Pet Insurance - Who do you use?

[Tooks]

I've just taken on a 13 year old spaniel. She's deaf, has terrible teeth and a horrible (though thankfully benign) lump on her cheek. There's no insurance company on earth that would touch her, which one of the reasons we have her - the previous owner had to go into a care home, the charity who fostered her isn't made of money, and someone had to look after her. We're in for about £1500 already ....

We're lucky that we have a very good vet who is well aware that we're paying and will only recommend things that are genuinely in the best interest of the animal. Knowing I have a trusted vet means I'm a bit happier self-insuring.

Good on you, rescue dogs are always rewarding.

I do wonder about this term ‘self-insuring’, surely it’s ’not-insuring’ and simply ‘paying’?

This next bit isn’t aimed at you by the way, but ‘saving’ money for your animals rainy day is fine as long as you’re disciplined and actually save it, and no treatment is needed before you have enough banked to cover it. People who do that should also increase the amount you’re putting away each year to cover inflation and also the increased age of the animal and likelihood of requiring treatment. There’s a reason that insurance premiums go up with age when all is said and done.

Perhaps not the typical demographic on here, but the majority of people don’t have much in the way of cash savings, and what they do have can be wiped out in one illness or accident.

I mentioned earlier one of my mates is a vet, and does ‘mates rates’ for me (even though my animals are insured), but even he can’t help much if a complex leg fracture requiring specialist surgery is the treatment. That or an amputation or euthanising are often the only other options. He hates the conversations with owners clearly distraught at their much loved pets illness, often with children in tow, deliberating what treatment is required versus what they can actually afford. Owners often expect the vet practice to contribute, or do discounts for cash, or ask what charities will ride in and foot the bill, and there aren’t many. He offers payment plans, and spends an increasing amount of time and money trying to recover fees owed where he does.

If people can cover any amount in such a situation, then great, but otherwise the options are typically quite limited without insurance of some sort, which is why it’s a sensible option for most people. In an increasingly litigious society, probably worth insuring for the 3rd party aspects policies offer if nothing else.

[mitch1956]

we have insurance , why because we did not with our first cat , which got a twisted bowel at two years old, we paid 5.5K for that within 12 month she had same again and yes there was still no insurance !, we could not afford that again , together with advice that it may be a generic defect ( she was the runt of the litter) and could happen again , she was put to sleep still feel guilt to this day, i did not want another pet , wife and son collaborated to get another rescue cat, i let it stay on the proviso it had insurance which i was not paying for , so its paid for by my son& wife , had two claims so far not big ones which have been met (less x/s)but i sleep better,