Decision on pet insurance - cockerpoo is now 8

[IWillAlwaysBeinaClubWithYouin1973]

Currently paying £140 a month for lifetime insurance with £15k PA limit, now he's turned 8 they want £154 a month - is it time to get something cheaper, but will have to be with less cover. Pre-existing conditions are lipomas (lots of fatty lumps) and cruciate ligament disease both hind legs, but hasn't been a problem so far.

What sort of policies are other MNetters buying for older dogs?

I wouldn’t if I were you to be honest. It’s a load of money but it’s likely an 8yo dog with pre existing conditions is going to need to claim. I do agree it’s extortionate and wonder if we will see people going to mainland Europe for treatment soon (like turkey teeth but for dogs!)

Premiums go up because the likelihood of needing insurance rises. Our insurance paid out around £10k in the last couple of years of our dog's life.

It could restrict your options if you need it and you have less cover, not saying don't do it, but weigh it up carefully before moving.

Things like paying for an MRI at £2.5k to get a diagnosis and correct treatment instead of waiting and watching and/or best guess treatment.

Have a look at "Vets by Subscription". We have one and therefore don't need insurance.

I don't know how many Vets now exist using this model but we are more than happy with ours.

None of ours has been insured past eight because of the massive increase in premiums and that most insurers say excess plus 20% on all claims. Even when my previous dog needed a huge operation at 11, over the last eight years of his life we broke even. He was on arthritis medication for the last few years but that still came in cheaper than insuring him.

If he has cruciate issues and has not yet had surgery he most likely will need it at some point. You're prob looking about 3k per knee so no I wouldn't cancel your insurance. You would need to save the same amount for 2 years to pay for 1 knee out of your own pocket.

My rescue is 8yrs. I have lifetime cover, limit of £5k. Doesn't cover dental and I have to pay excess plus 20% of any claim because of her age. Costs me £23.84 a month.

8 isn’t old at all. I would only consider no insurance once they’re in double figures and you know that you wouldn’t put them through intense surgery or treatment.

I pay £36 a month for lifetime cover for my 11yo dog. Only has 5k of cover but my reckoning is at her age I would not be putting her through major surgery. But last year I was paying £25 a month for 12k of cover. I also have a 20% co pay for the first time this year.

Not sure why your premiums are so much? Maybe he’s considered risky becoming he’s had ligament problems before? Though if that’s not covered it doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand insurance.

ive never claimed on the insurance. She’s never been ill until last month and has been diagnosed with arthritis. I’ve paid £140 in consultation and meds already. Ongoing it looks like the meds will be £36 every six months so not worth claiming as excess is £250. I’m ok with that. I know if she needed scans, investigations that’s the sort of thing which it would probably be useful for.

With that medical history I wouldn't be cancelling or switching insurance.

I was lucky enough to be able to put money away for my dog, rather than paying insurance once it stared to rise to ridiculous amounts.

I pay around £1200 a year for only a 4K lifetime policy on an 8 year old.

It seems such bad value except we have almost maxed out each year so when you look at the cold hard figures that means on average we get around 3k each year for the price we pay.

I just feel lucky that apart from excesses we have managed to not go over the yearly amount (yet).

Cruciate ligament surgery is £4000 per leg, plus x-rays before and after, plus potential for tweaks need to be done on the pin.

Your dog is at very high risk of needing this, and high risk for arthritis, hence the premium being so high.

Thanks for all replies, I did cancel it on 23rd December and I am now thinking I did the wrong thing. Just trying to find out if I can reinstate as it doesnt actually expire till 6th January. I'm torn - £150+ per month is more than I can afford and I am reliant on ex-H to help. But the lipomas are my main concern and when I woke up on Christmas Eve the thought of the dog needing help and then having the conversation about affording it made me feel sick.

Just to answer questions on the cruciate, both injuries were from 2020 and in 2022 we were eventually referred to the Royal Veterinary College hospital, they did the MRI and scans etc. They advised not to operate on either leg. However, this is what put the premiums up; they've always said to me he "may" need the operation(s) in future. But so far he's not shown any symptoms. So I have to go with what they say, I can't keep seeking more opinions.

I'm currently trying to find out what the cancellation terms are of the new policy I took out on 23rd December and if previous company will disregard my email saying cancel it, and then take it from there.

I’ve never had insurance over many decades of dog owning. To be honest the cost when you have more than two can be crippling. Instead I have a dedicated bank account where I put what I can afford regularly & pay out any vet costs from that. The account stands currently at over £25,000, money that would have been in some insurance company’s profit. I don’t actually know any other exhibitor/ breeders that pay insurance, all do the same, as we tend to have quite a few dogs.

We do something similar though we’re on our first dog. We sat down and did the maths and also factored in that very few people we know insured their pets past 7/8yo as the cost just becomes extortionate. We’re also in the position luckily that if the dog needed treatment we’d be able to afford it ourselves. So instead what we do is save €20 a week into a dedicated Revolut vault. Luckily the only time we’ve needed to bring him to the vet was last year when he was limping (silly thing had pulled something running the mountains) so we didn’t even bother using the vault as was only €100 for the visit agd pain killers. Vault stands at just over 3K and will be 7/8K by the time he’s 7yo.

Preexisting conditions sometimes actually mean have you claimed in the last two years, if you haven't they may be covered under a new policy, bear in mind when shopping around,

I always think the insurance drive forces loads of tests etc.

I always let the vet know and discuss what are we doing before getting animals out of basket to keep it sensible!

and yes it usually doesn’t cover dental and if it does, you need to show you have taken animal for all sorts of maintenance care that costs anyway.

I remember my niece scooping her cat up when vet quoted £3k to make it vomit (2 cats). It was no brainer for her, as she went to leave they gave her tablets that do the same, and you can guess how much cheaper!

also my own dog - my trusted vet said I can do an MRI at £3k but treatment would be the same so do you want to do it? I said no. Doubt I would have been asked if I had insurance.

I also would never want to put my animal through having mechanical legs etc a la supervet. Dogs live In the moment so I don’t need to worry about 15k bills!!!

I've reinstated the original insurance. Will let it run another year, I am worried the lipoma might grow exponentially and I understand even if not cancerous they can cause other issues so I thought let's wait and see and maybe do my research a lot earlier in 2025 not just freak out when I get the renewal notice!