Pet insurance

Cat (11 years) - £28
Dog (8 years) - £68

silverlining48

I am disappointed that no one has given the actual cost of insurance they pay. Just curious.
I don’t have a pet now but when we did we never had insurance for any of our cats over the years. Not sure that anyone did then.
It seems to be taken as read that pet insurance is necessary now.
Just a thought but if it is so expensive ( and May not even be used) it could be cheaper to put aside a similar amount in a separate account and use that to pay for any treatment.

Insurance costs vary depending on the age of the animal, any previous claims etc. I know some people don't take out insurance but do put money aside for potential vet bills, but that won't necessarily cover the cost if it is a huge bill. My friend's cat was recently hit by a car and the final bill was well over £6,000. Also, as I said before, for dogs in particular, it pays to have the third party cover as part of your insurance. For example, if your dog were to knock someone over in the park, injuring them - you could well face a claim for damages. I know some people will have third party insurance through their house insurance or bank, but it pays to check. Personally, I'd never be without pet insurance - my dog is having to go for a heart scan later this month and depending on the outcome of that, we could be looking at ongoing claims which could mount up considerably.

Thanks Fanny and Blondiescot. If per month Fanny, am taken aback at the costs.
It only costs £11 pm per person with Benenden who offer an excellent service fir many health issues.
Just as well we dont have pets anymore, we would go broke.

I think if you compare the cover Fanny has for her pets - whatever happens to them, be it accident or illness, whatever the cost, whatever ongoing medication might be needed, and treated by her local vet not somewhere specified by the insurer- you’d find Benenden’s cover somewhat lacking.

Yes, obviously you can get pet insurance a lot cheaper - but the level of cover provided will be far less. I always do comparisons when mine is due for renewal, and some companies' top level of cover is far less than others. And given how easily vet bills can rack up these days, it pays to have the best level of cover you can afford.

It was my aunty who told me years ago when I started having animals to go with PetPlan.
She was one of the top breeders of Maine coons, and she also worked as a veterinary assistant after she retired from teaching.
She made the financial decision not to insure her pets as she had so many cats it wasn’t viable, but she made other arrangements so that she could afford any care in an emergency.
She said that for her it was PetPlan or nothing.
I think, like her, that with cheap insurance you can be in a sort of half way house situation of paying out, but not getting anything much in return.

Agreed, FannyCornforth - I worked in a vet surgery for a short time and saw at first hand how some of the cheaper pet insurance really wasn't worth the money as there were so many exclusions. Some companies are really bad at paying out too.

I’m with Direct line . Just under £30 a month and they’ve just paid out for the first time in 4 years cover for a dental operation. I do pay the first £80 as excess. They deal direct with the vet . I’m satisfied at the moment. It’s due for renewal in July I presume it will increase because of the claim