Pet Insurance Cost Cutting System/MoneySavingExpert.com Discussion

bulchy

Definitely insure. I have 2 cats and 2 dogs, I pay just over £30 a month to insure all 4 through M&S. So far I have claimed thousands for one dog, and £55 for one cat. My cats were both ferrals, from rescue, I got them as kittens, and so far, touch wood, have been quite fit and strong, the claim was for an abcess one of them had, more than likely through fighting. but I do worry, with them being brothers, same age etc, anything that might go wrong will possibly happen to both of them IYSWIM.
Sue

JennyW_2

RainBow wrote: »

We have three cats ranging from one to two and half. Ive been meaning to put some money away since we got the first one as insurance seemed a bit of a con to me but just didn't get round to it. Then sunday our youngest dragged himself home after being hit by a car. He's had an op on his hip which has cost us a massive £700. Luckily the bank manager agreed to extend my overdraft. now if we insure all three any idea who is the least likely to rip me off? Not got much of a budget so we got rescue moggies but they want a bomb so far plus now the little one can't be insured for anything to do with his leg or hip. Should I stick to the idea of ferretting some money away? will I pinch it out when I broke?? got two children and not alot to play with and its about to get worse as i'm becoming a single mum soon. oh and why don't I ever hear of anyone winning the lottery??? LOL
Thanks

£700 is not that much in the scheme of things with animals I'm afraid. I have insurance for both my dogs. Jake had x-rays recently because he was limping. X-rays, consultations, mediction etc, resulted in a bill of around £800 - thank god for insurance.

If you budget £150 per month for a year, that's only 1800 to pay for any unforeseen accidents/treatment your 3 cats MAY have. I'd rather pay £20 (or whatever) to cover insurance each month.

I don't understand why people think insurance is a con? I've always had pet insurance and I've always been paid out when I've claimed. Doesn't seem like a con to me I pay £14 per month for Jake - that's only £168 a year - far less than the £800 the insurance has covered! Oh, and his premium only increased by about £1.00 even though we claimed.

Badger_Lady

It's always a gamble, whatever you choose - you might take out insurance but never have another problem with the cats, or you might not take out insurance and one of them develops diabetes.

There's no right answer - after all, the insurance companies will weigh up the risks and charge a premium that they believe will make them a profit overall.

But if you're worried about "sudden" financial implications, and want to keep peace of mind, then insure.

Personally, I stick to self-insuring - my savings can't be touched by any nasty insurance company :-)

Petal_3

I would def. get insurance. I had an uninsured moggie that was diagnosed with diabetes. Huge vet bills were incurred whilst trying to stablilise him and he went on for 6 years with insulin, syringes, regular vet checks, glucose curves blah blah. It cost me an absolute fortune!

~x~

Tigger36

This is the cheapest I found and has a really good policy. Only £3.97 per month for my little Jed.

http://www.healthy-pets.co.uk/

fleur

I will be collecting my new puppy on Saturday from the RSPCA and I've been searching the internet for insurance. I've done the comparison site and I'm still confused. Some have age limits, some only cover for 12 months, has anybody any suggestions, who to avoid etc.

boots_babe

M&S insurance have no limits per condition, and also have an option to choose no excess - this option only costs a few pence extra per month which I think is well worth it, as I've already claimed for a couple of £50 treatments which otherwise would have been gobbled up by an excess.

I've had no problems claiming from them so would definitely recommend - v cheap policies too when I've compared elsewhere.

foreign_correspondent

the rspca do their own brand of insurance - have you checked if you get a discount or anything when you rehome one of their dogs?

tankgirl1

the most important thing to look for is lifetime cover - meaning that if your pet develops a chronic illness such as diabetes, the insurance company will continue to pay out so long as you renew your policy with them.

of course there is usually a limit to the amount per condition per year (usually £4'000 upwards or so, but in my experience as a vet nurse its rare for a years costs to exceed that), and an excess to be paid (usually in the region of £50 per condition per year)

be very wary of cheap policies- they will usually only pay out for the first year, and then when you renew, that condition will be excluded. because it is then a pre existing condition, it will be excluded on any subsequent policies you take out with other companies.

i have just insured my pooch with more than- lifetime cover for £9 odd per month, and £20 cashback via quidco. not too sure on the excess - think its about £50

dont forget that its very difficult to get a decent policy for pets over 8years old (younger in some giant breeds), so it really is best to be insured from the word go.

when doing my pet insurance advisor training, i was taught that you are 3 times more likely to claim on your pet insurance, than on any other type (house, car etc) - so for those folks reading who's pets aren't insured - get some quotes!

tankgirl1

just to add that a chronic illness isn't always as dramatic as diabetes - my old pooch suffered from mild skin problems and arthritis. the initial consult and treatment for each condition cost £40 or so, but having insurance meant i was able to get them investigated more fully, and therefore treated better, for a minimal extra cost. if she hadnt been insured i wouldnt have been able to afford to get them investigated further (yes vets and vet nurses [in most cases] still have to pay for treatment )