Pet Insurance - recommendations please

[PaulyP]

My Mum always told me to do what you do keep your money in the bank. My two dogs now are not insured. I couldn't cancel my Stanley's insurance. It certainly took more money off me than I claimed back but I was naive about it 15 years ago. I remember having a conversation with my friend about what if Stanley needed a 5 grand operation would you pay, and I said yes, I would go into debt for him and I would have done it in a heartbeat. He had to have a tumour removed from his stomach 5 years ago. I drew a thousand pounds out of the bank to pay for it my plan was pay the Vet then take my 2 nieces on a shopping spree with the change, all I had left after paying the Vets bill was enough to buy a chicken from Aldi, which Stanley ate most of anyway

Gina.

I’ve had many dogs over the years, once had a couple of boxers and a lab retriever all at the same time, older boxer lady was 10 when we got the young boxer Bruce at 4 months and then 12 months later came the lab retriever from the dogs home, about the same age as Bruce. Lady passed when she was thirteen and a half, a very good age for a boxer, never insured and never cost anything expensive at the vets, Bruce went on till twelve and a half, took ill and suspected a brain tumour, cost a thousand pound for a brain scan just to confirm it, our old vet would have diagnosed that and recommended to put him to sleep, but he had died the year before and young vets said need a scan to confirm, all in all we spent two thousand in the last week of his life as he couldn’t be saved and had to be put to sleep. Bobbie the retriever took ill the year after approx twelve and a half, collapsed and rushed to an animal hospital diagnosed with possible rheumatism, following week we went to Majorca
Bobbie moved into the granny flat with the in laws whilst away, two days after arriving home we went to our lodge in the lakes to look after our two grandsons whilst daughter and son in law went to a wedding up there, on the day we were leaving father in law phoned to say Bobbie has just lay down on the kitchen floor and passed away !
I phoned the animal hospital to tell them that their diagnosis of rheumatism was probably not right.
Over all those years we never had insurance and only ever paid a lot for one dog, who by then wouldn’t have been insured as over a certain age nobody would insure them.
Sorry to go on but I think pet insurance is a big rip of and I would rather put the money saved each month into a separate account just in case.

 

[Aly1]

I have my dog insured with PetPlan. They are expensive but claiming has always been straightforward and paid within 2 weeks.

 

[MichaelT]

Sorry to go on but I think pet insurance is a big rip of and I would rather put the money saved each month into a separate account just in case.

Isn't that the same as insurance (apart from if you don't use it you have a cash pot) except you are limited to the size of the pot whereas insurance will pay out to the limit if you need it which is the same as any insurance. You may as well do the same for all other insurance such as house etc?

Our last dog we had insurance but when we moved the cost jumped so we stopped it, we like you were lucky that it did not cost us too much, we have taken life cover with new dog as they can be susceptible to some illnesses so its just in case, we also get free consultation over the phone/video with the insurers vet included so that can save a visit so it may be expensive but not a rip off.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Our boy had a condition that we didn’t know about and had never heard of when we first got him, long story short the vet we are with was brilliant for us. Even though if you read all the reviews on farcebluck or googlies that same vet is rubbish. He asked if we had insurance, no we just got the dog! Kept the cost down for us and asks about the boy every time we in with the others, some vets are good and not all after the pound signs.

Isn't that the same as insurance (apart from if you don't use it you have a cash pot) except you are limited to the size of the pot whereas insurance will pay out to the limit if you need it which is the same as any insurance. You may as well do the same for all other insurance such as house etc?

Our last dog we had insurance but when we moved the cost jumped so we stopped it, we like you were lucky that it did not cost us too much, we have taken life cover with new dog as they can be susceptible to some illnesses so its just in case, we also get free consultation over the phone/video with the insurers vet included so that can save a visit so it may be expensive but not a rip off.

Almost every year since we have had the insurance they have paid me more than I've paid them. Our younger dog had slipping kneecaps £4.500, then the previous mentioned vomiting £2.000. our older dog has stomach problems which has cost over £8.000, insurance is very good value if you claim, and a waste of money if you don't, although it provides peace of mind even without a claim. After all we take out life insurance but don't want to claim.

 

[PaulyP]

Isn't that the same as insurance (apart from if you don't use it you have a cash pot) except you are limited to the size of the pot whereas insurance will pay out to the limit if you need it which is the same as any insurance. You may as well do the same for all other insurance such as house etc?

Our last dog we had insurance but when we moved the cost jumped so we stopped it, we like you were lucky that it did not cost us too much, we have taken life cover with new dog as they can be susceptible to some illnesses so its just in case, we also get free consultation over the phone/video with the insurers vet included so that can save a visit so it may be expensive but not a rip off.

I have two French bulldogs and go on an internet site all to do with the breed, someone recently asked a question about the operation they can do on there nasal passages to help with breathing, and what would be the cost, it varied from vet to vet and area to area, from figures of several hundred to several thousands, my vet yesterday asked about my younger one as she thought he was breathing heavy, I did point out he was worked up because he doesn’t like the vets, you’ve just clipped nails stuck a needle in him and had your finger up his backside to check his anal glands, can you blame him for heavy breathing, I said I presume it would be expensive and she agreed without actually giving a price. If I thought he was suffering and really needed it I would have it done. Ten minutes later making our way home across the fields he is running round with his friends and having no problems.

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[PaulyP]

Almost every year since we have had the insurance they have paid me more than I've paid them. Our younger dog had slipping kneecaps £4.500, then the previous mentioned vomiting £2.000. our older dog has stomach problems which has cost over £8.000, insurance is very good value if you claim, and a waste of money if you don't, although it provides peace of mind even without a claim. After all we take out life insurance but don't want to claim.

My point is those prices would be a lot lower if pet insurance didn’t exist, I think vets up the price as it’s not you who are paying, but I’m glad it’s worked for you.

 

[MichaelT]

My point is those prices would be a lot lower if pet insurance didn’t exist, I think vets up the price as it’s not you who are paying, but I’m glad it’s worked for you.

Thats the same for anything especially car insurance.

 

[Odd-no-more]

My point is those prices would be a lot lower if pet insurance didn’t exist, I think vets up the price as it’s not you who are paying, but I’m glad it’s worked for you.

I'm sure you are correct. I never had insurance until out dog, sadly no longer with us, had both cruciate ligaments fail and I had a bill for £5,500. That's when I got the insurance, it's not cheap about £1,800 last year for the 2 dogs and I'm expecting more this year, but still good value when you look at what they have paid me.

 

[Landy Andy]

Same as all insurance. Some will pay for others payouts. I wouldn’t be happy to pay £95 a month as my dog is now 9.5 years old or £10640 in insurance for him never having had anything done.

 

[PaulyP]

I'm sure you are correct. I never had insurance until out dog, sadly no longer with us, had both cruciate ligaments fail and I had a bill for £5,500. That's when I got the insurance, it's not cheap about £1,800 last year for the 2 dogs and I'm expecting more this year, but still good value when you look at what they have paid me.

I don’t doubt it can work well for some, I’ve been lucky with my two French bulldogs at the moment, a friends cornered a cat and lost its eye, would have cost him a few thousand had he not been insured.

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[Jagtazman]

We use LV for our dogs
Used Petplan in past but getting very expensive

 

[JaneyBMotorhomer In Hants]

I'm looking for a different pet insurance company to the one I have at the moment which is Many Pets.

We are having difficulties with Many Pets - they don't appear to be able to provide the service for which we are paying. I have only ever made one claim for our dog. Two months after our claim was submited they haven't even started to look at it despite having received all the info they require from the vets. Today I waited over half an hour to speak to someone about it and the call handler admitted that she had no idea when my claim would be assessed. For this dismal service we have been paying £95 a month. Our claim is simple - just dental treatment by one vet - the procedure carried out in one treatment.

I hope not all insurers are the same and so would appreciate hearing from anyone who can recommend an insurer.

I moved from Direct Line to Many Pets as Direct Line were extortionate, massive increases every year at renewal despite no claims. I had to claim shortly afterwards as poor Freddie had a seizure and had to have meds and a night in at the vets. I was astounded by how quickly Many Pets processed and paid my claim. But then I had all his medical history to send them as I had got this from a previous vet when we moved home together with the stuff from the new vet. Maybe that helped and the fact that the claim was not massive.

 

[Andrew B]

I'm looking for a different pet insurance company to the one I have at the moment which is Many Pets.

We are having difficulties with Many Pets - they don't appear to be able to provide the service for which we are paying. I have only ever made one claim for our dog. Two months after our claim was submited they haven't even started to look at it despite having received all the info they require from the vets. Today I waited over half an hour to speak to someone about it and the call handler admitted that she had no idea when my claim would be assessed. For this dismal service we have been paying £95 a month. Our claim is simple - just dental treatment by one vet - the procedure carried out in one treatment.

I hope not all insurers are the same and so would appreciate hearing from anyone who can recommend an insurer.

When on holiday we had to have our beloved Cody put to sleep. We have had Pet Plan insurance for the last twelve and a half years paying £42.95 per month. During the course of three days we visited two vets as we were travelling. Two vets same illness one claim….oh no! Two claims so £90 deducted for each claim. The second claim is not being paid at all because during the course of his short illness he vomited once and his medical history shows that he vomited ten years ago so vomiting was only covered for 12 months after that. He died of liver failure. Basically I think they are all a bit of a rip off unless your pet has a one off serious illness that costs a lot of money to treat and then recovers completely!

 

[Fraggle 22]

Like many others I do not insure my dogs. Rather have the money in the bank. BUT they are insured 3rd party with Dogs Trust in case they cause a problem to others ( very unlikely but who knows) cost a mere £12 per year for 2 dogs up to £2 million.
Maybe I'm just lucky but having probably had 50+ dogs and I've only had 1 back in 1975 that needed surgery. On those days pet insurance didn't exist and vet bills much cheaper. I believe in feeding the very best food, and keeping dogs relatively lean. I try to never use chemicals and so far so good. One is 12 and the other 7

 

[Nick555]

We started off with cover when our kitten first came to us, but after the first year the price doubled (no claims) & by very carefully reading the small print I came to not trust any of them. (Watch out after they are 10 years old). We now self-insure with a regular amount put into a separate account every month. My cat is indoor-only & is smothered in love, attention & with the highest quality food. I feel that most insurance is aimed at road injuries, not illness.

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[SWW]

I use co-op for two dogs and saga for the old cat. Be very
careful who you choose if you want to spend time in Europe, some only allow a very few weeks.

 

[TCG]

we use Direct Line... Our dog does have a couple of long term issues that require monthly drugs. Direct line settle directly with the vet, so we never see an invoice... but we have noticed the premium has risen year on year and is now £110 per month.

 

[mamaco]

I’m with direct line and they have been superb in dealing with claims.

 

[Smudger55]

We're now with LV, who I think took over Petplan. Whilst our annual premium kept going up, pay about £740 annual for our dog, it's a good policy and when I challenged the annual increases they said it was because of his age, he's over 14yrs now.

Anyway to their credit they have paid up for all his vet bills including medication and hydrotherapy.

I would look at other policies at renewal time but always worried that anything cheaper wouldn't give me piece of mind that LV policy gives.

So can't complain really.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Controversial
...but I wonder if the Pet Insurance industry is encouraging more vet interventions?

Scans, treatments, medicines that perhaps aren't 100% necessary?

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[gus-lopez]

After all we take out life insurance

 

[Justus3]

Controversial
...but I wonder if the Pet Insurance industry is encouraging more vet interventions?

Scans, treatments, medicines that perhaps aren't 100% necessary?

Or as with human health animal health has become more advanced with increased use of technology to aid clinical treatments together with continued up to date clinical research.

Or maybe as we don't pay the true cost for our health treatment we've become a bit blind to the true cost of health care ?

 

[PaulyP]

Controversial
...but I wonder if the Pet Insurance industry is encouraging more vet interventions?

Scans, treatments, medicines that perhaps aren't 100% necessary?

Exactly my argument knowing the insurance company pays we may as charge double.

 

[PaulyP]

Or as with human health animal health has become more advanced with increased use of technology to aid clinical treatments together with continued up to date clinical research.

Or maybe as we don't pay the true cost for our health treatment we've become a bit blind to the true cost of health care ?

Not arguing whether the cost is right, but I’m sure that scans, X-rays and some other checks aren’t always necessary or just added as the insurance pays anyway.

 

[Justus3]

Not arguing whether the cost is right, but I’m sure that scans, X-rays and some other checks aren’t always necessary or just added as the insurance pays anyway.

I'm not saying you are just adding to the over all discussion.
I guess it come down to trust which really is only your call to make. We have a good vet and know he never say's or acts without clinical need. He's too much of a Professional for that and values his practice for any messing about.
Even if it's on insurance you can still say no we have when our last dog was referred to a specialist.
Before going anything we asked our vet about options good job we did. He was visibly shocked they'd even given us a particular surgical option which it turns out has a very high death rate. He suggested a much less risky opp which in the end we did go with and turned out to improve his life no end.

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[MillyMoHo]

I'm looking for a different pet insurance company to the one I have at the moment which is Many Pets.

We are having difficulties with Many Pets - they don't appear to be able to provide the service for which we are paying. I have only ever made one claim for our dog. Two months after our claim was submited they haven't even started to look at it despite having received all the info they require from the vets. Today I waited over half an hour to speak to someone about it and the call handler admitted that she had no idea when my claim would be assessed. For this dismal service we have been paying £95 a month. Our claim is simple - just dental treatment by one vet - the procedure carried out in one treatment.

I hope not all insurers are the same and so would appreciate hearing from anyone who can recommend an insurer.

We’re with Petplan. Found them pretty good so far, despite our cat being 22 years old.

 

[MillyMoHo]

We’re with Petplan. Found them pretty good so far, despite our cat being 22 years old.

 

[Southdowners]

I moved from Direct Line to Many Pets as Direct Line were extortionate, massive increases every year at renewal despite no claims. I had to claim shortly afterwards as poor Freddie had a seizure and had to have meds and a night in at the vets. I was astounded by how quickly Many Pets processed and paid my claim. But then I had all his medical history to send them as I had got this from a previous vet when we moved home together with the stuff from the new vet. Maybe that helped and the fact that the claim was not massive.

It's good that you found them efficient however, in our case, we are 8 weeks into the claim and they still haven't even looked at it. The call handler I spoke to admitted this was the case and said this timescale was now typical. This is despite it being a simple case and the vet supplying all the relevant information and us submitting the claim immediately. They did however manage a ridiculous 'tribute' to HM Queen Elizabeth on their on hold recording - perhaps they'd be better employed actually doing their job!

 

[Odd-no-more]

It's good that you found them efficient however, in our case, we are 8 weeks into the claim and they still haven't even looked at it. The call handler I spoke to admitted this was the case and said this timescale was now typical. This is despite it being a simple case and the vet supplying all the relevant information and us submitting the claim immediately. They did however manage a ridiculous 'tribute' to HM Queen Elizabeth on their on hold recording - perhaps they'd be better employed actually doing their job!

My daughter bis with them for her cat waiting over a month for a payment even after telling them it was urgently needed to pay he credit card

 

[Dave Scadding]

pet plan for us. We also went with no insurance for our previous dog and opened a savings account instead fortunately didn’t need either but we keep the savings account going anyway and insured with pet plan (it’s a spaniel so likely to need both)

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