Bloody pet insurance

We were the same as Spice101 - Insurance for a kennel of working dogs would have been hundreds every month! We used a Country vet and just paid ‘as and when’. Even a serious, complicated operation came nowhere near what we’d have paid in insurance premiums. However, I’m fully aware that insurance is for ‘what could happen’ so that’s the real dilemma?

I have never had an insurance for any of my cats and have always been so fortunate that I only needed the vet at the beginning of their lives when they were neutered, vaccinated and chip marked, for rabies and cat's flu innoculations and at the end, when diabetes or cancer was making their lives a misery to them.

All insurance companies work this way, try sending in a claim for a stolen bike or a broken window. We pay for years and get a similiar amount to the one Maw got when we send in a clain.

I've had cats for the past 40 years, never had pet insurance.

Some policies don't even cover for extraction of teeth, for example. My old boy had to have one tooth out, which wasn't bad, just loose. £465! I use a credit card only for vet bills.

I've had dogs for almost 50 years and bred them for a good part of that time. IMO insurance is not worth the paper it is on. So many exclusions and I've never had a bill I could not pay even with my breeding bitches. Some companies will not insure the dog after it turns 8 in any case which is possibly when you are most likely to need more treatment.

Oh yes! I second that.... I studiously take every precaution to pre-empt any illnesses by way of their diet etcetera. One thing I couldn't pre-empt was the fact my oldest dog is now ten years old. Last year, the local Council didn't mow the park and both dogs had a paw each penetrated by one of those migrating seed heads. Apart from the fact they (health insurance) paid for very little toward the three operations required, this year they've over doubled our monthly premiums. I'd love another rescue dog. I can afford their food because I've become vegetarian to do so but I think I'll have to drop health insurance because it's not "insuring" against much! I wish I'd been self-insuring because I could've bought another house to rent out with the money I've wasted making others rich... And could afford to look after my pets as they deserve. I feel peeved and stupid for not doing something sooner.

I changed to the Kennel Club insurance policy for my dog. I did not realise that many insurance companies charge a 15 per cent excess in addition to the actual cost of treatment. The Kennel Club charge 10 per cent, which given the cost of treatment is a bonus. They are also prompt when payment is made.

I have not insured any of my pets, but we always had the savings to cover whatever they needed. If I didn't have the savings I would open a separate savings account and put a sum of money in there weekly and use it only for the animals treatment.I agree with Stella regarding the maths.
We have been a little unlucky with our current rescue dog as she ruptured her cruciate ligament back in November, cost was £4500, but we had the money to pay, it is a specialist op so very expensive, she couldn't put any weight on one of her legs so it had to be done. It is complex surgery and has a 3 month rehab time, thankfully now she is now back to normal.
A friend of mine insures her dogs, one of whom has had several operations for growths and each time her premiums get much higher as does her excess and also the fact that he is getting older makes the premiums higher.

All insurance is priced to lose on average, especially if you take into account the time value for money (i.e. money grows due to interest or investing).

The question is whether a major surgery will cause you significant financial distress, and whether you want to self insure that risk, or sell it off at a premium to an insurer.

Generally speaking the richer you are, the more insurance you can afford, while the less you actually need.
www.petsdirectstores.com

I agree that pet insurance is a rip off but I'd be nervous not to have it. Saving up and paying as needed sounds OK but if an animal requires complex surgery or some other complicated treatment the bill can be extortionate.

About three years ago our dog needed surgery on his leg which, including all the X-rays, consultations, medication, special dog brace, stay in hospital, after care etc., etc., etc., came to around £7,000.

Fortunately we had full insurance, which paid for it all bar the excess. We had deliberately purchased a "whole life" insurance which, although more expensive, was meant to guarantee that even if our dog was treated for the same ailment/injury one year, we could still claim in following years if the ailment/injury occurred again. However, when it came near to renewing our insurance, we were told by the pet insurance provider that the underwriter was no longer operating in this country and a new underwriter had been appointed. Although this underwriter would give "whole life" cover in the same way as before, it would not provide cover if our dog had the same problem with his leg.

We stayed with the provider because moving would have been even more expensive and previous ailments/injuries would not have been covered anyway if we required a "whole life" policy. It's worth bearing in mind, that even supposed "whole life" policies can be wriggled out of. No wonder people are cynical about insurances.

I just keep an account with as much as I can afford to save in case my dog ever needs treatment....I worked out I had spent several thousand pounds over his first 6 years of his life without any claims and now 9 I have a substantial amount set by in case the worst ever occurs.........I decided that taking into account the fact that routine things are not covered, excesses, having to pay up front and reclaim and yearly limits and of course if your dog stays healthy it's money down the drain....and increases exponentially as the animal ages....I just wont pay it and consider the prices absurd !

Premiums going up a eight? It was ten when I decided to self-insure and just have 3rd party in case of accidents all those years ago! Surely with better health care these days dogs should be living longer and healthier not the other way around. I have to say I'm happy to just have visiting grand-dogs now, I don't think we could justify the expense of actually owning a dog outright!

Insurance soars from age 8, what they call middle age although many cats and dogs live to their late teens now.
I'd have a second little dog from the rescue my present one came from but can't afford the insurance for two.
You need to haggle over their premiums, quote cheaper companies and say you'll change. You can pay for only vet's fees (all that most people need) and reduce costs by agreeing to a higher excess. I need pet insurance because I can't pay £5000+ for treatment but I could pay the £170 excess on a big claim.
Remember the insurance company's aim is to make money, not to help us.

My vet doesn't always charge for prescriptions - forgets sometimes - always gives a year at a time. Check up and new presc. last week was £30 ish

The only problem with getting a written prescription from the vet is they charge you for it and if it's a repeat prescription they charge for every repeat.

They've got us by the short and curlies unfortunately.

we took out pet insurance on our dog when we rescued her last year. we were careful to select a lifetime policy so that if she became say diabetic or epileptic or similar that required ongoing then she was covered for ever for such cases. Some policies covered you for 12 months at a time but if she did take a life time illness it would only pay for said illness until the renewal date and then not for that illness after that.
We felt this suited our finances better than others.

I have just had a moan chat with the senior receptionist at our vets who said she had always insured with the company I use (PP) because they don't put your premiums up if you make a claim, but added that when her dogs reached old age, perhaps 12 , she stopped the premiums on the basis that the excess and % you have to pay as the owner are prohibitive. (£170 and 20% in Gracie's case) Like me, she felt that a dog reaches an age when investigations or surgery are less likely to be advised or in the dog's interests. Consultations usually come in at less than the excess so you would be paying out on that anyway. (Obviously the "age" can depend on the breed and size). And putting £50 a month in a sock under the bed covers most requirements.
I also learned (a bit late in the day) about getting a written prescription from the vet and buying drugs on line.

I cant be doing with this pet insurance. Something that a lot of vets will take advantage of. Just put so much away a month to cover costs if your pet does become ill.

He's not mine Maw ...he knows better ;-)

We insure and have always insured our dogs because we know how quickly a claim can increase. But I do move from company to company when I can.

I find it difficult sometimes though to compare like for like. What with whole life care, maximum claim policies etc.

Pet Insurers are like any other insurer, if they can wriggle out of paying they will.

Tricia F, I have been quote €190 for female dog sterilisation, but take you point about what sort. I will check up on that.

Caretaker,i am so sorry the vets eathanised your beloved dog without your permission, you must have been devastated,
We need to say goodbye to our pets, when they have to leave us,
I am pleased that you were compensated, but its of no comfort really is it, so sorry for your loss

We dont pay dog licences, were are you, think Ireland have dog licencesYorkshire gel
I am with Animal friends,i pay £4-80 a month
One of my cats was diagnosed with a heart problem, only a month after taking the policy out
Thay paid out for her heart meds ,which would have cost £33 every month
Sadly she had a coronary just before the first year ended
She was 7 whe i took the insurance out,so i was quite pleased with the way they paid up immediately
Another cat was diagnosed with a neck tumour a few weeks later, but she wasnt insured, she was 13,and had to be put to sleep while under the anasthaetic, as she went in for a swelling believed to be an abbcess, if i had brought her home the vet said she would only have days left,
This cat was insure when i first got her, eventually i cancelled it because at the time i was with petplan and couldnt afford to keep it on, but she got to 13 without needing any major treatment, so that would have cost me a lot over all those years,
So its just how it goes, it can be a godsend or cost a lot, and not be needed
I still have 2 cats, who are insred for life with AF but still only costs me under £5 a month
One of them has had fits in the past when she was very young, but hasnt had any for a few years, so of course she isnt covered for that,a prexisting condition, but covered for other things

I had an old fashioned Vet until a few years ago when Medivet made him an offer, to take over his practice, which he couldn't refuse. He was reasonable. He obviously made a living. The Vets who took over the practice were mostly South African.

How much do you pay for the operation to sterilise a dog? (female).
We paid 350€, about £300. That was for a full removal of the uterus etc. Sometimes they just tie the fallopian tubes, which is cheaper.

Vets in UK are astronomical. My daughter had a cat, sadly now deceased, who had a thyroid problem so injections and stays at the vet, then diabetes with unworldly vets fees for the above mentioned injections etc.

I now don't insure our animals and vets here in this part of France are nowhere near the sort of prices quoted. My poor little cat who adoped us had an operation on her ear, overnight stay, checks up etc and I was only charged £50, when I sadly had to have her put down in was only €35. no comparison with UK.

Caretaker I am so sorry about your Labrador, what inexcusable, brutal treatment. What a truly heartbreaking way to learn of a much loved pet's demise. Take care and remember the good times with him.

PS I hope (for your sake) that you do not have any connection with NanaandGrampy or I shall be having severe words.