Bruce Roney, executive director of the Ottawa Humane Society, is quoted in the CBC article Pets cost too much for Ottawa owners:

“They’re thinking, ‘free kitten’,” Roney said. “They don’t realize that, that kitten is going to cost them – just for routine care – about 900$ a year.”

Large breed dogs, like a Labranard mix, are going to cost much more than that each year.

For example, Roxie, a ~120lbs St. Bernard / Labrador mix, consumes approximately 45-50lbs (20-22kg) of food a month. An average large breed dog food costs around $45-$50 for a 40lbs (18kg) bag which means food costs alone will be $600 per year.

A Labrador that has recently visited his Vet to be neutered.

Roxie’s basic yearly vet checkup which includes 6 months of Sentinel for the summer months and her yearly shots, is around $350. Add another $150 for dewormer for the other 6 months (which you’ll want if you have small kids).  Then there are visits to the groomer ($100+ each time due to size), treats, toys and other consumables like dog beds.  Oh, and don’t forget about your dog registration costs which vary for each municipality.

That’s around $1400/year for pretty basic care for a large breed dog.

But before you even get to the ongoing yearly costs, you need to factor in the first year costs. This includes having the dog spayed/neutered, rabies vaccinations (which typically need to be updated every 3-5 years) and obedience training. For Roxie, that came to around $1000 in the first year alone.

This is turning into quite the investment. Now, if you’re putting thousands of dollars into having a pet like a Labranard, you should really consider protecting that investment. Not only from a financial point of view, but from a family member point of view. Pet Insurance is the best way to protect your pet. Now, not all pet insurance is the same so you need to do some investigation to determine what is best for you and your pet. One pet insurance provider offers 4 different plans for a St. Bernard Cross that range in coverage. Prices start at $12/mon and go up to $55/mon. The “typical” plan is approx $30/mon.

So, are you still thinking of getting a large breed dog like a Labranard? If so, make sure your financial plan is ready for at least $2500 in the first year and around $1800/year after that.

And yes, costs can vary depending on where you live and how you treat your pet. Some people don’t see the need for yearly vet visits, pet insurance or things like grooming. That’s fine, it’s your pet and your choice.

Image Credit - Samat Jain

Wikipedia has a fantastic amount of information on Hip Dysplasia including a couple X-Rays of a dog with hip dysplasia. If you search Google for hip dysplasia X-Ray image, you will find a number of additional examples.

Supplements

The “joint cocktail” consists of glucosamine hydrochloride (or sulfate but the hydrochloride is preferred), chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and vitamin C. The four things together apparently increase the uptake of the glucosamine which is supposed to help the body rebuild the cartilage in the joints. The reason you want to rebuild cartilage is it will help reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis.

You can buy over the counter “human” supplements that contain at least glucosamine and chondroitin.  MSM and Vitamin C may also be included.

It may also be worth considering an omega-3 supplement as well.  According to Hill’s, they add omega-3 fatty acids to their Prescription Diet j/d as it can help maintain joint function.

Again, you can buy over the counter “human” omega-3 supplements.

Treatments

One option that we may explore in the future is Cartrophen Vet. This is an injection that the vet would perform and it will provide pain relief as well as help rebuild cartilage in and joint with osteoarthritis. There are also a couple pain management drugs available for dogs with osteoarthritis. Talk to your vet for more information.

Another option is full hip replacement. This is a major surgery and, from my investigation, has a price tag in the $12,000 range. It can definitely correct a severe case of hip dysplasia but the cost alone can be very prohibitive. Since it’s major surgery there is also the chance your pet won’t survive to test out those new hips.

Pain Management

We had our Labranard on powerful pain medication for a few months after we found out about her hip dysplasia. This was at the recommendation of our vet and looking back, it seems to have made a huge difference. We theorize that she was able to build stronger muscle joints where her hips should have been due to her lack of pain for that period. She has a noticeable muscle structure in her rear end that I’ve never seen on another “healthy” dog.

One thing to remember is never give your dog over the counter (OTC) pain remedies. Most of these contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs. If you want a pain management medication, talk to your veterinarian.

Personal Experiences

We discovered our Labranard Roxie had severe hip dysplasia at 6 months of age when we had an X-Ray taken prior to hey spay operation. Basically, her right hip socket is more like a dinner plate instead of being like a teacup. Her left hip socket isn’t much better but there is a small amount of bone there to create a “real” joint.

The vet recommended we put her down once she saw the X-Rays as she wouldn’t be able to walk within the year.

Roxie is now 3.5 years old and still going strong.

We often notice in damp weather that Roxie will have a harder time getting around. She also has a hard time in the fall when the temperatures are getting cooler. Interestingly, once we get into winter, she tends to do better. A good way to gauge the pain level your dog is feeling is to ask someone you know who has arthritis. If they are having a painful day, odds are your dog is too.

We’ve had her on the glucosamine “joint cocktail” since she was 6-7 months old.  We find that in the summer she doesn’t seem to need it as much but in the fall/winter/spring it definately makes a difference.  Omega-3 is a new supplement that we have found that we may also add this winter. There are a number of different brands of joint supplements in your local pharmacy.  Just read the labels and find the one that meets your requirements (and the price point you’re willing to pay).

Lynn posted a comment a few months ago on my Apparently a Saint Bernard Labrador Mix is a Big Dog post about her labranard having serious diarrhea. I’m not sure if this is a common issue for Labranards but I do know that our Roxie also had bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. Well, that was until I changed her food.

We used to feed Roxie exclusively Nutrience large breed dry food. We chose that food originally because it had some of the highest glucosamine content (good for joint issues). We often noticed that Roxie had loose bowels while she was on that food. This was a huge pain because it’s very difficult to stoop’n'scoop diarrhea – it was more like stoop’n'smear.

When my in-laws came with their dog, Roxie often got into the other dog’s food. We always noticed an immediate improvement in Roxie’s stool and it would usually last for a day or so after the other dog left (and took it’s food with it).

So a month ago I bought a bag of Iams adult dog food. I actually goofed as I was supposed to get the Iams large breed formula but for some reason I picked up the wrong bag. We’ve had Roxie go through 40lbs of the Iams food now and she’s no longer having any diarrhea issues. I’m going to get the large breed Iams food next time and hopefully we will continue having good stool!

Now, Roxie is a sample of one (and one with some other health issues) so I can’t say that all Labranards will have the same issues or the same fix. I can suggest that you try a different food if your dog does have digestive issues.