Dogs & Insurance (Cavaliers)

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My cavalier (who is a rescue) became seriously ill the other day. She is still being monitored & making progress.

My question is about pet insurance. I've always paid since I had her but just speaking to the insurers I think I might be messed up not telling them (it didn't occur to me) that she had a heart murmur. It was a grade 2 & I've always been told it's fine. Of course when I took the insurance out she didn't have one.
Because it wasn't causing a problem, she's never been treated or had medication for it, it didn't occur to me to tell them. Is it going to be a problem? Is there anything I can do? Feeling stupid now.

Do you mean you weren't aware she had the heart murmur when you took out the policy & it wasn't diagnosed until after the usual 14 day waiting period?

It will depend on details of your individual policy, but I've not told my insurers of anything unless making a claim or needing pre authorisation. When making the first claim all the vet history is sent so anything on the records that is preexisting your cover would be picked up. I didn't claim for lameness treatment prior to seeing a specialist as didn't want my premiums hiked up unnecessarily but it wasn't a problem to reclaim the backdated costs after.
What insurer is it, some are known wrigglers from paying out?

If the murmur was diagnosed after the 2 weeks exclusion period right at the very beginning and you haven't changed company and it is a life policy then I think you would be ok. Is there anything in your T&Cs that state you would have to contact them? Mine just asked a series of questions on the renewal but otherwise I didn't need to do anything specific. On my first claim they did ask for a full history from the vets but that was to check for any preexisting conditions prior to taking the policy out.

Companies vary so I would crawl through your T&Cs

Thanks for your replies. I took out the policy when I got her almost 6 years ago & she had a clean bill of health. I think sometime around a year or so ago, a heart murmur was noted but was told it was nothing to worry about. In the summer at her check it remained a grade 2 & the same advice. I've never put in a claim before & it didn't occur to me to tell them because no action was required.
Talking to the vet today, (a different one) he said that any dog that has a heart murmur should be properly assessed. So really I'm a bit that they made light of it.

The recommendations changed for small dog heart murmurs in September/October of this year. It used to be wait till symptoms occur, as the result of a large good quality study the recommendations changed to heart murmurs grade 2/3 should have imaging to assess if there is any heart enlargement if there is then medication should be started before clinical signs.
The original advice was correct at the time it was given, and the advice you have been given is now correct in light of new information.

I think you should be ok.. you had the policy long before the murmur.. just ring and tell them.. my 4 year old cav is in the vets at the moment ... went in on Boxing Day stayed 24 hours with the emergency vet and now another 24 hours with the usual vets... my bill is almost at £1000 and I have no insurance.. she has a bad gastric bug causing blood either end... her heart murmur has slowed down her recovery as they can’t give her a lot of fluids as her heart rate increases...

Bloomin dog.. I wouldn’t be without her though x

charlieboo oh how awful for you/her.
Hope she is making progress, yes we wouldn't be without her. I think if she can get though this, life will be different though, I'm loathe to book a summer holiday - taking each day as it comes though.
Fingers crossed the insurance pays out for us. I've paid out almost £1,800 How come you don't have insurance?

Thanks lonecatwithkitten my Vets has the claim form now & said really if the previous vets thought it was an issue they should have advised me & the insurance can check vet records anytime. Just need to wait & see now..

Hope they pay out OP.