Advice on dog costs at vets and insurance

nicki_2

I'm just looking for opinions please as I'm a first time dog owner and want to make sure I'm covering things properly.

I have a 4 year old border collie who I've had for about 18 months. Up until now I've been self insuring (aka I have a credit card and prayed he didn't need anything major doing) and sticking all the vets costs on this one card. He's only been to the vets 3 times costing me a grand total of £150 as he seems to be a very healthy dog and just had a couple of water infections when he first came to us which I assume is due to the change in water. Since we started giving him filtered water and a bit of cider vinegar in his food he's not had any problems.

I currently pay £15 a month for a pet plan, which covers annual vaccinations, year round flea/worm treatment, 2 visits a year for a health check up, 6 monthly nail clipping, anal gland expressing, then 10% off scale and polish/dental extractions/consultations/long term medications (after 3rd month of treatment)/food and accessories bought at the practice. Now he needs to be neutered and start his vaccinations again because his previous owner didn't do it and I've only just got enough money to cover it all (got to love surprise costs which eat up all your savings pot!:mad:). He hasn't been flea/worm treated either but we been very careful about where we take him and what we've allowed him to get up to plus I don't want to be giving him too many chemicals. I have nail clippers and do those myself every month as I'm trying to get the inner bit to recede (it was weekly at first). I'm starting to think that maybe instead of paying this money to a company, I should instead set up a savings account where I direct deposit the £15 a month instead to cover costs. If I continue to treat him the way we have then 2 months money will cover the cost of a consultation, and the annual jabs can't be more than £150 (I am aware of the vet for pets £99 for life thing, but I'd rather stick with my local vet who's been in business for 40 years and I trust) so I should still have money available in case he's ill.

However I know I NEED to get him insured. But I have no idea what would be the right thing for us. We live in Liverpool on a busy road so accident cover is essential (although he's not made a break for it out the front door yet, he sometimes gets spooked while out walking when buses or skip lorries go past or shop shutters go up) and I take him to the park where he is allowed off his lead as long as there's no other dogs around (he stays on it if there are). But he has a dislike towards various people so I want to be covered just in case he does bite*. Then the different types of policy beyond that confuses me, and I'm basing this on pet plan policy leaflet I have. I have no idea if just the "essential" one would suffice or the classic, or whether I should go for "ultimate". He's generally healthy, so I was thinking essential, but if something major was to go wrong, there is no way I could afford to pay the vets bill if it was over £3000.

I'm at a loss and I don't know what to do for the best. I'd really appreciate your opinions please.


*He's soft as anything usually, but he barks a lot particularly at men/teenage lads and has lunged at a few people (I have a male friend who came round and because he gave me a hug my dog became more aggressive towards him) but I've always stepped in and stopped him giving him a good telling off and sending to another room. He has made big improvements in this area as he use to bark at everyone, now its just initial "someone's at the door" barking and he'll happily lay on his bed in the kitchen if there is someone in the house visiting, although I still put him outside if its the meter reader or someone who needs access to the kitchen.

Feral_Moon

You don't need to re-start his vaccinations at all. Core vaccines last for at east three years. In fact he may well not need another booster again if he had his puppy vaccinations and first annual booster.

You can get a blood (titre) test to check he gas sufficient antibodies against Parvo, distemper and hepatitis. Ask your vet about vaccicheck blood tests.

Rev

Since you're in Liverpool there is a pet shop called the dogs diner just over he water that does vaccichecks. This will tell you if he needs a booster. Over vaccinating can cause issues which seems daft when you can check if they're needed so easily.

I've heard pet plan are good for not putting up the premium year on year. I don't use them (I wish I had!) but I'm sure those that do will be along to give you some advice.

It my seem expensive now but all other bump the prices up year on year until it becomes so much and you can't afford it (usually just when you need it!).

Just be sure to get a life time policy. One which doesn't excuse conditions after a year but covers them for the life of the policy.

Also if he ever gets a water infection again it won't be covered as its a pre existing condition.

jrtfan

Have you had a look through this thread?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3228590

If you become a member of the Dogs Trust (£25/£12.50 for a year, depending on your age) you get automatic third party liability cover of up to £1,000,000 per claim if your dog causes damage or injury to a person, their property or pets (an excess applies). It won't cover health matters etc but might give you a bit of breathing space to decide on the level of vet insurance cover to take out, and meanwhile you'd be covered if your dog was to bite somebody.

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-involved/membership/

sheramber

Be aware of what cover the dog's Trust policy gives



Membership provides third party public liability insurance of up to £1,000,000 per incident if your dog causes damage or injury to another person, their property, or pets.

The insurance includes your legal defence costs in such situations, where (a) a damages claim is brought in a civil court and (b) your legal defence costs where a prosecution is brought in a criminal court under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (or equivalent).

Fines, compensation and penalties connected with or resulting from a criminal court prosecution are excluded.


So if your dog bit somebody and you were charged under DDA of having a dog out of control in a public place your legal defence costs would be covered but not any fines etc.

gettingready

"I currently pay £15 a month for a pet plan, which covers annual vaccinations, year round flea/worm treatment, 2 visits a year for a health check up, 6 monthly nail clipping, anal gland expressing, then 10% off scale and polish/dental extractions/consultations/long term medications (after 3rd month of treatment)/food and accessories bought at the practice. "

It is at the vets, right?

I would start by canceling that - that is a proper rip off for what it offers. All listed will never cost you £180 per year and this is what you are paying now.

Flea and worm treatments you can get online, from a reputable pet pharmacy like:

https://www.animed.co.uk
https://www.vetuk.co.uk

Good insurance will cover the rest and much more for not much more money. And good insurance will have accident cover built into it so do not look at several separate things, just look for one insurer that offers for life policy with at least 7k per year and get some quotes.

Please keep in mind that whatever the dog seen a vet for before may cause some exclusions on your policy.

KxMx

It's wrong to label the vet pet schemes as a rip off because that's not always the case.

I've a cat and I did my sums & research - including my Vets prescription policy and past costs of flea/worm/vacs before taking out the Healthy Pet Club at £10.99 per month.

On vaccinations, flea & worming alone I will be saving £80 approx a year.

She also needed a new microchip recently which was free under the plan.

Its also much better for me budgeting wise, £11 per month opposed to two lump sums annually.

It's worth all pet owners weighing up these schemes, for some it will be worthwhile and for others it won't.

As OP is hesitant over using chemicals I would agree it's not worthwhile for her. But neither are they a scam for all.

jackomdj

The whole point of the insurance is to cover for the unknown.

We had our old dog uninsured until he was 8, at which point we decided to get him insured (it was back in the days when insurance wasn't as common as now).

About three months after, our previously healthy dog had a stroke and needed medication for the rest of his life. The price we got backfire that alone every year for five years was more than the insurance cost, he also had several operations for lumps etc and ended up needing arthritis tablets too.

missbiggles1

KxMx wrote: »

It's wrong to label the vet pet schemes as a rip off because that's not always the case.

I've a cat and I did my sums & research - including my Vets prescription policy and past costs of flea/worm/vacs before taking out the Healthy Pet Club at £10.99 per month.

On vaccinations, flea & worming alone I will be saving £80 approx a year.

She also needed a new microchip recently which was free under the plan.

Its also much better for me budgeting wise, £11 per month opposed to two lump sums annually.

It's worth all pet owners weighing up these schemes, for some it will be worthwhile and for others it won't.

As OP is hesitant over using chemicals I would agree it's not worthwhile for her. But neither are they a scam for all.

What's the other lump sum for?

Feral_Moon

KxMx wrote: »

It's wrong to label the vet pet schemes as a rip off because that's not always the case.

I've a cat and I did my sums & research - including my Vets prescription policy and past costs of flea/worm/vacs before taking out the Healthy Pet Club at £10.99 per month.

On vaccinations, flea & worming alone I will be saving £80 approx a year.

She also needed a new microchip recently which was free under the plan.

Its also much better for me budgeting wise, £11 per month opposed to two lump sums annually.

It's worth all pet owners weighing up these schemes, for some it will be worthwhile and for others it won't.

As OP is hesitant over using chemicals I would agree it's not worthwhile for her. But neither are they a scam for all.

If you're currently spending £132 a year and are saving £80 a year that means you were previously sounding £212 a year on one cat?!

What on earth were you spending that sort of money on?

Cat wormers are £1.03 each (Prazitel Plus for cats) so £4.12 per year.

Advantage flea treatment (4 pipettes) £9.41

Vaccination costs approx £40 depending where you live.

Microchip £10 but lots of free schemes around.

So that's an annual cost of approx £65 a year.

UKTigerlily

Feral_Moon wrote: »

If you're currently spending £132 a year and are saving £80 a year that means you were previously sounding £212 a year on one cat?!

What on earth were you spending that sort of money on?

Cat wormers are £1.03 each (Prazitel Plus for cats) so £4.12 per year.

Advantage flea treatment (4 pipettes) £9.41

Vaccination costs approx £40 depending where you live.

Microchip £10 but lots of free schemes around.

So that's an annual cost of approx £65 a year.

S/he did say it was worth it for those things alone, so it sounds like it covers more? The one my Vet does covers so many things & saved me quite a lot; I saved £60 the other night taking my cat for an OOH consultation that would be £120 usually, not to mention her half price blood test 3 days before that & half price regular consultation. I do think it depends what they offer though & whether you're likely to use it all or not x