# Do you think pet insurance is worth it?



## shoppergal (31 Dec 2009)

Just looking for some thoughts on pet insurance. I've had it on my two dogs for the last 6 years or so. The premium has gone from €22 a month in 2007 to €35 a month from this January. This covers one of the dogs fully(minus €80 excess) and the other one for 65% of costs minus the €80 excess. In the 6 years that I've had the dogs I've claimed once, for the removal of a growth on one of the dogs ear which was a few hundred quid. The dogs go for regular boosters and check ups and the vet has declared both as being in "superb" condition. Both are jack russell terriers. 

I'm very much leaning towards cancelling the insurance but am just a bit worried that after 6 years of paying and there being nothing wrong that as soon as I cancel something will go wrong. 

Any thoughts?


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## Celtwytch (31 Dec 2009)

My advice is to keep them insured.  I know it seems like you're paying out a lot of money without claiming much back, but that is pretty much the nature of all insurances.  I have had my 2 dogs insured since I got them, and have needed to claim a fair bit on the insurance policy for one, but not a cent on the other.

By the way, it's worth giving your insurance company a ring about the massive increase - the price went up on both of my policies too, but when I spoke to them they gave me a 10% loyalty discount on each one.


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## Darthvadar (31 Dec 2009)

Well worth keeping it on... 

I know your dogs are in great condition now, but as they age, they're more likely to need expensive treatment... 

I was thinking about not getting my hooligan (Stray King Charles/Yorkie Cross) insured because of how healthy he is, but I did insure him in the end... Few months later, he dislocated his kneecap... It happened at night, so I had to take him to UCD's Emergency Clinic... Bill was €285... I got €210 back... 

My premium was €160 this year, but I'm just relieved to have it...


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## Sue Ellen (31 Dec 2009)

Darthvadar said:


> Well worth keeping it on...
> 
> I know your dogs are in great condition now, but *as they age, they're more likely to need expensive treatment... *



Deffo.  Most important aspect is age just like us humans.  I rang Allianz too and got a discount.


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## ali (31 Dec 2009)

All insurance is a gamble but you have to consider whether being faced with a huge Vets bill is something you could cope with financially and bear in mind that even if your dogs are in "superb condition", that doesn't stop them getting hit by a car or some other accident.(God Forbid etc.)

I don't know if there is much negotiating leeway on pet insurance premia but I got a discount of €173 off my car insurance this year by asking my insurer to match another quote I got.

A.


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## iggy (31 Dec 2009)

I`ve always had my dogs insured and in my opinion I wouldn`t be without it.


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## gipimann (31 Dec 2009)

I got a new cat in September, and decided to insure him (hadn't insured the last cat I had - was lucky, he didn't have too many expensive vet visits over his 10 years).  The insurance cost me €94 for a year (inc a first year's introductory discount) with petinsure.ie

Since the end of October, the same cat has run up over €1100 of a vet's bill, trying to diagnose a medical problem - his medication (which will be ongoing) is still being covered by the insurance.

So yes, I'm a big fan of pet insurance!


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## shoppergal (1 Jan 2010)

Thanks everyone for the feedback, looks like the consensus is that it's worth keeping. Might give them a call to see if there's any leeway on the premium.

Thanks again for your input.


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## Darthvadar (1 Jan 2010)

Oh, Shoppergal...

Just had a call from a friend... Her very healthy Daschound got her paws on a marble sometime over Christmas... Swallowed it... Nobody knew a thing... No indication that there was anything wrong until this morning... They found her in her basket in a collapsed state... She had a very distended abdomen... Turned out the marble was obstructing her digestive system...

Dog has had an op (lost a large part of her small intestine due to gangrene)... Vet thinks she'll recover, but will be an inpatient for about ten days... 

The final bill's expected to be in the region of €1,500...

Guess what they decided to get a couple of months ago... Yep, Pet Insurance!...

They're SO relieved!...

Wise decision to keep the insurance going!...

Darth...


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## shoppergal (2 Jan 2010)

Thanks darthvader, stories like that terrify me so am definitely going to keep on the insurance. Having to find €1500 like that would leave me in fairly dire straits so best not chance it.


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## Darthvadar (2 Jan 2010)

shoppergal said:


> Having to find €1500 like that would leave me in fairly dire straits so best not chance it.


 
Amen to that, Shoppergal... I'm not brave enough to do without insurance, either!....

Call me a coward, but my sanity (or what passes for sanity) couldn't cope with the worry!...

Darth...


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## Complainer (3 Jan 2010)

Consider self-insuring, i.e. putting the money away each year in a savings fund that you can access in case of emergency.


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## wishbone (4 Jan 2010)

We just got a bill from our vet for 280e which from what everyone is saying is low, but to be honest, it's a huge amount for us to pay for the dog.  Is there a cheaper option than a regular 'private' vet, what do people who don't have a lot of money do?  Our dog is 9 so can't be insured as far as I know at this stage...


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## jack2009 (4 Jan 2010)

wishbone said:


> We just got a bill from our vet for 280e which from what everyone is saying is low, but to be honest, it's a huge amount for us to pay for the dog. Is there a cheaper option than a regular 'private' vet, what do people who don't have a lot of money do? Our dog is 9 so can't be insured as far as I know at this stage...


 
Have you tried going to the Blue Cross?


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## Darthvadar (4 Jan 2010)

DSPCA runs mobile clinics, too... www.dspca.ie

You're right, at nine years old, I doubt if you'd get your pawed person insured...


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## shoppergal (4 Jan 2010)

Well I rang Allianz, asked why the price had gone up so much. She advised it was due to a rise in claims but she’d see what she could do. 

Straightaway she reduced the premium by 40 quid so it’s now working out at €32 a month instead of €35. Not much of a difference but better in my pocket than theirs. 

wishbone, i hope you get sorted.


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## sunnygirl (13 Jan 2010)

Im with Allianz for my golden labrador. My premium is defintely less than E200 per annum. I have had health insurance for her since we got her but by putting her down as a 'mongrel' the quote is massively cheaper. She has no pedigree papers. Unfortunately, we have had to use the insurance as she got sick about a year ago with auto immune syndrome & we have had regular visits to vets / medication etc.,
My point is whether the animal is listed as pedigree or mongrel it gets the same level of care when needed.


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## Sherman (21 Jan 2010)

sunnygirl said:


> My point is whether the animal is listed as pedigree or mongrel it gets the same level of care when needed.


 
That may be so but if your dog is a purebred you must declare it as such. The reason insurance companies distinguish between purebred and mixed breed dogs is that statistically, certain breeds of purebred dogs have a massively increased predisposition to certain illnesses and ailments e.g. German shepards are strongly predisposed to hip dysplasia, certain spaniels are predisposed to heart problems etc. Generally, you just don't get the same level of predictable disease affecting mixed breed dogs.


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## Buddyg (21 Jan 2010)

Like all insurance it is not worth it. 

Prob( needing treatment) * (cost) < Total insurace cost over lifetime.


You are paying to reduce your exposure to unlikely and expensive treatments.


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## galwegian44 (21 Jan 2010)

That's true Buddyg, but whatever the risk of my dog having an accident or getting sick leads me to the inevitable question.

If the vet recommends treatment costing €2,000 or the option of putting my dog down for €100 then I would like to be able to afford the treatment option.....insurance gives me that choice, or more importantly it takes away the choice....just do the treatment.

Insurance is a cost that you don't ever want to get a return on, if possible.



Buddyg said:


> Like all insurance it is not worth it.
> 
> Prob( needing treatment) * (cost) < Total insurace cost over lifetime.
> 
> ...


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## addob (21 Jan 2010)

Buddyg said:


> Like all insurance it is not worth it.
> 
> Prob( needing treatment) * (cost) < Total insurace cost over lifetime.
> 
> ...


 
In the first year of having my cat teh surgery bills came out to €1700, which was covered by insurance. At €12.00 per month in insurance - €240 per year I think insurance has made it worth it in the long run!


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## shoppergal (24 Feb 2010)

Update. 

Well thought I’d post an update that would ultimately answer the question I asked last month. One of my dogs got sick today and was brought to the vet, turns out she had fluid on the lungs as a result of a heart condition. She will be on medication for life. 

Boy am I glad I renewed my pet insurance!! Thanks everyone for the advice, dread to think what would be happening now if I hadn’t renewed it.


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## Darthvadar (24 Feb 2010)

Wow!.....

Great news, Shoppergal...

I'm really pleased that your pooch is able to get the care she needs!....

Thank you very much for the update...

God bless...

Darth....


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