# Pet Insurance or lack of it



## 95075 (May 1, 2005)

I recently came back from southern Spain. Whilst I was there I met a guy who got as far as Caen check-in only to find that his dogs micro-chip had failed. If you think about it there are three choices.
(1) Put the dog down - not on your nelly
(2) Keep the dog in Europe,get new rabies jabs, blood tests etc.which will mean at least 6months in kennels - expensive
(3) Put the dog into quarantine in the UK for 6months - expensive.

The guy I met decided to turn round go back to Spain (2.4K miles total journey) and go through the rabies procedure in Spain before he made another attempt 6 months on.

When I checked my own pet insurance I found to my horror that I was not covered, no mention of quarantine or incidental costs. I checked the net when I got home and found that many companies had not caught up with the PET scheme and were offering nothing. Tesco and PetPlan (I am sure there are others) did offer cover. I am changing insurers before I go abroad again.

On a slightly different subject but again the insurerers would probably duck paying out given the chance. When I went to Spain my vet advised me to take some Stronghold for heartworm which is endemic on the Med. coast in France and Spain. I checked with the local vet in Spain and they agreed with my own vet and said that they treated most of the locally owned dogs regularly, this treatment is over and above Frontline which is also necessary in those parts.

I have had no trouble bringing my own dog back to the UK via the tunnel and the ferries, I have the micro-chip checked before I go out and checked locally before I come back. When I go to the vets in France or Germany I take my own Frontline and Drontal for them to administer, I do that because I have found that the French vets particularly like to jab for worms, as far as I am concerned the fewer jabs the better. My lowest cost was 28euro in Germany and my highest 35euro in France. 

Hope that the above is of interest to members, any queries please contact me.


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## 95502 (Jun 20, 2005)

one option would be to get 2 microchips?


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