# Pet insurance whilst abroad



## Bryansdad (Aug 24, 2010)

Hi

I am convinced pet insurance is a waste of money but am having difficulty persuading SWMBO especially regarding potential vet bills abroad. 

probably a dumb question but................
does anybody have any eperience of using vets abroad (France, Spain, Portugal) and / or taking out pet insurance just for the duration of a trip abroad?

Thanks for all shared eperiences.


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## lookback (Dec 4, 2005)

When we were in Spain my dog developed conjunctivitus in his eye.
People on the campsite told me where the nearest vet was and the opening times and I took the dog along.
The vet (who could speak english) gave him a good examination and prescribed some ointment and also gave him an injection.
The total cost was less than my excess on the pet insurance so I did not bother to claim.
Despite the above I still consider that pet insurance when travelling abroad is very important. 


Ian


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

We had to take the dog to the vet in Germany last year for a tummy problem. Trouble was that it was Saturday and we had one heck of a struggle finding a vet that was open. In the end we made a 50km round trip and treatment was excellent, costing around €90. On returning home the dog got the same problem again and our own vet charged £60 for the same treatment (although at a normal weekday surgery). From that experience I'd say that costs were similar.

On the general subject of insurance, it's a personal thing but don't forget that Insurers are in it to make a profit (after paying their substantial overheads and paying out those policy holders who abuse the system) so the chances are that if you put a tenner a month into a slush fund instead of paying the premium you'll have plenty of funds to finance any emergencies that arise. If your pet isn't too sickly and you make sensible decisions regarding any treatment, you'll also have some cash left in your fund when Fido goes to the great bone-yard in the sky.

The problem with pet insurance is that it can encourage vets (and owners) to enter into long complicated and costly regimes of treatment that aren't always in the best interests of the animal. Twenty years ago we'd have accepted that the pet had gone past the point of no return and euthenased it humanely. Of course the net result of it is that vetinary treatments have become horrendously complex and expensive because vets have become accustomed to owners having pet insurance so cost of treatment becomes no longer a consideration - the policy will pay! Those owners who choose not to insure end up paying insurance company prices. :roll:


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