Pet insurance - being robbed!

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LHIS

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I have always had insurance for my Patterdale terrier. It's a good job too, because we made a substantial claim on it a few years ago to pay for an operation to fix a luxating patella.
She's nearly 7 now, we've not claimed in at least 2 years, but I've just received my premium for renewal and it's £43/month.
She's hardy, doesn't tend to be unwell, she's not a working dog, is spayed. The only thing I am expecting to flair up is arthritis in the dodgy knee as she gets older.
£43 a month is a lot, and though I can afford it, I resent paying that much!
I'm after advice. What would you do? She is a much loved pet.
 
I insure the horses, not the dogs. I got so fed up with their stupid exclusions around both breeds and age I just ensure that I have enough to cover most eventualities. It's when the dog is older that most issues arise and so many big breeds now are excluded from the age of 7 I didn't see the point of giving them my money for 7 years and getting nothing back when I really needed it. No idea whether this is the same for smaller breeds though.

You will probably find that the arthritis in the dodgy knee is excluded if they have paid out to have the patella fixed no?
 
It's the gold cover with direct line. I don't actually know re the exclusion for any problems the knee may cause. I'll look into it.
Does anyone know if there's any companies who will offer cover for oldies?
 
If you can afford to shell out 4-5k if she got hit by a car and needed surgery and intensive care, or if you would just euthanase if she needed costly treatment don't get insurance. if neither apply and you want the best care possible but don't have several thousand to hand - insure.
 
try shopping around-you may find that they exclude that knee, they might not-be warned though, they will all up your premiums massively over the next couple of years. My setter was around the £43 pcm and the his KC premiums went up to £65 and eventually to £110 pcm which I drew the line at. I swapped to Tescos who excluded a skin condition for £43pcm again but not with the level of cover he had with the KC. That was a couple of years ago (he's now nearly 12) and its back up to £60pcm. Insuring older dogs is expensive and I don't think if he's still with us next renewal, that I would bother again at his time of life.
 
I've got a small dog and he also had the same op when he was about 3. I had Tesco's premium cover and stayed with it until it rose over £20 a month. I then went back to Tesco and they agreed to put him on the standard policy instead and apparently by staying with them, he still had lifetime cover on that leg. However the following year, the policy doubled in price again so I shopped around and to start a new policy with Tesco I saved loads. But that knee would be classed as an exclusion as I started a new policy. I've just changed again this year as he's 8 now and my premiums really soared (so be prepared for another surge then that apparently 8 is the age where they are classed as veterans). But I found a policy that covered everything I wanted and is still under £15 a month.

All the time I can keep a basic vet bills cover with a reputable insurer, for under £20 a month, I think it's definitely worthwhile. So I always shop around.
 
Thanks all - I was blasé about the renewal letter when it arrived and tossed it aside - but noticed it whilst have a tidy up flurry. I hope I'm not too late to argue the toss with them. To be fair they were very good about the claims we have made previously.
I'll dig out the letter from where it's been tidied away to later and inspect it thoroughly.
 
We are with Directline and ours is £50! Agreed they have paid up albeit slowly. We were discussing if we had another dog then we would cover for the first couple of years then cancel and put the money away.
However though a friend of mine's daughter is a vet and both my friend (who would get a discount) and her daughter, the vet insure their dogs. That made me reconsider my plans for future dogs.
 
I pay £61 a month for lifelong cover for my Newf...and he's only 2. I dread to think what it'll be when he gets older, but we don't have the sort of cash that a major procedure would cost and so its 100% worth it to us. Yes it's extortionate, but vet fees very easily rack up and I don't want to have to compromise his care for financial reasons if (god forbid) anything happened to him.
 
As someone who's vets fees this year are £22000 I can't recommend Sainsburys pet insurance enough, no quibbles they just paid all their bit
 
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