[chocolatekisses]

Hi everybody
been reading on all post about dog in hk,
we have decided we r going to include a labs to our family in a few months time. now i'm just doing the research so i know more and know how to take care of him, its first time for both of us i've had pets before growing up but never a dog and moving to hk i now have loads of free time on my hand to be able to look after the pup plus my fiance' always away for work its would be nice to add one more to our family to keep each other company,

as part of the research we would like to know what's are the cost of look after a dog? Please feel free to advise us on all aspect as we would like to get more idea of what we're getting ourselves into and that if we're ready for big commitment. To me if we're to get a dog i want to be truly ready for him/her.

also pet insurance? do we need one?

Thank you

[TBJ]

Hello there. We have a little beagle (a year old) here and she does not cost a lot to maintain.

We just bought a 35lb bag of dog food for $365HKD. It will probably last close to 2 months. But a lab would go through that A LOT faster, less than a month probably.

If you are getting a pup, be prepared to get all their necessary shots at the vet. I don't know how much that would cost you here as I did it in the US. I think perhaps all the shots I spent a total of $300USD.

I don't know a lot about pet insurance but I've heard many say it's not worth it. You end up spending a lot of money. Without it, I guess you are at risk though if there are really any serious emergencies with your pet, which would require an operation.

There a lot of little costs you should factor in: dog bowls, treats, poop bags, leash, and toys. You might need to get a crate to help train your pup not release themselves inside your home. I don't know how much those cost here but we got ours for $75USD in the US.

[KnowItAll]

As long as the dog is not out clubbing in Lan Kwai Fong and eats at home everyday...

Never mind, ignore me, wrong thread...

[jayinhongkong]

lol. The title did sound like the OP was asking how much a dog would have to shell out to live here!

[hello_there]

When you first get a dog, basic vet costs for health check including heartworm test and ProHeart injection (and all dogs in HK should always have yearly ProHeart injection or monthly heartworm tablets), other vaccinations, including rabies and license, and desexing typically run between $1000 - $1500. If you get a pet store puppy and it has kennel cough or any other number of illnesses that are common with store bought puppies in HK your expenses can run into the thousands. Some pet store The above, minus the desexing and heartworm test if the dog has been on preventative medicine, should be repeated annually. Any illness can cost between $350 and thousands for vet visits and medicine. Food and other necessities (treats, toys, etc.) can run between $300 and $1000/ month depending on the type of food you are feeding your dog. I think that average is HK$400-500 for a medium size dog eating something like Science Diet.

[chocolatekisses]

Look like a lots of work! and lots of note taking, as for pet shop puppies,, i really dont like the idea of getting dog at the pet shop.. is there a real serious breeder in HK ? there were plenty of quality labs breeder in Bangkok but i dont want to risk it flying him over with such a young pup he could be sick on the plane..

[dipper]

There's no need to buy a dog from a pet shop, just adopt a dog from SPCA or similar, they will take care of all the vaccinations, de-sexing etc. (you will have to pay for these, can't remember how much, maybe around HK$2000?). Try to get a mongrel if you can as they tend to be healthier than a pedigree (pedigree is just a polite way to say inbred).

As others have said the only costs are food, which depends on the size of the dog and will probably be a few hundred dollars a month, some tick prevention treatment and the occasional visit to the vet. Of course you can spend large amounts of money on grooming, toys, costumes etc. but the only purpose of these is to entertain the owner, they are not for the benefit of the dog. The dog will be perfectly happy with and old tennis ball, something to chew and the occasional brushing of its coat.

I've never even imagined the idea of pet insurance let alone researched the cost but like all insurance the insurance companies make their money by charging you more for insurance than you are ever likely to need to spend. The only reason to take out insurance is to cover you for events that, although unlikely, if they were to happen they would be so catastrophically expensive that you could not afford to pay for them without selling your house and forcing your family to live in the street. It is somewhat unlikely that anything that might happen to a dog would come under this category.

[Susanna]

Hey Chocolatekisses,

I hope you look into adopting before considering buying a dog. There are so many abandoned dogs in Hong Kong looking for a home. At the moment I know Lamma Animal Protection (Lamma Animal Protection) has two Labradors. I am actually fostering one of their Labradors at the moment. He is 5 years old and has had all the necessary vaccinations as well as de-sex. Unfortunately most people in Hong Kong prefer younger and smaller dogs and it has therefore been difficult to find a permanent home for him. He’s very well trained and extremely well behaved. He loves people and is good with other dogs (and also cats).

Unfortunately I’m unable to adopt him although I’m very much in love with him as he’s absolutely adorable. I know you’re planning to get a puppy, but if you change your mind and would consider adopting an older dog, please PM me.

Susanna

[Susanna]

Hey Chocolatekisses,

I hope you look into adopting before considering buying a dog. There are so many abandoned dogs in Hong Kong looking for a home. At the moment I know Lamma Animal Protection (Lamma Animal Protection) has two Labradors. I am actually fostering one of their Labradors at the moment. He is 5 years old and has had all the necessary vaccinations as well as de-sex. Unfortunately most people in Hong Kong prefer younger and smaller dogs and it has therefore been difficult to find a permanent home for him. He’s very well trained and extremely well behaved. He loves people and is good with other dogs (and also cats).

Unfortunately I’m unable to adopt him although I’m very much in love with him as he’s absolutely adorable. I know you’re planning to get a puppy, but if you change your mind and would consider adopting an older dog, please PM me.
Susanna