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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Do you have insurance for your dog?

57 replies

ihatethecold · 02/05/2013 13:48

My free 4 weeks are nearly up and I'm looking at quotes for my puppy.

Petplan is very expensive, coming in at 31 per month,

Have found a more affordable one at 15 per month but this is not whole life, but seems to have most bases covered.

What type if any do you have.

Thanks, there is so many options that I'm quite confused.

OP posts:
finickypinickity · 02/05/2013 13:51

Lifetime cover from Homebase for new dog but i have never had to claim so it might be a nightmare and i just dont know yet!

Petplan for old dog because the vet recommended it but the cost for the same cover as Homebase is 3 times the amount even though old dog is only 2 Hmm

Original poster
ihatethecold · 02/05/2013 14:00

Old dog at 2 ??

OP posts:
finickypinickity · 02/05/2013 14:03

Well he is old dog compared to new pupGrin

MrsWolowitz · 02/05/2013 14:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 02/05/2013 14:10

Jas is insured with John Lewis on a lifetime cover. It's £11 a month and paid out no problem when he tried to kill himself with a Toblerone just before Christmas. New pup has the 4 weeks petplan cover for now, but I'll be ringing John Lewis soon.

Happiestinwellybobs · 02/05/2013 14:14

I'm with more than. Now paying (after 4 years) about £25pm, which covers everything, but they did pay out after 9 months for £3k for surgery.

pimmsgalore · 02/05/2013 14:36

Pimmsdog is with the life plan from John Lewis. They even gave me a discount when we changed him from cross bread (put in before we got him) to lab collie cross apparently he is now less of a risk. He was £189 for the year.
On a slightly different note they did inform me that you must change you address within 2 weeks of moving or they won't pay out. Just in case anyone else moving soon

LEMisdisappointed · 02/05/2013 14:39

My dogs aren't insured, i didn't pay that much for them so they won't be worth much as a write off Grin

LEMisdisappointed · 02/05/2013 14:40

oh, and I used to work at a vets who do anything my dogs need at cost so i am very very lucky

ILikeToClean · 02/05/2013 14:43

Another vote for John Lewis, lifetime cover up to £7k a year which was more than anyone else I looked at. It's £28 pm and he's 14 weeks.

Rikalaily · 02/05/2013 14:45

Yep, we use Petplan and have the £7k a year lifetime policy. It's £23 a month, he's a cross breed (Boxer/Rottweiler).

We haven't got the cats insured anymore but wish we did after getting £1700 in vet bills for two of them last year!

fishybits · 02/05/2013 14:49

www.vip4uk.co.uk

pigsDOfly · 02/05/2013 15:37

Wish I'd known about John Lewis. I'm with Pet Plan, lifelong policy, and pay about £38 per month. Can't change now as dog has an eye problem that any other company would most definitely not insure for that might possibly come back at a later date.

You do have to be careful about what some of the policies pay out on. Pet Plan covers for teeth as well, apparently some of them don't. I learned that the hard way with my cats when I took out their lifelong policy with Help you Cover. If your cat has any treatment for teeth within 2 years of taking out the policy, even if you don't claim for it, then any future tooth treatment isn't paid for. Well that was their policy at the time (10 years ago).

At one point I was paying just over £40 a month for each cat, but oddly enough it dropped to £25 a month when they reach 18yo.

I've found having insurance is well worth while especially as the cats got older and I've already made several claims for the dog. And both insurance companies pay up without any problems.

tabulahrasa · 02/05/2013 15:38

I'm with Purely Pets - because it was cheaper than petplan at £35 a month Hmm (it still sounds like loads to me, lol) It's £7500 a year of lifetime cover. I do have to pay and then get it back rather than them paying the vet directly, but so far I've claimed about £3000 from them and they've been very quick at sending me cheques.

toboldlygo · 02/05/2013 15:52

One is with Direct Line and one with Animal Friends. Started out at £24 per month per dog, now had large claims on both policies and it's circa £38 per dog per month. Still cheaper than the £1700+ bill for surgery that one has just racked up! Both are lifetime policies and I can't really switch now because there will be exclusions.

Floralnomad · 02/05/2013 16:04

I'm with Direct Line and its not lifetime cover but I have it mainly for the 3rd party cover , it covers a condition to £6500 per year ( or something like that ) , dog is 3 and we've made one claim for £550 for a histiocytoma to be removed . To me it isn't worth paying 2 or 3 times the amount each month for insurance on the off chance that he gets some lifelong condition. This will pay for one off things and if the worse happens I will just pay the bills !

ReculverTowers · 02/05/2013 16:08

I'm with morethan (which is RSA) for an 11yr old and 1 yr old it's about 35 a month i think

LadyTurmoil · 02/05/2013 17:24

Important to have cover even if it's third party, in case your dog causes an accident etc. Don't know much about it but I know Scutte does and probably others more experienced than me!

ReculverTowers · 02/05/2013 17:26

god you must have it. My dog became ill before christmas from something quite innocuous but had to be admitted to 2 overnights and it cost £700. Fine if you have that kind of money, but I don't. Hence why we have insurance

NotSoNervous · 02/05/2013 17:27

My 2yr old dog is insured with pet plan and has a life long cover. I know there more expensive but they really are worth it. If you ever have to make a large claim then most practices will claim direct from let plan but not other insurers. My dog just had to have a £3000 operation and pet plan were absolutely brilliant no problems at all. If you could I would go with him 100% but if the bank doesn't allow it then any insurance is better then none but just be cautious of having problems with it in the future

Kungfutea · 03/05/2013 03:30

My dog is not insured. We moved to the us so loads of exclusions (our dog is 9) so its just not worth it. Might look into 3rd party though since we are in the land of the lawsuit!

larlemucker · 03/05/2013 05:03

We have more than. When my Yorkie got cancer twice (unrelated types) they paid out nearly £7000 altogether and they pay direct to the vets so you don't have to find the money to start with.

fudgelover · 03/05/2013 05:47

We have marks and spencer pet insurance for our two dogs. Last year our 9 year old dog was diagnosed with diabetes. Then recently he developed cataracts which led to complete blindness. Without our insurance we would have had to have him put down as we could not have afforded all the costs. Surgery was successful and he is now back to his normal self. Though I must admit the premiums do go up rapidly once you start putting in large claims.

1MitchellMum · 03/05/2013 06:26

Pet Plan for us, now £70 per month for each dog. They're now 11 and 9. I think the older one has now had £25,000 worth of insurance claims back.

bryte · 03/05/2013 06:33

M&S here too.