[Malmum]

From £61 pcm to £123 pcm! Platinum cover.

Not much I can do about it as she is still undergoing investigations for her back leg, x ray next week. The only thing I can do at the mo is have that x ray before renewal and at least not have to pay another £75 excess.

So she's booked in for next Friday and that will give me a week to decide if I will go else where for a lower grade insurance. If I find it's something that doesn't show apparent bone/tissue problem and she is kept on medication I'l go elsewhere, because I can afford to buy the meds. If it shows something major (hopefully not) that will need lots more medical intervention I will stay with Homebase and get it sorted.

I knew hers would rise drastically once she approached seven and I also know that Flynns (4 1/2) will double to at least £76 at renewal because I got a test quote for a Mal of his age recently, just out of interest. Martys doubled too last renewal.

So it would seem insurance is doubling across he board but you have to be so careful going elsewhere because not only will she not be covered for her back legs but also her stomach because she had a scan last year due to digestive probs.

Got us every which way we turn it would seem!

 

[Freyja]

I've been looking for quotes for the italian greyhounds. I am lothed to insure 3 of them as Micca has 2 legs that would not be covered and Mac and Buck each have 1 leg that wouldn't be covered. How I see it is why should I pay full price for a dog which in Micca's case will only cover half of her as the main claim with iggies is broken legs if she manged to break either of her wonky legs they wouldn't pay out anyway.

 

[Malmum]

I know what you mean freyja. Flynn is no longer covered for hip related problem, which likely would mean nothing back lag wise is insured but the quotes for him are the same as for Marty who hasn't had any claims for leg related issues. You expect the premium would be slightly lower but no!

Homebase and Argos won't allow you to downgrade to Silver either even though any claims would pay out less, instead of the £7,000 as with platinum. So you really have no choice but to stay with them and pay an extortionate premium or go elsewhere and lose the cover for any condition already treated.

I would have happily downgraded to silver with all of them and just know that at least I had some form of cover for any pre existing condition but it's not in their interest to allow that. They would rather lose your custom altogether or back you into a corner where you can't afford to go any where else.

Like I said, depending on her x ray results I may cancel and go else where for less cover but you have to be so very careful, she had a tummy scan and that could very well be a reason that if she ever got bloat (God forbid) they would lump the two together and not pay for that either.

I am surprised the pet insurance business is not better regulated because I don't think this is a fair deal personally. I'd rather be penalised for having extensive vet treatments (as in Flynns case) pay more for that dog and less for one that hasn't had much treatment in seven years, as with Kali and Marty. At least that would be more affordable in the long run.

 

[BessieDog]

Have a word with your vet. The same thing happened to me with my Great Dane when he was 8. (He lived until he was 11).

They told me the insurance wasn't worth it, and worked with me to get the lowest possible costs for treatment. Rather than getting the meds from them they wrote prescriptions that I could get filled on the Internet (mind you, prescriptions were free then vets can charge now).

Your vet will be able to advise what treatment may be needed in the future, and whether putting that money aside might cover it.

I hate it when insurance companies do that!

 

[Malmum]

Good idea BessieDog. I have a lovely vet and I know he'd allow a payment plan.

I wonder if I could just do direct debits to him monthly so as it builds up for future use. I'll go and speak to the head receptionist later. I'd much rather pay him in advance then pay any excess when they have treatment.

 

[Freyja]

When Buck broke his leg the original price the orthopedic vet gave to our vet was £2000 to pin it. Our vet told him he wasn't insured so the answer would be no. The price came down to £750 which we decided was affordable if we maxed out OH's credit card. When we took him in the vet asked how we were planning on paying and if we could find it in cash he could maybe bring the price down more.

It just goes to show the price can be cheaper and vets will do it cheaper if you tell them the dog is not insured.

Mac and Micca have just had xrays a couple of weeks ago the price ? £17.50 each.

 

[Happy Paws2]

The only thing about changing ins. they don't cover any previous problems.

Dillon has had bloat if we changed to a different ins. they would not cover him if he bloated again, that could cost over £2000 so we really have to stay with who we have now.

 

[Malmum]

I have just spoken to Marion (head recep) and she said many clients have a kitty with a standing order going in monthly.

I am not going to renew Kali's ins (depending on Fridays results) but will pay money into the vets each month instead. As Marion said, they haven't seen Flynn since his hip replacements ops, so his insurance money for this last year anyway has had no claims meaning if it had gone into the vets I'd have that to fall back on should he need it, as it is it's just gone to Argos.

Of course there's always the chance an MRI or the like may be needed but as Freyja has said maybe they'll cut the cost if not insured. It's a shame vets stump up prices of insured pets because it all has a knock on effect to us ultimately by increasing our premiums.

Anyway I am going to put £60 each for Flynn and Kali, ask Carly if she wants to do the same and have a kitty for vet fee's. I will pay for medication as I get it and leave the rest for consultations or investigations. As Marion said, insurance is great when you have to make a claim but all other times it's money not used.

It's a risk but if anything were to need loads of money there's five of us here who can all chip in and any shortfall pay in instalments. I'd rather it went straight to the vet because I know I'm bad with cash and likely dip into it if something came up.

 

[2Hounds]

Ouch! This is what i'm dreading now my lad is entering his senior years.

Out of interest why pay the vet in advance rather than set up a separate bank account and then pay out of that?

 

[GoldenShadow]

I've done quotes for Roo when he is 7-8 and he would be about £80 a month with current insurance rates. Thing is though he is a retriever, if I do a quote for a mal of the same age like you Malmum it is upwards of £120

I will keep Roo's going as long as possible as his is ongoing, but I can completely see why you wouldn't. Dogs Trust do a membership for about £20 I think for a year which gives you third party liability cover if you wanted that at all.

 

[BessieDog]

Don't the vets eyes just light up with glee if they know your insured! Really sad as its the people paying high insurance premiums who pay for it.

Just one thing to check, if your paying him direct will you get any excess back when the time eventually comes and you don't need to pay anymore? And will he give you proper statements of how there is in the pot and how much you've used. Otherwise I'd rather pay it into a separate bank account.

 

[8tansox]

Insurance is so depressing.

I don't think I'll ever insure another dog of mine. Fletcher & Flint (the Rotties) are insured but Floyd the terrier isn't. When Flint had all of his problems a few years back the insurance company paid out £4K and we had to find £14K. Better than nothing, but, we've paid into the insurance company for way over 20 years.

Then we decided we'd open a bank account and just fund vet treatment from there. Awful to think though that vets bump up the prices if they know the dog's insured.

Saying that though, Floyd spent a day at the vets a couple of weeks ago on a drip, had scans etc. and one day (24 hrs) was £800.00, so that's the bank fund emptied - again!

Ah well, I'd still never be without dogs so I mustn't complain about vet's bills.

 

[Malmum]

The reason I would rather pay direct into the vets account is purely because like I said above I am terrible with money. If I ever need it for something I just know I'll take it out, couldn't do that with insurance so won't be able to do that with the vet. I will keep note (well bank statements will show) what I put in and what comes out so as I know what's left every time. Plus all receipts will be stapled and kept in their folders (all dogs have folders, reg docs, pedigree, pet log, vet receipts etc) that way they are never lost with all my other stuff. In fact the dogs are the only things I do keep in order ask me for my water rate/council tax docs and I've no idea, lol. I do know where the TV licence is though! :idea:

 

[sid&kira]

Malmum, look into tesco accident and injury insurance, only £4pm fixed price for a dog, covers accident (incl rta), injuries, animal attacks, poisoning and 3rd party liability. Up to £3000 per condition per year, £60 excess

For £8pm im gunna be putting kiz and grey on it, keeping keyu on DL incase we need to see anyone about her eyes again but that will save us about £20pm

 

[Malmum]

Thanks Sid - will have a gander!

 

[Freyja]

Malmum, look into tesco accident and injury insurance, only £4pm fixed price for a dog, covers accident (incl rta), injuries, animal attacks, poisoning and 3rd party liability. Up to £3000 per condition per year, £60 excess

For £8pm im gunna be putting kiz and grey on it, keeping keyu on DL incase we need to see anyone about her eyes again but that will save us about £20pm

I found one for the iggies I think it was animal friends that did just accident cover. I think it was for about £7000 a year but the access was £99 and then 30% of the bill. It was going to cost £2000 for Buck to have his leg pinned if he had been insured if we had had this cover we would have ended up paying more than we paid without the insurance.

The vet who operated on Buck told us that we would be better putting money into a seperate bank account than having insurance for the iggies. He told us that in the case of Buck whose leg was broken in an accident most insurance companies would have paid out but he had operated on iggies when they had broken their leg just running in a field when the insurance company has refused to pay out saying it is a breed fault and they shouldn't be allowed to run like that.