Vet bill is climbing

[Haggisman]

My petplan covered for life hasn't gone up 500% since we started the plans 12 and 9 years ago.

The price doesn't go up for claiming either, it goes up each year regardless but not 500%.

Good timing actually, our doggo's renewal is up so been shopping around yesterday, just for curiosity on one of the more competitive quotes I checked what it would be if she was 13 rather than 3 (everything else on the policy the same).

3 year old: £32/month
13 year old: £308/month!

That's almost 1000% increase, and in reality it would almost certainly be more after the 10 years due to inflation.

Granted that's only from a sample of a single insurer, but at that point, surely for most people it would be a case of saying **** it, and deciding to take the risk and "self-insure"

 

[200sols]

Good timing actually, our doggo's renewal is up so been shopping around yesterday, just for curiosity on one of the more competitive quotes I checked what it would be if she was 13 rather than 3 (everything else on the policy the same).

3 year old: £32/month
13 year old: £308/month!

That's almost 1000% increase, and in reality it would almost certainly be more after the 10 years due to inflation.

Granted that's only from a sample of a single insurer, but at that point, surely for most people it would be a case of saying **** it, and deciding to take the risk and "self-insure"

The thing with old dogs, would you put it through any lengthy treatments etc? Probably not. At that stage, especially with the 20% you usually have to contribute after a certain age the worthiness of the insurance is diminishing. Think it will always be cheaper insuring a pet for life rather than trying to get insurance for a 13yr old dog, that is basically the 'we dont want you' price.

One thing I will add though, I see many people wasting their insurance cover at local vets, skip that, get a referral straight away for anything serious, eye related etc. Not only is the treatment better at a specialist in my experience they make their money actually doing their job and not ripping people off on medicines.

 

[Haggisman]

The thing with old dogs, would you put it through any lengthy treatments etc? Probably not. At that stage, especially with the 20% you usually have to contribute after a certain age the worthiness of the insurance is diminishing. Think it will always be cheaper insuring a pet for life rather than trying to get insurance for a 13yr old dog, that is basically the 'we dont want you' price.

Would it be any cheaper if that was a renewal after 10 years though?

One thing I will add though, I see many people wasting their insurance cover at local vets, skip that, get a referral straight away for anything serious, eye related etc. Not only is the treatment better at a specialist in my experience they make their money actually doing their job and not ripping people off on medicines.

Yeah that makes sense, our vet are pretty good, and fortunately we've only ever had to see them for routine stuff so far (touch wood!) but for a complex ongoing illness a specialist is definitely going to be the better option

 

[Puppetmaster]

We've just had a quote for our cat to have 2 teeth out. £1k!! What the.......
What have others paid?

My cat had a swelling under his eye, suspected tooth abscess. They drained it (vet said there was a lot) had I think 2 teeth from one side and 1 from the other removed, xrays for that and some other health issues as well as an overnight stay due to having a cardiac arrest. Cost me about £630. I had been to the vet twice prior to that about it so perhaps it was a little cheaper but even so it's a decent chunk cheaper than your quote

 

[200sols]

Would it be any cheaper if that was a renewal after 10 years though?

Can only go on my experience, my renewals on 9 and 12yr old pets haven't gone up anything like 1000%.

 

[rodders]

My cat had a swelling under his eye, suspected tooth abscess. They drained it (vet said there was a lot) had I think 2 teeth from one side and 1 from the other removed, xrays for that and some other health issues as well as an overnight stay due to having a cardiac arrest. Cost me about £630. I had been to the vet twice prior to that about it so perhaps it was a little cheaper but even so it's a decent chunk cheaper than your quote

We haven't really given this place much money over the years, as we signed up for their jabs for life for £99. Bargain for us, maybe not for them and now they are 'clawing' some back.

 

[kinger8938]

I may look to another practice in the future, never really considered that before. But I'm sure it varies across the board from case to case etc.

Just a convenient location, our current one

 

[rodders]

Phoned a few vets. Our closest one, which we've never been able to get in, said that's too much. £800 absolute max, but £600 is what they'd expect to charge, if it all goes well.
They also are taking people on, so going to think about using them.

 

[Street]

Petplan covers dental.

It should do for the amount they wanted per year for insurance! They were massively more expensive than everyone else for us, their quote for essentials cover for just the dog was nearly as much as it was to cover all three animals elsewhere.

 

[Haggisman]

It should do for the amount they wanted per year for insurance! They were massively more expensive than everyone else for us, their quote for essentials cover for just the dog was nearly as much as it was to cover all three animals elsewhere.

Yeah... £70 just for our greyhound, which is the same as we're paying for her + 3 cats on our Tesco policy for the same cover!

 

[burtie]

Just had the dog back to the vets as his anul glands where blocked. £130 which I didn't think was to bad, Not sure the dog agrees, poor bugger. Not sure he's going to last this year. Now his balls have gone sore so back we go!

 

[rodders]

Had a look at the cats teeth myself just now, they don't look too bad, not a grade 4 worse case the vet said they were. I was expecting them to be an absolute mess.
I agree they need some work, maybe just a clean/polish.
Did read a story from one customer at this vet, where the vet admitted he's in it for money, rather than the pet.

Anyway, we have asked for the cat records and going to register for the local one.

 

[rodders]

Took our cat to a diff vet, no way did she say there was any reason to just pull two teeth out.
There's one or two that needs a good clean and she said that maybe one is suffering from resorption, but can only tell once the plaque is removed.

We've gone from £1000 to most likely £400, it may rise to £600 is resorption is present and the tooth needs removing.

 

[A2Z]

Our 1 year old cat isn't insured, any recommendations for good value policies?

I'm in the same situation, who did you decide to go with and how much is it?

 

[moon man]

Just had the dog back to the vets as his anul glands where blocked. £130 which I didn't think was to bad, Not sure the dog agrees, poor bugger. Not sure he's going to last this year. Now his balls have gone sore so back we go!

As I am up in Yorkshire was looking at prices, been a long time since I used a vets, free consultation is a good thing, the anal thing seems cheap here
Never used this place though, mine was cheaper

 

[burtie]

As I am up in Yorkshire was looking at prices, been a long time since I used a vets, free consultation is a good thing, the anal thing seems cheap here
Never used this place though, mine was cheaper

Yeah I should have said he had antibiotics and some painkillers, yeah the glands was about £30. A waste of money, we had to have him put to sleep last Friday. Couldn't leave him like that anymore.

 

[moon man]

Yeah I should have said he had antibiotics and some painkillers, yeah the glands was about £30. A waste of money, we had to have him put to sleep last Friday. Couldn't leave him like that anymore.

Ah sorry to hear that we had a border collie once with what we assumed was glands but was much worse , I miss dogs don't don't miss the trauma of losing them after their relatively short lives

 

[rodders]

Just picked Zuma up from his dental work.

Original quote from a diff vet was £1k to pull out two back teeth, after a 1min check up.

This vet, spent about 10 minutes looking at him before booking him in. In the op, back teeth fine, just took down a couple of the front teeth £400 Inc scale and polish.

What a difference!