Dog Insurance

[happyclappy]

Advice please.

Getting a new puppy on Sunday.

Should I Insure? what type ?(thinking Lifetime) Any company to consider or avoid?

Thank you
So excited, I can hardly wait any longer (chose at 4 weeks)

 

[AmyMay]

You should absolutely insure, unless you have immediate access to several thousand pounds.

I'm with Kennel Club and have lifetime cover. I think that Pet Plan has a good reputation as well.

 

[MurphysMinder]

If your new puppy is pedigree it should come with a months free insurance included so that will gives you some time to look around at policies. I have 2 with Petplan and one who is no longer insure as her premium was hiked up so much when she reached 8 years, despite never having had a claim. I would advise you steer clear of Animal friends and anyone linked with them as they have a very poor reputation for settling claims

 

[{97702}]

None of mine are insured as it is prohibitively expensive for 4 dogs, but if I only had one dog I would probably insure - I’ve got my horse with Petplan so would recommend them

 

[blackcob]

I process a lot of pet insurance claims - unless you have immediate access to several thousand pounds, and can guarantee that access is not going to change in the dog's lifetime, then insure every time. Go for Petplan, pick a lifetime policy.

Avoid E&L (and any of their subsidiaries or alternative trading names, they are incredibly sneaky about it) and despite previous good experience I would also avoid Animal Friends now.

 

[Sandstone1]

Im with peplan would aviod healthy pets.
insurance gives you peace of mind however I dont like the way they hike prices as dog gets older.

 

[AandK]

My two are with MoreThan. I have the cover where you can claim up to a limit per condition (£8k), but that is not restricted to a 12 month period like horse insurance.

 

[AandK]

Im with peplan would aviod healthy pets.
insurance gives you peace of mind however I dont like the way they hike prices as dog gets older.

I expect it is because the older the animal gets, the more likely it is to need medical treatment. It is the same for insurance for people, and horses.

 

[paddy555]

I got a months free insurance from my breeder. I don't know if that was connected to petplan but I got a letter from Petplan offering me another month's free insurance if I signed up before the breeder's month expired which I did. I have never insured my border collies but decided there was too much that could go wrong with a GSD. I decided to insure for a couple of years initially with lifetime cover (they pay vets fees up to 7K) on the basis I would find out if he was a dog who always needed the vet and if anything serious was wrong with him I would be covered. I had been talking to someone with a GSD pup who had epilepsy in the first year and the bill was enormous. I also worked on the basis that you are not so limited as with a horse, you can put a dog in the car and drive it anywhere in the country to a specialist vet very quickly if needed so it made sense to have a reasonable amount of vet's fees covered.

My vet recommended petplan as they dealt direct with them although I had already decided on Pet plan.

I rang PP when I had had pup for a couple of weeks to discuss their policy. I asked about exclusions etc. My breeder had asked my vet health check the pup on his arrival with me which he did. PP seemed happy with this vet check. I don't know if it affected anything but it seemed important I had it in writing on dog's vet record he had been health checked and was healthy.

What breed of pup?

 

[Sandstone1]

I expect it is because the older the animal gets, the more likely it is to need medical treatment. It is the same for insurance for people, and horses.

It is I guess. just seems a little unfair as you probably pay for years with out claiming then when they get old and you need it it gets too expensive to afford.

 

[RunToEarth]

I was with Agria, I swapped later last year due to cost. I’m with more than now, thankfully haven’t had to claim but their customer service is second to none, really rate them.

 

[happyclappy]

I intended to Insure. I used to have Petplan and they were excellent. Yes he is Pedigree and Registered so I should get the free months cover.

I think I will go with KC Lifetime

Thankyou


Can't wait.


Can't wait

All my adult life with a dog or two

 

[Tiddlypom]

We've never insured any of our dogs or cats. None of them have needed extensive veterinary treatments costing ££££s, is this rare, then? We do tend to have moggies/mutts though.

 

[AmyMay]

We've never insured any of our dogs or cats. None of them have needed extensive veterinary treatments costing ££££s, is this rare, then? We do tend to have moggies/mutts though.

God willing few of us will need to suddenly find more than a couple of hundred quid for a veterinary issue. But, should the worst happen, I feel reassured that I have insurance in place should my dog have an accident or illness that would run a bill in to the thousands

 

[{97702}]

I will admit I have never insured my dogs - and I have a fair few cracking vets bills, I think the maximum in one go was about £4K? I guess I’m very luckily having an understanding vets practice, but I realise you can’t take that for granted!

 

[cbmcts]

I have my rott/mastiff/lab rescue insured with Coop. They were £60 a MONTH cheaper than Petplan with £5k a year vets cover and I've made a few claims with absolutely no issues. They are the same underwriters as Petplan which is why I went with them. On renewal last year the premium went up £6 a month but £4 of that was the new customer 20% discount...

That might change of course this year as I've claimed £4k plus for an auto immune problem that involved a MRI scan and ongoing meds.

My previous large breed ran up £12k of vet bills outside routine vet care in his lifetime and he wasn't insured - I will never have a large breed uninsured again! In saying that, multiple cats and terriers vets bills (they weren't insured) rarely exceeded the excess so swings and roundabouts I suppose.

 

[Puzzled]

Avoid animal friends!

 

[RunToEarth]

We've never insured any of our dogs or cats. None of them have needed extensive veterinary treatments costing ££££s, is this rare, then? We do tend to have moggies/mutts though.

I don’t think the pedigree makes a difference on claims tbh! Mine are insured primarily because they are working dogs but also because I don’t want to have to use our savings on vets bills. £40 a month to me is a very small price to pay for peace of mind should something go wrong.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

We've never insured any of our dogs or cats. None of them have needed extensive veterinary treatments costing ££££s, is this rare, then? We do tend to have moggies/mutts though.

doesnt matter if they are mutts/moggies or not, you have been lucky ! I wouldn't not insure dogs-at least uni until the premiums go sky high at 8yo or so. I don't insure all my horses though.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Re the pedigree thing, it's just that the dogs I know of that have run up huge vets bills have been pedigrees with inherited weaknesses. Hip, eye, heart and skin problems are rampant in some breeds apparently. Our mutts and moggies do seem have had the benefit of hybrid vigour, though that is of course no protection against accidents. Just had a £150 bill for the 14yo JRT who shredded a packet of nurofen meltlets, we couldn't be sure how many he may have swallowed so off to the OOH vets he went .

(The person who left the nurofen out has been soundly thrashed, though, and presented with the bill. Only half joking about that).

 

[happyclappy]

I insured my first dog and claimed repeatedly.My next three were not insured and I very rarely had to have veterinary treatment. But.. you just never know

 

[Moobli]

I haven't insured my dogs since having multiples, but think I may insure my next pup as I intend to only have one or two at the most in future. Pet Plan were always my company of choice and, while not cheap, they always paid on time and were very reasonable to deal with.