Dog insurance - any recommendations?

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axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
Well, no surprise, I'm looking for dog insurance.

Who do you use, how much is it? Ta
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Comments

  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26450
    We use PetPlan.

    My advice is to ask your vet - they can't recommend an insurer, but they can tell you who they insure their own dogs with. Dollars-to-doughnuts, that's going to be an insurer who will deal directly with the vet for you.

    Also, make sure you get life cover, not annual cover. If any condition arises which requires medication for life (as can sometimes be the case with spaying, for example - it can result in poor bladder control, which requires a harmless drug for life to correct), then annual cover will only pay for the first year and then you're on your own. For us, when our Coco had exactly the aforementioned problem, it paid for itself almost immediately - the insurance is less than the medication would be.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    we have a 15 year old dog with pre existing conditions so he ain't gonna get insurance now but based on previous Discussions look for the life cover ones and read the details. When I did look at pet insurance some of them were a bit crap and not worth taking out.    
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • StratavariousStratavarious Frets: 3595
    yep.. ask vet about their plans.
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  • toescantalktoescantalk Frets: 142
    I put money aside in an pet account every month rather than pay pet insurance. It is a bit risky initially, but my amount doesn’t go up when pets get older etc. and being doing for years now after hassle getting money back for a very straightforward request.
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  • pedalopedalo Frets: 178
    edited July 2021
    We got a ten year old rescue and it would have cost about £80 a month to get her insurance with pre existing conditions not covered and an excess of about £120 and we would have to pay a quarter of treatment anyway. Something daft like that. 

    Pretty much every visit in the last three years has cost about £80 anyway and nothing would’ve been covered so we’ve saved a stack by not getting it. We could always get caught out by an expensive operation but for now it’s been the right call. 

    Would definitely get life cover if we got a pupper. 
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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3611
    What @digitalscream said!
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  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26450
    I put money aside in an pet account every month rather than pay pet insurance. It is a bit risky initially, but my amount doesn’t go up when pets get older etc. and being doing for years now after hassle getting money back for a very straightforward request.
    Yes, we do this too - albeit slightly differently. We pay £50/month directly to the vet by standing order. As well as being really handy when there's stuff that needs doing but doesn't justify calling the insurers in, it also covers the excess if there's something more serious.

    Basically, we decided that if we're at the point where we're forced to take one of the girls to the vet, we're going to be stressed enough already that we really don't want to be thinking about money. This way, everything's paid for already and the money doesn't even come into the decision.

    There's usually about £4-500 in there, and if it gets past £600 then we tell the vet to take a couple of hundred and use it for a rescue's treatment or use it to help somebody who's struggling to pay their bill.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    edited July 2021
    Petplan.

    We pay £80 a month for a giant breed.

    Your floof-ball should be a bit cheaper.
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  • skullfunkerryskullfunkerry Frets: 4136
    edited July 2021
    We've just adopted an ex-racing greyhound and after looking through loads of posts about this in the facebook group that I've joined, I ended up going with Bought By Many. The price was similar to PetPlan but it included dental which I didn't see any specific mention of with PetPlan, and some of the figures were higher (like the money they'll pay for emergency boarding/repatriation etc).

    If you decide that they're good for you let me know, as I've got a referral link you can use.
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • toescantalktoescantalk Frets: 142
    Seen Bought by Many recommended by dog owning friends.
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12313
    We went with Bought by Many for our Lab puppy too. Seemed to give the best balance of cost vs coverage. 

    We’ve had an Animal Friends policy for our last dog (RIP). They paid out ok although their admin didn’t seem terribly well organised… they mucked us about and delayed payment, saying the reason was our vet had refused to pass on our dog’s medical details. When we checked the vet told us they’d never actually requested them. 
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  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26450
    Honestly, I can't emphasise enough how important it is to find an insurer who'll deal directly with the vets for you. It takes so much stress out of situations which are already of nightmare proportions. For us, that's definitely the priority.


    The price was similar to PetPlan but it included dental which I didn't see any specific mention of with PetPlan, and some of the figures were higher (like the money they'll pay for emergency boarding/repatriation etc).
    Is there a different excess on the dental procedures? I only ask, because most of the dental stuff we've had done with our dogs has been fairly small, like double the excess, to the point where it wasn't worth the hassle of bringing the insurers into the picture. We did check after the fact, though, and it would've been covered by our PetPlan insurance (that was quite some time ago, mind).
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  • ArchtopDaveArchtopDave Frets: 1367
    I use PetPlan for my cat.       Make sure you get Lifetime Cover whatever policy you choose.
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  • BGGBGG Frets: 688
    Used Pet Plan for years, the Tesco but now they are all so expensive I stick money in a pot every month. 
    #thebatesmotelband
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  • rsvmarkrsvmark Frets: 1373
    We went for bought by many for Maisie. No complaints so far
    An official Foo liked guitarist since 2024
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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    This thread reminded me I still need to sort insurance for the mutt… went into pet plan and this was the quote !!!!!!!!



    Ffs, do they think he’s a jewel encrusted solid gold dog or something????
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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 18375
    poopot said:
    This thread reminded me I still need to sort insurance for the mutt… went into pet plan and this was the quote !!!!!!!!



    Ffs, do they think he’s a jewel encrusted solid gold dog or something????
    People in this country tend to get spoiled by basing their idea of medical costs on the NHS.
    Imagine the cost of equivalent medical interventions, without NHS or BUPA etc. & you'd soon be considering those insurance expenses reasonable. Yes they are big numbers, but if you hit a bad accident or long term specialist care...
    https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/the-real-cost-of-vet-care-for-dogs-and-cats.html#
    https://www.tescobank.com/pet-insurance/guides/average-treatment-costs/
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  • skullfunkerryskullfunkerry Frets: 4136


    The price was similar to PetPlan but it included dental which I didn't see any specific mention of with PetPlan, and some of the figures were higher (like the money they'll pay for emergency boarding/repatriation etc).
    Is there a different excess on the dental procedures? I only ask, because most of the dental stuff we've had done with our dogs has been fairly small, like double the excess, to the point where it wasn't worth the hassle of bringing the insurers into the picture. We did check after the fact, though, and it would've been covered by our PetPlan insurance (that was quite some time ago, mind).

     @digitalscream I've just checked and no, it's a flat £99 excess on anything. There was the option of adding an additional excess of a fixed percentage of any claims as well, but I didn't go for that.
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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