Why you should insure your pet...

MrsE_2

MrsTine wrote: »

Anyone still wondering if they should insure their dog? (Oh and btw yes that will be fully covered under her policy Glad I pay out for the top policy now!)

I keep meaning to get around to doing it........

My vets have an agreement with PetPlan that they just do whatever needs doing & they sort it out with PetPlan.
But if you go with any other, you have to pay upfront & get the refund yourself.

Is this the usual way they work?

HC_2

Liney wrote: »

Hello, I have 3 dogs and a cat, my insurance premiums just kept going up and up and for all 3 was totaling £190 per month - I did have my money's worth in the early days when premiums were lower and the dogs needed treatment but after the huge premium hikes I decided to stop my insurance and now put that money into a separate account - I am about to take one for a specialist eye appointment that alone will cost £200 for one consultation plus what ever the cost of surgery will be if that is what is required £000's? - but I still reckon over the years I will be quids in - my premiums escalated massively on an annual basis and I still get a quote for all 3 every 12 months and then just increase my savings inline with what I would pay an insurer. £200 to fork out each month is astronomical by anyones standards.
I don't advocate this for everyone and insurance is worth it for one or two dogs/cats but it all adds up when you have even more.
Just my thoughts...

I 'self-insure' too. I have 6 dogs and 2 cats, and the total premiums would be through the roof!

Joyful

MrsE wrote: »

I keep meaning to get around to doing it........

My vets have an agreement with PetPlan that they just do whatever needs doing & they sort it out with PetPlan.
But if you go with any other, you have to pay upfront & get the refund yourself.

Is this the usual way they work?

I am having to pay out first then put in my claims signed by the Vets.

jackomdj

I took out pet insurance when my dog was about 7, 3 months after I took it out he had a stroke & has been on tablets ever since. He is now on arthritus tablets too & has had a few lumps cut out. We get more than our premiums worth every year!

We have to pay upfront then claim

forgot to say we are with pet plan

MrsTinks

Both with Direct Line for the cats and RSPCA (which is underwritten by Axa) you pay upfront and claim it back - have to say with both of them there have been no quibbles and cheques have arrived very quickly!

Soubrette

I self insure too - my dog is 8 and came with an existing heart murmer (grade 3). One of the cheaper quotes was for £350 a year - a £50 excess plus 35% of any claim. Despite coming from the rescue with the claim that he had had his teeth done we had to have 5 removed at a cost of about £210 - I would only be able to claim back £77 of that so long as the insurer agreed the removals were not cosmetic.

Insurance inevitably means that most people will lose out on their insurance premiums to pay for those who gain - the insurance company needs to pay for claim, admin costs plus profit.

Of course I do have an insurance pot - if I did not have this cushion then I would insure him, despite being statistically more likely to lose money on the deal.

Sou

Edited to add - the correct figure I would be able to claim back would be about £110 - shouldn't be playing with dog and posting

Soubrette

I meant to add but said dog wanted his tea:o

The one thing that does attract me to insurance is the liability part of it. One of my friends was injured by a dog off lead (over exuberance not viciousness) and the postman has left the back gate open leading to a few seconds of freedom.

Both incidents made me wonder if personal liability might be worth it - I can pay a few thousand of vets bills but I can't cover anything major like a car accident that my dog has caused.

Sou

MrsTinks

Good point Soubrette... I kind of look at that as a side effect of the insurance - but maybe I should pay more attention to it? Hmmmm It's a very valid point especially in this day and age where the american tendency to sue for everything is becoming more and more common... sadly...

kimoffife

for the many non-insurers...( I know peeps who don't insure older dogs as they would not inflict major ops / procedures on the dog so insurance is not necessary)
I was told recently that you can get a third party liability cover policy for a flat rate of £21 per year...very good value for peace of mind these days...think it was a broker called VIP.

Soubrette

kimoffife wrote: »

for the many non-insurers...( I know peeps who don't insure older dogs as they would not inflict major ops / procedures on the dog so insurance is not necessary)
I was told recently that you can get a third party liability cover policy for a flat rate of £21 per year...very good value for peace of mind these days...think it was a broker called VIP.

Well I've emailed someone called VIP - pet insurance specialists - so we'll see what they say as this sounds perfect for me

It is a sad fact of life Mrs Tine On the other hand my poor friend suffered a leg broken in four different places and it seems only right and equitable that the owner should cover loss of earnings etc. My dog is a lovely old boy and when offered the chance for freedom he did only sniff a few doors down - but he is a greyhound and so could easily have bolted over the road after a cat :eek: . I hope your dog does well after any ops etc

Sou