Insurance

[Mary P]

Hi,
The one month free insurance that you get when you rescue from the RSPCA is about to expire, and I talked on the phone to them about extending it.
They said that the quote would be either £12.50 or £17.50 per month depending on the plan chosen.
Is this about what people are paying? The chap said it was more expensive as it was a pedigree dog, and as she is 7 years old. As we have no info about her beyond her name and her age - nothing about her pedigree or history - (so we won't do anything with her other than have her in the family) - why would she be more expensive than a mixture dog?
Any thoughts?                    

[PennyB]

A cocker is a cocker whatever you know about their previous personal history! Mainly because more is known about 'breeds' and their inherent problems, which is what insurance is all about (certain breeds/pedigrees are known to have have more problems with certain conditions so the insurance companies 'know' what risks there may be—a bit like if you moved into an area that was notoriously bad for car thefts so the insurance premium could be higher than elsewhere). I pay about £14 for PetPlan who insure for life (you really need to check whether if your dog has a problem one year your insurance company will insure for the same thing the following year and any other years).                    

[shonajoy]

Hi there, we have insured our 10 week old cocker with morethan.co.uk for a premium of £10 a month. This covers per condition, not pre year, and up to a maximum of £6,000. It also covers for public liability to £1m, and of all of the companies was the best deal we found. You can get an instant no obligation quote online.

They also give you the first 2 months free if you buy online, and though that didn't influence our decision to use them, it's a nice sweetener.                    

[Maria]

Hi Mary,
we decided to insure with Marks & Spencer. Boysie is also a 'rescue' dog, so we didn't know too much about his history. We liked the fact that there were were annual limits (6,000), not per condition limits, as a relative of ours had just discovered that their springer was no longer covered for his arthritis. It also covers other benefits such as 3rd party liability (2,000,000),and complimentary treatments up to 250 (useful when he had his hydrotherapy), and will provide lifetime cover. You can further reduce premiums by incresing your excess on the policy.It cost us £165 this year (including a discount for paying with our M&S card), and what with his leg problems this year we have more than got that back already! (They also have good house insurance too!)
Hope this helps
Maria                    

[Luvlylady]

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[Mary P]

Thanks everyone,
Very useful info!
Cheers,                    

[Mary P]

I decided to stick with the RSPCA cover and took the life option. Thanks again for all the advice.
Cheers,                    

[DawnLou]

Hello and Happy New Year

This has got me thinking because I do not have life cover for Jarvis (who is now seven months old) I am wondering if I should extend his cover - Does anyone have any personal experience regarding this matter?  Would it cost a lot to pay for ongoing medical attention for conditions such as diabetes or arthritis.  I did not have any problems with my last cocker until he sadly passed away (very lucky I guess that he was so fit during his life) so I have no experience of having to claim on the insurance or paying out large vet fees.

Can anyone advise??

Thanks                    

[Luvlylady]

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[Mary P]

Hi,
My cocker Tia had an existing eye problem when I took her on, but during the one month free insurance, the same problem was first seen in the other eye. I mentioned this during my conversation to continue the registration with the RSPCA insurance, and they allowed me to count the second eye as part of the life cover. Tia now has one insured eye and one not.
There is an excess, so treatment isn't totally free, but I'm sure that an eye problem could get very expensive.
I would therefore already support life cover!
Happy New Year,