Tag archives: costs associated with dogs

Breeding dogs and producing puppies is no easy task. It’s not a lucrative endeavor, either. The costs associated with breeding can add up quick. Genetic screening of a sire and dam, however, should be a calculated cost of doing business.

Just as going into debt to afford college is considered “good” debt (because it will pay off in the end), genetic screening is a “good” cost that can be recouped and will also pay higher dividends in the end.

As a breeder, genetic screening for inherited diseases helps ensure that you’re producing sound, healthy puppies. It’s a cost that can be passed on to the puppy buyer, and one that underscores your health guarantees. It puts proof in your hands as to your dog’s genetic health, and shows that you’re making breeding decisions and offering guarantees based on the most current scientific data, as well as other goals such as performance or conformation.

The costs associated with genetic testing are minimal compared to the potential damage to your reputation and costs of replacing, refunding or caring for a sick dog that a puppy buyer returns; those costs are easily recovered.

For some breeds, only a single genetic mutation has been ...

I recently overheard two people discussing the cost of raising a dog and genetic testing came up. One comment was: “Do you want to pay now for a healthy puppy or pay a vet later?”. She was referring to the cost of the testing versus the cost of paying for the long-term healthcare of a dog with an inherited disease. 

In actuality, the cost of genetic testing may be less than the cost you would pay for a tooth cleaning or other routine, preventative care for your dogs. However, the genetic testing will last a lifetime and shouldn’t have to be repeated. Knowing the genetic profile of your dog will help you plan on whether you put the cost and time into training the dog and whether you eventually breed your dog. Genetic testing can improve the value of your breeding program by insuring the buyers that you have taken an active role in reducing the known genetic diseases in your lines.

Let’s take an example and walk through the health issues and costs. Hyperuricosuria, also known as urolithiasis, is a disease that affects at least 14 different breeds of dogs. Affected dogs develop bladder stones that ...