Is dog insurance worth it?

Question

i've been looking into dog insurance for my 8 week old German Shepherd but at £20-£30 a month and excess of £60 vet bills anyway what and when exactly would i get my moneys worth back... unless she falls seriously ill or needs an operation (touch wood she doesn't of course)

i want the best care for her of course, but was just after fellow dog owners opinion, thank you.

Answer 1

We had to take our puppy to the emergency vet over the weekend, it cost us £244 + after care, we will only have to pay £50 because we are insured. We are with healthy pets and gold membership is £6 per month, it is worth shopping around, just as you would with any other purchase.

Answer 2

Yes - it is worth it.  Not for the normal illnesses which animals get - I have two Golden Retrievers and they have both been bitten by adders in the last couple of years.  The vet treatment cost us over £500 both times.  This is something you don't believe will happen to you!  We now are unable to take the dogs to the area where it happened as it will be fatal next time! (something to do with the antivenom)  Plus the younger one had suspected leukaemia when she was 11 months old.  Exploratory treatment cost in excess of £4000

Anyway, if it wasn't for insurance then we would be in the s**t.  We also have two cats who are insured and they are moggies.  We have a multipet insurance (Pet Plan)

Make sure you get one whereby, should your dog require medication and/or treatment for the rest of his life, this will continue.  Some policies won't do this and you need to reapply when the policy expires.

Answer 3

I asked a similar q. the other day because I'm about to buy a new puppy.  As we've always kept numbers in the past (with, thankfully minimal vet bills) frankly I didn't insure.  My intention was always to put a similar sum in a pot rather than line the pockets of insurance companies.  That, of course, never happened!  It's the excess figure most companies quote that puts me off.  In truth, the majority of my vet trips have come in at way below that figure, which means no claim.

Most vets will allow you to come to an agreement to stage-pay a big bill if you discuss the situation with them, although there's always the chance that a really big bill comes up which could be crippling (pun not intended).  We did have a period of heavy bills this past 6 months with my terminal b*tch but I rather doubt she would have been covered (she was 10 going on 11 at the time) in any case so...... my choice with new puppy is probably going to be no insurance, and hope my luck (bad recently) turns!  I'm buying a breed that has no dire health issues btw.

I guess it's up to the individual to decide what's best for them and their Bank Balance.  And shop around for the best deal!

PS Remember the bottom line is .... the bottom line for the Insurance Companies.  They are not there to help you!

PPS- I had this 'chat' on another board and somebody on there said her vet allowed her to pay him a similar sum each month, and it covered shots and parasite treatment too.  If she'd overspent during the year, he upped the amounts she paid him, and if it was less, he dropped her contribution.  This is up in Scotland.  Sounds a good scheme to me, provided you stay in the same place for long enough!!

Answer 4

Any insurance is a waste of money until you need to claim on it.  If she bites someone and you get sued then you will be glad of it.  Similarly, if she has an accident or illness that costs hundreds or thousands pounds then you will be able to claim.  If she has a problem, how much could you afford if you had no insurance?  No one knows what is around the corner, and that is why we have to plan for the unexpected.  I have 3 dogs and all are insured.

Answer 5

keep looking around. The cheapest i have found for my german shepherd is about £15 a month.

Its better to be safe than sorry when it comes to insurance. Especially with the breed you have. It could develop hip or elbow displasia as it gets older, could suffer from bloat, or any other illness. If you could find £1000 + to pay for a vet bill at the drop of a hat then dont bother. I would rather sind £60 quickly to make my pet better than find £1000 which wouldnt be possible.

Answer 6

In my personal opinion, dog insurance is a rip off and not at all worth it! I have a special savings account set up for all my dogs. I put in some money every month and it adds up. I know that the money will be there, when they need to go to the vet for check ups, vaccinations, tests, procedures and emergencies! All dog insurance companies want, is your money and nothing more!

Answer 7

I think this is a matter of personal preference. For me I wouldn't be without insurance for my dogs I like to know that whatever happens the vets fee's are covered. But I also fully understand that the insurance company will always ultimately be the "winner" financially as they are  a business out to make a profit not a charity only wanting the best for my dogs.

Many of my friends don't insure their dogs. A couple don't have to as finance for vets bills would never be an issue but a couple have recently had moderately expensive conditions diagnosed and had to think about the cost of treatment and how to budget for it.

I like the idea of a separate bank account for vet bills but I personally would be worried that a big bill may need to be paid before the necessary funds had accumulated. I don't use credit cards (don't "do" debt) so for me that wouldn't be an option.

One thing that does concern me about pet insurance is vets often seem to see it as a blank cheque and have found that with one of my dogs skin condition they threw every product under the sun at me, some of which I didn't use as the basics did the job. I often wonder if this is what is pushing up the prices of insurance.

Answer 8

i would not be without it,,,,my dobe  last year became extremly out of breath,,with minimum excercise and panting heavily,,

knowing this breed is prone to heart problems,,i made a vet appointment,,to have him checked out,,

he was booked in for an x-ray,,and i was told that the cost would be 175 euros,,i signed paperwork and went off till time to pick him up.

  An hour later,got a call from the vet,,my dogs heart was fine,,but fluid had been found on his lungs,,and now he would need to go under anthestic,,for further tests,,to determine cause,,

  When i went to collect my dog 5 hours later,,i was presented with a bill for 575.00 euro and an additional payment of 40.00 for antibiotics.

  As he was insured i only paid 60 euro there and then,

My point is,   i could not have seen this coming,,,and to go from 175.00 to 615.00 euros in 24 hours,,shows the costs of vet care

and with dogs you just never know whats around the corner,,my dog had no major symptoms  just out of breath and panting,,

But also when my vet rang for permission to run more tests,,i did not have the worry of costs,,,

also my second dog, had to have kidney function tests,,eventual bill,,170.00 euro..

SO to answer look around and shop for a poliy to suit you,,and most if not all,will not cover pre-existing condtitions so the earlier you have your puppy insured the better,,and remember read all the terms and small print..

My policy is 17.00 a month,,and covers up to 3,500.00 in a given year,,+ 250,000.00 in third party liability,,600.00 euro towards kennels if im hospitalised,,plus many other benefits

At the end of the day its peace of mind,,with regards to vet bills and much more,,its priceless to me,,,,,

Good luck with your puppy,,they are beautiful dogs,

Answer 9

If you already have a large lump sum that you can put aside to cover veterinary expenses, then you're probably better off using that.

I don't have a lump sum to dip into, so I've got insurance (with petplan). I've not made my money back, but I do have peace of mind that should anything bad happen, I needn't worry about finding the money.

This link might be useful:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insuran...

Remember, the cheapest insurance isn't always the best.

Good luck.

Answer 10

I myself don't have insurance as I have 4 dogs and it is even more than yours would be. That's for each dog too. What I do instead is have a savings account just for vet bills. It is used for nothing else. I also have a Visa card with a very high credit limit that is just for vet bills.

Yes insurance is worth it if your dog gets very sick. I spent over $4,500 in 2 months one one dog when she was very sick. A couple of months ago I had to spend $1,500. You can never tell what the future will hold when it comes to their health.

If I only had one dog for sure I would have the insurance. Seeing as it would be over $200 a month for my 4 though I find putting that amount in a savings account has worked well for me so far.

Answer 11

Yes get insurance you could regret it if you dont

Answer 12

With a German Shepherd it is essential to have insurance. They,as a breed, do suffer from some very nasty ailments and treatment can be very expensive. I pay £12 per month with a 15% excess. And alternative therapies are covered. It depends on how much you love your dog. I do mine and want the best for him.

Answer 13

when we got our puppy and the vet was trying to get us to get dog insurance he basically said, if tomorrow your dog needed a $2000 operation could you afford it. It wouldn't be a problem for us so we didn't get it but if that would be a problem for you then i suggest getting it.  

Answer 14

well the thing is, its better to be safe than sorry

imagine what could happen if you didnt have insurance and your dog was hit by a car

trust me its definatly worth getting insurance

Answer 15

Insurance is a scam. Their entire business is to take more money from you than they give back. That's all they do, it pays for their offices, their employees' wages, their huge profits. And it's all your money. I guarantee if your dog gets sick they will just tell you that it's cheaper to have it put down than to fix it, so that's all they'll cover. If you had've just put that $50/month into a savings account you'd have enough built up to pay for anything yourself.

Answer 16

YES YES YES!!!!

I have a Bernese Mountain Dog with Cancer the treatment costs nearly £7k!

We buy our insurance for 2 dogs and 1 cat through animal friends insurance they have a fixed rate based on the level of insurance cover you require rather then the breed or size of dog. (Great for big dog owners)

excess for us is £49, but usual Vet consultations fall underneath that.

Edit

AFI are a not for profit organisation.

Answer 17

The thing with pet insurance is you still have to pay upfront for the service, THEN submit your claim and THEN you will be reimbursed for a percentage (whatever your policy is for).  It's not as if you pay a deductible and then everything is covered after that.  So if having money to pay upfront is concern for you, it's best to open an account and put regular deposits in for care and in case of emergencies.  

If looking at policies, be sure to look at the details and know what the plan covers and doesn't cover.  

Answer 18

I have 2 5 month old pups and they are both insured but id be careful. I know a lady who had a 6 year old labrador which a couple of months ago had a fit and the vet diagnosed Epilepsy and needed brain scans etc. Cost was around £2000. She went to her insurance company who refused to pay up as she couldnt prove the dog hadnt had it for years.

Insurance in my opinion is great incase the dog brakes a leg etc but they can be a nightmare for terminal illnesses etc.