Pet Insurance

Red_Marauder

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this thread, since most people who contribute to it may already know the importance of having Veterinary cover for your animals, particularly dogs and cats as housepets.

I am a junior Veterinary surgeon working in a part of Dublin that sees a lot of clients from poorer socio economic backgrounds and very few of our clients have cover.
During the boom times, I take it this was less of an issue because people generally had more disposable income whether it was their own employment or a spouse/ parent.
But recently we have seen a huge increase in caseload where owners are presenting with dogs and cats who are suffering from very treatable conditions that have simply gotten out of hand. A large element of this seems to be down to inability to pay.

Insurance cover for a typical crossbreed is going to cost not much over ten euro per month. It is definitely worth it, for the peace of mind. I don't want to go into too much detail but to give general terms have seen a small dog recently with the most enormous tumour I have seen in real life. That tumour could possibly have been treated if the dog had been sent in when it was first noticed. We would have had about a 60% chance of survival for the owner and management to make sure it wasn't suffering.

There have been dogs left suffering becuase of owners inability to pay, even simple things like sarcoptic mange which most people know is incredibly easy to treat but failure to do so can result in severe discomfort for an animal. Another colleague of mine visited a colicking mare recently after neighbours reported she had been distressed and dying for two days. The mare had to be shot, she could probably have been treated if seen earlier. The owners just could not afford Vet fees.

If people cannot afford pet insurance, then please at least discuss payment options with your Vet. Even as an employee with no influence in these issues, I know that nobody in the clinic I work in from the woman at reception to the senior partners would allow an animal in distress to leave the clinic untreated because of payment. There is always a way around these things, but the answer is never to leave a problem festering.

Vets will take your payment abilities into account. If you can afford 10 - 20 euro per month, please get insurance, for your peace of mind and for your pet's sake.

mymo

I'm sorry but it's not just down to money, there's a lot of ignorance and fear there too.
I have spoken to someone with a dog that clearly had mange, they told me that you have to wait for all the hair to fall out then the mange goes.
Also a dog with large visable tumours that the owner didn't bring to the vet because the vet would just out it down, and it was fine, they said, they loved it.
There are many people who don't neuter pets because they think they're too old once they're adult, or they think it will change the animal.
Things are improving but there's still a way to go, yes money is a factor but so is education.

Don't get me wrong I agree pet insurance can be great, I have 4 pets and for them all it would work out €60+a month. I just put money aside for things, My vet is great and has no problem with you paying weekly, and doesn't charge the earth.

TooManyDogs

I have to say that I've recently cancelled pet insurance for my 6 dogs and instead are putting the money aside each month into a seperate account for 'just in case'. My reasons are ...

- that while the first year of pet insurance may only cost €10 per dog per month, second year goes up to €15. Maybe won't matter that much when you have one or two dogs, but multiply that by 6 and it's a big difference.

- My 9 year old dog's policy was recently downgraded by the insurance company because she's now 'elderly' so they'd only pay out if she basically got hit by a car or some other accident. everything else is exempt if they can put it down to her being older.

- Alot of people recently have said they've been having massive problems getting money back from insurance companies for bills already paid to the vet. Particularily big bills, the ones that really hurt.

- My own vet insists you pay your bill up front and then claim yourself, and I believe alot of others are also going the same way, so if you didnt have the money to pay the bill in the first place having pet insurance doesn't help, you still have to find the money somewhere first, then claim back. When I asked my vets why I had to pay up front they said that the insurance companies make it so difficult to claim money that the vets end up losing money.

So now I'm saving the money and feel much more comfortable with it. I would recommend keeping money aside for accidents but I personally don't feel it has to be through a pet insurance plan. And I have had situations where I've run into vet bills of €1200 for an accident my little terrier had but that still didnt sway me from cancelling, I don't feel I was getting value for my money.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Like a lot of people here I've also pet insurance but have found myself cutting back on my bills lately.

Pet insurance is one I wanted to keep as I've recently had a cat who was kicked on the street (yes, kicked!) resulting in a fractured pelvis, broken leg and other smaller injuries, at the time I'd no insurance on him and vet bills came to over €1400-.

So I wasn't going to be caught with that again so took out insurance with Allianz at a cost over over €500 per year (two dogs and another cat, the kicked cat died).

I rang the insurance today to see if they could do anything on the price - nadda so I'd to take my business elsewhere.

123.ie refused to insure either Staff's or Pitbulls, the explaination was they were 'Dangerous dogs!'.

However I got insurance with 'Pet Insure' in Cork at a cost of over €100 less than allianz.

I wonder does the OP know if 'Pet Insure' is reputable as I've four weeks remaining on my present policy.

lrushe

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I have to say that I've recently cancelled pet insurance for my 6 dogs and instead are putting the money aside each month into a seperate account for 'just in case'. My reasons are ...

- that while the first year of pet insurance may only cost €10 per dog per month, second year goes up to €15. Maybe won't matter that much when you have one or two dogs, but multiply that by 6 and it's a big difference.

- My 9 year old dog's policy was recently downgraded by the insurance company because she's now 'elderly' so they'd only pay out if she basically got hit by a car or some other accident. everything else is exempt if they can put it down to her being older.

- Alot of people recently have said they've been having massive problems getting money back from insurance companies for bills already paid to the vet. Particularily big bills, the ones that really hurt.

- My own vet insists you pay your bill up front and then claim yourself, and I believe alot of others are also going the same way, so if you didnt have the money to pay the bill in the first place having pet insurance doesn't help, you still have to find the money somewhere first, then claim back. When I asked my vets why I had to pay up front they said that the insurance companies make it so difficult to claim money that the vets end up losing money.

So now I'm saving the money and feel much more comfortable with it. I would recommend keeping money aside for accidents but I personally don't feel it has to be through a pet insurance plan. And I have had situations where I've run into vet bills of €1200 for an accident my little terrier had but that still didnt sway me from cancelling, I don't feel I was getting value for my money.

I thought I was the only one who did this I find it much better, I have access to my money as soon as I need it and I don't have to justify why I need it or have to fill out alot of forms. It has worked for me for the past nine years

Allgäuerin

We have two dogs (Westies 2 & 14 years old). The 2 year old was insured last year with petinsure. She is a very healthy dog - thank god - and we didnt claim anything, the thing is the older dog who needs to see the vet more often now and wasnt insured (to old to get insured via petinsure and allianz). Now for this year the insurance went up from 170 Euro a year to 210 Euro a year. So i shopped around to find a insurance for BOTH dogs.
They now are insured for 370 a year and i'm quiet happy!
[COLOR=#000000 ! important] glücklich, fröhlich, vergnügt, heiter, froh, zufrieden, freudig, lustig, bedüdelt, beschwipst, angeheitert [happy][/COLOR]

Magenta

Red_Marauder wrote: »

There have been dogs left suffering becuase of owners inability to pay, even simple things like sarcoptic mange which most people know is incredibly easy to treat but failure to do so can result in severe discomfort for an animal. Another colleague of mine visited a colicking mare recently after neighbours reported she had been distressed and dying for two days. The mare had to be shot, she could probably have been treated if seen earlier. The owners just could not afford Vet fees.

In the US you can be prosecuted for leaving an animal without veterinary treatment and I wish the ante was upped here too. Unfortunately Ireland's animal welfare laws are stuck in the stone age and not enforced anyway.
Shelter, food and water- so you could legally keep a German Shepherd in a freezing cold metal shed and feed it cornflakes and there would be nothing that could be done.

TooManyDogs wrote: »

I have to say that I've recently cancelled pet insurance for my 6 dogs and instead are putting the money aside each month into a seperate account for 'just in case'. My reasons are ...

- that while the first year of pet insurance may only cost €10 per dog per month, second year goes up to €15. Maybe won't matter that much when you have one or two dogs, but multiply that by 6 and it's a big difference.

- My 9 year old dog's policy was recently downgraded by the insurance company because she's now 'elderly' so they'd only pay out if she basically got hit by a car or some other accident. everything else is exempt if they can put it down to her being older.

- Alot of people recently have said they've been having massive problems getting money back from insurance companies for bills already paid to the vet. Particularily big bills, the ones that really hurt.

- My own vet insists you pay your bill up front and then claim yourself, and I believe alot of others are also going the same way, so if you didnt have the money to pay the bill in the first place having pet insurance doesn't help, you still have to find the money somewhere first, then claim back. When I asked my vets why I had to pay up front they said that the insurance companies make it so difficult to claim money that the vets end up losing money.

So now I'm saving the money and feel much more comfortable with it. I would recommend keeping money aside for accidents but I personally don't feel it has to be through a pet insurance plan. And I have had situations where I've run into vet bills of €1200 for an accident my little terrier had but that still didnt sway me from cancelling, I don't feel I was getting value for my money.

This is the best option to take.
My animals are never sick anyway so I would rather just pay the bills as they come up (roughly every 5 years one of them might get ear mites) than be spending hundreds a year in the unlikely event that one of them will need treatment.

Arturo Nervous Ginkgo wrote: »

Pet insurance is one I wanted to keep as I've recently had a cat who was kicked on the street (yes, kicked!) resulting in a fractured pelvis, broken leg and other smaller injuries, at the time I'd no insurance on him and vet bills came to over €1400

Oh my god the poor cat, you must have been upset.

Arturo Nervous Ginkgo wrote: »

123.ie refused to insure either Staff's or Pitbulls, the explaination was they were 'Dangerous dogs!'.

That's stupid. They could at least give you cover for illnesses and just leave out the public liability part if they are concerned about your dogs attacking someone. Even "dangerous dogs" get sick.

Dyr

Arturo Nervous Ginkgo wrote: »

However I got insurance with 'Pet Insure' in Cork at a cost of over €100 less than allianz.

I wonder does the OP know if 'Pet Insure' is reputable as I've four weeks remaining on my present policy.

Same boat here, Allianz have banged up my insurance by 100 euros for two dogs..In the middle of a recession I think they've a cheek. I'm going to look into pet insure this year i think. Anyone dealt with them before?

Mialin

I am just wondering if anyone knows of alternative brokers other than allianz?

They have hiked up there price by 100 euro!:eek:

star-pants

I've merged your post Mialin with this one as it fits in better for your question

Niamh Horan

The issue of pet insurance is a bit of a no brainer for me. Although it doesn't cover everything and you have to pay the excess, it still works out a better option in the long run. If your dog requires an operation then very quickly the bill adds up. Our dogs are a giant breed and given that anaethesia is done by weight............it would be very very expensive to pay out of our pocket for that.

I agree that Alliance is no longer providing good value for money. Shame really, as they have had a monopoly in the market till recently. Now with Pet Insure and 123.ie there is more competition out there.

And as for some companies not insuring so called dangerous dogs.............can kinda understand it in one regard...............pet insurance not only covers medical bills but also provides cover with regard to dog biting. You will be covered if you dog bites someone and they claim.

So shop around for Pet insurance. Anyhow as your dog ages the cost goes up so they win either way.

dublindogcare

HI GUys,
Yeah im with niamh, Theres no way I would be without my insurance ....completely worth it if you ask me, Also if anyone is having problems with the insurance company paying out you can and should take the matter further...citizens advice bureau would be able to help you with this!

Please do check the ins and outs of your new policy ......i have noticed alot of you mentioned you have switched from Allianz......Allianz have always offered the most cover so do make sure you are getting the same from your new policies.

Also Its ridiculous the insurance company refusing bull terriers !

Lokimon

HI
well god love you all with your pet insurance increases. I have two German Shepards last year with Allianz they cost 413 euros to insure, this year we were told it had gone up to 1048 euros. Of course I rang to argue with them but I was told I had claims last year for one of the dogs and they had loaded the insurance....they also said it was doubtfull that another company would not insure them because of their age 6 and 8.

TooManyDogs

Lokimon wrote: »

HI
I have two German Shepards last year with Allianz they cost 413 euros to insure, this year we were told it had gone up to 1048 euros.

:eek: Jaysus!!! And I thought I had it bad, definately a point for saving the money seperately

Allgäuerin

Lokimon wrote: »

HI
well god love you all with your pet insurance increases. I have two German Shepards last year with Allianz they cost 413 euros to insure, this year we were told it had gone up to 1048 euros. Of course I rang to argue with them but I was told I had claims last year for one of the dogs and they had loaded the insurance....they also said it was doubtfull that another company would not insure them because of their age 6 and 8.

As i said, try 123.ie got our 14 years old westie and the 2 year old westie insured with them for 370 euros per year.;)

Dee_animallover

This topic has made me think - someone made a good point about putting your money away each week/month which I think is a good idea.

I have one of our 2 dogs insured. We also have 3 cats so its gonna cost a good bit to insure them all. I have spent a small fortune in the last 2 years on one cat in particular. It would have been well worth the money if I had him insured! But then knowing my luck if I had him insured it would be one of the others that would be always sick! Ive only claimed once on the insurance for the dog - bill came to 130 of which the excess was 75 (hadnt noticed it had gone up from 50).

Dont know what to do!