Is Pet Insurance Worth The Money / Which Company to go for?

Vote 4 Pedro

I have a 5 month old female Miniature Schnauzer Puppy,
She is a lovely dog and is in good health.
I am looking into getting pet insurance and the cost is roughly €150 a year.
We are broke like most people right now so it would be a lot of money for us to fined.
But we also love her and would hate it if something happened to her or she got ill and we could not afford to pay the vet bills.
We live out in the country side and we have the whole garden fenced and there is always someone around so she should be safe from road accidents i hope.
So really its incase she got ill and needed vet care or operations etc.
We have talked to the vet and they say that this breed is usually heathy enough, although you never know what could happen.
I'm worried about it and cannot decide whether to get the insurance or not.
What do you think....

TooManyDogs

Here's a good thread with both pro and anti insurance comments

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=72785008

barbiegirl

Think if you will find it hard to find the 12 payments for the insurance how would you find the money for something expensive which has to be paid all at once. An example stomach pumping after eating chocolate €180 rays and stuff after broken tail €160, my aunt paid €1500 for her cat which got stuck in an engine. I know you till have to pay the excess but at least it's limited. I say if you can, pay it. Plus it covers other stuff like 3rd party if he escapes and causes an accident or god forbid bit someone.

mariannewims

Get it.
My insurance company allows you to pay monthly so I just pay €7 a month for my cat, rather than having to pay it all up front. Would this be an option for you?
I have very little money too, I'm on disability allowance, but I couldn't live with myself if my little guy developed an illness that required a lot of vet care and I couldn't afford it. The insurance money is worth it for peace of mind.
You never know what injuries or illnesses may crop up even if your dog is healthy and kept in safe surroundings. Though obviously I hope you, and I, never need to use it!

Cutie18Ireland

Have u tried Tesco pet insurance?
I got it for both dogs for the price allianz wanted for only one dog. The excess is only €60 and u can pay monthly.

DBB

Vote 4 Pedro wrote: »

We have talked to the vet and they say that this breed is usually heathy enough,

:eek:
I wouldn't agree with this at all!
In fact, Miniature Schnauzers appear again and again on lists of a wide range of serious conditions in the BSAVA manuals, so I'm really concerned that your vet doesn't know about all the problems this breed are prone to!
I'm sorry OP, I'm not trying to scaremonger. But I would strongly recommend that everyone insures their dogs... it's small money compared to the considerable costs of even less-serious veterinary care.

Kali_Kalika

I personally don't believe in pet insurance. I don't have it for myself so I can't really fathom having it for them. What I have done personally is create an account (an envelope in the freezer works a treat!) and anytime I have "spare" money I put it in the health care envelope. That way - there is money set aside should anything happen - and if it doesn't at least you haven't wasted your money giving it to an insurance company. And you'll never be faced with the "do I pay pet insurance or put food on the table this week" decision. - Someone else I know did similar but they didn't want to keep money in the house - so she asked her parents to keep the money she gave them. So find someone you trust at give them the money when you have it to stock pile for you. That way its out of reach of easy spending - but its also building up should you ever need it for yourself or the animals.#

Again these options wont work for everyone but it has for me and I'm sure I'll get plenty of flack for it - but hey - someone asked so I answered!

tazwaz

hi op, i cant recommend pet insurance highly enough!! i know its a costly expense but if anything goes wrong it's well worth it.. i pay monthly by direct debit

aisher

Like yourself cost was an issue but I still wanted to have some level of insurance for my dog. I have a small dog, 5 months old and she is in good health but at the same time accidents can happen especially with 3 kids who keep lifting the dog up! I paid €72 for a yearly policy with Tesco - its the no frills Value policy but it allows up to €2,500 per illness and has a 3rd party liability of €500,000. This is enough cover for me and I am happy that the €72 didnt have to break the bank.

irelandspurs

We used the limit €3500 on our dog that without it we couldn't pay.

Vote 4 Pedro

I guess your just confirming what i thought,
Better go ahead and arrange some insurance then,

Can you recommend what might be the best cover for cost.
and is there any companies to stay away from.

Vote 4 Pedro

Ok then from my earlier thread asking if pet insurance was worth the money.
I have decided to go ahead and get it.

Now i'm asking you which is a good company to go with and is reasonable value for money for the level of cover etc.

And also importantly which ones would be best avoided.

I'm a first time dog owner and a little unsure, all your help and advise is gratefully received.

Thanks.

star-pants

Merged threads as you don't really need a second thread

Cutie18Ireland

They are all pretty much the same. Make sure you get one that covers for their lifetime the cheaper ones usually just cover for 12 months, so if the dog developed diabetes for example they will only cover that for 12 months.
One big difference is the excess. Tesco is €60 on standard policy whereas with allianz its €100. On a normal enough vet visit it'll rarely go over €100 whereas it would go over €60 usually when u have to pay to see vet and for medication etc.

DBB

I posted earlier just as the threads were merged and I think my post got lost in the process!
OP it'd be no harm to ask your vet, as they're dealing with the insurance companies all the time. Vets will generally know which companies pay out with the least hassle. And perhaps more importantly, will know which companies are difficult to deal with!
Along with the personal experiences you'll get here, you'll be able to arm yourself with plenty of info before making the decision!

January

Cutie18Ireland wrote: »

They are all pretty much the same. Make sure you get one that covers for their lifetime the cheaper ones usually just cover for 12 months, so if the dog developed diabetes for example they will only cover that for 12 months.
One big difference is the excess. Tesco is €60 on standard policy whereas with allianz its €100. On a normal enough vet visit it'll rarely go over €100 whereas it would go over €60 usually when u have to pay to see vet and for medication etc.

I'm with Allianz and my excess is only €75

Cutie18Ireland

January wrote: »

I'm with Allianz and my excess is only €75

I had a dog on it before and excess was €75 but listed as €100 on the website here

January

Cutie18Ireland wrote: »

January wrote: »

I'm with Allianz and my excess is only €75

I had a dog on it before and excess was €75 but listed as €100 on the website here

Only bought my policy two weeks ago and definitly says excess of €75 on the policy documents... Weird