Health Savings Account-Health Savings Account Info

JAZZY* You don’t have to be rude to be heard* asked:


I decided that I want to breed Siberian Huskies, and NO I’m not talking about backyard breeding so don’t start yelling out BYB and irresponsible owner. Im not going to breed now but in the future maybe 5-10 years from now. I already have two savings accounts. I understand the risk and everything. I also want to have my dog in sledding seeing that I think that is important I wish I would have kept King in sledding.
I know about doing health care testing and everything is important. And I know that it is going to be expensive.

Im not doing this to make a profit or anything. I just really love this breed and has always loved this breed. I also want to be a foster home. (is that too much?)

Well my question is: Is there any advice that you could give me about breeding dos and donts?
Any experiences that you wish to share?

Oh And KING IS NOT BEING BRED!! I thought I would say that, because I had a thought that someone would ask that

Larry Purfeerst

Joshua Branch asked:


Now I know a lot of people do not advise getting a dog in college. Many popular reasons include, you won’t have time, you won’t have money, you will want to go out and experience things, etc. However, I feel like my scenario is slightly different (and I’m sure everyone who’s thought about this feels their scenario is different.)

First, I have well over $4,000 saved up for expenses. Including the dog, equipment (cage, leash, etc.), and any first vet bills. This is all money saved up currently, and an addition $500 will go into my dog saving account after this summer, maybe more depending on how summer work goes. I will also be working part time in college, to make side money, and I also have some financial free way with my parents if needed. However, I do not want to rely on them for money obviously.

Secondly, I have an apartment that allows pets. They allow large dogs as well (I want to get a Golden Retriever.)

Thirdly, I know that Golden Retrievers do tend to mature slowly but I have dealt with them before. I am confident that I am capable of dealing with the slow age maturation and 2 year puppy-hood.

More importantly though, most people say you won’t have time for a dog, but I simply do not think this is true. I am at a large University, and my first two semesters I have made Dean’s list, my second semester getting all A’s. Simply put, I have an incredible amount of time, even when taking 18 credits.

I no longer need to take 18 credits, and if I decide to purchase my pup, I will be cutting back since I only need to average 15 credits the rest of my college career to graduate on course (4 years.)

My schedule for fall semester essential ends up being class for 1 hour, then a 2 hour window break, class for 1 hour then a 2 hour window break. And on Tue. and Thurs. my classes only start at 2 pm and both end by 430.

Furthermore, I hardly study. It’s not that I don’t take my classes seriously, its just that I’ve always been the kind of person to gain knowledge from lectures via auditory learning, not visually enhanced learning like notes or repetitive study. And not to sound arrogant but I am also pretty naturally intelligent.

I have a fiance who attends college with me who has a schedule that is opposite of mine. So when I have class she does not. So the puppy will have plenty of people time.

And in regard to any statements about damage control that I may be worried about, you’re going to have that with ANY puppy. The idea of having to fix up something, or some chewing, is simply a fact of having a puppy. It doesn’t matter if you live in a crappy apartment, or a million dollar house, there are going to be damages with a puppy involved. And in all honest, with the roommates i’ve had prior, I’m not too concerned with the damage a puppy will do. My roommates could probably out do the dog.

Also I am not considering adopting a dog. I’ve had friends who volunteer and have spent hours and hours in dog shelters, and a family member who adopted a dog. And I have found that many dogs up for adoption have a slew of issues ranging from aggression to just simple poor training. Some older dogs are perfectly fine in regard to training and habits, but may have health problems. And I think it is poor responsibility on my part to adopt a dog with such problems that I couldn’t handle or afford. Not because I don’t think I can, but because I would prefer a dog with a “clean slate” that I can train and handle myself and who obviously has good health and has (not to sound morbid) breeder “warranty.”

Anyway, I am hoping for some logical, helpful, no-biased, and well backed up answers as to why I SHOULDN’T get the dog, or if you think I should why should I? Something to really make me think other wise or make me go all in.

Denna Strickland

Rhapsody asked:


I adopted a mixed dog from the Humane Society on May 20. I was told he was heartworm positive, but otherwise he was healthy. 2 days later my dog developed Kennel Cough and I found traces of intestinal worms in his stool. I took him to the vet and they charged me $231.51 to treat these problems and to do bloodwork for his upcoming heartworm treatment. I was told heartworm treatment would cost $600 to $1000, which is way more than I thought it would be. I had to wait for his cough to go away before scheduling his first heartworm treatment. When I took him in it cost $321.61 for part 1 of treatment, but in the x-rays a foreign object showed up. Now, I’ve been home with the dog constantly or he’s been in a crate so I doubt he swallowed something at my home. He was severely underweight when I took him home and he has had a lack of appetite since I got him. It’s been a struggle to get him to eat, sometimes I have to feed him by hand to get him interested. Now the vet says it’ll cost me $176 to bring him in and induce vomiting to see if the object will come up. If not, then the dog will need stomach surgery, plus his second part of heartworm treatment which will cost another $400. I don’t know how much surgery will cost.

I still have a week and a half to return the dog to the shelter and get a refund, return all of his belongings to Petco, and get a refund on the pet insurance that I bought but won’t cover because these conditions are pre-existing.

I was willing to cough up the $800 heartworm cost because even though I was mistaken about the cost (I thought it would be $200-$300) I knew that my dog had this problem. I am irritated about the other problems that the Humane Society didn’t tell me about, although they probably didn’t know cause he didn’t show any symptoms.

My mom and my fiance think I should return the dog since they think it’s ridiculous that I might have to pay for surgery. I’ve already spent $600 on vet bills and I really love the dog, so I don’t want to take him back. However, I only saved up enough money to get a dog and cover any minor health issues; I just graduated from college and I have to pay back my loans in 6 months so I shouldn’t empty out my savings account to care for the dog.

I’m really torn about what to do. I can’t stop crying when I think about it. I know the reasonable thing to do would be to return the dog since I was under the impression he was healthy and wouldn’t cost too much. But I have really enjoyed spending the last 2.5 weeks with my dog and he’s the sweetest thing. What should I do?
Yes I should have researched how much heartworm treatment cost, but I could only put the dog on hold for 24 hrs, my family was visiting in town, and I had to get supplies and clean house to make it ready for the dog. I AM WILLING TO PAY for the heartworm treatment, but can’t pay for the surgery too.

He has shown NO symptoms for the ingested object aside from being underweight with a low appetite, which he already had when I got him. It has not created a blockage, he poops 3 times a day. It’s unlikely that he ate it at my house since he hasn’t been left alone.

I have pet insurance just for situations like this one. BUT it doesn’t cover this because it happened during the policy waiting period.
Turns out he didn’t swallow anything. Additional x rays show that he has a BB embedded in his skin and the object near his stomach is a pellet from a gun. Somebody shot him twice.

Valrie Neil

Kailyn asked:


Can any of you recommend a pet insurance company? Also, I would like your opinion on whether they are worth the money. I’ve never used one in the past because I have a special savings account that I put money into weekly that is strictly for regular vet visits as well as any health issues that may arise. This has worked well for our boxer but we recently rescued an APBT and now that we have two dogs to care for I want to make sure that I always have the funds available should anything happen.

Brandon Hadsell

Kaper asked:


I have noticed a ton of questions in the past two days about sick dogs. I know they are always here, but it seems lately there are a lot more. The excuse is always I can’t afford a vet.
I have gotten into several debates about this. People have accused me (and others with a similar opinion) of judging and sayin that dogs are for rich people.
The argument seems to be, my dog is better off living with me with no healthcare than in the shelter where I got him from.
While I agree that it is better to be rescued, my argument lies in, how much better will it be if the dog is suffering from something you cannot pay to treat?
My lab was really sick last week. The vet thought it could be pancreatitis or a partial blockage. Neither fatal, if treated. But if I could not afford the treatment he would certainly suffer and it could become fatal.
What happens if the dog comes down with a serious illness? Even euthanizing a dog that is suffering cost money.

It takes very little money set aside each week to end up with a decent vet savings account. Less, in fact, than what most pay for internet service per month. I know of many people on here that have limited income that still manage to provide their dog with health care.

In my opinion, it is not about money, it is about priority.

I pay $15 a month per dog for pet insurance. That is going to cover a good portion of my $600 vet bill from last week.

What are your thoughts?
Do you have pet insurance or a savings account?
I am insured through PC Pet insurance. It is only basic but so far has covered enough. I do have my own savings account I would dip into.

Jessie- You are so right.

And I am not saying that you should have to go out and pay for expensive medical treatments. What I really mean is that you have enough money to at least go to the vet. As I said, even if the dog has to be PTS because treatment is too costly, that would cost money.
Funny, people don’t think there dogs can be hit by cars.
Last September my Lab (the same one) were running, he was on leash. I stopped to cross the busy street, using a crosswalk and lights. Traffic stopped for me and we proceeded to cross. Unfortunately a vehicle behind the stopped traffic didn’t stop and rear ended the vehicle we were in front of. Both me and my dog were struck.
I suffered some injuries and had to go the hospital. Lucky for me, the dog was unharmed (it sort of knocked him off his feet and he rolled out of harms way).

Allen Gionta

Bernese Love asked:


haha, no I’m not the kind of sacrifice my pets’ health for my own benefit – I’m the kind of person that would live off bread and water for a month if my pets got the health treatment they need.
This is obviously a strange question, so bare with me.

I know after a certain age pet insurance can become expensive or impossible to attain. With previous pets in my house we’ve stopped paying it at a certain time and just paid out of our money whenever bills have arisen, which is often pretty costly but better than dealing with awkward insurance companies from personal experience.

I have about £5,000 I plan to keep as an emergency standalone for veterinary bills, with additional money being put into it every month. That would be in an account that wouldn’t be touched for any other reason. Do you think it’s a good idea to have this as well as insurance, just as a reserve after my dog gets older, or instead of having insurance for my next dog? Also, if anyone has any positive experiences with insurance companies once your dog gets past 10 years old, please tell me.
Lou – exactly! I’m planning to buy my second Bernese Mountain Dog, and given the health issues and short life span, they’re likely to give me a high premium. I’m going to spend a lot of money buying a quality puppy from a quality breeder, but what do the insurance companies know?

Vicente Agostinelli

Bernese Love asked:


haha, no I’m not the kind of sacrifice my pets’ health for my own benefit – I’m the kind of person that would live off bread and water for a month if my pets got the health treatment they need.
This is obviously a strange question, so bare with me.

I know after a certain age pet insurance can become expensive or impossible to attain. With previous pets in my house we’ve stopped paying it at a certain time and just paid out of our money whenever bills have arisen, which is often pretty costly but better than dealing with awkward insurance companies from personal experience.

I have about £5,000 I plan to keep as an emergency standalone for veterinary bills, with additional money being put into it every month. That would be in an account that wouldn’t be touched for any other reason. Do you think it’s a good idea to have this as well as insurance, just as a reserve after my dog gets older, or instead of having insurance for my next dog? Also, if anyone has any positive experiences with insurance companies once your dog gets past 10 years old, please tell me.
Lou – exactly! I’m planning to buy my second Bernese Mountain Dog, and given the health issues and short life span, they’re likely to give me a high premium. I’m going to spend a lot of money buying a quality puppy from a quality breeder, but what do the insurance companies know?

Saran Caden

~?chihuahua lover?~ asked:


This post is in response to so many of the questions that come to this board. The number of times people state that they can’t afford medical care for their pets is just heartbreaking to me.

I do not understand why people choose to have pets and then not take some care to provide for their medical needs. A savings account should always be kept for them in case of something serious or chronic shows up.

If we choose to take the responsibility for another life should we not also make the financial means necessary to make sure that they stay in good health?

Brad Pinkett

~?chihuahua lover?~ asked:


This post is in response to so many of the questions that come to this board. The number of times people state that they can’t afford medical care for their pets is just heartbreaking to me.

I do not understand why people choose to have pets and then not take some care to provide for their medical needs. A savings account should always be kept for them in case of something serious or chronic shows up.

If we choose to take the responsibility for another life should we not also make the financial means necessary to make sure that they stay in good health?

Kyle Bargar