# Pet Insurance ..



## Mrs Hippiechick (Jul 26, 2011)

Morning 

Our darling Archie came with 4 weeks free pet insurance, this has now run out and I'm looking for advice on which is the best company for insurance.

We'd like to get a lifetime cover policy and have no loyalty to any particular company, he came with Petplan - are they good?

Any advice or suggestions you have are always greatly appreciated 

x


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## Dylansmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Petplan are renowned as being the best, but also probably the most expensive! If money is no object, I'd go for them. The quotes you get depend on where you live - in my area they are really high. Some people have gone for Vets Medicover which seems to be a set price for everyone and quite reasonable. Others find that MoreThan, Tesco, M&S or others work out cheaper for their area. Best to just shop around and see what quotes you get.


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## Pepster (Jul 22, 2011)

One of my friend's has Petplan and is having specialist physio for her dog at Great Ormond St and they have been paying out well so I went with them, but I was talking to another friend yesterday who has had some £3000 bills lately and she is with Sainsburys and they have had no issues paying up either.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

You need to look for the following in pet insurance

*Life Time Cover*
*Continued Illness Cover* (can't remember the exact wording), but basically some pet insurance companies are only paying out on an illness up to a set value, ie £4K and this is not yearly but over the lifetime of the dog. I think this is fairly new so watch out for it, you definitely don't want it.

I went with VetsMediCover, its £21 per month and should never increase regardless of age of dog
£10K medical cover per year

http://www.vetsmedicover.co.uk/home/

Fortunately I haven't had to make a claim, but I do like their policy.


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## Jon Buoy (Sep 3, 2011)

I work in insurance (not in relation to pet insurance sadly) and have seen many instances where customers look solely at the price, but not at the terms of the policy being offered or the service that an insurance company can offer, so it's refreshing to hear that you're focussing on all aspects of the policy and asking for feedback.
I'll be looking to buy insurance too in the near future and so I'll be keeping a close eye on which companies receive good feedback, and more importantly details of any companies to avoid.
Jon


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

I'm with Sainsbury's - about £14 per month and a life time policy for continuing illness/injury for up to £7000 and double nectar points for 2 years. I looked around a lot and read all the small print plus I have a friend who took out a policy for her cat and they were very good paying out when she got knocked by a car - she's completely healthy again now! I always think public liability is worth having too!


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

Our cat is insured with Sainsbury's too. Costs around £9 a month but assume a cat insurance is cheaper than dog insurance (see Claire's post above). We haven't had to make a claim yet, touch wood. 

I just did a Google search and found this thread on Money Saving Expert, quite interesting...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/cut-pet-insurance-costs

Turi x


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

Ok, I logged onto ‘Which’ and below are their top-rated pet insurance policies. They’re all lifetime cover. 

*John Lewis*
*Vet fee cover* £10,000
*Policy score* 89%
*Annual premium (cross breed)* £192 
*Excess* £75
*Annual premium (pedigree)* £286 

*Homebase Platinum*
*Vet fee cover* £7500
*Policy score* 87%
*Annual premium (cross breed)* £192
*Excess* £75
*Annual premium (pedigree)* £343

*Argos Platinum*
*Vet fee cover* £7000
*Policy score* 85%
*Annual premium (cross breed)* £306
*Excess * £65
*Annual premium (pedigree)* £329

*Petplan Ultimate*
*Vet fee cover* £12,000
*Policy score* 81%
*Annual premium (cross breed)* £382
*Excess * £75
*Annual premium (pedigree)* £382

I assume a Cockapoo would be classed as a cross-breed? 

I hope this helps! 

Turi x


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## Hfd (Aug 19, 2011)

Hi - we did Billy's insurance a few weeks ago and after much research went with John Lewis which is lifetime cover, up to 7,000 cover and quite alot of extras for £14.70 per month. Obviously haven't claimed yet so can't comment but I know you can have them pay the vet direct. 
Try using a comparison site for prices and then compare the policy's.
X


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## michaelwatson54 (Jun 24, 2011)

We chose 'Pets at Home' in the end, 'Life Time Extra' £9000 per condition, lots of benefits, £14.20 per month. Have a look on their web site


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

I went for the John Lewis one which was great value and cover. Petplan was no good for me as it did not provide cover for when I was working as a childminder. The same would apply for any homeworking so please check that if you are self employed and have visitors to your home.


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

Sezra said:


> I went for the John Lewis one which was great value and cover. Petplan was no good for me as it did not provide cover for when I was working as a childminder. The same would apply for any homeworking so please check that if you are self employed and have visitors to your home.



Good advice concerning self-employment but naughty girl for being on here- now back to revising.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Good to read that people are taking the insurance seriously. You never think you are going to need it and then all of sudden something happens  

I have Argos Platinum and very glad too as I din't need to worry about the cost of any of Obi's recent treatment which was very expensive!


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

I had no idea that John Lewis even did insurance. They never came up when I was researching


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## Mrs Hippiechick (Jul 26, 2011)

WOWSERS!!! Some really great responses, I knew I could rely on you lot for some fab advice!

Me and my husband will ponder these options and come up with the best possible cover for our little tyke


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## Mags (Jul 17, 2011)

*Insurance*

We went with John Lewis just last month. We got lifetime cover for a great deal less then pet plan.


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

Yeh like you Julie I spent AGES searching and never saw John Lewis x


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## wilfiboy (Sep 18, 2010)

How strange as soon as I ve posted that and scrolled up... its come up in the google advert box at the top of the page


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

lol....google spiders are creepy!


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## Sue (Aug 30, 2011)

Which insurance did you decide on?


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## marzy (Aug 20, 2010)

can I ask .... ref insurance...... 
every year do u do a comparison check and move to the best possible insurance company? or is that a bad idea ref pet insurance? 
marzy x,


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

i think my mum compaired insurances last year, but still felt that more than were the best for us. 

just watch when changing, some insurances when changing ove have a couple of weeks brake between the cover, this happens with somone i knew with a dane, she took on a 7 month old dog and changed its insurance, then the dog got a badly cut paw fom broken glass and the insurance wouldnt cover it because it was at the start of the insurance change over. 

i think its because some people change or start insuranses when something goes wrong with the dog thinking they will get a better deal so the insurance companys have a couple of weeks of no cover before it starts. 

i have no iddea what company it was she was with, but thats what happened, the dog was fine, just needed sadated and part of it pad removed.


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## RubyCockapoo (Feb 5, 2011)

Watch the excess, quite often the lower the price the higher the excess, meaning you are less likely to claim of course. 

We use Animal Friends Insurance and we have good cover, looked at the policy below the one we currently have and it was a few pounds cheaper, paid out less per condition and the excess was also £20+ higher, so not good value.

Ian


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## Jon Buoy (Sep 3, 2011)

*Changing insurers*



marzy said:


> can I ask .... ref insurance......
> every year do u do a comparison check and move to the best possible insurance company? or is that a bad idea ref pet insurance?
> marzy x,


With some types of insurance such as your car or house insurance, it's important to check each year that you have the cover you need at a price that's right.

Some other insurances, like private healthcare and pet insurance, need more thought as most insurance will exclude *pre-existing* conditions.

If your dog has had any kind of treatment and is likely to require treatment again for the same condition, then make sure that the new insurer are willing to pay out - most won't and a policy that appears cheaper may end up costing you more. If in doubt, ring them, speak to an advisor and make sure you have confirmation in writing that payments for pre-existing conditions will be honoured.


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

Hi I have allways used NFU (national farmers union) for my horses and have now added Hattie. They have always been very good to me paid out in full when one of my horses had to be euthenased following long injury all costs covered. However it is important to check with your vet to see if they are happy to deal direct with the insurance company. Some will only deal direct with certain companies if they don't deal direct with your chosen company it can be time consuming to reclaim your expenses and you may not get all your expenditure.


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## Rileypoo (Dec 1, 2011)

Has anyone considered not insuring and putting money aside in a separate account each month? I am seriously considering this as from past experience with our cat, most of the vets visit were below the excess, the insurance company are then picky about what they will and won't cover and you end up paying for years (hopefully) with no claim. I am heavily swaying towards a dog account to at least take the pressure off any large bills and then taking out public liability insurance for £25/year with The Dogs Trust?


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Rileypoo said:


> Has anyone considered not insuring and putting money aside in a separate account each month? I am seriously considering this as from past experience with our cat, most of the vets visit were below the excess, the insurance company are then picky about what they will and won't cover and you end up paying for years (hopefully) with no claim. I am heavily swaying towards a dog account to at least take the pressure off any large bills and then taking out public liability insurance for £25/year with The Dogs Trust?


As I have only had Nacho a few months, I wouldn't have been able to save enough in that time to cover the costs that have just incurred. I would worry that if something else happened in quick succession (god forbid) that I just wouldn't be able to put enough money aside after paying out for the original treatment/surgery. - Just a thought to consider if you are doing this.


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

Just another point READ the terms and conditions, years ago I had what appeared to be a good value insurance however one of the conditions was that you had to send a recorded delivery letter before you went to the vet otherwise your claim was nul and void! When you are stressed because your pet is ill it is not the first thing you think of!


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## sharplesfamily (Apr 28, 2011)

Rileypoo said:


> Has anyone considered not insuring and putting money aside in a separate account each month? I am seriously considering this as from past experience with our cat, most of the vets visit were below the excess, the insurance company are then picky about what they will and won't cover and you end up paying for years (hopefully) with no claim. I am heavily swaying towards a dog account to at least take the pressure off any large bills and then taking out public liability insurance for £25/year with The Dogs Trust?


I really wouldn't recommend this for a dog. Vet bills are extortionate (it cost us £50 for a consultation & some eye drops) and if, god forbid, they need X-rays or an op you are talking hundreds if not thousands of pounds. For the sake of £20/mth you may as well do it properly and hopefully you won't need it.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

sharplesfamily said:


> I really wouldn't recommend this for a dog. Vet bills are extortionate (it cost us £50 for a consultation & some eye drops) and if, god forbid, they need X-rays or an op you are talking hundreds if not thousands of pounds. For the sake of £20/mth you may as well do it properly and hopefully you won't need it.


:iagree: Obi's vet bills are approx. £4000 and still ongoing! Would you really have this sort of cash saved up? You can never know what will happen to your dog! Also don't forget most insurance policies cover you for third party liability too not just vet bills. Imagine if your dog ran in to the road and caused a massive traffic accident. You could be sued for compensation by the other parties involved. I personally believe insurance is essential.


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## S.Claire (Sep 1, 2011)

Jedicrazy said:


> :iagree: Obi's vet bills are approx. £4000 and still ongoing! Would you really have this sort of cash saved up? You can never know what will happen to your dog! Also don't forget most insurance policies cover you for third party liability too not just vet bills. Imagine if your dog ran in to the road and caused a massive traffic accident. You could be sued for compensation by the other parties involved. I personally believe insurance is essential.


Couldn't agree more! xxx


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## Jon Buoy (Sep 3, 2011)

Rileypoo said:


> Has anyone considered not insuring and putting money aside in a separate account each month?


Careful car drivers might consider buying just third party insurance for their car, especially if their car is a low value, putting any savings in the bank in case of an accident. However, they have control over the way they drive and could simply scrap a car if serious damage occured.

You have no control over the claims relating to vets bills and so it's often bad luck if your dog falls ill. Can you afford to foot the bill if something happened? I would never risk it and intend to buy the best level of insurance possible.


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## Rileypoo (Dec 1, 2011)

ok, ok!! You've all convinced me, will start looking around!


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

marzy said:


> can I ask .... ref insurance......
> every year do u do a comparison check and move to the best possible insurance company? or is that a bad idea ref pet insurance?
> marzy x,


Be very very careful if you are thinking of doing this. If your dog develops a problem with e.g a leg part of the form your vet will have to complete will be the first time your dog ever showed a problem with that leg - if you ever mentioned a slight limp which was examined with no need for treatment that will be sufficient for the insurance company to regard it as a pre-existing condition if you have changed companies or do not have true life time cover.

Also referring to the question of not insuring - one of my last dogs had problems with his back - a referral to a specialist vet cost almost £200 just for the appointment and over £100 for each subsequent appointment - and that did not include any treatment, an MRI scan was well over £1000 and surgery over £2000. Over the terms of his treatment I worked out I claimed over £8000 from his insurance company (petplan) and paid out a fair bit myself for things either not covered or the year I went well over his annual limit.


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## looby (Dec 11, 2011)

I pick up my puppy on tuesday and am looking at insurance currently- just wondered who thinks the lifetime policies are worthwhile and worth the money?


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

Me!!!

As well as my previous dog having problems my 2 year old cockapoo has just been diagnosed with luxating patella which means she is likely to need an operation on each of her knees at some point in the future. As she is insured with lifetime cover I can take the best advice of my vets as to when the best time for surgery might be. If she did not have lifetime cover I might be faced with a decision about doing the operations now so they were covered by insurance or waiting until the best time for her knowing her insurance will not cover it.

Unless you can find several thousand pounds quickly with no worries then I consider lifetime insurance a must.

There are also a couple of different versions of lifetime cover. One will have a fixed amount which can be used on one condition over however many years that takes - the other has an annual amount which is renewed each year. Specialist veterinary referrals are scarily expensive!


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

:iagree: Lifetime cover is really important. Hopefully you will never need to to claim on it but you can never know if something serious will happen to your dog. Accidents happen! Also heck if the insurance pays the claim direct or whether you have to pay and then claim back. My insurance paid direct but they have taken months to do so and only just settled the main chunk of Obi's bill from September. If that money had been coming out of my pocket then Christmas would most definitely have been cancelled...phew!


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