Any questions about pet health/well-being and pet insurance? Ask the experts - NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

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Buying or adopting a new pet is a lovely mile-stone for many people, however it can also be a bit stressful as there is so much information out there to sift through. What breed of dog do you get? What’s the best pet insurance to go for? How do you ensure your pet is settling in well? What are the top tips everyone needs to know when buying a new pet? Experts Jade Statt and Tara Hughes are here to answer all your questions about pet insurance and pet health & wellbeing.

Here is what Animal Friends has to say: “For Animal Friends animal wellbeing informs everything we do. We were founded 20 years ago in order to provide both affordable insurance for UK pets while also ensuring animal welfare worldwide through our extensive donations programme to charities. Animal Friends is delighted that Jade (whose organisation StreetVet just won our £100k giveaway competition) has agreed to help with any questions MNers may have about their pet’s health and wellbeing. Tara is also on hand to respond to questions about the ins & outs of pet insurance. For further info on looking after one’s pets please click here.”

Here is some information on Jade Statt who will be answering your questions on pet health and wellbeing: “My name is Jade Statt and I qualified from Glasgow Vet School in 2002 and have worked as a vet in small animal practice ever since. My specific veterinary interests are internal medicine, analgesia and small furries! I am the co-founder of the non-profit org Street Vet - a vet let volunteer initiative offering free accessible vet care to the homeless and their pets. What started as 2 vets (myself and my co-founder Sam Joseph) and a backpack in 2016, is now an army of over 300 veterinary professionals outreaching in 9 locations across the U.K. When I am not being a vet in practice or “ StreetVetting” , I am usually found walking my two huskies Timber and Innoko.”

Here is some information on Tara Hughes who will be answering your questions on pet insurance: “Tara Hughes is a registered veterinary nurse who graduated from Bristol university in 2010. She started working for Animal Friends as a claims assessor in February 2012. Since then she has taken on and assisted in multiple roles within the claims department, including Pawtal co-ordination and claims trainer. She is currently the Claims Quality and Training Manager. Her entire world revolves around animals, but more specifically Ellie, her husky!”

Watch this video below:

Whatever your questions around buying pets and pet insurance, post them below and we will choose 10 in total for Jade and Tara to answer. Everyone who posts their questions will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

How often should we clean or dogs teeth?

Can you give some example costs of treatment for any common conditions for cats/dogs which might be covered by insurance?

I have a 4 year old Maltese who seems to misjudge things sight wise, can, like us, dogs be short sighted ?

My dwarf lop rabbit is 8 years old, and I open his hutch every morning to he can have the run of our enclosed garden, which he loves, are any garden plant which can harm him (if there are would he know instinctively not to eat them)

Could you provide cheaper insurance for rescued animals to try and minimise puppy farming?

Our cat at the moment is a healthy 8 yr old but now I'm thinking of getting pet insurance . I an bewildered about who covers what and the best value for money. Please help?

We pay more for our pet insurance, on a 'lifetime cover' policy, than we do for House Insurance. We're with Pet Plan.

We've never claimed, but the policy has more than doubled in the last 7 years. Why is that?

We've also recently needed to get allergy testing, and treatment, and spent a small fortune, yet don't want to claim on the insurance as we are dreading what the renewal could be.

Our dog currently has insurance through Animal Friends. He had an ' incident' a few months ago ....he ate something he should not have. He had to have energency vet treatment as it was sunday and stay overnight on a drip etc..we were not sure whether or not we could claim on insurance and also were worried our cost for insurance would increase when we renew in march. Would this have been the case? Also getting another dog in a few months...looking to comnence insurance for her in march when we need to renew for other dog. We have the above average insurance for first dog just wondering if we should get same for second as we appear to be too scared to claim! Also why isn't dental care included in insurance?

My parents have a dog and insurance. As he's got older the rate has risen so high it now costs far more than my car insurance. I have pets...they aren't insured for this very reason. Why make insurance so prohibitively expensive when the animal has been healthy and never claimed....I Kew the risks increase with age but having paid every year since a puppy it seems disgusting to charge such great rates when there's a chance they will,need to claim. May as well put the premium in a separate account...by the time you need it there will be funds.

I have two Bengal cats (aged 2) and, due to my location, I have to keep them as indoor pets. They are therefore not exposed to dangers from the road or injuries (fights with other cats), ticks/fleas/worms as much as outdoor cats. Therefore I chose not to insure them. However I do wonder if there are other benefits gained from insuring indoor cats and would love to hear them.

Animal friends don't pay out.

Insure with any other company. Avoid this one at all costs.

Hello Tara, my question is, my 8 year old golden Labrador broke his leg when he jumped off a wall, although it has heeled well and we are 6 weeks post break, he still walks with a slight limp, my vet says it's healed well, and the limping is symptomatic, what is your advice ?

Is insurance more pricey for rescue adopted animals? I’d like to adopt a cat but equally I’d like him/her not to cost me an arm and a leg!

We haven't bothered for the guinea pigs is it worth it for small animals?

We are considering getting a puppy , doing our research into breeds which are suitable for our family

Are there any breeds that you would recommend as family friendly and which breeds to avoid.

Also when speaking to breeders which specific questions should I ask , and what should I look at when viewing puppies and whether they are healthy.?

Why.does an insurance company deem it acceptable to add exclusions to a policy every time a claim is made for an illness or incident? It’s grossly unfair and leaves the pet owner wondering what on Earth the point of insurance is!

If I insure full premium pet cover from the start will my premiums change each year or remain the same? (specifically dog)

I'm seriously considering getting a cat but am wondering the kind of costs I'd be looking at to look after it/insurance per month. Can you advise approximate costs and what kind of insurance I should be looking at to get.

I've a rescue cat that's been with us for 2 months. Although he showing no signs, he was exposed to cat flu in the cattery. He currently has one watery eye which I'm treating with cold tea bags. No swelling or discomfort and he's a happy, energetic (mental!) puss cat. Would this concern you?

We have adopted a guinea pig from a rescue centre who is quite old (approx 6 years). Would we be able to insure her as we don’t know much about her history and would it be worth taking out pet insurance?

Is insurance really worth it? What circumstances would you say no?

Can you get multiple pet insurance for multiple pets? Like you can if you have more than one car...

If your pet has an existing condition, which started after you already had insurance, can you change providers to get a cheaper quote or will that condition no longer be included. Insurance, understandingly, goes up once this has been diagnosed, but do they basically have you over a barrel and able to charge you what they want as you can't go elsewhere

HI my pet insurance for my dog goes up year on year, I have never claimed, my dog is vet checked and immunised every year, even when I shop around for a better deal, the company I am with is still the cheapest (just). I am worried that the older he gets (he is 6 now) that the insurance will be come too expensive to take out. Any tips ?? (I have been advised to put the money I would have paid into a separate account and use it just in case I need to have to pay)

My boxer tore his cruciate lives in both legs at the same time the renewal costs for his insurance was £215 a month and unaffordable will this be the case with every insurer now he has had such big problems which I assume are now unrecoverable so does that mean I'm better off just putting some money aside i love my dog and want the best for him