Trust me it is totally worth it! My lab got injured 6 years ago and had to get some serious back surgery and our options was either put her down or do an expensive surgery. We chose going into debt, but she turned 13 earlier this year and is still going strong. Best decision ever, I love that dog :)
There’s really no such thing as “low maintenance” dog. Yeah something like a Yorkie doesn’t eat as much as a German Shepherd, but when it comes to any sort of vet bills they’ll all be costly. Some dogs like Pugs and Bulldogs do have a lot of excessive vet bills and health complications because of their usually improper breading, but that doesn’t mean a typically healthy breed dog won’t get sick or injured or have special needs.