Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

Red_Elle

I hope it goes well for you. I did wonder if he was a Yorkie, as I have heard of them living to a ripe old age. Since I lost my dog, my circumstances changed and me and DH work FT now and it wasn't fair to get a dog, so we got a cat...and another....and now have 4!

I was wracked with guilt about putting my dog to sleep and had all the crazy ideas about the wheelchair type things that can be fitted to the back legs of a dog if they go. Still not sure if I did the right thing, but that's why pets have owners isn't it - to make such decisions, as to what is best for them.

I have heard there are plenty of drugs that other countries use, but aren't on the UK market. One lovely vet we saw, who was standing in for our vet, told me to give my cat bonjela when she was teething. She said I could prescribe something much more expensive, but I use bonjela and it is authorised for animal use where I am from.

Bossyboots

Red_Elle wrote:

I was wracked with guilt about putting my dog to sleep

Me too and every extra day we have with our remaining dog makes me question that decision again. I wonder if we could or should have done more for him although our vet was insistent it was the right thing to do. Although I would prefer not to, I have to try to recall our last day together to remind myself that it was the best thing for him but I do still have my moments when I have my doubts.

Red_Elle

My vet too was insistent that it was the right thing. The horrible part was that because it was not a road accident or something, we did not have to make a decision on the spot (not that that would be any easier to get over, but it makes it easier to know you have done the right thing). I had to think about what to do, call up the vet, make an appointment for him to come to the house to put my baby to sleep, sleep on it, knowing he was coming the next day.

I often recall the last day too and I took photos on the day as well, morbid as that sounds. I remember it clearly. I cooked him a steak (my dog, not the vet ), sat him on my knee and he ate it whilst the needle went in. The thing that upsets me to this day is that he weed all over the carpet and had never weed in the house before, so it makes me think he knew what was happening. I made a point of not crying until he was gone and I put him in the black bag (environmental health reasons :rolleyes: ) and carried him and put him in the boot of the vets car. It felt very undignified, but I wanted to do it myself and I know that once someone is gone, they are gone.

I think you can beat yourself up about things, but I loved him more than life itself and still cry about him (it was about 3 yrs ago). Sometimes if you love someone you have to let them go before they get scared/hurt more/get confused. You always know the right time to let them go.

Bossyboots

Thank you for sharing that. As yet, I cannot bear to recall in detail the last day but by 5.00 p.m. I knew we were going to have to let him go. Because it was a Monday, we could not get an appointment with the vet who had looked after him so well for months but when my husband explained, they agreed to slip us into his list. We had to wait a while and another vet offered to see us but she had misdiagnosed him some time before and I just didn't like her and did not want her to be the one we saw.

The vet took great care of our little one, it was very dignified and they took care of the arrangements for him. They were brilliant afterwards as well.

peterg1965

I have 4 cats with Pet Plan, for some reason I pay a different amount for each!! (all around the 7-9 pounds a month mark. In the few times we have claimed they have been fine. They are not the cheapest, I had aother quotes from EandL that came in 7 pounds a month cheaper (including a dog insured with Sainsbury's). However, I have decided to stay with PetPLan.

Does anyone know? Once the oldest cat gets to 8 will they keep on insuring her or do they just not allow you to renew??

Bossyboots

peterg1965 wrote:

I have 4 cats with Pet Plan, for some reason I pay a different amount for each!! (all around the 7-9 pounds a month mark. In the few times we have claimed they have been fine. They are not the cheapest, I had aother quotes from EandL that came in 7 pounds a month cheaper (including a dog insured with Sainsbury's). However, I have decided to stay with PetPLan.

Does anyone know? Once the oldest cat gets to 8 will they keep on insuring her or do they just not allow you to renew??

You will be able to renew. It is new policies they will not start after the age of 8.

As I put above, my dog is 18 and he has been insured with Petplan since birth.

JENJEN30X

Our cat is with petplan and our Lurcher is with Marks and spencers, as they insure for life and they pay up to £7,000 for a dog where I think Pet plan only go up to £4,000 unless you pay alot more. The dog insurance is cheaper than the cat as well. But we can't change the cat over as he has an on going condition unfortunately.
Cheers Jenjen

clark1982

:j Currenly with Petplan for my 9 months old BullMastiff.
Petplan £25.50 per month, M&S just over £10 per month. No exisiting health problems, although 1 visit to the vet for a upset stomach. Have I got anything to loose by changing? M&S seems to cover for life, rather than condition, am I right ?


Ta

Red_Elle

clark1982 wrote:

:j Currenly with Petplan for my 9 months old BullMastiff.
Petplan £25.50 per month, M&S just over £10 per month. No exisiting health problems, although 1 visit to the vet for a upset stomach. Have I got anything to loose by changing? M&S seems to cover for life, rather than condition, am I right ?


Ta

Yes, I think you're right. I would stitch, as I think M&S is the best for cover and the cheapest. However, with regards to the stomach problem, please be aware that anything slightly related to that will not be covered. I made a claim with Pinnacle for severe diarrheoa with one of my cats. Because she had had slight diarrheoa when she was teething they would not pay out. Even though diarrheoa is a symptom not an illness and is prevalent in a lot of illnesses, they would not pay out and I fought like crazy. The severe diarrheoa was a symptom of a food intolerance and so completely different. My vet fought with me, saying that they were entirely separate, but they would not back down. Just want you to be aware. It might be an idea to phone up M&S and ask what will not be covered. If you take out the insurance then generally anything related to upset stomach will not be covered for the first year. When you go to renew they will reassess it and ask you vet if the problem has cleared up. If it has they will usually agree to cover stomach problems from then on (this is what they told me when I took out my cover)

clark1982

:j If I cancel petplan,will they charge any fee for cancelling? i currently pay them monthly via dd, and its not been 12 months since i had the policy?

ta