dogs in Peoria on the Peoria.com Forums

We have been thinking about getting a dog and would like to consider the cost of shots, food, toys, bowls and such before getting one. Do you need to register dogs with the city or anything? Anyone know about how much shots cost and how often do your dogs get shots? It's been about 10 years since we have had a pet and I cannot remember. Not sure if we will get an older dog or a puppy. We are just considering right now.
Thanks!

Go to the shelter down below Glen Oak Park. Dog costs $85 and they come with their shots already. Annual shots are about $25 bucks and that includes registering them with Peoria County.

I have had two AKC dogs and two shelter dogs. The shelter dogs are much more thankful and are better dogs I think. They know you saved them from death row.

We have a 5 year old lab that we brought with us when we moved from another state. I can't give you dollar amounts for what we pay because I can't remember but here's a list of what he needs on a yearly basis:

-annual heartworm exam and pills (if you keep on the heartworm pills throughout the entire year I don't think you'll need the heartworm test every year).

-rabies, although last year we got him the 3 year shots

-parvo/distemper--I believe you can get this as a 3 year shot too

-registration with the city (a one time fee I believe)

-allergy shots--unfortunately, our lab has horrible allergies in this state (he didn't back home) and has needed steroid shots to get through the summer.

That's all I can think of!

im not a big spender on the dogs unless they are sick
we do the rabies and thats it . we do the rabies and at our vet out here its 15 bucks a dog then 10 for the lic /tag .
when we lived in bellevue they had the yearly rabies clinics so we went to that and it was fast and easy .

You need an annual rabies vaccine and you pay an annual dog tag fee to Peoria Co. In Peoria county, you pay the vet for the dog tag and they automatically register the dog for you.

In Tazewell county, you have to send the shot record plus check into the county. The Vet gives you the form and the envelope...

If you get bordetella + rabies + dog tags it will cost around $50.

YOu will want to think about heartworm pills which are a monthly pill to prevent heart worms and other worms. Their cost depends upon the size of the dog. Costs range probably $40 - $80 for a years supply.

We also use frontline - which is a flea and tick preventative, which costs about $55 for a years supply.

I would consider feeding a premium dog food as they might save you health care costs in the long run...which could be $20-$40 per month.

For dog bowls, we use recycled ice cream buckets and cool whip containers which are free.

I do splurge and get leather leashes because they are gentler on the hands, but they last a long time.

You probably should think about sickness, your dog may get an ear infection or a bad tooth or break a leg... vet care costs money... but its hard to budget for...

I would highly recommend that you take a dog to one of the group dog training classes in the area. There is the Peoria Dog Obedience training center in Pottstown. Petsmart offers classes. And there is Heartland dog training on Galena Road. Over the years, I've taken different dogs to all three places, and I prefer Heartland... better sound system to hear the instructor. But generally all the places have good experienced trainers and its well worth the cost - probably around $100? for several weeks of classes (its been awhile since I've gone, so it may be more now). A group class helps socialize your dog... I know lots of experience dog trainers who take their dogs to group classes just to expose them to other dogs and other people in a controlled situation.

Pets cost money -but they are well worth it.

I'd sure like to know where you guys are getting your rabies shot at because it costs me $85 if the pet isn't spayed or neutered. Paws raised their tag fee to 30 dollars by itself.
I must be getting ripped off from the vet.

Thank you so much joepyweed!!! You made my day!

I just paid to get my dog shots, it cost me $115.70, but to be fair it included some medications. The registration for the tag was separate and if I'm remembering correctly that was $40. I asked for the three year shots and for the price I'm hoping that's what I got.

I spend about $75 a month on dog food and I've got three smaller dogs so I don't think that's too bad. Especially considering I feed them nothing but Core, from My dogs bakery in the Metro Center. If you want to keep food costs down stay with a smaller dog. I had a St. Bernard once who ate a $5 bag every day. I could not afford to keep that one on Core.

I think it's important to stick with what you can afford so these questions are admirable Butterfly. No matter what the expense is, my babies are worth it. The love you get from them is unmeasurable and aside from a parent/child relationship the only source of unconditional love there is.

Good luck.

We as a community must recognize that Peoria has a terrible over population of unwanted pets and over 100 animals are euthanized at the shelter EVERY WEEK! This is true. I volunteered there for several years before my kids were born and I can't tell you the agony that we as volunteers went through as we walked and comforted an animal one day only to find his kennel empty the next day waiting for the next one.

Please do your small part and adopt from PAWS. If you call down there and give them the features of the type, breed, size and personality of what you are looking for they will track that and notify you when there is a match. Also visit this site:

http://www.petharbor.com/

They list all their available dogs on that site. If you see one that interests you, move quick, and I won't say why, but it ain't pretty.

itsalloneme, You probably are not getting ripped off by your vet... you're vet is probably charging you for the shots, plus the tags plus a heartworm test, plus a nominal fee for a general health exam. Which can easily cost up to $75 - $100.

I probably underestimated that "annual check up" cost in my first post. By the time you pay for the shots, the tags, the exam, the heartworm test, the heartworm pills and the frontline it can get pretty close to $200 real fast.

I have bought some of those meds online in the past. But really by the time I paid shipping, it wasn't any less than what I pay at the Vets.

Is Heartworm a new thing? Its been years since I took a dog to the vet, but I don't remember that being part of it.

THANK YOU! Thanks for all the information. Like I said we do not want to just "get a pet". It is a long commitment and you want to make sure you can in the long run take care of it in the right way.

Does anyone know what type of dogs would be better to have around someone with asthma? No one in our family is allergic to dogs however we have a child that has asthma. I had read that pets can cause more breathing problems.

Butterfly, first make sure that your childs symptoms will not be aggravated by the presence of a dog. My son has asthma but is not allergic to pets, so it has no impact on his symptoms. Of course, every child has different triggers. Before you get a dog you need to make sure that pet dander is not one of his triggers.. because if it is and you have to get rid of the pet after they get attached to it, it's Hell on Earth.

When it comes to picking a dog, I would consider someone with Asthma very much like someone with allergies.

Generally most of the "less likely to cause allergy" dogs are dogs that have hair, rather than fur. Less dander... however dogs with hair requiring lots of grooming - which is another expense. Fur sheds off, hair needs to be brushed, combed, clipped and its work...

Dogs breeds you might want to consider are poodles and poodle mixes, schnauzers, Wheaten Terriers, maltese, bichon frise, bedlington terrier...

If you are looking to adopt a dog from the shelter, they should be able to keep an eye out for a poodle mix for you.

tkipfer, heartworm is not a new thing... the parasite has been around for ever. We had a dog in the seventies that got it. He survived treatment, but it was expensive and it caused some heart damage. Many dogs die from it. Its transmitted by mosquitoes, so its more common in southern states. But its not uncommon here. We started giving our dogs monthly heartworm prevention back in the late eighties. It was about that time when the vet industry starting marketing a monthly preventative that was cost effective.

we got shadow from paws . hes a poodle /****zu mix .
when i shave him he makes me itch for days .
they always have poodle mixes out there .
1 time they even had a pure bred chihuahua

Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese are hypo allergenic though I doubt that will make a difference. J, I thought Paws was no kill?