Pet Insurance

[BikerJon]

Looking forward your words of wisdom on the best/cheapest pet insurance for long term travel in Europe.
We go away for our maximum Brexit allowance each year.

 

[Speve]

We don’t bother with pet insurance as we have always put money in a special savings account for our pets which will cover most things. Vets in the EU especially Spain seem to be very reasonable in their charges

 

[Landy Andy]

Don’t bother with pet insurance.
Like all insurance, others make more money than you will ever get from it.

 

[Northernraider]

I don't have pet insurance either for my 3 dogs.

 

[Figaro]

Premiums may start quite reasonable but every year they will increase until you feel your just being rinsed.
Put an amount in a dedicated savings account and just use that if you need to.
If you don't need it you have fund for a treat or two

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[Realist]

I pay £30 a month for my pet and worth every penny for the piece of mind with £15,000 of cover and so far I’ve had well over my yearly fees in cover paid.

Will never be without it.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Like all insurance, others make more money than you will ever get from it.

Think we are well over £6k and still claiming £200+ a month on our 2 Jacks so glad we have it as one claim was just under £4k about 12 years ago…

 

[BikerJon]

I pay £30 a month for my pet and worth every penny for the piece of mind with £15,000 of cover and so far I’ve had well over my yearly fees in cover paid.

Will never be without it.

Thanks but who do you use?

 

[BikerJon]

Think we are well over £6k and still claiming £200+ a month on our 2 Jacks so glad we have it as one claim was just under £4k about 12 years ago…

Thanks but who do you use?

 

[Landy Andy]

They wanted £64 per month for a four year old dog. He had never had an issue then and still hasn’t. Premiums up every year.
First question from a vet “is he insured “. Why because that then charge a premium.

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[varaizian]

No knowledge of UK pet insurance and French ones are pricey and only give poor cover so we also rely on savings. Veterinary charges here are very reasonable: probably only half what we used to pay in the UK but that is 18 years ago now. I've never been asked if our dog is insured which probably tells you something. Seeing how people get ripped off for UK pet travel certificates makes me wince.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

First question from a vet “is he insured “.

We have a brilliant vet and the pups have been with her for 16 and a half years.
They had some medication returned a while back and as it was the same as one of my Jacks take they gave it with no charge.
As with anything it all depends on who you use if you find a good person than it’s a big bonus.

 

[Landy Andy]

We have a brilliant vet and the pups have been with her for 16 and a half years.
They had some medication returned a while back and as it was the same as one of my Jacks take they gave it with no charge.
As with anything it all depends on who you use if you find a good person than it’s a big bonus.

I have a brilliant vet who does an animal health certificate for £65, recommends, getting an EU passport, and doesn’t think pet insurance in the uk is worth the outlay. I’m staying with her.

 

[Ray-Vic]

Our Miniature Dachshund is insured with the Post Office. They gave the best level of cover for the most reasonable cost for a lifetime policy which, with a Daxie and their known back issues, we were advised to get. We pay £23 a month which includes a 24 hour vet phone helpline.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

and doesn’t think pet insurance in the uk is worth the outlay.

As with all insurance it just a matter of do you feel lucky.
Everyone can save by doing it on the cheap until you need it then it becomes expensive!!

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[PaulyP]

My take on this :-
I’ve never had pet insurance in 50 + years of having dogs, shitz tsu, 2 boxers, 1 retriever, 2 pugs and now 2 frenchies, mostly dogs with flat faces known to have breathing problems, at the equivalent of todays rates I would have paid £50,000 in fees, usually the first £100/200 of a claim you pay in excess, so the vast majority of visits to the vets you wouldn’t be able to claim. In all those years I once paid out £2500 on a 12 1/2 year old boxer in the last two weeks of his life in hospital fees and a brain scan to prove he had a tumour, and recently I paid £1550 on BOAS surgery for one of my frenchies who had slight breathing problems, worth every penny as we regularly do 5/7 miles a day and he now has no problems, over the years I’m well up on costs, obviously you take a chance without insurance so you need to have enough in the bank just in case.

 

[Cal54]

I had insurance for my Jack Russell Cross and saved £4k when he had a CL injury and needed surgery. I knew that my policy did not cover the same injury twice but assumed it meant to the same leg! The following year the same problem but with the other back leg and the insurance didn’t cover it so I paid out £4k plus. I appreciate it was my error for not checking the policy wording but I haven’t renewed the policy and now just set some money aside each month.
Insurance companies rarely go bust !!

 

[Davecrawf]

We don’t bother with pet insurance as we have always put money in a special savings account for our pets which will cover most things. Vets in the EU especially Spain seem to be very reasonable in their charges

Totally agree. We do the same, and likewise found Spanish vets to be very good and far less expensive than the UK.

 

[BikerJon]

Thanks for the replies. I have decided not to get pet insurance but go the savings route.
Our dog had a snake bike this year in Belgium. We went to a vet in Switzerland and the pet insurance didn't cover us. Even at Swiss prices, with two visits and treatment it only came to £150.

 

[Realist]

Thanks but who do you use?

We use: https://refer.purelypetsinsurance.co.uk/brianj-789

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[Road Sailors]

We use Animal Friends Insurance because it does cover for emergency vet fees for travel abroad up to £1500 And a further £1,000 if your holiday is cut short because of your pet. We have never had to claim for overseas treatment, but have found Animal Friends to be quick and fair when reimbursing us for UK claims. You also have public liability cover with pet insurance for up to £2,000,000.

 

[GeeCee]

If you don't take insurance you're playing the odds, and they can really go against you. Becuase our pet insurance started rising each year and we initially had like Silver standard cover, we decided to drop down to the basic level to save costs. This year our dog got a fungal infection infecting his sinuses which caused constant sneezing and eventually constinuous nasal discharge. The local vet didn't know what the cause was so referred us to a specialist, who after a CT scan and camera inspection diagnosed the fungal infection. Our dog had to go for two visits to clean and scrape out the fungal growth and treat with antifungal cream (internally). And BTW the sinuses go up into the brain cavity so if the infection spreads there its curtains. We've ended up paying £7000 minus the £1000 which the policy covered. So we seriously regret having downgraded our cover. Yes it does seem a bit of a scam and you may well be able to ride your luck. But beware of the worst case scenario.