bluekarin Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 As our search for a puppy continues, I thought it might be a good idea to check out insurance. Not having insured a pet before, I have no idea which are any good, and actually pay out when you need it. Can you get ones which pay for general vet fees (yearly vaccs, teeth cleaning) as well as the big ones (ops etc). Does anyone have any they'd recommend - or even steer clear of. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Pet insurance will not cover the routine stuff, only accident and illness. Some vets have Health Clubs that enable you to pay a monthly fee which helps you spread the cost of annual routine fees and gives you discounted vaccinations, flea and worming treatments and neutering. Not all vets offer this though. When looking at insurance companies, pick one that offers 'lifetime' cover. I would recommend Pet Plan. Make sure you take out your insurance ASAP because as soon as if a vet notes a condition on your records, an insurance company will exclude this from your cover. There is some info in a thread Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I noticed our vet practice has just started offering this. Obviously too late for Riley but I'd be interested to know if it actually saves you anything or just spreads the payments. Some of the discounted "treatments", like neutering, are just one-offs so would only be a good deal once! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 A good Health Club should save you enough in flea and worm treatments and other benefits pay for your annual booster. Some will give you money off food, microchipping, nail clips, routine blood test and nurses clinics. You will need to check your figures though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thanks, CM, good to know . I'm hoping I won't need to look into it for a long time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Petplan have always been great with us. Avoid E&L like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thank you! Sorry, didn't realise there was already a topic about this - should have looked I'll look up Petplan and see what they would charge. Some good things to look out for as well, thanks chucky mama. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thank you! Sorry, didn't realise there was already a topic about this - should have looked Don't worry, it's an old thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlotta Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Petplan have always been great with us. Avoid E&L like the plague. Totally agree. Petplan are awesome. Pay fast, no quibbles and coughed up about £15K + a few years ago for Lola's bilateral cruciate rupture - 3 ops, two legs full of metal-work, countless x-rays, mountains of drugs, hydrotherapy and are still paying for ongoing drugs. Can you tell I like them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 We decided to insure Lily with John Lewis as we thought the whole of life cover is very good .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 DO NOT go with animal friends. We are currently in an ongoing 6 month old dispute over a third party claim. They will do anything to avoid paying out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 We had all of our indoor pets insured with Pet plan at one point but the premiums were increasing quite dramatically (one pet £8 per month to £24 per month within a couple of years!) and after an arguement with them about what breed our dog was (or indeed wasnt) we moved the dog over to M&S pet insurance - the cover is pretty similar. The cats remained on Pet Plan as they were too old to be switched - our oldest cat's premiums are now more that our home insurance! The M&S insurance has also gone up in price but nowhere near as fast as the rises imposed by Pet Plan We did briefly move one pet to Tesco but then read the small print which seemed to have every get-out clause and exclusion in the book and got a bit jittery so put them back on Pet Plan Be aware that insurance companies will avoid paying claims if boosters arent kept up to date so people tempted to lapse injections (eg for indoor cats or older dogs etc..) could be literally throwing money away by having insurance that they may not be able to use We have always been tempted to cancel all pet insurance (currently costing us around £70 a month) and simply stash the money in a separate bank account but always lose our nerve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I have a friend that cancelled her insurance. I told her not to do anything without having a check up first. She didn't (don't you sometimes wonder why friends ask for your advice ), she cancelled the insurance and a week later the dog was diagnosed with Cushings Syndrome. She spend a fortune paying for the ongoing treatment for the rest of the dog's life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 We have always been tempted to cancel all pet insurance (currently costing us around £70 a month) and simply stash the money in a separate bank account but always lose our nerve That's exactly what I do for Tango. So far she's been to the vet for spaying, microchipping, vaccinations and two minor injuries that have cost less in treatment than the excess on any insurance policy. So nothing yet that I would have been able to claim for. It is a gamble to self insure but I'm fully aware of this, so if something does occur that needs expensive treatment then so be it. I put away more money each month in a savings account than I would pay in pet insurance, so the balance is building up nicely just in case of a rainy day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolz1965 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I use the Greenbee insurance from John Lewis. I find they are cheaper than Petplan who I thought were very expensive but Greenbee offer lifelong cover so if the animal has an illness then they would be covered for life rather than up to a certain amount which is what alot of insurance companies offer. They also offer complementary therapies for dogs which beIng a therapist myself appealed to me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinsk Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Petplan have never questioned vaccinations on our dogs, or for that matter when I had horses insured with them. They are more expensive than most other companies but they are one of the few that vets will deal directly with for bigger claims. Certain insurance companies they will not deal with at all and will request you pay upfront and you claim back, they only do that from experience of not getting paid. The biggest get out is on emergency treatment, some will say unless you clear it with them first they won't pay, if something gets run over in the dead of night your first instinct is not to dig out you insurance policy and ring them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
