example of this is with dental care. It is so rare that I see owners putting in the effort to brush their pets’ teeth. So I see a lot of pets with periodontal disease requiring tooth cleaning and treatment under anesthesia. Some owners will follow my recommendations to manage their pets’ dental care annually. Some owners allow their pets to suffer until their pet’s dental disease is so severe that they require numerous teeth extractions. Not only is it much more expensive when I am having to pull numerous teeth, but it is also less than ideal for their pets’ health!

This should be a thoughtful and thorough conversation about how families will choose a pet that is appropriate for their lifestyle, budget and how much energy they can realistically commit to caring for their pet. If the reality is that a family can’t fulfill the commitment of caring for a pet (and there is no shame in that acknowledgement!), then there are numerous ways to still experience the joy of the human/animal bond. One solution would be to volunteer with the local animal shelter, as they are quite often looking for volunteers to foster pets so that the animals can have experience in a “home environment” while they are receiving care in preparation to be adopted.

— DVM

Dear DVM: Thank you for using your professional experience to help others decide how to make decisions about which pets to adopt and how to care for them. You have a wealth of knowledge — and commonsense — that all animal lovers will appreciate. Your patients are very lucky!