What's the total cost of owning a wolf dog or German Shepherd puppy?

Not sure in USA (I am a UK vet), but as far as my knowledge goes, it is anything between 50 and 90 USD. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for your question. The cost of vaccination and surgical repair of a hernia will vary greatly between veterinarians. I recommend you call a local clinic and they should be able to give you an estimate for these procedures. At the time of Oso's first puppy exam and vaccinations, the veterinarian can decide if hernia repair should be done right away, or if it can be delayed and done at a later time with neutering. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It is best to get a dog from a breeder that has breeding stock that is OFA certified. Whether or not the vet checks, shots, dewormer are included is up to you. Any dog, but especially a GSD, with hip dysplasia is going to cost you a lot of money and the dog a lot of pain. Go with the OFA tested parents regardless of the price.

Hi. Great questions. Puppies should begin vaccines at 8 weeks old. Then they need vaccines every 3-4 weeks until the puppy is 16-18 weeks. It is then once a year after that. They do need a physical exam with every shot, they need a fecal rest in the first visit, and to start heartworm prevention. I would not be surprised that it does get close to 100 dollars a visit during these boosters. The positive thing is its only once a year after that :) I don't think you are being taken advantage of. Just know that none of us go in to this field to take advantage of clients. I hope that helps. And if you do feel it's too expensive, you can shop around. The negative to remember one that is you get what you pay for, and you have to go to someone you like. Congrats on puppies!

It is very important that your dog is fully vaccinated for hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, distemper, and rabies, and should have regular boosters throughout his life. He will need flea treatment, heartworm treatment, and deworming also on a regular basis. GSDs are very active dogs, and they will need at least 45 minutes of vigorous exercise twice a day. He should receive a high quality dog food, such as Royal Canin or Hills, and do not give him any human food, as many are toxic to dogs. The only food he will need be healthy is his dog food, and the only liquid he needs is water.

Hi there. I'm afraid it really depends a lot on the details of the case, and how severe his symptoms are. Environmental allergies can range from mild seasonal issues that may be easily managed with short courses of antihistamines and/or steroids as needed, to severe problems that may require allergy testing and immunotherapy treatment, daily long-term medication (which can be expensive in a large-breed dog), and/or even referral to a dermatologist to get a handle on. So if this is a concern for you, I would suggest getting some additional information from the shelter on how severe the issue is, what kind of treatment he is currently on to manage it, and how well he has responded. This should give you a better idea of what to expect going forward, if you decide to proceed with the adoption.

There are several possibilities here: 1) you pick off the ticks with tweezers and drop them in a glass with rubbing alcohol to kill them. Carefully grab the tick as close as possible with tweezers and pull straight up. If the head stays in the skin it is not a problem, evntually the dog's skin will reject it. 2) you can get some "Bravecto" or Nexguard from your vet. It is a chew that will, when given to the dog, kill all parasites on the dog including ticks. You may still have to pull off the dead ticks. But Bravecto and Nexguard will keep the dog form getting attacked by fleas, ticks and mites for a few months. Costs vary from vet to vet and area to area, so the best would be to call your vet and/or the vets in your area and inquire about their fees. The shelter where you picked up the dog should actually tell you which vet will remove the stitches for free,