Most expensive vet's bill and why....

Oberon

Oberon

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I'm considering quitting my insurance (NFU) for my 9 y/o Ardennes x ID.

He is barefoot, healthy.

I'm not worried about tendons, navicular etc.....but I am scared of field injuries (breaking bones) or colic surgeries.

What expensive vet bills have you had?
 
Good Post Oberon!! I am in a similar situation!

I have a 17 year old Welsh Section D, I am considering not renewing his policy this year due to the cost and putting the money to one side as a just in case fund. So I am interested as well!

He is currently shod but in the last 13 years I have had him we have not claimed on his insurance or had a need to.

I am worried about both Murphy and Sod and their Laws when I come to cancel or more not renew my policy.

Thoughts and suggestions will be read with great interest!
 
My pony lacerated her leg out in the field when she was 13 and pierced her digital sheath (to this date absolutely no idea how she did it) she ended up having emergency surgery at liphook had her leg in a cast for 3 weeks and then box rest for nine months. It was horrendous :( and my final bill was for just over £5,000 pet plan paid out every penny apart from the livery when she was at Liphook which was another £400.00ish quid.

My other pony got kicked out in the field the amount of blood was horrendous managed to stop the bleed by wrapping my scarf around her leg but she couldn't put any weight on it so my boyfriend came out with tractor and trailer (in the snow) and some how managed to get her on. Her leg wasn't broken but that was a £3000 bill.

Needless to say I would insure for being out in the field alone :D
 
Horse was kicked in the field, nothing major but there was a tiny foreign body in the wound (so tiny it couldn't be seen on xray and had to be scanned for) which caused her to have a bonkers immune response. She needed surgery to remove all the scar tissue that formed over her hock round whatever it was.

Cost me £3000 or so.

But you knew all that of course!
 
My mare was kicked in the field, luckily as nothing was broken it only cost me about £150 but vet said it could easily have given her a hairline fracture which would have cost me a hell of a lot more! Both my mares are non ridden but I've had quite a few near misses so will always keep them insured :)
 
Horse diagnosed with OCD, £3750 at the Royal Vet College, £280 with my own vet and a Horse that had to be put down. Insure for everything and check it! My insurance company wouldn't pay out because she apparently wasn't insured for disease!!
 
Since last August 2010, Reena has had 4 major claims

SDFT strain, dragged on for ages, ended up about £4k ic hydrotheraphy (which was the extra help she needed for it to finally heal)
Splint - was about £700 of vets fees, but insurance meant she could have hydrotheraphy.
Fracture of the proximal sesamoid bone and avulsion of the medial branch of the suspensory ligament - had to have an operation, already reached £5k max
Liver problem - still ongoing think I'm upto about £1500 due to lots of bloods test, biopsy (and may need another one) and various drugs.

And my bill of the stuff the insurance doesn't pay (livery at vets, excess, claim forms) is still £800
 
I was thinking about having a just in case fund but my worry would be if he came down with colic and had to have emergency surgery, or had a injury in the field. I just daren't chance it
 
Colic surgery on 19 year old horse 5 years ago - total cost of surgery, hospitalisation, aftercare and the original vet pre-referral - approx £6,000. Then another 2 days of intensive care about 1 month later as he seemed to be colicking again - £1,000.
oWorth every penny as for my once in a lifetime horse - big touch wood, still with me 5 years on, so definitely worth the equivalent of £1,400 a year to keep him alive. (And this reduces every extra year he survives!More touching wood!)
As I had never insured him and he'd never needed anything other than flu/tet/teeth which aren't covered anyway, I reckon I'd saved about £500 p.a in insurance premiums x the 15 years I owned him = £7,500, so even with this I'm still in credit as it were!
 
victoria1980x said:
I was thinking about having a just in case fund but my worry would be if he came down with colic and had to have emergency surgery, or had a injury in the field. I just daren't chance it
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That's what my credit card is for although I would never put any of mine through colic surgery ever. Even my vet wouldn't put his through colic surgery and he operates on them almost every day, reckons there's only a 50/50 chance for most; it's not usually the surgery, it's the recovery which is the trouble.
I have mine just insured for death, theft and straying plus PL through the BHS, any vet work I cover myself.
 
Insurance is a head versus heart decision. A long past MFH said to me he never insured his horses (and they were decent ones) because he could afford to shoot the injured horse and go out and buy a replacement if needed.

For the majority of us whose horses are best friends that view is totally vile and even saving the premium for one or two horses over a number of years would not cover a colic op. Buying horse insurance is, in effect, a gamble as to who wins, you or the insurance company, together with a gamble on whether or not you can afford the vet bill.

I have had 3 wins and 1 loss.

My Section D purchased for £300 as a foal, insured him all his life including hunting until he was 20 and then just vet cover, rough cost of £6000, (long time ago), claimed once for a foot problem when he was 4, never claimed again, I could have bought him twice over for what I paid in insurance cover for him over the years.

Other 3 horses. One went on loss of use, mega vet bills and 75% value paid to me, I kept him and he hunted until 24 yrs of age with specialist shoeing and low level pain relief in latter years. Another one no claims until aged 13 and then 2 colic ops in a week and lost him, £5k vet bill, £9,000 loss of horse paid out. Current horse in a claim at the moment having broken down, his premium is £700 a year, that was about the same amount as the first 2 scans and treatment came to and its on going.

Who knows whats round the corner and I think I would rather insure the horse taking great care to get the right cover, and know if or more likely when, the horse is in trouble I can say carry on to the vet rather than have to make a decision on what I can or cannot afford at the time.
 
mine was £13,500 due to intestine damage and after trying to keep him health he was put to sleep in december as his condition deteriorated

just had a 8 month old colt run up a £3,500 vet bill after standing on a nail and infecting the pedal bone resulting in surgery
 
Horse no 1. £5300 approx - colic surgery. Recovered.
Horse no 2 £6500 colic surgery - recovered, but became ill again (same rare cause, different illness) so needed another £3500 treatment in the same year. Still alive, but on meds.
Horse no 3 - £5000 approx. Cushings. Did not recover.

I have to say, I don't regret the colic surgeries, and found my horses didn't actually suffer much in the operation, or the recovery period. But then, I have had 100% success rate to date so my view is skewed by my personal experiences.
S :D
 
In the last 5 months: £6,500 for a straightforward ie. No resection colic op that was completely successful. My limit is £5,000.

£3,800 for lameness workup and surgery for OCD of the fetlocks. Waiting for bill for surgery for badly fractured jaw which I am expecting to be in the region of £3,500.

I am with NFU who have settled the first two bills.

Lost a horse following surgery a few years ago. Operation cost was circa £3,000 and £7,500 paid for my poor horse.
 
Oberon said:
I'm considering quitting my insurance (NFU) for my 9 y/o Ardennes x ID.

He is barefoot, healthy.

I'm not worried about tendons, navicular etc.....but I am scared of field injuries (breaking bones) or colic surgeries.

What expensive vet bills have you had?
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Because of the age of your horse I would not consider cancelling insurance as vet bills can be into the thousands. Unless your horse has had high vet bills like Shils which then the insurance company either won't insure the horse at all or they restrict what they will cover. After my horse had an acute Laminitis attack which he had never had before they wouldn't cover any leg then he had a lump that was removed and was cancerous they wouldn't cover his body so with no body or leg cover I didn't see the point as I was a gold member with BHS which covers third party I didn't insure him in his later years.
 
Keimanp said:
Good Post Oberon!! I am in a similar situation!

I have a 17 year old Welsh Section D, I am considering not renewing his policy this year due to the cost and putting the money to one side as a just in case fund. So I am interested as well!

He is currently shod but in the last 13 years I have had him we have not claimed on his insurance or had a need to.

I am worried about both Murphy and Sod and their Laws when I come to cancel or more not renew my policy.

Thoughts and suggestions will be read with great interest!
Click to expand...

Now in the case of your horse I would probably consider not renewing as your horse would be classed as aged and probably not cover full vet fees only part. As stated BHS cover third party so I just stayed Gold Member with BHS.:)
 
£500 resulting from a minor and superficial 1 inch kick wound on hind leg. Infection and cellulitis set in quickly, she had to be sedated (because she's such a drama queen!) to flush and treat, 7 days antibiotics and bute. One hour after sedation she had an alpha 2 reaction to the sedative and got spasmodic colic. Two emergency out of hours call outs at £50 each and further treatment. I am with AmTrust and they paid out for the injury treatment but not the colic because she had flatulence colic the year before. I have a £120 excess so in total I ended up paying £250 of the £500.
 
I've quit the insurance for Obi as at 26, dodgy teeth and going blind - I wouldn't consider any surgery etc for him.....

Looks like I'll just need to transfer from NFU to Petplan (who have always been fair with my other animals) to save money but keep insurance going for The Tank.:)
 
My boy is 21 this time. I have opted out of full insurance as so expensive. I have been with NFU for 10 years. I have insured as Veteran so accidents covered. I have just paid out close to £800 vets and ED fees for headshaking which I think we have got to the bottom of, touch wood!

I had already taken the decision that major surgery was out, for his sake and mine.
 
I had about £550 at vets with basic xray for arthritis etc in back end(2006)...in fact he went twice to the hospital and I thought it was going to cost more.Settled with NFU but completely understand when people are posting about insurance cost going up! After the claim the premiums went up very high and due to his age I decided it was cheaper for me to pay up front if needed. There were so many clauses and I wouldnt have put him through surgery anyway. Trouble is with horses things happen out of the blue so just shop around.

I cant insure him now but have BHS Gold(so I have public liability) and will just pay out of my pocket which I did recently for half box bute and visit(£114) as he was struggling sometimes on rear end..best £114 spent what a different horse.

I always say having a horse is just like running a car its the same costs.
 
I must be up to about £6K for my injured broody now. She was not insured as I have too many. I do BHS gold for third party though and really feel strongly that this should be a legal requirement. Even at £6K, I've had multiple horses at home for around 7 years now and must be quids in I reckon as that's been the only biggie.

BTW I did insure my great danes even when premiums over £1K per year for the oldest one. Very glad I did as one of them completely used up his £7500 per condition before he died.
 
Oberon said:
I've quit the insurance for Obi as at 26, dodgy teeth and going blind - I wouldn't consider any surgery etc for him.....

Looks like I'll just need to transfer from NFU to Petplan (who have always been fair with my other animals) to save money but keep insurance going for The Tank.:)
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:eek:Is petplan cheaper than NFU I am surprised:confused::)
 
Since June 2010 - all with the same horse...
Tooth removal with complications including nearly three months in horsepital - approx £6500, ended September 2010 (had been going on since early June)

Bone chip removal from fetlock - approx £3000

Lameness diagnosis hind limb at my own vet - approx £850

Further lameness plus scintigraphy and Tildren and Shockwave etc - approx £4000

Further fees from vets visits re lameness etc - approx £1000 in total.

Grand total approx £15500

I say approximately because I've never actually added it all up - I actually think the real total is somewhere nearer £18000, but I am too afraid to add it all up. Wouldn't mind, but the bloody horse still isn't right and probably never will be.
The majority of my fees were paid by Petplan Equine who were fine until the last lameness claim when they dragged their heels a bit and took two months to pay out. My policy costs me £28 per month. In my book it's worth every pennyand I would never be without it.
 
Having an accident prone TB I would always insure! My biggest vet bill was nearly £1000 for her after she got a puncture wound in her hock and had joint fluid coming out. She was at the vets for 3 days and had to have her hock tapped. My insurance company were brilliant, paid the livery and everything, I only had to pay the £125 excess :)
 
I've had my horse for 5 years and my only vet bill was approx £1000 in summer this year. Lameness - nerve blocking and x-rays showed arthritis in fetlock and coffin joints (he's only 16). Real nightmare getting insurance to pay out as he was intermittantly lame a few months before I renewed the policy and was suppose to disclose that to them! So then they would have excluded joints anyway. Strange. They paid out in the end but from renewal this coming year I will be excluded for all lameness, foot issues with this insurance company.
Am considering not insuring for vets this time and putting the money away for any eventualities. I think when they hit 15 they go on to a veteran policy which is more expensive.
 
£1750 for my TB who fell over at speed on a concrete track, lacerating his shoulder and severing an artery high up inside his armpit (not the technical term but you know what I mean!). Had only had him 16 days so just made it past the 14 days exclusion period for a new policy :eek:
He came in from the field last week with a random puncture wound half way up his off fore - think we are up to about £400 so far with visits and drugs...
SEIB have been very good paying out for all my horses, would recommend them.
 
currently working up a bill of £8k for ringbone and two surgeries to try to rectify :( I'm with NFU and they paid out straight away to the £5k limit however we obviously have to pay now. NFU have paid out twice for me no questions asked. I recommend them even if they are more expensive :)
 
My most expensive is £4550 for diagnosis of intermittent lameness-xrays-work ups at the surgery, medication, injections, scans-eventually diagnosed with wobblers syndrome. Didn't have vets bill's coverage on my policy at that time-but I certainly do now! Ouch!
 
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