Pet Health Plans - Are they worth it

[KnockMeDown]

We are getting 2 kittens in a couple of weeks. Am looking at all the vets costs to plan and budget.

When I rang the vets, they suggested a pet health plan, but it seems very expensive compared to just paying for the vaccs and neutering upfront.

Has anyone any experience with this?

The price I have been quoted is £12.80 per cat per month, with a £15 set-up fee. This gives me half off vacc fees, and 10% off neutering, and various other buts which may or may not be needed. Doing all the sums, it seems to be costing £100 per cat more expensive per year to be on the plan, but am I missing something. Vacc are approx £60 per cat, but is this for the complete course? 2 nurse checkups are also included - how much would these normally be?

I think I must be missing something, otherwise why are they offering this?

Many thanks!!

[gamerchick]

I wouldn't be happy with that. With ours we did the vaxs for life with 2 health checks a year for a one off 99 quid. First set of needles and neutering seperate.

Then you're paying each month for spot on.

Then insurance on top. I wouldn't be happy with a monthly healthcare plan as well unless it covers massive vet fees.

[ICantDecideOnAUsername]

Wow, that seems like a lot of money. We considered pet insurance when we got our two kittens in 2008 (you can get ones a lot cheaper than that if you shop around) but in the end decided to 'self-insure'. There's no way we've spent £307 a year on the two of them (we sadly only have one now). Usually yearly check ups for booster injection and worming tablets. For two of them it was about £90 I think. Plus flea treatment but I doubt that is covered under your insurance. You obviously don't know how much ad hoc stuff they are going to need but I don't think we've spent more than about £400 on both of them since we got them (although some cats are clearly healthier/luckier than others). Dogs are different I understand as it includes things like liability insurance (in case they escape and cause a car accident or bite someone) and they are generally more expensive to treat.

[KnockMeDown]

I think we will just pay upfront, and then decide on pet insurance should big vets bills ever crop up. But yearly check-ups / flea treatments etc shouldn't be that much?

The plan is a Denplan one.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Our health is a similar amount a month covers all your vaccinations, entire years worth of flea, tick and worm treatment and two check ups with a vet each year. With my practice it is at least 10% discount over pay as you go, but often more as I have to set the PHP prices 6 months before they go to the customer. We also offer discounts on neutering, certain food and treats and dentals when they are older. PHP clients are also able to come to nurse clinic for free to have their flea and worm treatments done.

[HarimadSol]

Don't wait on pet insurance until the bills come up! Insurance companies exclude preexisting conditions, so you wouldn't be reimbursed. Get it early before any problems arise.

[PersonalClown]

Really? Only half price vaccs?

I pay £22 a month for my 2 dogs and that includes booster vaccs, fleaing, worming, check ups, nail trims, 10% off vet constults/appointments and 20% off meds.

Helpful when you've got an allergic Staffy so Antihistamines are needed and earwash for manky Doodle!

[KnockMeDown]

Harima yes, I meant have it in place to cover the big bills.

How many times do cats need the vaccs? Is is the £60 per cat for all their vaccs, or will that be repeated in the first year. Are there top ups after that?

Sorry, I am beginning to sound totally clueless!

[KnockMeDown]

I've found another vet who does a different health plan, but has quoted the stand alone price of flea treatment for a year as £98.77 per cat - that seems a lot!

Is that reasonable?

[gamerchick]

I pay pennies under a tenner for advocate every 4 weeks for one cat so it is a tad cheaper. Vaccinations is annual. That's why I got the vaxs for life with 2 health checks a year for a one off 99 quid.

Dear do these animals when you tot it up.

[gamerchick]

So it's like you're being offered 2 months free for paying yearly.

[MrsMummyPig]

Not sure about the health plan, But I would recomend pet plan lifetime insurance. It's a bit more expensive but means your cat is insured for life whatever happens. If you take out yearly cover a lot of insurance won't renew your policy once they get to 7 or 8 or if they develop a lifetime condition such as diabetes as they then class as a pre existing condition at the end of the year when your policy renewal is due.

[lljkk]

99 quid one off payment = vaccinations for life??

£12.80 per cat per month is £153 a year? They wouldn't offer these plans if the insurance company didn't usually end up quids in. But they give some peace of mind that any bill you get shouldn't be too horrendous to bear.

My flea treatment is overdue usually Frontline, seems to cost £5 per cat per month, so £60/yr.

Vaccination costs £32 per cat every 14 months, and neutering was £60 per (boy) cat I think.

[CharleyDavidson]

I'm paying about £12 a month for our kitten (it will drop to £8 a month when he's a year old).

That includes all frontline flea and worm treatments monthly, the first set of vaccinations and two health checks a year and him being chipped. We will also get 10% off him being spayed.

I'm not sure I will carry it on after this year, but it seemed worth it this year with the chipping etc being covered.

[gamerchick]

Yes

www.vets4pets.com/healthy-pet-special-offers/vac4life/