# Insure your dog, or not?



## Zebedee

We get out new pup next weekend after having the old girl put down about six weeks ago. That was no fun at all!!

Do we insure the new one? I've never done it before because there seem to be so many excluded illness and conditions, and the excesses you have to pay for each treatment seem quite high, not to mention the monthly payments. Also the cost seems to go up and the exclusions increase as your dog gets older.

Has anyone any advice to offer please? I know if the dog gets run over or lacerated with barbed wire (as did our friend's greyhound) the bill could be horrendous and insurance would then be very worthwhile, but is that a risk worth taking?

Thanks in advance, and any suggestions gratefully received.

Zebedee


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## Rapide561

*Insurance*

Hi

My Oscar was not insured. He passed away in April this year, and I had spent four figures on his bills. The money was not important as I could afford it.

However, I would hate to be in a situation where I had to choose money or my baby. I will insure the next dog and view it almost as a "savings plan". I could save the £15 per month and use it as needed. Or, I pay the £15.00 and claim when I need it.

As with many things, do check the small print, and look for european cover if you are planning on touring etc.

Russell


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## Briarose

Hi I have been thinking about you (thanks for the PMs ref Welshies) we haven't insured our two but I have thought about it, I read on another forum where someone put away the amount they would have paid to insure every week in case of vets bills.........good idea but it is doing it.

Good luck with the new pup just think all that training to do again LOL any names yet ?


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## damondunc

*I would* as my whippet broke her leg the day after i got her,she was KC regd so came with free 6weeks insurance so the bill for me was pretty small but i worked out that about 5 years insurance payments would cover the treatment she recieved and she has been treated for other things since so we have had back more than we have paid out.
She is covered with 1st quote,my new girl Skye a lurcher is covered by marks + spencer .
What puppy are you looking at ,some breeds such as westies can develop
various skin,ear and eye problems which can be expensive to treat.
You will post piccies of poopee won't you 

Chris


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## 104705

Like all optional insurance, it seems expensive each month when payiong the premium, but when needed is a relief. As has already been said, watch the small print. Make sure you get a lifetime policy and not a twelve month one. The difference being that even after a big claim you keep insured. On a dog forum recently, the pet insurance with Marks and Spencers was being highly recommended for value for money and claims handling. Another indirect recommendation is via your vet. Ask if they do direct billing with your company of choice. If they don't, the claims handling could be suspect!!


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## Zebedee

Thanks for the quick responses so far. Gives me plenty to think about and I expect there will be more suggestions. Didn't know KC registered pups have 6 weeks free insurance so thanks for that.

For those who have not seen it, here's a piccy of the old girl when she was a pup, and the new model will be the same flavour. Fortunately they have not been inbred, so have very few inherent weakness.

This is what "Gracie" the Welsh Terrier will look like. Will post a photo of her when we get her next Saturday.










Thanks again

Zebedee


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## Briarose

Hi as you know I have two Welshies have had no probs really with Rolo..............apart from an eye infection in the past 18 months, Meggie however does seem to suffer with one of her ears but other than that they are as you say pretty strong dogs...........Meggie got the eye infection first and passed on to Rolo, I do think it was to do with the fields and harvesting though on a site we stay at in March Cambs.


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## damondunc

Check kc paperwork and talk to your breeder, i had to send a form off, fortunately there was a postal strike but kc honoured it 


Chris


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## Zebedee

Off to bed now as we were up at 4.00am this morning (yawn) but must reply first.

Russell. Hadn't realised European cover was a separate issue. Thanks

Chris. She will be KC registered, so we have a few weeks to decide.

Freetochat. Thanks for advice on lifetime policy rather than 12 months. Another trap I may have fallen into. Likewise the Vet and direct billing. Useful information.

Best ten quid I ever spent joining MHF    and there's probably more to come.

Thanks again folks

Zebedee


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## Wupert

Zebedee said:


> Zebedee


Our insurance covered our dog bighting?? someone or another animal as well as illness.

A wise investment.


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## sallytrafic

Our Dogs have a building society account we pay around 50 per month into it. 

If we get a big vet bill we pay it from there if only a small one don't bother. They recently had a share in an £800 windfall


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## 88742

> The money was not important as I could afford it


............could you afford _'hundreds of thousands'_ if your dog caused a fatal RTA?....... amongst other things that's one of the reasons we have our's insured. I accept there are limits to the payout, but in the event the little pooch was spooked and broke from his lead, you never know what the consequences could be.

Ian


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## 104705

bsb2000 said:


> The money was not important as I could afford it
> 
> 
> 
> ............could you afford _'hundreds of thousands'_ if your dog caused a fatal RTA?....... amongst other things that's one of the reasons we have our's insured. I accept there are limits to the payout, but in the event the little pooch was spooked and broke from his lead, you never know what the consequences could be.
> 
> Ian
Click to expand...

Wouldn't that also come under public liability of your household insurance?


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## sallytrafic

bsb2000 said:


> The money was not important as I could afford it
> 
> 
> 
> ............could you afford _'hundreds of thousands'_ if your dog caused a fatal RTA?....... amongst other things that's one of the reasons we have our's insured. I accept there are limits to the payout, but in the event the little pooch was spooked and broke from his lead, you never know what the consequences could be.
> 
> Ian
Click to expand...

Definitely public liability under house insurance - assuming you have told them about dog(s).


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## 88742

Never thought of that.


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## Zebedee

Thanks for the further advice.

*Wupert*. Fortunately our breeder has an international reputation and his dogs are bred (among other qualities) to be placid and good natured for the show table. They rarely start fights, though they have been known to finish a few. 8O 8O Sound advice though.

*bsb2000*. The road incident actually happened to us some years ago. Fortunately the dog was by then well trained and instantly sat down in the road when I yelled at her, and it all ended happily. Had to dash home for a change of underwear though!!!

*Frank*. Glad you mentioned telling the household insurance company about the dog. I hadn't thought of that and I bet they wouldn't pay out if "dog" was not specified. I shall do it today

Regards all

Zeb


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## 96266

I would always recommend insuring your dogs; one of my dogs (we have four) had a laminectomy a few years ago (they split his spine and re-laid his spinal cord!!!) - total cost nearly £8,000. I'm not sure how one would deal with that without insurance - I would of had to borrowed the money, I guess some would have to had the dog put down, that would be a shame as after the operation he was 100% and back to is job as a working gundog and his pastime of dog agility. 

The other thing good insurance will give you is 3rd party liability should your dog causes an accident (petplan is £3m) - one thing you don't get from your building society account!


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## sallytrafic

If you decide on insurance get one with a big excess. That way you will keep the premiums down and only use it when you really need it. 

(this is moneysaving expert advice for most insurance BTW)

Personal liability insurance is cheaper wrapped in house contents buildings insurance than in any pet plan that I have seen.


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## suffolkian

Personally I prefer to insure our dogs against illness, injury, loss and 3rd party cover. We 'took delivery ' of an 11 week old St Bernard on Saturday and the insurance that comes from the Kennel Club was in excess of £400 after the free 6 weeks period.!!!!! I will add him to our existing dog insurance for an additional £19 p/month. Not sure how he'll fit in the M/H though


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## drcotts

Its like all insurance. You never know if its going to be worth it or not. You run it around in your mind whether this or that might happen tying to outguess the insurance company.

At the end of the day if peace of mind is what your after then yes insurance is the best option. If you are trying to guess whether its financilaly benificial to you (ie will my dog cause me £2000 worth of vets fees after i only paid in £100) then no i wouldnt bother because either way the insurance comany will be better off in the ong run.

We insured our labby with the top level of cover with pet plan which started at £10/m and ended up about £25/m. It was ok for the first few years with the occasional cut paw etc not needing much treatment but in the letter years he had arthiritis and needed regular medication. This was quite expensive but we did get most of it back. 

The thing where it will really brink peice of mind is for a sudden accidental incident like if the poor dog was run over or sustained an attack from another dog. My freind got fed up of paying £20 per month for his veinmaraner so canceled it. A month later he was bringing the dog back into the house and as the dog ran in front of him through the front door the tie cord of his coat spun round the dogs tail like a little lasoo. As the dog ran in front it garrotted his tail to such an extent that he had to have his tail amputated. Cost £600

Most pet ins cover public liability which is cheap anyway and rarely costs more that a few quid. 

Phill


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## 102731

Zebedee said:


> We get out new pup next weekend after having the old girl put down about six weeks ago. That was no fun at all!!
> 
> Do we insure the new one? I've never done it before because there seem to be so many excluded illness and conditions, and the excesses you have to pay for each treatment seem quite high, not to mention the monthly payments. Also the cost seems to go up and the exclusions increase as your dog gets older.
> 
> Has anyone any advice to offer please? I know if the dog gets run over or lacerated with barbed wire (as did our friend's greyhound) the bill could be horrendous and insurance would then be very worthwhile, but is that a risk worth taking?
> 
> Thanks in advance, and any suggestions gratefully received.
> 
> Zebedee


Don't have a dog but have a cat. She's just been diagnosed as diabetic and the insurance will cover some of the cost. 
My girlfriend has a cat that had ongoing problems with constipation and eventually had an operation. The cost of many! trips to the vet, enemas under general anesthetic and finally the operation ran into thousands! Insurance paid most of it. 
Definitely insure.


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## 101776

Petplan every time for us....

Great Danes always cost more to insure, but they do tend to have big illness's and a tendency to 'bloat' and 'wobblers'. Most of the people on my gt dane forum use petplan because it covers an illness for the dogs life and not just for a few months like some others..

so if your dog gets diabetes or something you can keep claiming on petplan, and as another poster said the public liability is great too.

(I wanna know where that cute st bernard poopie lives, cos I'm gonna come and steal him away for a snuggle....)


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## Zebedee

And still more thanks for all the advice.

*Frank and Shelton.* Our household policy covers us for third party claims against the canine without having specifically to "declare" her, I checked after Frank's suggestion. Don't know if all policies are the same.

*Suffolkian*. Buy a bigger motorhome for Duke if you have to. He looks worth every penny and would like a new mobile kennel I'm sure.

*Phill, Bear1 and Bouncer.* I'm convinced. Shall consult our vet as someone suggested earlier and take it from there.

All things being equal, Gracie will thank you all in person on Sunday. Can hardly wait . . . what a wuss I am!! 

Regards

Zeb


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## patp

Hi 

Having worked as a vet nurse and pet behaviour therapist for many years I have seen all sides of the arguments. 

If I had a pedigree, un-neutered dog I would definitely insure it for the first year of its life. I might then decide whether the dog seemed to be a sensible and fairly healthy individual and put some money aside for accidents. Later I would start to think about insuring again for old age (can start at seven for some breeds).

I, however, have a neutered cross-breed and so do not insure her. She has been a little accident prone (lurcher) but nothing serious (apart from severing 3 out of 4 tendons on a flint one time!).

You definitely get better treatment if they are insured though. Don't tell the insurance companies but most vets offer much more in the way of diagnostics if the pet is insured. Contrary to popular opinion vets do think of pet owner's pockets!

Nobody likes to pay out for insurance but it is peace of mind after all. In the practice where I worked the opinion was that it was the way forward if veterinary medicine was to advance. There is so much they can do now if the owner can pay. It can be very frustrating for the vet to be told to put an animal to sleep because the owner cannot afford treatment that would save its life.

Why is life so complicated??

Pat


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## wakk44

I now have insurance for our 3 year old dog,costs £10 per month and cover is for £6000 of treatment costs in any calendar year.After losing our other dog last year I have decided if the unexpected happens he will have the best treatment available.

Last year our Sam had a malignant nasal tumour,he had lots of tests which cost me over £1000,only to be told nothing could be done and just keep him comfortable until the end.I was prepared to pay more because as other dog owners know it is like losing one of the family.

Having insurance in this case would not have made any difference to the outcome but it would have saved me a considerable amount of money.

After this experience I would always advise having pet insurance it is peace of mind knowing that if the worst happens your best friend will get looked after with no questions asked.

Steve


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## suffolkian

*Bouncer * the snuggle you refer to is more likely to be a slobber with a bit of chewing thrown in for good measure.

*ZEBEDEE* the M/H is NEW!!! - only 11 weeks old like the dog. 2 labs and a St Bernard will certainly test the van's sleeping arrangements to the full I think.

Ian


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## patp

As mentioned above - do make sure you get "lifetime" insurance. This means that if your pet is diagnosed with say diabetes the policy will continue to pay throughout the pet's life. The other ones will take out Diabetes at the next renewal!!

Also do not wait for an illness and then rush out and insure. ALL insurance companies write to vets and ask detailed questions on the animal's medical history. This means that if your dog was treated at some time for a skin condition and then you decided to insure it the company would exclude all skin conditions because the dog was already a "bad risk" for skin conditions. It is no good changing vets either they ask questions about that too!

One way to keep premiums down is to neuter. It cuts the risk of lots of conditions and insurance is all about risk. Better for the pet too!

Pat


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## Zebedee

More thanks to the recent posters. A lot of very useful hints and tips, especially Pat. Didn't know about the checking-up with the vet.   

Off to annoy the Mother in Law tomorrow. It's obligatory since she lives not far from the breeder, but there is the consolation of delicious fish and chips in Kidwelly or Burry Port.

Back on Saturday with Gracie. Hope she won't be quite so car sick as Lucy was. Will post the promised photo on Sunday if she will stand still for long enough. :roll: 

Regards

Zeb


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## weaver

We didn't insure our Sheltie pup, but put £6000 into a pet account, thus collecting interest on it. This money will be used for Bonnie, the dog and the two cats, as needed. We've had cats and dogs for over 25 years (maximum of 5 animals at 1 time) and have found that the bills for treatment have only been a fraction of the cost of insurance over the years. 

Although she is only 7 months old, we have already had a vet bill which the insurance would have paid for, and we were a bit shocked at the cost of treatment. She suffered from distichiases (At least, I think that is what it is called) Eyelashes growing from glands inside the eyelid and therefore causing irritation. Bill for electrolisis of 5 hairs came to £275 plus more to pay for follow up consultation, which I get the impression will be quite pricey too. One of the reasons given would be the fact that she had to be referred and the specialist who did the work came in from outside the pet hospital we visited. Still - insurance for her costs rather a lot, and with the £70 excess we would have to pay anyway, the total extra outlay this year will still not be a lot more than the insurance payments we would have paid. Fingers crossed this does not recur.

You do take a risk if you don't insure, but you will find the premium varies, depending on the type and value of dog. If you are going to do so, make sure the breeder has registered the pup by the time you take it home, as it cannot get the free insurance before. Then make sure there is no gap, just in case something happens. You don't have to continue with the same plan.

Enjoy your pup! We do!

Louise


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## krull

Personal choice really.

Remember, insuance costs the average likely cost of vets bill plus overheads and big fat profit. If you are always likely to have a dog, you will _probably_ better be better off not insuring over the long term.

Mongrels tend to be cheaper than breeds for vets bills.


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## Zebedee

Anyone want a puppy? :roll: We had forgotten just how much they take over your life, and we've only had her since yesterday!

She is just as delightful as she looks, and so far hasn't piddled or anything else in the house. She won't stay still long enough for a decent photo, but I did promise so this is Gracie for those who are interested. 

Cheers

Zebedee


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## 107012

Aaaaaahh, she's adorable!!!!!!


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## carolgavin

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I want one shes so cute.

We are thinking of getting Neo a wee buddy to help him. He suffers from 'separation anxiety' (so the vet says!!) I think he is just a big wuss. He hates to be separated from us for even short periods. Even when we showed him (with handler)he was a nightmare looking for us all the time so much so it was no longer a pleasure to show him so we stopped. We cannot leave him in the van even to go out fr a meal as he just barks all the time then goes nuts when we come back. Have tried various techniques but none have worked so far. Vet says the anxiety also causes him to chew away at his paws!!!!
So the thinking is if he had doggy company.....................he would be fine. Thinking of a cairn terrier. 
To get back on topic Neo is insured.


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## patp

Hi Carolgavin 

I am sorry to say that another dog will not cure his separation anxiety. It is YOU he misses not just "company". 

It is a very distressing condition but it can be cured. I am a retired pet behaviour therapist. The treatment needs to be individually tailored to your dog. There are some excellent therapists out there who are part of the Coape (Center of Applied Pet Ethology) organisation. Check them out on the web for a therapist near you. (COAPE.org I think). 

They only work on vet referal but as you have already been to your vet that should not be a problem. Just a word of warning - do not be tempted by some other people purporting to be behaviour therapists - I have seen some terrible cruel methods used where they label every dog as dominant and then proceed to "rank reduce" the poor things. If you can't get hold of a COAPE therapist then the only other organisation that I would recommend is the APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Therapists). 

Do give it a try. Sometimes medication is needed sometimes not. 

Pat


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## carolgavin

patp said:


> Hi Carolgavin
> 
> I am sorry to say that another dog will not cure his separation anxiety. It is YOU he misses not just "company".
> 
> It is a very distressing condition but it can be cured. I am a retired pet behaviour therapist. The treatment needs to be individually tailored to your dog. There are some excellent therapists out there who are part of the Coape (Center of Applied Pet Ethology) organisation. Check them out on the web for a therapist near you. (COAPE.org I think).
> 
> They only work on vet referal but as you have already been to your vet that should not be a problem. Just a word of warning - do not be tempted by some other people purporting to be behaviour therapists - I have seen some terrible cruel methods used where they label every dog as dominant and then proceed to "rank reduce" the poor things. If you can't get hold of a COAPE therapist then the only other organisation that I would recommend is the APBC (Association of Pet Behaviour Therapists).
> 
> Do give it a try. Sometimes medication is needed sometimes not.
> 
> Pat


Hi Pat and thanks so much for your advice, will certainly go on web and look for therapist. We have tried, 'the looking as if you are going to go out but don't' technique. Then built up to actually leaving, but coming straight back. Currently up to going out for a walk for 5 mins then coming back. Hoping to build this up to seven mins later this week. We do not make a fuss of him when we come back in and wait till he calms down before we look in his direction, never mind speak to him. It is hard going and son no 1 will come in and go ohhhhh neo etc etc. Making him go upstairs right away till he can master the art!!!!!

Oh I love this forum!!! There is always a kind person who has experience in the very topic you are having a problem with and will give you help and advice. Again proof positive that it's a tenner well spent.
thanks again Pat.


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## Briarose

Zebedee she is beautiful and I am looking forward to hearing all about her and what she gets up to, I have been thinking of you all weekend.


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## patp

Well done Carolgavin on sticking with the programme. That is a good technique. There is also one involving a signal that teaches the dog that it will not get any attention. You can then use it when you leave and it helps the dog to understand that no attention is available. It works really well. Medication is also available but is not effective without behaviour modification. In some cases dietary manipulation is also used.

My preferred way of working is to put the whole programme together as one lot and not tinker with bits of it. The therapist you find will assess your dog and decide on the way forward. I must say the most important ingredient is a committed owner! If I had a pound for every owner who couldn't be bothered to change the way they handled their dog I would be a rich woman!

Good luck.

Keep the photos coming Zebaedee


Pat


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## Zebedee

Will do Pat, if I can get her to sit still for long enough.

I taught her to sit this afternoon though, so that's quite pleasing. She has also accepted her "cage" as her own special place and takes herself into it (with her teddy bear) when she's tired and wants a sleep.

Not bad after two days, don't let anyone tell you terriers are daft!!










Regards

Zeb


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## Zebedee

If anyone is searching for a travel "cage" for a fox terrier sized or smaller dog, if   *>>this<<*   is the sort of thing you are looking for Wilkinsons have them in for £8.99, £9.99 and £10.99 for sizes 1, 2 and 3.

Not quite identical as the Wilco cages have ventilation slots in the base as well. An old model I expect, but perfectly good and cheap enough for a puppy to chew up and eat, then get a better one for the fully grown dog.

Gracie likes hers, and it is quite convenient to use. Should keep her safe when travelling in the truck . . . and out of the way sometimes!!










Her teddy looks a bit weird without his eyes (  cue Dougie  ) but I pulled them out before the pup could eat them.

Cheers

Zebedee


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## spooky

To consolidate my views on getting insurance here you go:
We cannot get our greyhound insured because of the amount of problems she has so we have to live with that and have done for several years, just paying as we go.
This weekend i am going to have to advertise my RC helicopters to get the funds to pay some vet bills due in soon. Spooky suddenly without warning became very distressed and uncomfotable and we had to get an emergency call out and it turns out she has ruptured a disc in her neck, the surgury is going to cost an absolute fortune and then add the after care. We now know what to expect as we lost a previous greyhound to this disk problem but then we did not know the problems that it can cause i.e death.
We will do whatever we can (and sell whatever we can) to fund her treatment but it just goes to show what can go wrong when you least expect it, so my advice...INSURE INSURE INSURE if you are able.

regards
Malc
p.s anyone want a Heli ? :?


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## Briarose

I hope all is well with the new pup I am always thinking about you........did you get the insurance sorted ?

On another site tonight I have seen a 9 year old Welsh wanting a home if only I could have another I would..........can't stop thinking of the old boy.


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## Zebedee

Hi Briarose

She's great thanks, but sharp at the front. We had forgotten how many teeth puppies have, and how sharp they are. Usually possible to distract her with a chew or a pig's ear. She's on my lap now learning to type, so the spelling mistakes are hers not mine.

Insurance is not an immediate problem as we have the free six weeks from the kennel club to look around and find the most comprehensive package. Thanks again to everyone who sent advice.










Regards


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## Briarose

Wish I could give her a cuddle she is just so cute........glad all is going well.


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## MaxandPaddy

I would definitely have insurance if I got a new puppy as you never know what's around the corner!
I insured both my labradors and came out of it quite well until this year where my remaining dogs insurance has excluded a list of conditions a mile long!
At a premium of £350 for the year I did not renew it as he is 13years old now and the policy covers him for very little.
I know he could be involved in an accident and the policy would cover that but my excess was £65 and then I also had to pay 33% of the outstanding bill.
I have found the vet is less eager to suggest expensive treatments and exploritary x-rays now there is no insurance policy!


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## Zebedee

Good points Max (or Paddy) and thanks for these.



MaxandPaddy said:


> I would definitely have insurance if I got a new puppy as you never know what's around the corner!
> I insured both my labradors and came out of it quite well until this year where my remaining dogs insurance has excluded a list of conditions a mile long!


The mile long list of exclusions is a concern, just when your dog is likely to need the vet most, but that's inevitable I guess with insurance companies. They are in it to make money, which is OK so long as their practices are fair?



> I have found the vet is less eager to suggest expensive treatments and exploritary x-rays now there is no insurance policy


Also a concern, and part of the reason the premiums are so high I would guess. I won't suggest that the vets are profiteering as ours is very considerate and genuinely concerned about the continued health of my wallet, but it does remind you of the huge difference in quotations to mend a bent motor, depending on whether it's an insurance job or cash in the back pocket.

On balance I think it has to be insurance to begin with at least, since some problems take a while to become apparent. Then re-assess at renewal time perhaps, taking into account the current length of the exclusions list.

As Frank (and someone else I think) suggested, maybe I'll open a Building Society account for the pup? Might be a good idea to run both insurance and an account right from the start, then if the insurance does become too expensive (or exclusive) when the dog gets old, at least we shall have the cash set aside if needed.

Regards


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## MaxandPaddy

I think organizing your own saving plan is an excellent idea!
You could perhaps build up a lump sum for emergencies and old age and then when your pup is a geriatric like mine and your insurance excludes age related illnesses you have a nice tidy sum for your pet when he is most likely to need it.
I think that's a brilliant idea.....a bit like a pension scheme for pets!!


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## Zebedee

*Final analysis. Decision made.*



MaxandPaddy said:


> I think organizing your own saving plan is an excellent idea!
> You could perhaps build up a lump sum for emergencies and old age and then when your pup is a geriatric like mine and your insurance excludes age related illnesses you have a nice tidy sum for your pet when he is most likely to need it.
> I think that's a brilliant idea.....a bit like a pension scheme for pets!!


Nice of you to say so, but the credit goes mostly to all the members who took the trouble to send in the loads of advice and hints.

Your post was the one that finally gelled the idea in my mind, and it was a simple step from there. You have also summed up precisely what I now have in mind. Insurance *and* a savings account for Gracie while she is young, then most likely drop the insurance when she's getting old and the list of exclusions (and inflated premiums maybe) make it no longer cost-effective.

Great result, and yet another example of the varied benefits to be gained from this forum. Fork out your tenners any skinflints reading this as a visitor!  

Regards


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## patp

Do remember that a "lifetime" insurance should be just that. It should not exclude any illnesses at all. It is a minefield to find the policy that suits you. One way can be to have a high excess policy. I did this with my horses. It keeps the premiums down because you pay the first so much (1,000 pounds in my horse's case) and then claim the rest. That is where the building society account could help. I, personally, would not go for a percentage type one as I don't think you get peace of mind with those. They will of course keep the premiums down.

There is a broker that specialises in pet policies. They are called VIP and they will help you choose the right policy for you. European cover for instance (not much choice I don't think). Sorry I don't have their details to hand but I'm sure they will come up on a Google.

We have just returned from a visit to family in the USA to be reunited with our Gypsy. I was very miffed to realise that she hadn't missed us one little bit! She had been staying with a very good friend of mine and playing with her four children all day (and night). I felt quite guilty taking her away!!

Pat


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## Zebedee

Thanks for this Pat, and sorry to hear about your fickle hound. I'm sure we get far more attached to them than they do to us, which is good in some ways in case anything happens that means they have to be rehomed. We left our two Westies with my father when we went to New Zealand for a year, and they became his dogs . . . if they weren't almost "his" before!! Needless to say they stayed with him for the rest of their lives and we got a new pup.

Minefield is the right word for sorting out the policies, and I might just stick with the Kennel Club. Shall do a bit more research in the light of your comments. Hope you had a great holiday.

Thanks again


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## andyangyh

Do it! Do it! Do it! Our mad spaniel managed to get a stick stuck down her throat when she ran onto it by the banks of the Loire. It ended up costing us over £1500 on vets fees, travelling etc - antibiotics and X-ray in France, operation on return to UK to remove splinters from deep in her neck where they had gone right through her windpipe. We don't throw sticks for her any more and I cringe when I see people do it for their dogs. However, we now make VERY sure her insurance is paid up to date. Like any dog-owner I'd sell my body and, as a last resort, my van to pay for our dog's treatment but insurance is (comparatively) so cheap it seems daft not to take it out.


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