You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
After years of thinking about it, we are now the proud owners of a gorgeous black lab puppy! If you thought bike insurance was complicated, then it seems dog insurance is just as complex!
I’m inclined to go for a lifetime cover in case he develops an illness with requires ongoing care, but does this mean I’m then tied to one insurance company for his lifetime and presumably the cost will sky rocket? Or is it like car insurance where you shop round each year? How does this work if there is ongoing treatment ?
How much is a sensible level for annual vet fees ? They seem to vary from £3k for the year up to the sky being the limit!
Does anyone have any real world experience of claiming on pet insurance policies ? Any recommendations or ones to avoid ?
He really is a bundle of joy and trouble !
Pet insurance is a nightmare. My SiL pays £10 per month, I pay £70 per month. There is a reason as to why there is such a difference but that is what she chooses to pay, what is it you will choose to have covered? We have only made 2 claims for a dental cost and a fish hook consumption in 4yrs but it was all covered without hassle by our insurer, Direct Line. If it had been my SiL there is zero chance that her £10 cover would have given anywhere near what was required (2k for the dentist and 1k for the fish hook)
That said, the route we were going to take was to put aside a sum each month into a savings account in the hope that it built up enough to cover off if we needed it. I think it would probably have worked but been decimated by the 2 claims that were quite close together.
Other thing to remember is that there is a new rule on insurance now and the old method of getting a cheaper deal as a new customer, has gone. They now have to offer new and old the same deals so moving is less of an attractive option each year. If you register with the Kennel Club you get a 50% discount off your first years insurance, I don't know if this is affected in the same way as standard insurance deals but worth a look. We used that and then moved to Direct Line as the full cost was extortionate.
Anyway there is my ramble, hope some makes sense
We will have had our rescue lurcher 10 years next month. Never insured. A few trips to the vets in that time for odd injuries like dew claw, a bout of diarrhoea recently and a specialist opinion on a heart murmur have cost a few hundred I guess.
Thread the other day suggested people are paying £1000 a year or more to insure their pets. So I’m several thousand up so far and won’t feel bad if he costs a bit to keep going as he gets older.
I grew up on a farm and the idea of putting an animal out of its suffering at the right time is something I’m comfortable with. Others will have a different outlook.
Where are the photos?
We went with a lifetime policy with BoughtByMany - first year costs are just over 30 a month with I think a 15 grand limit per illness. Expect it will go up year on year and there may be a point where I might choose to self insure. It wasn't something we considered particularly when purchasing, but the firstvet service you get included is good. Saved us an out of hours vet fee one weekend.
How much is a sensible level for annual vet fees ?
I've just spent nearly £6K on our pooch. Scans and operation on a spinal disc came in at a bit over £5K (specialist place, not local vets) and then fees at local vets whilst trying to figure out what was wrong. There was a 'menu' of operation prices and this was amongst the most expensive.
Pet Plan paid out no fuss within a couple of weeks (direct to the vets). Unfortunately I tried saving a few quid a couple of years ago and reduced my cover from £7K down to £4K so had to fund the difference.
Two stories related to this:
My friends didn't insure their first dog (Sophie), and spent a HUGE amount of money towards of her life. They then got another dog (Ghost) two years ago and also opted not to insure. Ghost has already had two ACL ops at a cost of $$$ each already. Not sure they made the correct decision!
I got a dog (Danny) three years ago and opted for reasonable (mid-range) insurance but have claimed for absolutely everything. He has allergies and the cost of the meds alone was almost equal to insurance for the first year or two; he also had heartworm which has resulted in a heart murmur which requires specialist treatment. Oh, and last week he got hit by a car and run over. [Don't ask! He must be part cat cos he used several of his lives that day but he's fine now!]
Based on what I know so far about our likely outgoings for the "known" issues and what we claim for, it's a no-brainer for me but I am putting some money away in a slush fund because I'm expecting to hit the lifetime max and/or the monthly premiums will increase sharply as he gets older (at which point I'll cancel the insurance)
Two labs. Aged 9 and 10. Both insured with Petplan who to be fair have been excellent when we’ve claimed.
All claims have been done direct - other than the excess we’ve not had to pay out lumps.
Lab 1 had a hip op at 3 yrs old. New hip didn’t work so had another op 2 weeks later to remove it. Wiped out our 7k limit in an afternoon (no charge for that second op). We now claim about £300 of pills for her every couple of months and have done for years now.
Lab 2 bust a disc in her neck Xmas 2020 - that wiped her 7k limit out. MRI alone £2500 😳
Needless to say we’re paying £90 each a month now. Scary! Started at £26 when we got them.
We are claiming our fair share of medication for one of them throughout the year.
The one thing to be aware of with pet insurance, unlike all other insurance, is once you’ve made a claim for something any new insurance will not cover it. Imagine you ran into the back of someone, now if you do it again it won’t be insured. It’s all very well changing in the early years when the renewal comes up but once you start to claim you become more and more tied in. I was with pet plan for Ziva with a 4k yearly limit which then reset each year unlike some policies where once you’ve maxed out the cover for that illness nothing is then paid. Used it numerous times throughout her life and they always dealt with the vets directly, great to be able to just walk away at the end of the appointment.
Also, I know 2 puppy labs locally who presented as perfectly normal until about 5 months when it became apparent they both need new hips, about £14k per dogs worth!
And yes, for my own experience see the other thread and max that insurance out immediately.
You can't transfer to a new policy with an existing illness so decisions you make up front will haunt you for the lifetime of the animal.
We went for most cover (Pet Plan) with an idea to cancel at year three provided nothing popped up that was going to hang around. May keep a cheap as chips policy in force for liability to others but will save the rest, maybe a premium bond.