Dog insurance

[MeandtheOreo23]

Anyone give me advice on Pet insurance . I would like on that gives lifetime cover. It’s been over 20 years since I had my last dog and have noticed vets bills are so expensive so need to get dog covered asap.

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

Anyone give me advice on Pet insurance . I would like on that gives lifetime cover. It’s been over 20 years since I had my last dog and have noticed vets bills are so expensive so need to get dog covered asap.

If you've not looked yet, sit down, it it's expensive.
There are dear ones, that must be great if you want your pet to go to see Fitzpatrick for bionic legs. I got a quote from the one he recommended, thought it was quite good for a year of cover, then realised it was monthly!

I ended up using https://www.purelypetsinsurance.co.uk/
I'm not saying its good or bad, I have never used the insurance. My dogs have been in the vets for minor things. The insurance never covers these things. I remember doing a lot of internet searching and for some reason thought this one was ok.

Hope it helps.

 

[BeeBee]

Our 1st boy from 7wks - 13.8 yrs was with Per plan and it was reasonable. Our 2nd boy, a rescue also with Pet plan, but the prices had jumped a fair bit. Our current laddie, another rescue is with Many Pets as Pet Plan price had gone through the roof.
Many Pets offer a lifetime cover and for us was the best option. It’s pretty expensive too but not as much as PP.
Our dogs have all been male Labradors.
And I’m sure you remember the many occasions when your visit proves ‘just under the excess’ so insurance don’t pay !
Pic of our laddie

 

[McGons]

We use Petplan, lifetime cover with £7000 a year. Have had to claim for 3 major surgeries and all were paid out within a couple of days from the claim. Might not be the cheapest but it’s covered us and no hassle paying out.

 

[MeandtheOreo23]

I got a quote from the Kennel Club as thats who the breeder recommended £790.54 . I know that insurances have went up as I have read on here the prices folks are paying to cover there vans. It says it’s up to £25.000 . I will have a look at reducing this figure and hopefully the price wont be so mouthwatering. My wee Boston is looking at me saying I am worth it .
Laddie looks beautiful sitting there .
Thanks folks for taking the time out to help.

 

[66tim99]

We use Petplan, lifetime cover with £7000 a year. Have had to claim for 3 major surgeries and all were paid out within a couple of days from the claim. Might not be the cheapest but it’s covered us and no hassle paying out.

Yes we are with Petplan and Daphne needed her leg to be broken and re-set with Fitzpatrick for >£8k, which was paid out without question.

 

[Mowbotman]

Morethan

 

[johnyboy]

Morethan

Hate morethan - they didn't notify my OH her payment card expired when the renewal details all came posted through. Cue a "you're not insured with us and we don't cover pre existing conditions" phonecall when the dog was diagnosed with cancer

 

[johnyboy]

We are with animal friends - you generally don't have to worry about claim times as the vet files the claim with them and you just pay the excess; options for lifetime and limted etc.

 

[pjm-84]

Petplan wanted £1400 a year for our new Boxer pup...we said no. Insured via Animal Friends for circa £380

 

[BeagleMum]

Anyone give me advice on Pet insurance . I would like on that gives lifetime cover. It’s been over 20 years since I had my last dog and have noticed vets bills are so expensive so need to get dog covered asap.

We had 2 dogs with Animal Friends for 6 years every year the premiums increased considerably until the costs became extortionate. We moved to Pet Plan, after 2 years same situation, really unjustifiable increases which considering we now also had a number of exclusions was just taking the preverval. If you take out insurance make sure it’s the lifetime cover, but be prepared for unjustified hefty annual increases.

 

[andyinluton]

Ask your vet. We have our cockapoo covered by Sainsbury’s pet insurance, only made one claim so far but that was about £9k but with referrals involved four different vets practices. All four said it was a decent policy underwritten by a decent company & therefore didn’t require us to pay anymore than the excess.
They all seemed to have a list of underwriters that they were happy with & if yours wasn’t on it, it was down to you to foot the bill & argue with the insurers as some were notorious for weaseling out of claims or knocking various amounts off for spurious reasons & the vets didn’t want to take the risk of not getting paid.

 

[JollyGoodShow]

It is very expensive, and as our dog got older, the premiums went up and up and the co-pay went up and up. What we did was gamble on a few lucky years and built up a cash fund, which we keep earmarked for the dog, and that’s now big enough that it should cover most stuff. We “self insure”, in effect.

What it also means is that we won’t pay for really expensive treatments. He’s a dog, and if the treatments are more than £5K, he’s PTS.

Whether that’s how it will play out…

 

[andyinluton]

It is very expensive, and as our dog got older, the premiums went up and up and the co-pay went up and up. What we did was gamble on a few lucky years and built up a cash fund, which we keep earmarked for the dog, and that’s now big enough that it should cover most stuff. We “self insure”, in effect.

What it also means is that we won’t pay for really expensive treatments. He’s a dog, and if the treatments are more than £5K, he’s PTS.

Whether that’s how it will play out…

Having had an expensive experience with the previous dog when he was a puppy we intended to do the reverse - insure for a few years whilst they are young & cheap to get cover & see if we have a healthy dog then make a decision re long term insurance.

With our current cockapoo at 6 years old the premium is now up to £350 a year for £15k of cover with a £100 excess, we've already had 26 years worth of premiums paid out due to an almost fatal allergy to an anaesthetic. At £30 a month its a no brainer in my opinion, if it was £100s a month I would reconsider.

 

[KevH]

Ask your vet. We have our cockapoo covered by Sainsbury’s pet insurance, only made one claim so far but that was about £9k but with referrals involved four different vets practices. All four said it was a decent policy underwritten by a decent company & therefore didn’t require us to pay anymore than the excess.
They all seemed to have a list of underwriters that they were happy with & if yours wasn’t on it, it was down to you to foot the bill & argue with the insurers as some were notorious for weaseling out of claims or knocking various amounts off for spurious reasons & the vets didn’t want to take the risk of not getting paid.

I don’t have a dog, but if I did I would take it from your experience that perhaps it’s useful to consult your vet before taking out a policy, given that the policy and vet need to be a good match, as yours clearly are
I could be wrong, but this may be a good lesson for the OP.

 

[MeandtheOreo23]

Thanks everyone. Good idea to ask my vet . I knew I would get good advice here. We love our wee dog and thats why we bought a van . Hoping to do the NC 500 end of May so look out for the oldie with the Boston Terrier thats costing me a fortune.

 

[NessL]

Be warned that pet insurance cost increases rapidly as your animal ages. Rather than pay insurers, we now save the premium amount. If any ops are needed, we should have plenty in the pot to cover costs.

 

[pjm-84]

Agree...however we found that Petplan have already started high. Be wary of asking the Vet. A lot of Vets are now owned by venture capitalists / big organization as they see this as a profitable market. Petplan are heavily pushed by Vets

Work with Petplan | Business Scheme | Petplan Sanctuary

Earn commission working with Petplan Sanctuary to promote the benefits of pet insurance to your customers! Learn more about working with Petplan here.

www.petplansanctuary.co.uk

We have built up a 25k pot to cover the dogs over the last 14years

 

[California Dreamer]

Try a quote from M&S pet insurance- we’ve always found it excellent cover and service.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MeandtheOreo23]

Popped into vet today and Petplan was what they had advertised there but they said they could not advise me on which company to use. I asked about the amount of insurance cover (£25.000 ) Kennel Club, saying that maybe a smaller amount would cover most operations. The reply was I would be very careful as a CT scan can cost £5000. Bit shocked with this. Will do some more homework and make my mind up.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

I found NFU very competitive for price, and excellent cover.

 

[interbear68VW]

We insured our dog via Petplan for the first couple of years, good cover and hassle free as many vets handle claims directly with them. However, premiums increased significantly in year 3 so I did a broader search at last renewal. Of the options that looked to provide decent lifetime cover and reviewed well, I went with Tesco Bank Pet Insurance - same cover levels as Petplan but far cheaper. I’ve not had to use them yet for a claim, but several friends also use Tesco Pet Insurance and recommended them.

 

[JollyGoodShow]

Having had an expensive experience with the previous dog when he was a puppy we intended to do the reverse - insure for a few years whilst they are young & cheap to get cover & see if we have a healthy dog then make a decision re long term insurance.

With our current cockapoo at 6 years old the premium is now up to £350 a year for £15k of cover with a £100 excess, we've already had 26 years worth of premiums paid out due to an almost fatal allergy to an anaesthetic. At £30 a month its a no brainer in my opinion, if it was £100s a month I would reconsider.

That makes a lot of sense. We had a 13 year old Lab. in his latter years the insurance was a lot, the exclusions were huge, and the co-pay significant. I agree with your figures that’s a no brainer.

 

[BeagleMum]

Popped into vet today and Petplan was what they had advertised there but they said they could not advise me on which company to use. I asked about the amount of insurance cover (£25.000 ) Kennel Club, saying that maybe a smaller amount would cover most operations. The reply was I would be very careful as a CT scan can cost £5000. Bit shocked with this. Will do some more homework and make my mind up.

Scans usually start at around 2K basic. Beaware not everything is covered by insurance, normally any treatment that actually requires the dog spending a day or overnight at the vets will incur expenses not covered by insurance. Additionally there is always a policy excess. To give you an insight into cost
I have had Beagles all my life, I have been fortunate in that they have enjoyed good health beyond 15 years. My current 2 will be 10 in September, one of them has been very unlucky. Coming down with Meningitis 2 days before her first birthday, a horrible experience for a dog and for us. She had a spinal tap and a hospital stay, followed by 8 months of daily high steroids. Six months beyond her recovery she again relapsed with Meningitis and had to go through the whole process again. A year later she ruptured her Cruicate ligament had TPLO surgery with a plate and screws fitted. The cost of the treatment for all the above was circa 15K a large portion of which was covered by insurance.
Each to their own, but if I hadn’t had insurance at the time I would have still paid whatever was necessary to ensure she received whatever treatment necessary.

 

[Campervanner]

Be warned that pet insurance cost increases rapidly as your animal ages. Rather than pay insurers, we now save the premium amount. If any ops are needed, we should have plenty in the pot to cover costs.

Agree! We do this now. It's a gamble but even life time cover gets expensive when they get old and it's a hassle to claim re excess etc. We've usually ended up better off. Fingers crossed. X