Do I need pet insurance if I am also eligible for the PDSA?

Lightspeeders

Hi,

I find myself in the strange position of being eligible for the PDSA but also able to afford pet insurance for my baby pet rabbits.
(However I am not so confident that I will be able to afford the £65 excess or the excess plus 20% of the claim after their 7th birthday that it increases to without a savings account for them by then (Which I am actually planning on doing in case though)

So my question is do I even need pet insurance as I cannot see my circumstances changing any time soon and will be eligible for the PDSA for the foreseeable future.

Are there any things the PDSA don't do? (I know they don't do preventative treatment for free like flea / worming / neutering but then neither does insurance so that's the same), Do you think it might be worth going to the PDSA for things they can do so I don't have to claim on the insurance unless I have to because of the excesses? (Assuming you all think I should still have pet insurance). Do you think pets get better care at a private vets? (That alone would be enough to claim and pay the excess as my pets come first)

Those are some questions that come to mind.

Thank you.

Darren

Longwalker

The PDSA is a charity, there for those that can not afford insurance , who's pets will be suffering if not treated

You do not get run of the mill treatments FOC from the PDSA, its there for emergencies 

Lightspeeders

Indeed I know that (Also the insurance doesn't do run of the mill treatments - i had to get a health plan for that) - but I am on benefits but the rabbit insurance isn't that much so I was thinking of getting it to hopefully give them the best possible care I can if an illness or injury ever happened in the future.

The fact I am on benefits but still able to afford insurance but might struggle to pay the excesses still leaves me with a question mark of what to do over this.

I guess my real question is - am I just wasting my money by getting the insurance when I am well within the eligibility criteria for the PDSA because of a low income.

Longwalker

Lightspeeders said:

Indeed I know that (Also the insurance doesn't do run of the mill treatments - i had to get a health plan for that) - but I am on benefits but the rabbit insurance isn't that much so I was thinking of getting it to hopefully give them the best possible care I can if an illness or injury ever happened in the future.

The fact I am on benefits but still able to afford insurance but might struggle to pay the excesses still leaves me with a question mark of what to do over this.

I guess my real question is - am I just wasting my money by getting the insurance when I am well within the eligibility criteria for the PDSA because of a low income.

And my question is, can you live with yourself if an animal has to go without because you who can pay, dont think you can?

You have rabbits. apart from their needed jabs, they really are not going to cost a fortune in vet bills. You dont even need insurance if you know they are going to be well looked after - diet and exercise wise

We had a rescue wild rabbit a few years back and apart from the milk ( it was still tiny ) and its jabs, didnt cost us a penny. Sure she was wild and left us when the call got too strong, but at least we gave her a great start with all her inoculations that wild rabbits dont normally get 

Lightspeeders

"If an animal has to go without" - Why would an animal go without if the PDSA does the same as a private vet but for a contribution instead? Does that imply they would get better care at a private vet?

And I am hoping that I do never need the insurance or the pdsa for them but in case that comes up (and is always a risk in rabbits) I want them to be able to get the best treatment I can at the time.

Which brings me back to my original question - if I was to not use the private vet for an illness or injury would they get lesser care somehow?

Thank you for helping also - and I was happy to read about the wild rabbit - it is really nice to hear when someone helps an animal

elsien

I don’t know much about the PDSA, and if you’re eligible for them then if you want to use them then that’s completely your choice. No judgement from me on that score. 

I wouldn’t worry about the increased excess for the insurance as they get older - if your circumstances are still the same then you could cancel any insurance and go to the PDSA instead at that point. 

But if you can’t  afford any excess now then I’m not sure whether having insurance is going to be of much use to you anyway,  if you’d be putting off seeing the vet because of that. 

It’s always a question of what would you put them through. If you’re not going to put them through any specialist treatment then some of it is academic anyway. But if you’re still looking at the insurance route then you need to check the exclusions, whether it’s for life cover etc. 

unforeseen

You are aware that PDSA will only cover one pet?  Care for the others will have to be paid for

marcia_

 PDSA also don't cover expensive treatment. My friends cat has cancer and got diagnosed by PDSA and she had to use insurance for the rest of the treatment as PDSA wouldn't treat it and offered to pts. 

Silvertabby

Have you factored in the cost of teeth trimming when they need it?  I don't think that will be routinely covered by either insurance or the PDSA.

KxMx

It sounds like you can afford the insurance but not the excess- so is insurance really affordable for you? 

With insurance though you won't have to wait for a PDSA appointment, they don't have unlimited resources and even though you qualify that is something to consider.

The care available from the PDSA is also likely to be less comprehensive than that available from a private vet. 

I think what @Longwalker may mean is if you can afford the insurance but use PDSA, another pet (whose owner may not be able to afford insurance) will miss out as that appointment and those resources will be used for your bunny. 

sheramber

unforeseen said:

You are aware that PDSA will only cover one pet?  Care for the others will have to be paid for

they cover 2 small  furries or rabbits.