Owning a pet is no easy task, not cheap too

NEW DELHI: Pet care is quite an expensive affair. The maintenance of a pet doesn’t stop with feeding the animal; it also includes medical care and cosmetics.

A dog requires three injections annually to prevent viral infections like rabies, corona virus and distemper. Injections for de-worming are given twice a year and the annual cost for these injections go up to `3,000.

“Initial vaccination is given to a dog at the age of one-and-ahalf month and it is given thrice for the next three months. Later these vaccinations are given to dogs once every year to prevent viral infections. Each injection cost `300-400. The most common diseases among pets are skin problems, loose motion, vomiting and ticks in dogs,” said Dr S Kumar, who runs a pet clinic in Saket.

“I spend approximately `1,000 on my dog’s daily calcium and vitamins per month. During winters, we send him to a parlour for weekly warm baths and that’s about `2,000-3,000. On an average, we spend `3,500-4,000 per month,” said Akanksha Srivastava, who works in a private company.

“Two years ago my dog had undergone a kidney surgery and ever since we’ve have been spending `6,000-8,000 on his medicine and food per month. There is a specific diet customized for dogs with renal diseases. For cosmetics such as shampoo and nail clipping we spend `600`700,” said Poorva Saigal, who is a lawyer.