More, and Surprising, Ways to Save Money with Your Dogs
By Christina Chambreau, DVM, CVH.
Yes, I just did a series of three articles on saving money and building health. There is even more you can do. Spread the word to everyone from these 4 articles. Veterinary costs have increased over 50% in the last decade, more animals are given to shelters because of cost of care. Reading about how you may save on taxes prompted me to look at more ways to save money.
We all have an abundance of the most healing approach – love. And it is free. Use it a lot, especially when you are busier than usual (hint -upcoming holiday season). Other pet care choices, health and lifestyle, can free, moderate or costly in terms of time and money.
TAXES: With mindfulness you can choose where to allocate time and money. Recently, I read an article1 for an area never previously considered – income tax savings. While generally, IRS considers our companion animals as nondeductible expenses, there are some interesting exceptions – medical, business or legitimate charity. To use any of these deductions, you must keep impeccable records. I am not a tax expert so you must check with one or more tax experts to utilize this money saving tip.
- Medical deductions are for dogs (or a miniature horse) who are specifically trained to help with your disabilities. They must be certified in that area, you must have a doctor noted disability and your total itemized expenses (purchase, training, food, grooming, supplies, veterinary care and insurance) must be larger than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.
- If your dog is deemed “ordinary and necessary”, serving a clear business function – guard dogs for a business, herding dogs, performance dog (if they generate income for your business, even as a social influencer), breeding stock.
- When your dog is part of an IRS 501-C-3 organization, out of pocket expenses over $250 (even for fostering) like food, supplies, veterinary care, and mileage for transporting dogs across country, to veterinary care or adoption events may be considered. You may also deduct donations of food, money and other supplies.
- Relocation costs2 for active duty military personnel could include expenses for shipping and temporary boarding.
FOOD: Many of you are eschewing commercial kibble and canned foods, thank goodness. Many, though, are allocating a large part of their monthly budget to purchasing commercial “fresh food” products, often from a fear that you cannot properly feed your dog with ingredients you purchase for your meals. There are now many companies jumping on the fresh food bandwagon and it is hard to know who is doing a great job or cutting corners. The key shift is to think “I will select ingredients that a dog would eat in the wild, or has eaten over the centuries of living with people” rather than “I have to make/feed dog food.” While more and more courses are being taught on how to feed fresh and there are diet calculators (very useful but no critical) it can be inexpensive, fun and easy to integrate dog meals into your family meals – even if you live in NYC and have teeny/no kitchen. As with human diet recommendations, there is no expert who can say what your dog needs – you will know by how they are doing. The one key that all agree upon is the need for Calcium to balance the high phosphorus in muscle meat.
Sources of meat to save money: wild game butchers & friends, farms raising hens; buying (and sharing) a whole cow/sheep/goat (if you have big dogs, investing in a big freezer will be worth it); community farm shares; having discussions with butchers to let you know when they have offal that many people in the US do not eat; meat that is too freezer burned or getting too close to expiration date. Some folks collect recent road kill and butcher it.
More information is in the 3rd of 3 articles on maximizing health in the Happy Healthy Dog.
Toys can be made or found used. You tube is a great source of ideas and most can be made fairly quickly. Keeping only one or two toys out at a time increases their lifespan.
Free learning abounds now with AI and the internet. The caveat is you are the filter. You will hear many different opinions on every subject. Most speakers say theirs is the right way, they are the expert. No, there is no one right way, no expert that is right for your family. Take in the suggestions, try ones that make sense to you and observe your dog. Over the last 45 years of practice, those who learn energy healing approaches and to not panic over symptoms because they are already helping by sending love and healing save money by not rushing to the clinic as often.
Early detection and evaluation is key to health and saving money. One reader shared that her holistic veterinarian is often not available so she sees the conventional ones in the practice, and probably spends more. One of my suggestions to her is becoming comfortable with home care and prevention. Next year I will write more about this. Including how to do your own physical exams. As so many of the authors in this magazine suggest, being in great communication with your dog, listening to her point of view, observing his choices each day are keys to happiness for everyone. Even in our busy lives we can schedule a regular dog check-in and record the observations in their journal. My e-book, Healthy Dog Journal, makes it easy and can even help your holistic veterinarian do better treatments. When you are observing trends, you can more easily decide to change your current approach to lifestyle or treatment. Most importantly, by also recording the fun, sweet, amazing things your dog is doing, you will be focusing on the positive and where you want to be.
A holistic health care team whom you respect and work well with before there are crises is another key. Do this NOW. More details are in the 2nd of 3 articles on maximizing health – here at the Happy Healthy Dog magazine.
Your dog is sick right now? Create your team carefully and consider each suggestion made by a conventional or holistic veterinarian. Ask, “If you do these 5 tests, how will it change your treatment options?” Ask, “How much time could I take to decide what to do?” Decades ago, surgeons told me that people could usually try joint supplements and more for stretched cruciate ligaments before expensive surgery.
Hopefully reading Happy Healthy Dog Magazine has already saved you money as you learn many ways to try for training, feeding, loving and living. Contact me with how you save money for dog care.
Empowering people to gain health for themselves and their animals in ways that help our earth be healthy has been Christina’s mission since graduating from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 1980. Writing, speaking, teaching, treating and now advising you have helped thousands of dogs thrive. Check out her website for free articles and to click here to take her up-coming courses.
References
- https://windhambrannon.com/blog/tax-deductions-pets-two-truths-and-a-lie/
- https://www.militaryonesource.mil/financial-legal/taxes/pcs-and-taxes-deducting-military-moving-expenses/
Awful and useless article. please don’t waste people’s time again!
Diana, I would love to have you contact me privately to let me know was awful about the article. Certainly the tax exemptions do not apply to all who love and live with dogs. Over the last 4 decades I have worked with many people who were struggling with finances and who could have been helped from this information, that I did not know to tell them.