dog insurance

[flipnflap]

Petplan tell me that, if I take out dog insurance with them, I'd have to pay the first £75 on any claim. How many pet insurers do this?

[wolf63]

All of them have an excess - I have to pay the first £100 with Tesco.

[bednobs]

it's 85 with direct line

[Buenchico]

Insurance companies usually specify such an 'excess' with almost all types of policy. (i.e. you'll encounter an 'excess' with car insurance and home contents insurance, as well as with pet insurance).

This table lists the 'minimum excess' applying to pet policies from some of the biggest insurers:
http://www.money.co.uk/pet-insurance.htm

Chris

[Kassee]

I've never had dog insurance. Always had a dog tho, sometimes two. At the mo I have my fourth dog, a lovely labradoodle. All my dogs have lived till old age. Whenever I needed treatment from the Vet, I paid for it. But I have never needed very expensive treatment, one labrador had an allergy for many years.

In short, if I had paid pet insurance for all those fourty years - it would have cost me a fortune. Better to save your money in a savings account, and it is there when and if you need it.

[woofgang]

we have had dogs for more than 20 years and always insured them. All of them have had treateble problems in old age and while we would cheerfully have covered the vet bills, it was nice not to have to. I do't think that Petplan have made much out of us.

[willowman]

I agree with kassee.
We run a boarding cattery and often advise people to put money in a savings account each month.
That way if you dont have to pay any vet bills then you will at least be getting interest on the money. You will also have enough money to actually pay all the small bills which would not be covered by the insurance because of the excess.
If you put enough away each month, into what one of our customers calls his cats account, then you could also cover boarding fees whilst you are away.

[bednobs]

not that it has anything to do with the question but i disagree with the above!
I would hate to be in a position where if my dog was hurt i had to chose between getting him treated, or put down because i can't afford to make him well, therefore insurance is the right thing for me.

[lankeela]

Thats the point, if you can afford (beg, borrow or steal or credit card) to meet an unexpected bill then don't bother with insurance just put some away each month. If you know you would struggle with a big bill then take out the appropriate insurance (some offer different levels - for example I would only want vets bills covered not things like holiday cancellation fees). However in over forty years of owning many animals the biggest vet bill I have ever had was £280 in one go.

[woofgang]

we have had £4,000

[divegirl]

I've had one bill for £4000 and two at £2000, I'm with Animal Friends and pay £24 and £26 a month for my Danes and have an excess of £69.

Lisa x