Have I put my foot in it with puppy insurance?

[MissShapesMissStakes]

I am new to dog owning. Have a 4 month old miniature poodle.

I have been looking at increasing our insurance amount as I only took out for £1000 per condition (lifetime). I want to increase the amount per condition - no reason other than dog people have said it’s not that much really.

I have spoken to animal friends who I am with and they said I can do that but would have to close the current policy and start a new one but with a 14 day grace period.

I just went to his monthly puppy check/worming appointment and mentioned that in the evenings his poo is a bit loose. It’s fine in the mornings. The nurse wasn’t concerned and just said he looks very healthy and is a healthy weight. She said to try just feeding his main food for a week without treats to see if that helps. If that didn’t make a different to come in and see the vet.

But now will that go down as a ‘pre existing condition’ that the insurance can use to wriggle out of paying with if anything comes of it.
It was just a general casual chat amongst other things. And she did say it’s probably that he’s eating something he shouldn’t in the day.

What would you more experienced dog owners suggest I do?

Have I buggered things up?!

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Thanks Bitey I didn’t realise that about multiple insurance. I will make sure I sort this ASAP. I pretty sure I will go with Petplan. Just need to sort this out.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Thanks Mando - good idea. I will phone them on Monday afternoon when hopefully they will also have the vets letter too.

[mando12345]

On what a bugger, I'm sorry to hear that.

I'd keep both going for a while, a dog walking friend has found animal friends very easy to claim from for her dogs anterior cruciate ligament which she claimed for very shortly after she changed to them. But £1,000 cover is not enough.

The only exclusion is worth about is the one for stomach problems, I'd try and on them down on what they mean by further investigations.

[BiteyShark]

This is why I always point out to people that it's 'everything' that has been mentioned and not just what people have claimed for when people say they shop around for pet insurance every year. Sorry slight rant and not what you asked OP.

I would continue to push petplan and your vets to get the exclusions in place that is acceptable to you. Once you have claimed for lots of things you are tied in anyway. I can't move now as my dog is uninsurable really with all his previous accidents and illnesses.

As for keeping the AF policy I don't know how multiple insurances work as usually you have to declare if they are 'multiple insurances'. I think that means they can demand the other insurers to pay an equal amount which might just complicate claims but if you are doing that just until you are happy with the new insurer then it's unlikely to be an issue.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

It’s only for £1000 per condition, per year. Lifetime. I didn’t think it was too bad but I’ve only ever had much cheaper guinea pigs treated at the vets!
Also have heard Animal Friends are good at wriggling out of stuff anyway.

[threemilesupthreemilesdown]

If your Animal Friends policy is only £6 a month, what level of cover do you have?

[MissShapesMissStakes]

So I set up insurance with petplan but luckily haven’t yet cancelled AnimalFriends as having a few issues.
They requested all his medical notes. And then I got an email saying there are a ‘number of pre existing conditions they will not cover’. Freaked me out!

What they are referring to is:

1. At his first (and only) vet visit for jabs and check the vet felt his throat and he coughed once. She said it could be a sign of kennel cough. I replied that he hadn’t coughed any other time apart from a couple of days before when he had almost choked on a piece of plastic which had come out of a dog toy from Pets at Home and was very sharp (whole other story but I will never shop there again now). The vet said it was probably a little sore then and he hasn’t coughed since (over 2 months ago!). This will mean related issues are excluded for 12 months.
   

1. Apparantly the nurse at his last worming/flea appointment noted that one of his testicles hadn’t quite dropped yet. So now petplan won’t cover him for any testicular issues until he is castrated (which I plan on doing at around 6 months so not a massive issue).
   

1. Due to me mentioning slightly looser poos sometimes in an evening they won’t cover him for any related issues. I wasn’t worried and wouldn’t have mentioned it but the nurse asked. They are unwilling to state how long this exclusion is for until ‘further investigation’ is carried out. I’m assuming that’s the week off any food other than his kibble, assuming all is fine after that.
   

I can understand their unwillingness to cover gastro-intestinal stuff (ish). But he is a puppy and it’s pretty common so hopefully that will be sorted eventually.
The vet has said she will write to Petplan about the cough and explain that she feels it was explained and is now not an issue.

Is it allowed/sensible for me to keep up both policies for now? The Animal Friends has no exclusions as there were no pre existing conditions due to him being 9 weeks when I took out the policy. So hopefully they would cover the cough, bowels, testicular issues should anything come of them.
It’s only £6 a month for Animal Friends so I don’t mind doing that for a few months while I sort this.

[Behappy2]

I'd avoid animal friends like the plague! I'm currently with them for one of my pets (cat) and when I briefly mentioned that I had dogs they would not stop hounding me to get the insurance with them, they were wanting for my 2 pedigree dogs (springer & cocker spaniel) £80 a month! £4000 cover but I was already with more than so didn't feel the need to change and they charge me £32 a month with £8000 cover. I'd recommend more than 100% I was thinking of going with petplan but they are super expensive as well! Go on MoneySuperMarket and get some price comparisons. I've heard horror stories about animal friends as well so when the cats insurance runs out in a couple of months I'm moving from them, I only pay £6 now but I'd rather pay more to have the piece of mind that if something does happen it'll get paid out.

[BiteyShark]

I have seen others say their exclusions have been removed after a certain time so sounds similar. It just helps to be forewarned from your point of view if you know that a big bill might be coming your way if you are unfortunate to have something similar even though the chances of that are low.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Thanks Bitey. Have just spoken to them and they have requested all his notes (not many!). The person I spoke to said the chances are there will be a specific exclusion but not for the length of the policy. Hopefully just for a small amount of time as they understand that this happens quite often to puppies for no real reason.
🤞

[BiteyShark]

If it's on your notes and you are with petplan I would ask them exactly what is excluded and for how long when you take the policy. Then you know upfront before making any decisions on claims because I am with them and they will ask for everything that has been noted.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Argh! Phoned the vets and it has been noted on his records and the receptionist said that those notes would go to the insurers if I clamined for any stomach/intestine related issue in the future.

Me and my big mouth! Not sure what to do now to be honest!
Probably go with petplan and hope that nothing comes of it?!

[BiteyShark]

MissShapesMissStakes when I put in my first claim the insurer emailed the vets cc'ing me asking for 'all' history irrespective of whether it was linked to the claim or not so something like PainSnail scenario would have come up.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Snail - would the insurance company check that when a new policy is set up do you think or is it something they would search back for if anything stomach related ever came up? I’ve answered questions about ‘pre existing conditions (I said none) whether been to vets other than routine jabs etc (he hasn’t, this was a free puppy check and worming).

Mando - I think I will. They’re going to think I’m bonkers though aren’t they?! It was only a weigh in and puppy check

[mando12345]

If you phone the vet just ask what exactly is on his notes, don't mention specific things just ask the person to read exactly what's written. This won't make things worse, if you're lucky it won't be noted down.

[PainSnail]

Something like that might be temporarily excluded when you switch. My dog had an episode of gastroenteritis (diagnosed by vet and treated etc) and a few months later I switched her insurance to pet plan. They listed it as a pre existing condition, but only for a year past the treatment date, so I wouldn't have been able to claim for it again in that time. After that though it was taken off her record, so as to speak.

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Wow so much advice and info. Thank you!
Marley - that’s exactly what it sounds like. His poo is perfectly pick-up-able in the morning. But by evening it’s only just pick-up-able.

If I phone the vets will it then make it a bigger issue if I ask about whether it’s on his notes?

[BiteyShark]

MarleyMooChick yes know that feeling. I so regret not getting a larger year limit but can't change it now given everything we have claimed for

[MarleyMooChick]

BiteyShark I understand. I do feel like I'm at the mercy of the insurance companies sometimes.

[BiteyShark]

MarleyMooChick it's a grey area I think. For example my dog was diagnosed with IBD which is a life long condition and requires medication when it flares up. The first symptoms of that are D&V which our insurance did pay out for. It was only when those episodes became so severe requiring admission did we opt for investigations which resulted in the diagnosis.

[MarleyMooChick]

Yes insurance will ask for all history, but a bout of diarrhoea shouldn't be a problem, only pre existing conditions

[MarleyMooChick]

Was just about to post again as realised I wasn't clear & happy to be corrected if what I write is wrong.
Meant to say I was under the assumption that diarrhoea is just a symptom of something else, whether due to over feeding, eating rubbish, or an infection/illness. If it is not the cause of an illness, then there should not be a restriction in a new policy. Lots of dogs get upset stomachs.
I have had previously a puppy that had diarrhoea due to a Campylobacter infection & in that case I had to stick with my insurance company for the life of my dog.
You could call up an insurance company that you are not interested in going with & pose the question to them. Or if you are thinking if starting a new policy with the insurance you are with, ask them if there would be any restrictions.

[TweedAddict]

I’m with Animal friends with my 3 dogs. In all honesty they have been fab. My puppy has got a lifetime condition, they pay out no issues, her meds per month cost 10x the amount I pay for her policy. I’m also claiming for my older dog, who did have something similar wrong with him 5years ago, again they paid out with no issues. I don’t think they are as bad as people think they are

[BiteyShark]

MarleyMooChick when you say it didn't affect moving over to your new insurance it would only become an issue if you claimed for something in that area and they found something on your record that they considered pre existing as when I did my first claim they asked the vet to send 'ALL' the history right from the start and not just about what I was claiming for. If that is what you meant then apologies but it wasn't clear if you just meant taking out a policy which is fine because it's down to you to declare anything previous but equally they will check history at claim time.

[MarleyMooChick]

It shouldn't be a problem as I not sure if diarrhoea is a condition in itself. If there was an underlying cause such as an infection then it's a condition.
I've got a six month old puppy, & it's common for puppies to have it, and her poos did deteriorate over the day, to mush by the evening. Breeder said it was normal due to less processing time in the gut than overnight, and the large amount of food & meals puppies need.
Quite often my puppies diarrhoea was a sign of over feeding so just reduced the amount, it's a constant adjustment of food as they grow.
My dog is with Vetsure insurance. She came with 5 weeks petplan insurance & then the vet gave me a voucher for 5 weeks free Vetsure insurance when that came to an end.
I had visited the vet for diarrhoea under the petplan one as there was some blood, & it didn't effect moving to the Vetsure one.