Labrador insurance

[Labralion]

Hello potential new owner here! We're hoping to adopt an 11 months lab soon but we're trying to work out a rough monthly budget. Hoping someone could share how much their insurance costs monthly! I'm
Aware it's expensive and will go up each year. I should add he's coming from the breeder and is in perfect health. Any companies you recommend? I know my mum used pet plan for our family lab but she never had to claim so not sure if they're still considered the best. Thank you on advance!

[BiteyShark]

Don't have a Labrador but I think insurance depends not only on the dog and age but also where you live so you might want to just get some quotes to get an idea of the price.

I use petplan for my spaniel and they have been great at paying out (multiple claims totalling £4500 in less than 2 years).

Whoever you go to check the T&Cs very closely as not all policies are the same. I would recommend a life policy with the highest limit you can afford as vet bills quickly mount up.

[Labralion]

Thank you! Yes I suppose that makes sense!

[TeaForDad]

Petplan is now about 40 a month (was 28 when we got the dog 8 years ago)

However they pay with no fuss, every time, and having just had a 4000 bill we are now broken even

Get good insurance or get none and put cash aside. Cheap isn't worth anything.

Labrador best dog, great choice :)

[DogInATent]

Just go onto the insurers' websites and create a quote. Give the dog you're using for the quote a name you do not intend to use for the actual dog. Then you can create a new quote later for the actual dog you intend to insure.

I suggest getting quotes direct from Petplan and Animal Friends via their websites, and getting a range of quote from a comparison website.

[Wolfiefan]

Avoid animal friends. Awful reputation.
Consider which companies your chosen vet are happy to claim from direct or you could be out of pocket.
Look at maximum cover per condition and make sure it's lifetime cover too.

[Labralion]

Pet plan want 41 pounds for the lifetime classic plus which is the 7k cover which I wouldn't want to go lower than. It's more than I expected. Why is pet plan so well regarded? Is it because the vet will deal direct?

[randomsabreuse]

We used Direct Line until dog was about 9 or 10 then took a view that he won't be having the gold standard cruciate op at that age but the more basic one if required and we could fund anything else out of savings/credit cards so £50/month was a little excessive.

Somewhat influenced by the fact that DH is a vet so gets a decent staff discount and can write his own prescriptions but this wasn't the only consideration. Also dog proven not prone to eating non food items and not prone to GDV after a couple of incidents with thievery in his past.

Was fully insured to that point though and no issues with direct line paying up (including castration on medical grounds) and a minor lump removal.

[BiteyShark]

I went with them because they got good reviews about paying up. My vets don't deal direct as standard but they process claims quickly and I found petplan reimbursed me within their target 10 days (once it was longer but that is because the claim went astray but once vet sent it again with urgent it was processed within a week). I haven't had any issues with my claims for emergency vets, investigations, admissions, emergency operations and medication (I have been unfortunate and had to claim multiple times).

Obviously I can't vouch for any other company as I have only been with petplan.

[randomsabreuse]

Petplan are supposedly the best but we thought they were too expensive.

[MrsMozart]

It'll go on:

Breed
Temperament
Weight
Where you live
What you'll 'use' the dog for

[Labralion]

Thanks to all for the good advice. I'm
Having a look at go compare and can get similar lifetime cover for half the price. I don't want to have crap insurance but at the same time the £41 seems a bit too much for me as a starting point. I wonder if it's because he's second hand so it's not from birth?? He's tip top! I love him and must protect every golden hair (well excluding the ones piling up on the floor!)

[BiteyShark]

When comparing check the t&cs very carefully to see what is or isn't included. For example, mine covers certain dental work but only if they have been seen and teeth checked by a vet every 12 months which is fine as I get a free vet check up every 6 months. Some policies exclude all dental work.

Also check excess and overall limits. Some include a certain number of sessions for things such as hydrotherapy or behaviourist whereas others won't.

[BrokenWing]

5yr old lab, petplan lifetime £4k limit is £50/month this year.

We claimed £3.8k last year, no quibbles vet and petplan sorted it out between themselves. I just had to pay the £85 excess.

[Honeyroar]

Who were the cheaper quotes from? I hate insurance, usually self fund and have a very cheap, honest vet, however my horse made a huge dent to my vet fee fund this year and my husband is off work so I can't replace the fund as quickly as I normally would and we've adopted a young lab, so feel like I should insure for a bit. I hate insurance generally.

[MaisyMary77]

I’ve just adopted an 11 month old Labrador. (A happy, bouncy whirlwind! ) his insurance is with Sainsbury’s and costs £38 a month. We’ve always gone through Sainsbury’s for our pet insurance; they’ve always been very good.

[carbuckety]

Definitely depends on post code. A friend insures her puppy through same company as me and it's almost twice as much. I have a puppy from same litter as her. You have to get quotes and think lifetime cover

[Labralion]

I was looking at more than for lifetime insurance 12k cover Just over 23 a month.

[Labralion]

Once your with a company are you with them forever? Because of the likelihood of exclusions in the future as the don't know the dogs history? Sorry it's all new to me!

[Wolfiefan]

I haven't switched insurers but I think you have to declare all existing conditions and they would be excluded. May be wrong though!!

[bilbodog]

Someone posted on here recently that one of the reasons petplan is more expensive is because they dont put up the premiums as much as cheaper companies when you have made claims and as the dog gets older. You dont want to change insurance provider as previously mentioned as any existing conditions wont be covered by a new company.

[Scattyhattie]

Often insurer's lure in new customer with offers but can't always switch like with car insurance to take advantage &premiums may rise more steeply over years.

Pretty much whatever goes on the dogs vet history will be classed as preexisting if you switch and can be grouped, my dog had all bowel conditions excluded from bad bout of Diarrhoea that just required some pro biotic paste. Sometimes they'll lift it after a clear period if minor but no guarantees.

2 of my dogs with petplan while more expensive to start the premiums hasn't risen by as much over years as with the other dogs insurer or after claims, important now elderly as some insurers make it unaffordable as know claims more likely then.
Longevity of company is important as a few left market and had policy holders over a barrel with replacement company due to preexisting conditions. The changing of underwriters can also alter policy details & premium rises on renewals. Thinks Sainsbury's & co-op are also currently underwritten by allianz as is petplan.

Make sure read policy details fully as often people don't & then find don't have expected cover when need to claim, often case with Animal friends customers.