Finance

Are you spending a fortune on your pet? How fancy grooming and speciality diets may cost you more than a child's tuition

Are you spending a fortune on your pet? How fancy grooming and speciality diets may cost you more than a child's tuition
Photo credit: Livemint
Advertisement

Keeping a pet is becoming a major household expense in urban India. Premium food, regular grooming and medical care can together cost thousands every month. For some families, yearly spending can match or exceed a child’s private school tuition.

The biggest expense often comes after adoption or purchase. Owners must budget for food, grooming, vaccinations, medicines and unexpected treatment. Accessories, specialised services and insurance can push the total higher.

Monthly maintenance estimates vary widely according to a dog’s size and care needs. Small breeds, including Pomeranians and Shih Tzus, can cost between ₹4,000 and ₹8,000. For medium breeds, such as Beagles, monthly expenses range from ₹6,000 to ₹10,000.

Advertisement

Large breeds, including Labradors and Golden Retrievers, can require ₹8,000 to ₹14,000 monthly. Giant breeds, such as Great Danes, can cost ₹12,000 to ₹20,000 each month. Food consumption, grooming needs and health supplements contribute to these differences. At the upper end, yearly maintenance can reach ₹2.4 lakh.

Such spending can rival school tuition in many smaller cities and standard urban private schools. Over a pet’s lifespan, these recurring expenses become a substantial financial commitment.

Cost of food

Advertisement
Originally published by Livemint on Oct 19, 2026 Read the full article at livemint.com
Read original
About this page. Sisnoo is an aggregator. This article was imported from a publisher feed and may have been reformatted. Copyright remains with the original publisher, and the headline, image and any quoted text are used for attribution and indexing purposes. Source links are preserved on every item in the archive.
Share

Comments

0 comments

No comments yet — be the first.

Advertisement

More from Livemint

View source

Related