Just added my vote.... Sherpa is about to turn 9yrs....And we have been so glad of his insurence..... We would pay out whatever for his needs but the insurence policy has in our case been a godsend.....
Would I if I didn't have it in place??? Now take it out for him at his age??? Yes I would no matter what the premium was for starting it at a late age... Because I would hate to be in the situation of having to make a descision on to treat or not to treat based on if i could afford to do so.... But that is my own personal choice and it's a difficult one for many for various reasons which i understand ....
No.of Labs: 1
Lab Names: Marley (Coco Caramel Boy) DOB 11.04.07 Indi (Newf) DOB 28.6.07 Always remembering Charlie who died 12.06.07 run free my baby x
I insure them with Animal Friends which is a charity. Their underwriters are E and L which some people have had problems with when they have insured with E and L direct - but I have to say I have had no issues.
I rang Animal Friends and discussed E and L with them, they said that because Animal Friends is a charity, E and L have to follow Animal Friends code of practice when dealing with claims - if they do not they can be in trouble basically.
This explains why I have not had an issue when claiming. They also pay the vets direct. You can also talk to them live online if you have a problem as well as ringing them.
E and L themselves don't even do the "for life" insurance for dogs, and they are more expensive than Animal Friends for what I call basic insurance.
Another reason why I like Animal friends is that apart from them being a charity donating 100 per cent of their profits to animal charities worldwide, they charge the same premium no matter what breed of dog you have or what postcode you have.
Thanks Sarah, I shall definitely try them when I next need to insure an animal - probably next year with the cats - or when that puppy arrives.....!
I can't change Neos insurance because that would be totally stupid bearing in mind I claim over £100 each month on average... but Bailey and Jet may get changed. Tia had her accident so I need to think about the likelihood of long term issues eg arthritis before changing....
i insured one of mine - a very fit lively 12 yr old border collie - who hadn't been insured for a couple of years. 3 months later, he was diagnosed with cancer and referred to a specialist - and i am so glad he was covered..... (I had cancelled the previous insurance when he hit 10 as the premium was £350 and 35% excess)
my only advice is go with a company whose premiums and excesses are not horrendous. i insured my boy with M & S - and the cost was reasonable and the excess (due to his age) was only 15%.
I think insurance is down to whether you can get access to enough money for treatment if one of yours has a major problem.... also how many dogs you have. Both of my dogs are insured - and I have peace of mind - and I will carry on insuring them for their lives. I currently pay £35 a month total split between my two dogs and I think it's money well spent)
I like the idea that some people do of putting away money into a "special account" each month instead - all well and good if your dog has a major problem once you have a bit stored up - and not when you first start - and ok if you are strict about leaving the money in there for that purpose - and don't dip into it for other costs ...
don't go for an insurance where the payout is only about £2,000 p.a. as anything major and that £2,000 will soon go. Also go for life cover and not 12 months cover.
I have ensured that all mine have life cover but Neo only gets £3,000 per year and I can recall saying blithely to the agent "well that should be more than enough" of course she agreed and agreed that if anymore then there wasn;t any point in the treatment - now I discover this site.....
The cats are insured for £7,000 per year each and I know when Tia had her accident that was about £3,000 I was glad that it was not Neo's insurance......
yes definitely - but then i've not got a bucket load of dogs...
i insured one of mine til he was 10.. happened to take out insurance again when he was 12 (and in perfect health) and 3 months later he was diagnosed with cancer...... you never know what is round the corner....
My oldies are all still insured. Em had to have specialist surgery for elbow dysplasia in March this year and she is now 12. Just the bill from the specialist cost £2500. The total bill was around £3500 including all the consultations, x-rays, hospitilisation, drugs, medication etc. I am also still able to claim for any on-going treatment or medication required.
There is no question that without insurance, I still would have found the money somehow but having the insurance gives me peace of mind.
I have used my insurance alot with my oldies - it has definitely been worth it.
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