Pet insurance renewal questions

Richmmm

We have two dogs,  2y and 6y Cockerpoos. No pre-existing conditions.

Current insurance is with Many pets and the premium is due to increase to £38/month for both.

I have done a check on compare the market and got lots of prices.

Many of the policies have an excess like £100 + 20% of the claim.......this is new to me, what do people think about it? I would prefer a straight excess.

I was thinking of starting a savings account for the younger dog and just insuring the older dog. Assuming the yonger dog is fine for a few years, would I have trouble getting insurance for her in later life?

Is it possible to get insurance that has a big excess - say £500 then cover the amount above?

What policy value limits would be good?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or answers - pet insurance is a real minefield!

Rich

sheramber

Tesco ( not a recommendation ) let you choose your excess up to £500  I am not aware of others but there could be.

if your dog has no pre existing conditions then you should not have trouble getting insurance.  A pre existing condition is anything which you consulted your vet about, whether treatment was given or not.  Also, anything which could be linked to such a condition.

Remember, if you self ensure, you may get a sudden large bill one or two months after you start saving. As you are unlikely to have saved enough would you have access to extra money?

The value of the policy should be as much as you are comfortable with but vet fees do not come cheap and £4k-5k is not a lot of cover.

elsien

I have only seen the excess plus a percentage of the claim for older dogs usually when they get to 10,  not as a standard thing for all claims.
Personally I wouldn't go any less than 7K cover, more if it was a breed known for expensive issues such as cruciate surgery unless I had savings to cover any gaps if necessary. 
I paid nearly a grand for an overnight hospital stay for my dog with a drip and tests, no further treatment. It can mount up very quickly in emergencies. 

sheramber

It is few years since I into  pet insurance but at that time both tesco and Morethan had a fixed excess that did not increase with age.