CockersOnline Forum

Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Insurance => Topic started by: karen488 on September 20, 2011, 01:16:45 PM

Title: Darcey is uninsured. Is now insured :)
Post by: karen488 on September 20, 2011, 01:16:45 PM
[hOH has being going bonkers about cost of insurance (maybe I shouldn't have gone super duper premium at pet plan £50 per month). I've cancelled at his insistence. He promises to pay for anything that comes up (and he will bless him  :luv:) but I'm really worried about it. She's a young, healthy dog. My question is are any of the cheaper ones (animal friends???) worth it. Has insurance saved you any money compared to what you've paid in premiums??
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Ebbysmum on September 20, 2011, 01:21:01 PM
I have just done Mum's Lexi who is 4 at £9.07 a month for premium cover £7500 lifetime etc with protectyourbubble.com. i'll be changing Eb's and Maddie's too when theirs is up for renewal. Try them?
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Geordietyke on September 20, 2011, 01:22:15 PM
I renewed Odie's in May with Argos Platinum for £198.  This is a 'for life' policy and £7,000 per year which is decent.

TBH, it's not so much about health issues (although I'll be glad I've got it if something does happen), I'm more concerned about liability in case he, for example, runs off and causes an accident.  If someone sues, where would I get millions from?  It's worth it for my peace of mind....
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: karen488 on September 20, 2011, 01:23:54 PM
I renewed Odie's in May with Argos Platinum for £198.  This is a 'for life' policy and £7,000 per year which is decent.

TBH, it's not so much about health issues (although I'll be glad I've got it if something does happen), I'm more concerned about liability in case he, for example, runs off and causes an accident.  If someone sues, where would I get millions from?  It's worth it for my peace of mind....

Has that ever happened to anyone?
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Geordietyke on September 20, 2011, 01:26:23 PM
No-one that I know of, but it'd be s*ds law that it'd be Odie who caused an accident to someone in a merc or bentley :lol2:  £198 isn't much a year for my peace of mind ;)
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Darwin on September 20, 2011, 01:51:14 PM
We had only had Darwin 4 weeks and we had vet bills of £900, so I was really thankful we had the free 6 weeks cover with Petplan they had no problem paying out.  I've not need to make another claim since and Darwin is now 2 1/2yr.  The following year I switched to More Than without a problem, they had a really good introductory offer,  but when it came around to renewal they wouldn't price match. This year we're with Sainsbury's.   

As long as I've shopped around to get the best value I can my OH won't complain at the cost, as we don't feel it worth risking not being insured.   

Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Maria n Dennis on September 20, 2011, 01:52:03 PM
I would get her insured asap to be honest. A year ago i had a healthy 21 month old spaniel who had never had any health problems , i myself was thinking of cancelling the insurance as money was a little tight , luckily i didnt get round to it, as very unexpectedly Dennis callapsed , it turned out to be a disc in his back. He had an MRI scan, spinal surgery , two weeks in doggy hospital . The total was just over £6500. I personally wouldnt have even been able to afford his MRI scan which was around £1500 i think. Luckily for me they contacted my insurance company (before they would treat him ) and they confirmed he was insured upto £7500 per year.
Dennis is insured with Greenbee (i think its now john lewis ) and it is £16 per month. I was very surprised that it only went up a £1 this year even after the big claim. Douglas is insured with PDSA and his is about £11 per month.
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: The crazy hut on September 20, 2011, 01:54:06 PM
Our Ambi dog would have cost us in excess of £5k in the first year we had her if it wasn't for insurance  :fear2:

She inexplicably went lame which turned out to be a luxating patella and her knee was wired into place then she required a femoural head and neck excision!

She also got loose once and was hit by a car (no damge to car or driver thankfully, and she was fine) but that was another overnight at the vet, xrays, fluids, painkillers etc....

Thank goodness for insurance  ;)
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: karen488 on September 20, 2011, 03:11:14 PM
Will show OH your comments later. It's not actually about the money but the probability he feels that we won't get a big bill against the cost of the premiums. Admittedly I was on an expensive deal but have already shelled out £350 in premiums in 7 months!
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Darwin on September 20, 2011, 03:52:31 PM
Maybe other COL's can help fill some of the figures.  As it would be interesting working  it out.

Say just £250 per year for insurance  x 10 years.   = £2500

How much vet care can you get for £2500 ?

Cost of an x-ray ?

Cost of an overnight stay ?
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: *Jay* on September 20, 2011, 04:01:19 PM
I think you would be able to get adequate cover for about half that monthly cost so you can still have insurance for her but save some money - meet in the middle and everyone should be happy  :005:

I have Disney insured with Axa for just under £18 a month - I didn't want an all singing all dancing policy as there are lots of aspects that I wouldn't use such as holiday cancellation, reimbursing the cost paid for him should he die etc I don't need cover for alternative therapies either as most of them are offered by my practice so there would be no expensive referral fees. His policy probably still offers more than we need but it has a high level of cover for vet fees for illness at a reasonable monthly premium and that's really all I'm looking for.
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: supergirl on September 20, 2011, 04:04:53 PM
I would get some insurance, even if its just some basic cover.

My first cocker was diagnosed with kidney failure at a year old - once she was admitted to the vetinary hospital the fees went up £4.5k in just one week which I would never have been able to afford without insurance.

At the moment the dogs are insured with Sainsburys - I have their top level which costs approx £13 per dog per month with cover of £7,500 per year per condition - also a lifetime cover as well.

A lot of pet insurers do lifetime cover at a more reasonable price than Petplan.

Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: kalami on September 20, 2011, 04:08:28 PM
Hubby recently shopped around and changed our m&s policy to 'john lewis'. My dogs are young too but I'm more concerned about any accident they might cause / be involved in I.e jumping up and knocking someone over - tripping someone up, if someone broke something could be liable.
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: catcmartin on September 20, 2011, 04:11:39 PM
I agree with Maria.  Our Charlie was 1year old before we insured him (didnt know any better then)  When he was 6y/o he went down with a couple of disks exploding in his spine.  MRI, spinal surgery, stay in vet school.  The insurance company paid all the bills.  BUT I bought the wrong type of policy in that for any one illness he is only covered for that first year by insurance company.  I know better now too late insurance company have paid for his heart murmur meds etc now the year is up we have to pay and also maintain his insurance every month.  
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Jan D on September 20, 2011, 04:30:46 PM
Morethan were cheapest for me (about £12 a  month for Roxy at 14 months old). I went through Quidco though and got £40 cashback so worked out very reasonable :)
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Danni and Freya on September 20, 2011, 04:38:52 PM
Maybe other COL's can help fill some of the figures.  As it would be interesting working  it out.

Say just £250 per year for insurance  x 10 years.   = £2500

How much vet care can you get for £2500 ?

Cost of an x-ray ?

Cost of an overnight stay ?

Thats a really good way to look at it, makes it seem very reasonable indeed  :blink:
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Holly2009 on September 20, 2011, 04:48:14 PM
We've never insured our pets ((cat /dog)).... ((don't show him this comment))  ;)
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Clover on September 20, 2011, 04:53:06 PM
I would try and get some basic cover.  My experience over the last year is, ear infections between my two getting upto near £3000, I know, sounds horrendous, but Katie has had to have GA's for ear flushings as hers was a really bad case in both ears.  

She has managed to puncture her lower abdomen Sunday and had to be stitched yesterday costing £255.00.  

About 3 months ago, a hawthorn had penetrated between her toes, costing again near £200.00.  

Don't want to scare you but I'm so glad I've got insurance to back us up.  Althought, I'm a bit sceptical about prices?, do vets bump the costs up because they know you have insurance  :-\  I did quiz my vet about this after Katie/Willows expensive ear infections and he said, we can give you as a customer 'discounts'  :-\
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: ladylola on September 20, 2011, 05:57:23 PM
For those who just want liability insurance, Join the dogs trust  costs around 25 pounds and I think it covers you for a million. [please check there website] It covers all your dogs for that price too.
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: leisl on September 20, 2011, 06:57:01 PM
Insurance would be the one thing we wouldn't cancel no matter how tight things are, one because of the litigeous (sp) state we are turning into and two, whilst I would go starving and homeless in order to pay for medical treatement for either Muppet or Krumble, I would never forgive myself if I just couldn't afford that "last treatment!"
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Beezzzkneez on September 20, 2011, 07:25:12 PM
I had the discussion with colleagues at work today and both their dogs are uninsured. Consensus was that since the dog is young it hardly won't be necessary and if it gets so sick it runs up a bill in the thousands it's neither fair on the owner nor the dog to keep it alive. I've just insured Maike because I just can't take that pragmatic view, I'm afraid.

I agree, get some basic cover - we were going to go with Sainsbury's insurance but in the end went with vetsmedicover, but can change any time.
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: karen488 on September 20, 2011, 08:05:11 PM
Am now allowed at £12 ish per month.  :cool4: now which one?
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured
Post by: Cockertime Blues on September 20, 2011, 08:50:54 PM
We have never had insurance.  We've taken the risk ourselves, but maybe we shouldn't.  And you never know - so maybe a good thing would be to put £100 a month or whatever into a separate savings account.  That way it will mount up and if you are lucky and never need it, you will still have it at the end of your pet's life.  Just a suggestion - I'm not advocating it.
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured. Is now insured :)
Post by: karen488 on September 20, 2011, 08:58:04 PM
All insured again. :) £15.73 with John Lewis (Axa). Just hope now that I never have to use it!
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured. Is now insured :)
Post by: Danni and Freya on September 20, 2011, 08:59:10 PM
All insured again. :) £15.73 with John Lewis (Axa). Just hope now that I never have to use it!

I'm with Axa and recently made my first claim, all paid out no trouble. Lots of other COLers recommend them
Title: Re: Darcey is uninsured. Is now insured :)
Post by: SandraD on September 21, 2011, 08:44:44 PM
We have always had Monty insured, my reasons are very similar to Leisl's.  As some of you will know, I left a fit, healthy and happy dog at the kennels when we went away on holiday recently only to came back to a very sick little chap indeed.  It is scary just how quickly vet fees build up and we are already up to about £3,000 in costs for Monty's treatment and we haven't finished yet.

So glad you managed to get something sorted out.  It's one of those things you hope you never have to use, but on this occasion I'm jolly thankful we had insurance in place!