If I was satisfied my dog's quality of life and life expectancy was reasonable after the expenditure, then I would probably not worry about spending in the order of $10,000. plus.
I think the risk of having to pay a large sum to extend the life of a pet can be reduced by giving him/her:
1. regular exercise and room to roam
2. healthy well balanced meals plus supplements
3. keep weight down to normal (common problem)
4. annual checkup by vet
5. see vet as soon as possible if problems develop
6. for purebreds, purchase animal from a responsible breeder who uses all
efforts to minimize genetic problems.
Regarding 3 above, I was told by a vet that a recent study showed the the average life of a lab is 14 years for those in shape, and only 11 years for those who are overweight.
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