Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:04 am Post subject: Pet Insurance is more complicated than getting a mortgage!!!
Hi folks,
As a few of you who read the puppy posts will know I have been a lab owner for 9 days now, Ozzy: The Prince of Darkness our 9 week old black lab is doing great!! Bite inhibition is working well and despite a few secret yellow puddles his toilet trainign is coming along. Which brings me to the next minefield in the dog ownership calendar: insurance!
Now I got 4 weeks free from the vet when he had his last check up and injections from Pet Plan, but I need to find a permanent plan for him. I've been recommended quite a few (Pet Plan, Tesco extra cover etc) but once I start comparing the different options my head starts to spin.
I am with Marks and Spencers Premium pet insurance It is a lifelong pet insurance and covers me for £7000 each year. (they have two policies premium and standard...premium is lifelong cover and standard is 12 months cover)
My previous dogs were with Animal friends pet insurance and they were quite good too
When searching for pet insurance I would recommend Lifelong pet insurance as some of the pet insurance policies only cover each illness for a max of 12 months. Lifelong insurance will cover an illness for as long as required (for the rest of their lives if necessary) up to your annual limit each year
Direct Line are reasonably priced and pay out well but the maximum of £6000 per condition is not a lot.
I think if I was starting again I would probably go for a lifetime policy that has a maximum amount per year rather than a maximum amount per condition.
We have had a couple of visits for minor things now which would possibly cause problems as exclusions if I moved elsewhere.
as someone said make sure you go for something with life cover - and cover of 6,000-7,000. just watch that your pup doesn't have any problems prior to taking out new insurance with another insurance company though
Definitely go for a "life-long" policy.
My main advice would be not to wait too long in deciding which company to go with (as you say - it is indeed a minefield ).
Just a word of warning - though you are actually covered for the next 4 weeks - if Ozzy was to experience any problems needing vetinerary attention during that time - and you then went on to take out an insurance policy - then that condition (or any illness possibly related to it) would be excluded by insurance companies as "a pre-existing condition".
This happened to me with a previous dog - I thought I had plenty of time to sort out insurance. But just 2 days after we got him he had a bout of cystitis - which cleared up immediately with antibiotics. When I then tried to take out an insurance policy - the fact that he'd had cystitis meant that they classed anything to do with the urinary tract as a pre-existing condition.
I went ahead and took out a policy with the exclusion - only to find a few months later that he had ongoing urinary tract problems - which weren't covered - proved to be expensive to treat - and which sadly killed him at the age of 2.
Hopefully Ozzy is in excellent health and will continue to be - but you just never know what unexpected things can happen.
We're also with M&S, mum didn't look elsewhere because she was with M&S with our other dog and they were fantastic and gran is with them with hers and they are good. Shamefully though we didn't get around to insurance for a few weeks after her free insurance with PP had run out...
I believe axa policies, or any that are underwritten by AXA are good. I'm with Greenbee (John Lewis) and think it's a good policy. I've never needed to claim though. I'd agree with others, definitely look for lifetime cover, and then go with the maximum level of cover you can afford.
I am with Morethan with one of ours but recently changed Pippa when it came up for renewal when they changed their terms. However I have to say that they were very good.
I switched Pippa to AXA after speaking to my vet and the person who deals with the insurance claims at the vets. My vet checked my records for any pre-existing conditions that might be excluded. I also checked if my vet could claim direct, when Charlie got the tip of a thorn in his eye his vet bill was over £1,000.
Also with most companies you cannot claim within the first 14 days so you will need to get cover before your other policy runs out or you might find you have a period where you have no cover.
I would agree with the others, to look for lifetime cover and a decent £x per year for vet bills.
I have all but one dog insured with PetPlan. The policies are not cheap but I started using them as my family used them as I was growing up and they have always had a good reputation (as far as I know).
I have one dog insured with M&S. I took out that policy when it was underwritten by AXA and was well recommended. I think if I wasn't going to go with PetPlan in future, I'd consider AXA direct.
One thing that bugs me a great deal about pet insurance is how the companies get you signed up with them and then can change your policy.
One of my friends had an M&S policy for years for her older dog and he had been receiving hydrotherapy for his arthritis. Then one renewal M&S just decided they would no longer cover hydrotherapy for arthritis! Of course once your dog has had something/been treated for something you are no longer covered for that condition if you move either. Most frustrating and unfair I think when we're dealing with our beloved pets
Last edited by -Angela- on Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:12 am; edited 1 time in total
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It is a lifelong pet insurance and covers me for £7000 each year. (they have two policies premium and standard...premium is lifelong cover and standard is 12 months cover)
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