We are getting a dog in the summer, having finally made our decision of what breed (Lab). My husband seems to think that pet insurance is a waste of money as you may never use it and most insurers will not insure dogs over a certain age. I think he is insane to think we should not have the dog insured. My old dog cost my parents ££££ and I don't want to repeat that. I am also aware that certain breeds are more prone to certain conditions than others. How do I make him see sense??
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Pet insurance advice please?
- Thread starter Megatron
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It all depends on the outlook of the person. Personally, I sware by Pet insurance, however my parents are of the opinion it is a waste of money.
The key factor is obviously if a pet becomes ill. Can you afford the potential costs if your pet becomes ill?
A consultation can cost anywhere from £20 to £60 depending on who you go with and that's without any other costs like medication and repeat appointments.
There is also different types of insurance also which confuse matters.
I wrote a basic guide, which helps explain the differences. http://www.dogforum.co.uk/topic/79961-dog-insurance-a-guide-from-an-idiot/?hl=insurance
From a personal perspective, Oreo (my lab) has suffered with allergies since we adopted her last year. We pay £24 a month for her insurance, however we have claimed over £1,000 in vets medication, appointments and specialist appointments. Upon renewal they have increased her premium by just over 50p a month.
If you do go down the insurance route, make sure it's a for life policy rather than a yearly one as you will then not get the issue of pre exisiting conditions (see my link above).
By going to a reputable breeder you will reduce the chance of any issues however there is no guarantee a puppy will be healthy forever.
An allergy problem for example can appear at anytime in a dogs life and is very expensive to treat.
In regards to age, some insurance companies do stop insuring their dogs at the age of 8 for example. Someone like pet plan will continue to insure dogs over that age but they do place certain conditions into that, for example you won't get the cost of purchasing the puppy/dog back after the age of 8 whereas prior to 8 years old they will give you that money should the dog die.
So in summery I would insure every dog I own as I could not afford the costs associated with it upfront.
The key factor is obviously if a pet becomes ill. Can you afford the potential costs if your pet becomes ill?
A consultation can cost anywhere from £20 to £60 depending on who you go with and that's without any other costs like medication and repeat appointments.
There is also different types of insurance also which confuse matters.
I wrote a basic guide, which helps explain the differences. http://www.dogforum.co.uk/topic/79961-dog-insurance-a-guide-from-an-idiot/?hl=insurance
From a personal perspective, Oreo (my lab) has suffered with allergies since we adopted her last year. We pay £24 a month for her insurance, however we have claimed over £1,000 in vets medication, appointments and specialist appointments. Upon renewal they have increased her premium by just over 50p a month.
If you do go down the insurance route, make sure it's a for life policy rather than a yearly one as you will then not get the issue of pre exisiting conditions (see my link above).
By going to a reputable breeder you will reduce the chance of any issues however there is no guarantee a puppy will be healthy forever.
An allergy problem for example can appear at anytime in a dogs life and is very expensive to treat.
In regards to age, some insurance companies do stop insuring their dogs at the age of 8 for example. Someone like pet plan will continue to insure dogs over that age but they do place certain conditions into that, for example you won't get the cost of purchasing the puppy/dog back after the age of 8 whereas prior to 8 years old they will give you that money should the dog die.
So in summery I would insure every dog I own as I could not afford the costs associated with it upfront.
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this is my take on it, when you get a dog you never really know whats going to happen as in allergies and as a unlucky dog whos clumsy so saying that its a good idea, now as for what i do, ive never had insurance ever but what i do from day one is 5 pound a week going into a tin that you must never ever touch unless its for the dog on big injuries, my last lurcher towards the end cost a bit 300 400, but that money was in the pot and i had 285 pound left rolling over to my two dogs now, its now sitting at over 600 havnt counted it for a while so somethink to think of, but each will be different,
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The above is a good idea.
If you don't want insurance the other option of course is whatever you would pay in insurance costs (for example £25 a month) you put into a savings account just in case.
It's not a fail safe plan as you could need money straight away but it's a way of minimising the risk.
Once you take your dog to the vets for any treatment (apart from the yearly injections etc) it then becomes a pre exisiting condition and won't be covered on future policies (unless you have a policy in place already).
So that is something else to think about.
If you don't want insurance the other option of course is whatever you would pay in insurance costs (for example £25 a month) you put into a savings account just in case.
It's not a fail safe plan as you could need money straight away but it's a way of minimising the risk.
Once you take your dog to the vets for any treatment (apart from the yearly injections etc) it then becomes a pre exisiting condition and won't be covered on future policies (unless you have a policy in place already).
So that is something else to think about.
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you have to be hard with yourself at times lol, but the dogs must and in my case do come first,
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I would not even considering having a dog without insurance now.
Rocky recently cut his foot on the pad quite badly which has cost £230 to get right again. The excess is £65 so this is all I will have to pay out.
I have had to use the credit card to pay the vet bills along the way but at least I know I will get the majority of it back from the insurance. Rocky is insured through Argos Pet Insurance on a Lifetime Policy with the Platinum cover.
If you dont go for the insurance cover, you must put a certain amount of cash away each month to cover anything that may happen.
Rocky recently cut his foot on the pad quite badly which has cost £230 to get right again. The excess is £65 so this is all I will have to pay out.
I have had to use the credit card to pay the vet bills along the way but at least I know I will get the majority of it back from the insurance. Rocky is insured through Argos Pet Insurance on a Lifetime Policy with the Platinum cover.
If you dont go for the insurance cover, you must put a certain amount of cash away each month to cover anything that may happen.
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Just insure the dog and dont tell him if he is that against it, I have mine insured as I know how expensive things cost and I NEVER want to be in a position where I have to euthanase my pet because I cant afford treatment,
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Insurance should be factored in as part of the cost of owning a dog. Not only should you consider the cost of illness and accidents, but also it is crucial in this litigious society we live in.Your dog may get loose and cause a serious accident (god forbid) the legal costs of which could be prohibitive.
My 4 girls are all insured - at 15 months my middle whippet fell seriously ill with SRMA and subsequently had 2 relapses. We are close now to claiming her £7k limit for the condition. My 12 year old mini schnauzer has chronic liver failure and only today I am faced with the very possible diagnosis of Cushing's disease. Her renewal this year was far from cheap, but thank goodness it is in place as she faces her 3rd visit this year to Glasgow Vet School in a few days time.
My 4 girls are all insured - at 15 months my middle whippet fell seriously ill with SRMA and subsequently had 2 relapses. We are close now to claiming her £7k limit for the condition. My 12 year old mini schnauzer has chronic liver failure and only today I am faced with the very possible diagnosis of Cushing's disease. Her renewal this year was far from cheap, but thank goodness it is in place as she faces her 3rd visit this year to Glasgow Vet School in a few days time.
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you can survive without insurance but you must av a plan.
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