To ask you about your dog’s insurance?

[MiniHolde]

I have a pure bred re-homed dog.

insurance is due for renewal. My current insurer wanted to double the monthly costs so looking for new one.

Last year I couldn’t get any money back through insurance.
My dog had 2 minor situations (simple skin infection - cleared up super quick and a little cut paw) I paid about £120 for this in total but my excess was £85/condition so couldn’t get any money back.

Previously I paid £38/month and was covered up to £8k

I have had a Quick Look and seems like I could get a cheaper insurance starting from like £16 or so…

I was thinking that perhaps if I went with a cheaper insurance and put aside £25.00 in a savings account it might make more sense?

Any advice?

I'd say don't do that, and the reason I'd say that is because my insurers have forked out around 20k in the last year for my boy.

I'm also voting yabu for posting without a picture of said pupper.

That's something we have been thinking about doing. Insurance is getting so expensive and when your dog is sick or injured they don't pay fully anyway.

I no longer have it... It was getting to over £100 a month, and I am on UC as my sole income.
She is also very old, so to be honest, there would be no heroics with any treatment.

Thats the thing … I dread to think what I’d do if something serious happened but on the other hand if I don’t need it it’s just ‘wasted’ money

I’m lost with it… the last 12 months I spent nearly £500 for nothing really. Maybe peach if mind but I had to pad on top of that another £120 plus £70 for vaccination

I think it's complete luck. I get back more than I pay each year for my dogs insurance. That's just for chronic illness though I did get an extra special big bill when he needed a day of investigations at a vet school! I guess it depends on if you get a big bill in two months time can you afford it or not. If not, I'd not take the gamble especially as £25 a month would be £300 in a year. That does not get you very much vet treatment.

I think we're going to cancel ours. It's just under £100 a month thanks to a freak accident requiring a back operation 4 and a bit years ago. It's just unaffordable now. If something major happened again, I don't think honestly wes so such an operation again as he's nearly ten now. Putting money aside is a good compromise in this situation I think but would say it's really depends on age of your dog and what sort of decisions you'd make.

I would still have insurance for them but a cheaper one…

So like put £25 in a saving account and pay £16-20 month insurance/month

Sorry should have mentioned, she is 3.5 years old

Hmmm we paid £12 pm for years for our rescue. This increased to £24pm for £2k cover per year. Never claimed until this year for a ruptured cruciate ligament. As she is over 8 , insurers demand 20% Co payment. We have more or less got our premiums back so could have just put money aside. Some procedures can be £5-£7k so you have to think should you save and if not used you keep the money or pay premiums for cover that might never be used. Depends on your finances I guess.

I would still get a third party insurance thing just in case your dog gets into a fight or something, so it covers you for other people. Dogs Trust do it for £25 per year.

It’s a gamble.

coujd you afford it if your dog needed several worth of treatment?

I wouldn’t.

My seemingly young, healthy dog went for his annual health check and vaccinations and was found to have a significant heart murmur. He was referred to a cardiologist and now requires 6 monthly check ups - costing £1.5k per time and £150 a month on medication for life. I’ve felt before that it’s ‘dead money’ wasted but I’m glad now. I’m also glad my insurance company pays the vet direct and we opted for a lifetime award.

My sisters dog needed surgery last week costing £1k for an infected abscess. He’s got an infection and needed to go for further surgery and antibiotics costing another £1.5k.

I wouldn’t want the stress of worrying about paying the vet alongside the stress of an unwell dog.

Like others said, it is a gamble. All the dogs my mum has had previously .. no insurance. One saw the vet once, and that was to be put to sleep. Her others, was just jabs etc.
Now she has a retired greyhound, and thank fuck she insured him... he hurts himself all the time, or has corns, or a random gastro thing in the night.

I think only you can make that decision depending on your finances, how you'd feel if you had to limit treatment because of cost, and how risk adverse or not a person you are. It's also worth having a good look at the cheaper insurance - what are the excesses and limits. All insurance (house, travel, life etc) is essentially 'wasted' money unless you need it.

I’d also add that if you ever need treatment, get second opinions from different vets. We were quoted £5k and got excellent treatment for £1800 elsewhere.

We have a french bulldog and her insurance is ridiculous.

We got her as a rescue when she was three, but with full vet history. It started off at £60 per month it is now £120 per month.

She is 9.

We are seriously considering cancelling it next year. But the prospect of a big vet bill is worrying.

My dog is the poster boy for why you should have good insurance. I'm with directline and whilst probably a bit more expensive they've always been easy to deal with and will paid the vet direct for the big stuff that's taken us to the vet hospital.

Things to consider are the type of dog you have, and what are the more likely things to crop up and how expensive they are to deal with. Also whether or not your dog is spay/neutered and the possibility of that causing issues later on.

Insurance is one of those things you get what you pay for and there are benefits to going with a named brand especially if like in my situation my vets are use to deal with them and can fill out the claim quickly mean I get paid sooner.

Animal Friends have been very prompt and authorised claim in an hour and paid out within a week.

i self insured when the costs for the old boy, a terrier, reached £75 a month. I put money in premium bonds monthly for him after that. Fortunately he remained healthy until a few months before he passed so it worked for me in his case.

current DDog is. Mini dachshund and I’m under no illusion that he could get very expensive, so he’s insured with Napo for £12k. An MRI can cost £7k alone and the breed can have back issues. I’m not sure I’d go down the self insure route with him.

lots of factors to consider really.

I have a black Labrador retriever and insure her with Pet Protect for £30 a month, claims are up to £4000 per illness and she is 12. She had an ear removed the other year due to cancer and was diagnosed as diabetic, they paid out, absolutely brilliant. I dreaded the renewal as all of this came to nearly 3k, it only increased by £2 a month, amazing 🤗

I have a Frenchie insured with animal friends, they are very good at settling claims but expensive, but then again Frenchies are so prone to various breeding issues. Our other Frenchie is insured with Frank, not had any dealings with them yet. We also have an amazing vet that tries to keep costs down for us. One of the Frenchies has a skin condition that needs Malaseb shampoo, this costs nearly £50 via the vets. I can get this online with a prescription for £17, when I asks my vet about this he was more than happy to give me a prescription and he didn’t even charge me for it, he’s a true gent, a lovely decent genuine person, plus it’s his practice and not owned by some big money making group.

Don’t forget anything she’s been treated for before will likely be excluded from the new policy. So all skin issues etc.

Anything treated for or mentioned in the vets notes would be excluded from a future policy. They even link things, so she's had a skin issue before. Then say if she had ear issues they could say it's an allergy type issue and it's linked to the skin so exclude that too. Insurance companies are clever

Get a lifetime policy where you can claim for same issue once a year, every year.

My dog is 5 and my premiums are already over £100. I’ve been mulling this over and I would def make sure I had savings before having another dog. But currently I don’t have many savings so insurance is a must. I had a look on money saving expert and I think my plan is to significantly raise the excess to reduce the premiums. I’m going to get the figs and work it out as I do claim for two conditions currently and so it makes it worth claiming every single thing for me as I’ve already paid the excess each year.

I’m also taking him to the vet today for leg pain and I have to say I’m glad I have high insurance as I’m aware it could end up with X-rays and the like - it’s so stressful when they’re sick you don’t need the financial worry too.