Warm boot recommendations please

[Guest]

can anyone recommend a company that will provide pet insurance for hens?

[Guest]

Sorry I can't help with either of your questions...

 

...But I just wanted to add that I think pet insurrance is one of the biggest cons of the 21st century!

 

Of course it's each to their own and many people will have had positive experiences.

 

But consider the amount of money you actually pay each month, when you might never need to claim on it!

 

Also if something bad does happen, it would usually be cheaper if you didn't pay the monthly fees and just paid a one off fee.

 

And for those of you thinking it offers "pece of mind" Did you know that you can only claim for something once?

 

So if any of your animals are unlucky enough to suffer for the same condition twice or it is an ongoing condition you will not be covered!

 

My suggestion would be to put some money away each week into your own bank account!!! It will gain interest and it will also act as a rainy day fund for any emergency - not just pet problems...

[Christian]

I remeber someone asking about this a while ago. It was a nightmare trying to find a company that did offer insurance and the premium was about £25 PER MONTH.

[Laura & CTB]

 

My suggestion would be to put some money away each week into your own bank account!!! It will gain interest and it will also act as a rainy day fund for any emergency - not just pet problems...

 

I agree - I put aside money each month to cover vet bills, car repairs, dental treatment etc!

[Guest]

this might help someone else so here goes, 'pet plan' charge £147 ish for 4 chickens for a year, worked out at £12.33 ish a month with a £35 excess and they don't cover egg binding problems. Does seem a bit of a rip off!

 

We've decided to not bother with the insurance and put the £12 aside a month in a chicken emergency fund.

 

They're now registered with Rose Cottage vets in sutton weaver who were ever so helpful.

 

http://www.any-uk-vet.co.uk/henry/index.htm

 

problem sorted!

[Krysia]

£147 sorry (I know I am about to offend someone here) but although I love my chooks they are really small animals to me. like a hamster cheap enough to replace if you have to.

 

I was horrified by them woman who spend 10K on a chickens leg earlier in the year. Just get a grip. Put it out of it's misery and buy another if it's going to cost that much.

 

Most people don't need to use the vets and I would rather pay a 1 off £50 if needed than £147 a year.

[moochoo]

I'm very lucky, my vets run it's own health care scheme. You pay about £ 5 a month for a cat, for example and you get all treatment free, annual booster included and 40% of any medications. Plus £500 referral if they can't deal with the problem and money off their boarding accomodation which is excellent.

Even if you don't use it you would pay almost as much just for a booster vaccination.

One of my cats is a nightmare, she has numerous skin allergies, been run over and broken both back legs. I've only ever had to pay for her tablets which are almost half price.

They also cover them for life, unlike some of the bigger companies that won't insure elderly pets.

I'm very happy with them.

[Krysia]

Moochoo I agree with Insurance for bigger pets Holly our dog was insured for all 14 years of her life but that only cost £84 a year.

 

I don;t but If I had a horse I would definately want that insured.

[chelsea]

as an owner of German Shepherds. I would never not insure our dogs. For big breeds like this - if they had an accident/broke something/major operation it would be hugely expensive, therefore our £19 a month we pay is our peace of mind.

 

I wouldnt bother with chook insurance though!

[Rabbieboy]

Sorry I can't help with either of your questions...

 

...But I just wanted to add that I think pet insurrance is one of the biggest cons of the 21st century!

 

Of course it's each to their own and many people will have had positive experiences.

 

But consider the amount of money you actually pay each month, when you might never need to claim on it!

 

Also if something bad does happen, it would usually be cheaper if you didn't pay the monthly fees and just paid a one off fee.

 

And for those of you thinking it offers "pece of mind" Did you know that you can only claim for something once?

 

So if any of your animals are unlucky enough to suffer for the same condition twice or it is an ongoing condition you will not be covered!

 

My suggestion would be to put some money away each week into your own bank account!!! It will gain interest and it will also act as a rainy day fund for any emergency - not just pet problems...

 

I have to disagree with you. We have payed £22 per month to Petplan since Nov 06, since March 07, when our young Springer took seriously ill and has been in and out of the vets and Vetinary hospital, they have paid out £4000 with no delay or complaint. We don't have £4000 spare for a rainy day and as the vet can bill the insurer direct we hardly ever had to wait for payment.

Our insurance is due for renewal this month and they are going to cover us for upto £6000 per year for around £26 per month. They cover ongoing ailments, our dog is still on steroids and they are more than happy to cover further treatment.

Just like any other insurance, shop around and don't always go for the cheapest.

[Egluntyne]

Last time we looked at chicken insurance they had to be insured as Exotics and it was an absolutely ludicrous figure....something like £350 per bird per year.

 

I suppose as hen keeping becomes more mainstream, the insurers will jump on the bandwagon.

 

My neighbour is thanking her lucky stars that her dog had insurance....he was hit by a car and broke his leg and pelvis, plus several cuts which needed stitching. An overnight stay and a few xrays and aftercare cost over £2K. He was beautifully looked after though.

[bronze]

I too am thankful that our dogs have been insured. I think we actually had our moneys worth last time and we havent had problems with ongoing conditions as long as the condition started after the insurance was taken out.

As for chickens I'm with Krysia. It would be DH and a broom handle here

[chelsea]

Sorry I can't help with either of your questions...

 

...But I just wanted to add that I think pet insurrance is one of the biggest cons of the 21st century!

 

Of course it's each to their own and many people will have had positive experiences.

 

But consider the amount of money you actually pay each month, when you might never need to claim on it!

 

Also if something bad does happen, it would usually be cheaper if you didn't pay the monthly fees and just paid a one off fee.

 

And for those of you thinking it offers "pece of mind" Did you know that you can only claim for something once?

 

So if any of your animals are unlucky enough to suffer for the same condition twice or it is an ongoing condition you will not be covered!

 

My suggestion would be to put some money away each week into your own bank account!!! It will gain interest and it will also act as a rainy day fund for any emergency - not just pet problems...

 

I have to disagree with you. We have payed £22 per month to Petplan since Nov 06, since March 07, when our young Springer took seriously ill and has been in and out of the vets and Vetinary hospital, they have paid out £4000 with no delay or complaint. We don't have £4000 spare for a rainy day and as the vet can bill the insurer direct we hardly ever had to wait for payment.

Our insurance is due for renewal this month and they are going to cover us for upto £6000 per year for around £26 per month. They cover ongoing ailments, our dog is still on steroids and they are more than happy to cover further treatment.

Just like any other insurance, shop around and don't always go for the cheapest.

 

I completely agree with you Rab. We are also with petplan. They arent cheap - but they are good.

My sister has learnt from experience of not having insurance of having her cocker spaniel break both front legs on seperate occasions twice in 1 year (costing her over £4k ) and if thats a cocker spaniel - how much would our GSD be?!

[puffball]

 

I was horrified by them woman who spend 10K on a chickens leg earlier in the year. Just get a grip. Put it out of it's misery and buy another if it's going to cost that much.

Most people don't need to use the vets and I would rather pay a 1 off £50 if needed than £147 a year.

 

I agree with you that it is extremely expensive for just a chicken but I still think that pets can't be replaced, they all have their personalties and it just wouldn't work for me to get a new one and kill the old one if it could be saved. A life is priceless is it not?

[Guest]

if she has 10k and wants to spend it on something she loves to help it get better then that's her choice, simple as.

 

**i think the vet that charged that should be villified not the lady who had to pay it**

[puffball]

Yes! Charge the vet!

[Richard]

Now, I am really going to upset loads of people.

 

I wouldn't spend £12 a year to insure my chickens, let alone £12 a month.

 

I can buy worming stuff, I can buy antibiotics, I can buy marigolds and free off blockages and stuff (not that it's nice -but I'm certainly not going to pay a vet) and, if it comes to it, I can dispatch a chicken quicker than a vet, with less stress to the chicken I reckon (I don't take her to a strange place to have injections and stuff and she will have no idea of what is coming).

 

I love my girls, talk to them and look after them - but I'm certainly not paying that sort of money for someone else to do exactly what I can do for myself.

 

I don't have a gardener, laundry person, cook or maid either.

 

Ah, well maybe I do - her indoors!

[ChookieCaz]

I suppose that I didn't question whether or not I needed insurance for the hens because they don't bite and I hope not too many end up having arguments with cars.

 

As for the costs for insuring a hen as quoted in this thread, I hope I haven't had to spend that much on vets bills! We did have one end up at the vet's due to an injury when a visitor picked her up and dropped her. Other times have been mainly Ginger, and more recently, Lizzie, due to problems in the "egg department"

 

The suggestion for a DIY insurance, saved in a bank account (perhaps an ISA?) is a good one.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Guest

[chocolatedog]

as an owner of German Shepherds. I would never not insure our dogs. For big breeds like this - if they had an accident/broke something/major operation it would be hugely expensive, therefore our £19 a month we pay is our peace of mind.

 

I wouldnt bother with chook insurance though!

 

The other reason dog insurance is a good idea is not so much if they injure themselves, but they may of course cause a nasty accident/injure someone - eg if they knock someone over, or run out in a road and cause a car crash etc......that's why I keep my dog covered just in case.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

The other reason dog insurance is a good idea is not so much if they injure themselves, but they may of course cause a nasty accident/injure someone - eg if they knock someone over, or run out in a road and cause a car crash etc......that's why I keep my dog covered just in case.

 

Absolutely agree - that's why I insure my dog too.

[Noodle]

Now, I am really going to upset loads of people.

 

I wouldn't spend £12 a year to insure my chickens, let alone £12 a month.

 

 

I have to say Richard that I totally agree with you. I love my chickens to bits but this is the real world and they are chickens.

 

A completely different story for a cat or dog though. Although I do think that people often think of themselves before they think of the welfare of their pet and often animals are put through a great deal before their owners will finally let them go.

[Egluntyne]

Now, I am really going to upset loads of people.

 

I wouldn't spend £12 a year to insure my chickens, let alone £12 a month.

 

 

I have to say Richard that I totally agree with you. I love my chickens to bits but this is the real world and they are chickens.

 

A completely different story for a cat or dog though. Although I do think that people often think of themselves before they think of the welfare of their pet and often animals are put through a great deal before their owners will finally let them go.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you both. Much as I love my girls. I would never let then suffer. Imposing £10k's worth of surgery on a hen, like the woman with the one legged chicken did is not acceptable in my book. It is the worst sort of attention seeking selfishness and cruelty.

 

Someone mentioned a broomhandle. My neighbour has volunteered, should I ever need his services, to do the deed, as he kept chickens for years and helped his grandad who was a farmer.

[Guest]

why should a pet chicken be any different to a pet cat or dog? If you love something then you love it, regardless.

 

I had a pet budgie who would go everywhere on my shoulder with me, talk to me, play football with me with a little plastic ball, flew to me as soon as he saw me- he was such a friend and I was heartbroken when he died, REALLY heartbroken. The vet did everything he could to save him but couldn't but I'll tell you what, if he could have saved him for 10k and I had that sort of money, I wouldn't have thought twice.

 

You can't put a price on love and that's all I have to say as I'm crying now, he died 10 years ago and it still hurts like hell, he's buried in the garden where the chicken run now is and I like to think they are keeping him company and I don't care if you think I'm mad.

[Olly]

I made a policy decision when I got my hens - if they are ill I'll seek help, and I'd give them antibiotics, but I wouldn't put them through surgery or a long course of treatment. They are not hardy creatures, and can die from stress, and although I'm fond of them, they are not 'house' pets like my cat. I would get the vet to do the deed, don't think I could do it myself, though.

 

I'm very relieved to hear from Noodle, Richard and Egluntine that I am not alone in this view! It doesn't mean I don't care about them, I certainly would not let them suffer - and in my view, that means being strong enough to make the decision that enough is enough.

 

Insurance is always a gamble - you have to assess the risk, and the possible cost. I don't insure my cat, and he's cost me hundreds of pounds, but that was my choice; I might have paid out for premiums and never had a claim. I like the sound of the vet's plan, moochoo - a lot of commercial pet policies don't cover ongoing illnesses or conditions and almost never cover vaccinations.

[Guest]

i just don't think we should condemn this woman who spent 10k, that's all- you're all entitled to your own opinion on what you'd do and that's fine but i don't think we should judge this woman or say her decisions are selfish or irresponsible. That's all.

 

It's fair enough to say what you'd do in that situation but I just don't think we should judge others on what they decide to do with their animals.

 

Chickens, cats, dogs budgies whatever, can all be somebodies much loved pet.

 

I've set up a savings a/c called 'chicken fund' and we are putting our £12 a month in there instead of giving it to pet plan, hopefully we won't have to use it.