Dog breeds / Giant breeds

What a Bullmastiff really costs

A Bullmastiff costs little to groom, but at 100–130 lb everything that scales with weight is expensive: food, anesthesia, medication and orthopedic surgery. The breed's life is short (7–9 years) and its cancer risk starts early, with lymphoma often diagnosed before age 6. Bloat and dysplasia add emergency and surgical risk, and that combination makes insurance pricey.

Size: Giant, 100–130 lb
Life expectancy: 7–9 years
Grooming: Low
Insurance risk: Above average
Puppy price: $1,500–$3,000
Food a day: About 2,170 calories

Where the money goes each year

A typical adult year for a Bullmastiff with mainstream food, home grooming, no insurance, in an average-cost area. That's $1,540 more than the median breed.

Illness and injury (average)$1,559
Food$1,127
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention$457
Dental cleanings$425
Checkups, vaccines and tests$330
Toys, beds and everyday supplies$330
Treats and chews$225
Grooming$53
License$20
Typical year$4,530

Most years land between $3,260 (budget food, home grooming, lower-cost area) and $6,570 (premium food, groomer, insurance, big city). Dogs over about 5 add about $180 a year for senior checkups.

The first year

Buying a puppy front-loads the bill: the price, gear, puppy shots and spay or neuter.

Bringing a puppy home

Breeder price$2,250
Crate, bed, leash, bowls and gear$900
Spay or neuter$760
Microchip$50
Puppy or basic obedience class$149
Upfront$4,110

Running costs in year one

Food$1,127
Treats and chews$225
Puppy vaccines and checkups$738
Heartworm, flea and tick prevention$457
Grooming$53
License$20
Illness and injury (average)$1,559
Year-one running costs$4,180

First-year total: $8,290. Adopting instead brings it to about $5,150.

Health costs to plan for

Embrace says most of its customers pay $44–$62 a month for a Bullmastiff and rates bloat, hip and elbow dysplasia high risk; a UK Quotezone analysis (Nov 2024) ranked it the most expensive breed to insure; and early lymphoma is a breed-specific claim driver.

Condition	How it affects Bullmastiffs	Typical treatment	Cost
Lymphoma and other cancers	Lymphoma has a high incidence in Bullmastiffs, with an average age at diagnosis under 6 years (Mortlock et al. 2023); in a VetCompass Australia study of 2,771 Bullmastiffs, mass lesions were the top cause of death (28.2%). Source	Average annual lymphoma claim cost (chemotherapy) across breeds in Trupanion's claim data ($3,100–$6,700)	$3,100–$6,700
Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat)	Embrace rates bloat a high risk for Bullmastiffs; the ABA's vet-written health page notes that stomach tacking cuts recurrence to 3–5% from 70–80%. Source	Emergency GDV surgery with gastropexy and hospitalization (Embrace estimate)	$1,500–$7,500
Hip dysplasia	25.7% of 7,587 Bullmastiff hip X-rays sent to OFA were graded dysplastic; Embrace rates the risk high. Source	Diagnosis and treatment, from medical management to corrective surgery (Embrace estimate)	$1,500–$6,000
Cruciate ligament rupture	Musculoskeletal disease caused 9.9% of deaths in the VetCompass Australia Bullmastiff study; cruciate tears are a common claim in heavy breeds, though no Bullmastiff-specific rate was found. Source	Cruciate repair (TPLO or similar) for a large dog; Trupanion reports $3,500–$5,400 average claims for heavy breeds and a $5,439 example claim	$3,500–$5,500
Elbow dysplasia	17.2% of 4,143 Bullmastiff elbow evaluations sent to OFA were abnormal. Source	Diagnosis and arthroscopic or open elbow surgery (Embrace estimate)	$1,500–$4,000

The yearly estimate already includes an average allowance of $1,559 for illness and injury. A single surgery can cost several times that, which is the case for an emergency fund or insurance.

What drives the cost of a Bullmastiff

Embrace says most of its Bullmastiff customers pay $44–$62 a month. Because lymphoma often appears before age 6, it pays to enroll before any lump is found.
Grooming is close to free: PetMD's vet author says a Bullmastiff won't need a professional groomer. That money goes to drool towels and frequent nail trims on a 100+ lb dog.
Drug doses and anesthesia are priced by weight, so a routine dental cleaning or a course of NSAIDs costs noticeably more than for a 60 lb dog.
Bloat is high risk for the breed. Ask your vet about adding a preventive gastropexy to the spay or neuter, since one emergency GDV surgery often runs $2,000–$7,500.
Budget for giant-size gear: an XL or 54-inch crate, an orthopedic bed and a car big enough for the dog. Those often come before the first vet bill.

Breeder or rescue

Reputable breeder: $1,500–$3,000
Rescue or shelter: $150–$500
Lifetime, from a breeder: $40,100
Lifetime, adopted: $36,900

PetMD gives $1,000–$2,000, Spot $1,000–$2,200 and Hepper (2026) $2,000–$3,500; a breeder with OFA hips, elbows and heart on both parents is unlikely to sit at the bottom of that spread. Adoption via the American Bullmastiff Association Rescue Service (ABARS) or shelters; Spot gives $50–$500 for shelters, Hepper $250–$1,000 for rescues.

Adopting vs buying: the full cost comparison

Similar-size breeds by yearly cost

Bloodhound$4,130 a year
Cane Corso$4,280 a year
Rottweiler$4,680 a year
Boerboel$4,810 a year
Newfoundland$4,920 a year
Leonberger$4,940 a year
Compare all breeds

Common questions

How much does a Bullmastiff puppy cost?

A Bullmastiff puppy from a reputable US breeder typically costs $1,500–$3,000. Adopting one through a rescue usually costs $150–$500.

How much does a Bullmastiff cost per year?

After the first year, a Bullmastiff costs about $4,530 a year, or $377 a month, for food, vet care, preventives, grooming, supplies and average illness costs. Depending on food, grooming, insurance and where you live, a typical year ranges from about $3,260 to $6,570.

How much does a Bullmastiff cost over its lifetime?

About $40,100 over a 8-year life when bought from a breeder, or $36,900 if adopted, in 2026 dollars.

Sources

Prices are averages from the sources above and the cost baselines on our methodology page, in 2026 US dollars. Your vet, groomer and city will differ. Updated October 14, 2026.