My Bichon Frise, Timo, is four years old this year. She’s a little girl. To be honest, I haven’t carefully calculated how much I spend on her each month because the amount can vary depending on what I buy. Sometimes I really don’t hold back when buying things for Timo.
Bathing her at home is really labor – intensive, so I got a membership card (500 yuan) at the pet store for her baths. In summer, she gets a bath once a week, and in winter, it’s either once a week (30 yuan) or if she hasn’t bathed for two weeks, I’ll take her for a soak bath (50 or 60 yuan each time). Grooming means trimming her fur. Timo’s fur grows very fast, so I get her groomed every one to two months (80 – 100 yuan). I don’t necessarily go to the store where I got the membership card for grooming; I also choose other stores for styling.
Regarding Timo’s food, she used to eat some no – name brand dog food recommended by the pet store owner. At that time, I didn’t know much about dog food and thought it was like rice, as long as she could eat it. But later I realized it wasn’t that simple. I was really rough back then (◍•͈⌔•͈◍). And Timo has a delicate stomach. She would vomit if she ate something bad. For a while, I made steamed corn bread for her myself, thinking it was nutritious and clean. But it was really tiring (๑U_U๑). Chopping vegetables is no joke, and it takes a lot of time. Also, eating soft food for a long time isn’t good for her teeth. However, it can still be a good way to change her taste occasionally. And making steamed corn bread at home isn’t cheap either, with ingredients like beef, carrots, broccoli, potatoes, eggs, and purple sweet potatoes.
Timo loves to eat. When I posted pictures of her food on Moments, a lot of friends left messages saying they were drooling. Hahaha. Now she eats Ocean Star dog food. I buy the 12 – jin large package (425 yuan), which can last for about three months.
For vaccinations, there are six – in – one, four – in – one, rabies, and toxoplasmosis vaccines. Well… they need to be given every year. I think it’s two shots a year… and the cost is around 300 yuan.
I’ve bought a lot of topical medications. I have all kinds of them, and they add up to well over a few hundred yuan. And some of them may be used only once and then expire, so I have to replace them with new ones.
Timo also has a bunch of clothes. A cheap four – legged dog dress costs about 35 – 45 yuan, and she has about ten, maybe even more.
A leash is essential. I always put her on a leash when going out. Bichon Frises are a naughty breed and are very curious about the outside world. No matter what kind of dog it is, it should be leashed when going out. It’s for the dog’s safety and also for the safety of others. I’ve changed a lot of leashes. I don’t buy the retractable ones because I’m afraid of letting her go too far. I always feel it’s not safe. Now I’ve been using this one. I think it’s thicker, and she should feel more comfortable wearing it, haha.
Before, when taking Timo out for a walk, I would buy those small bags to pick up her poop. But later, I thought tearing and opening them was unnecessary, so I switched to using newspapers.
If a dog gets sick, the cost can be very high. But Timo is quite healthy. Besides vomiting due to stomach discomfort, which doesn’t happen often, she only got sick once with a cold. Taking her to the hospital for an IV drip cost four or five hundred yuan. Note that it’s just for one IV drip.
Bichon Frises are actually no less clingy than Poodles, haha. Because Timo has white fur, I seldom take her out. She’s really delicate. She can’t play too wildly outside either. Timo’s skin is very sensitive, and sometimes she gets skin diseases from other dogs or something unknown.
I buy a cake for Timo on her birthday. It’s once a year, and the cake isn’t expensive (about 60 yuan). I think celebrating her birthday is a warm thing. It makes me feel that my little one has grown a year older, and we’re growing together.
Anyway, whenever I see something interesting or useful for dogs, I’ll buy it for Timo. That’s about it.
Leave a Reply