Sitting here in shock!!

Dollardog

sazzybum wrote: »

Oh DD- That's horrendous!

I don't agree in the main with the poster who said 'pet owners are asking for unnecessary xrays' etc.. I think it is the VETS who find out about insurance and start a whole rake of scans etc as they know the insurance will cover it.

We're insured for our two and our year old staffie was 23 pounds a month with PetPlan last year. No claims at all and it's went up to 28 a month and excess went from 75 to 125? Not a great amount but jings! What if we'd had a claim??

What a horrible position to be in DD. Although, knowing you- you'll go without to make sure your dog gets the best!

Yes Sazzy, I really can't afford it and was sick with worry when I first got the news, especially as I hadn't received the renewal. I just phoned up to move the DD payment day only to be told that they had cancelled it because the first payment hadn't been made and it had only been due the day before:eek:. The money wasn't in the bank because I wasn't expecting the payment to have to be made for another few days and although I expected his premium to go up, because of his age and ongoing claims, I didn't expect it to go up by that much. The person I spoke to said that to get it re-instated, I would need to pay it that day and I ended up borrowing it as I can't let it run out due to the ongoing claims. Then after I had paid it, I asked the person what would have happend if I hadn't rang up to change the payment date, she said I would have got a lapsed letter and as long as I had paid within 14 days, it would still have been reinstated. I was so stressed out all that day, even though it had been sorted, worrying about where the money will come from etc. I am going to write and complain though. I didn't need the added stress of thinking that it wouldn't be renewed if I didn't pay there and then and the first person was so offhand when they said it had been cancelled.

You are right though, it will get paid somehow, haven't a clue how at the moment, there's nothing really I can cut back on or go without but I am over a barrel, he is on long term medication. Its not an option now to cancel it and save the money towards bills and to be honest, I think I would be frightened to do that, I need to know that he is covered. My dog means the world to me and I can't put his life at risk because I can't afford treatment for him, whatever it takes, I will have to find the money from somewhere.

Why has your excess gone up from £75 to £125 for such a young dog? My dog's has gone up to that or plus 15% of each treatment, whichever is greatest, for any new claims, but why so much for such a young dog? Is it because of his breed? I thought Petplan was supposed to be one of the better ones for not raising costs. My dog's insurance seemed to go up by about £10 a month each year until this year. Its a minefield knowing which one to go for and the trouble is once there is an existing condition, they have you because you can't always go anywhere else.

sazzybum

Yes DD, I believe it's because of his breed, although they didn't explain it very well.

I totally understand what you mean about it being an essential bill though-especially if he's on long term medication

We've given up on a few things to pay the insurance, and other dog related things, but they're worth it. But that is such a jump for you! They've got us over a flipping barrel haven't they.:mad:

Bromley86

Annual premium: £1,566
Excess: 15%
Break even point: 1566/0.85 = £1,842

So are you claiming £1,842 p.a. for those two ongoing conditions? If not, you might consider ditching this insurance and signing up with someone that takes older dogs (i.e. Axa). Not sure what breed you have, but a 10.5 yr old GSD test quote threw out £503 p.a, which would leave you with a decent chunk to cover the existing conditions.

Course, it all depends on the actual price for your animal and the likelihood of the condition worsening in the future and requiring expensive treatment.

sazzybum wrote: »

I don't agree in the main with the poster who said 'pet owners are asking for unnecessary xrays' etc.. I think it is the VETS who find out about insurance and start a whole rake of scans etc as they know the insurance will cover it.

The primary responsibility lays with the owners though. Of course vets are going to be far more likely to undertake treatments when they know they'll get paid; that's going to be the case whether the payment comes from an insurance company or an uninsured wealthy owner.

The fact that owners know they're covered makes them far less critical of the massive amount of money that's spent on the animal. In my case, I'd have coughed up for one hip replacement, but if I'd been uninsured I'd have been likely to have managed without the second hip replacement.

Dollardog

Thanks Bromley86, how I wish I could just cancel the insurance and put the difference to one side. Not really possible though.
The 15% would only come into force should he have another new claim and then I would have to pay an excess of £125 unless the treatment went over £850, then the 15% would set in.
Like you said though, even without another new claim, it is still over £1500pa. His existing conditions will still be honoured, so will still be paid for any treatment for them.
I looked at Axa, who actually underwrite Sainsbury's, and they wanted just under £600 pa or just under £50 per month.
The problem now is, if I change insurers, the existing conditions will not be covered. I have paid the excess on the old insurance for those conditions, so would have no more to pay on those.
If I went with the Axa quote at £50 per month I would have to pay for that existing treatment. It would save me £80 per month.
His heart tablets are £138 for 100 which lasts him 50 days, so they would be roughly around £60 per month.
He has just gone onto thyroid tablets, I haven't a clue how much they are as I haven't seen a bill for them yet but he is still at the stage of having blood tests to get the dosage right, another one due in a few weeks, I don't know how much they are either but the thyroid one gets sent to a lab, another blood test he had recently was tested in house and that was nearly £100. Plus there would be future consultations costs.
If I put the £80 saving on his insurance, if I took out the Axa, to one side, it would not cover any ongoing treatment.
I am just so glad that we found out about the thyroid problem when we did so at least that is covered under the existing ones.

I could not afford to risk not being able to pay any future bills. Up until the last year or so, they were having my money and I was not having to claim, so I have probably already paid them what they will likely have to shell out for his treatment in the future.

It was just such a shock to learn it had gone up so much and I had to pay it straight away with no notice.

rising_from_the_ashes

Dollardog wrote: »

His heart tablets are £138 for 100 which lasts him 50 days, so they would be roughly around £60 per month.

Just a thought Dollar - have you priced his meds online?

I self-insured Ben once he got really old (and past what I would deem fair to put through surgery) - his meds from the vets were £68 / bottle but I could buy it for as little as £17 online. Even with the cost of the prescription (which I have no issue with paying), it was a huge saving.

Dollardog

No I haven't Rising, I know he could cut down the cost of his heart tablets by having different ones, he has chewable ones which I know are more expensive but he's only on one sort at the moment, his heart is doing fine, in fact his heart rate has gone up since being on the thyroid tablets due to his metabolism speeding up, but in the future, if fluid started building up, the vet said that there are another two tablets that he might need, hopefully not, but he might. I am probably going to switch from the chewable ones anyway though because now he has the thyroid ones, I have to get chicken roll again for him to take those in, so he might as well have his heart tablets like that, especially as he now doesn't always take them like he used to and I have to put them in the chicken roll anyway.
I would just be scared that I didn't have enough for his treatment if he wasn't insured, I suppose its the not knowing what future costs might be.

Cathwood has just posted on the Bakers thread about her dog getting bloat and the cost, I wouldn't want to have to think if I could afford to take him to the vets, I need to know can.

Dollardog

I'm still in shock at having the prospect of having to find the monthly payments but was talking today to a friend. Her dog is very very poorly, in fact she thinks she's going to have to say goodbye tomorrow, anyway, this last 2-3 years, she has claimed literally thousands of pounds from her dogs insurance. Much much more than I have had to claim.
Her dog is 13 now, insured with Petplan and even though it is older than mine and has had lots more claims, she still only has to pay around £600 a year for her insurance - big difference to £130 a month!! She does have to pay the first 20% of any treatment now, but even so, it is a lot cheaer than my dog's premium.
I just thought I would share that in case it helps anyone looking for insurance.
I know it has been said on here before that Petplan starts off expensive but doesn't put the premiums up by so much and it seems to be correct.