Hey, osso. Got yer pm.
Not sure what input I really have. Certainly a lot of the folks I do surgery for are in dire straits, and we give them a cheap, cheap deal on the spay/neuter ($35/cat, $65/dog), but I don't know how many communities have that sort of operation going on. Since we service neighboring counties at a considerably higher rate, I'm thinking it's not so widespread.
But as far as the long-term stuff -- well, some animals are good keepers and won't cost much more than food, the odd health exam, and the usual household destruction, while others can run up a fortune. We've had some of both in our home, but we've always had the money or the credit to cover the dear ones.
Seems to me, though, that if you are concerned about the financial angle and want to be very responsible about it, you could try and set yourself a couple of grand (or maybe 4 or 5) in credit card room in case of dire emergency.
If that's not workable -- there is a credit program (called "Care Credit" in most places) where emergency/referral clinics offer financing through an outside company for unexpected expenses. They'll usually offer some amount of credit even to those with poor credit history, and there's no interest if you pay off within a certain time frame (can't remember if it's 3, 6, or 12 months, or if it varies from place to place). The terms beyond that grace period are utterly usurious, though -- and I'm not sure how recent economic circumstances have affected the program(s).
As far as your expectations for what routine care will cost -- well, there's a huge variance. I know some clinics in my town that will spay a cat for under $150, another that routinely runs the bill up over $1,000. So shop around -- less expensive vets aren't always worse (nor are more expensive vets necessarily or even reliably better). That said, the cost of veterinary education is many times what it used to be, and has been rising at over 10%/year, so don't expect the cost of care to come down as more of us new grads come out with mortgage-size student loans to pay off...
Also (sorry, blabbering), re: shelters -- some of them adopt out altered animals, some will cover the entire cost post-adoption, some can give you a certificate for a reduced-rate surgery.... Some will offer a free first exam at any clinic, some will offer exams at certain clinics, some won't offer any exam at all. If initial cost is a concern, shop around on that front, as well. At our place, no dog or cat leaves without being altered, vaccinated, and treated for endo- and ectoparasites. We don't do anything in terms of first exam post-adoption, but we do participate in a sort of insurance program called "shelter care," which covers non-pre-existing medical problems that arise within the first 30 days after adoption. That may or may not be available from your local joint, as well.
Not sure what to say, though, really. Just please don't put a flea collar on your dog, and adopt a puppy and return it six months later because it's acting like a young dog.
Good luck to you and your new furry friend.
