Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Katie B — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 18:49:28 GMT

Thanks Bengal, will take a look!

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

BengalcatRVN — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:57:43 GMT

[quote user="Katie B"]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Will get settled in new house and then give them a call. I am a panicky owner as well. This all happened because the crafty beggar gets in the bin by standing on two legs, he thinks you can't hear him. Can you get a baby proof catch for bins?

[/quote]

Amazon do lockable bins, and has a good review from a dog owner! Click on it to see more!

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Katie B — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:31:11 GMT

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

loopylou711 — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:48:46 GMT

Another fan of petplan here. Having a cat who gets blocked bladders, they are always great. The other thing that is great was when we got him he was on the 4 week free insurance they do, but in those first few weeks, his problems began and when it came to taking out a permanent cover they offered the cover for life, which was pretty decent of them considering the chances of it reoccuring are quite high. My girls are with Tesco, but i really am think and extra 8 quid a month for petplan would be money well spent!

Anyways I would def give them a ring!

Also I never knew direct line did that! defeats the point of insurance a little!!

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

BengalcatRVN — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 19:48:18 GMT

My sisters dog ate rat poison, petplan put an exclusions on neuro signs, gastro signs and something else, and said they would remove them after 6 months. :) I'd say its worth calling and asking, never any harm!

Increasing your cover is done on a risk basis, I managed but I don't think I'd ever claimed, my friends dog had a cruciate rupture, and she ran out of cover, so asked to upgrade and they said no. The risk of her claiming was too high! Fair enough I guess.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Felicity Caldwell — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 14:19:36 GMT

Petplan are really good - It is slightly more expensive - I pay approx £34.00 a month for my boy and that covers up to £12,000 a year. It might be a really drastic amount to cover him for but he is a 5 month old labrador....need I say anymore....plus I'm such an OTT panicky dog owner, haha!

As for Direct Line....they really are crap! How can they justify to only pay out that amount for hospitalisation!?!? We have had that from some insurance companies at work....and they refuse to pay our hosp rates and think it is only worth £30-35! It really annoys me....because we are referral hospital, have 24 nurse care, orthopaedic/spinal referral case load and the care they receive definatley reflects that price we charge!! Ggrrrrrr! Damn insurance companies

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Vicky RVN — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:41:04 GMT

Ah ok thanks Claire. I don't think Jacks pp renewal is due for a fair few months...end of the year I think. So will give them a call closer to the time.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Claire Cameron — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:21:30 GMT

[quote user="Vicky SVN"]Does anyone know, if you want to increase level of cover can you do it part way through the policy year?

[/quote]

With Petplan it must be done at renewal. I'm a month away from renewal and can't request an increase until a fortnight prior to renewal date.

You also can't have any claims in process or claims about to be sent in.

I think most companies operate a similar policy.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Vicky RVN — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 08:43:51 GMT

Does anyone know, if you want to increase level of cover can you do it part way through the policy year?

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Vicky RVN — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 08:42:10 GMT

Glad your little man is back to himself Katie I've got Jack on petplan budget policy. I realise this isn't actually a huge amount of money...I work in first opinion and our bills can easily get up to a grand with bloods, imaging, hospitalisation, fluids etc. So I know I could easily run out of cover if Jack were to need referral. I've been mulling over increasing his cover for the last few months and can't decide. I do have savings which I would use if need be, or there is always the credit card. But would I be better off paying a little more each month and keeping my savings as savings for my first house, because i'll need it then!

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Katie B — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 12:57:40 GMT

[quote user="Claire 'Duke' York RVN MBVNA"]

Nope no claims for him and he's 9....10 in April

[quote user="Phrin Vernon"]

[quote user="Claire 'Duke' York RVN MBVNA"]

[quote user="Phrin Vernon"]

I've known Pet Plan to do 12 months exemptions and then remove them true to the word - the most recent was sometime last year.

[/quote]

Before I started nursing I had my Westie with Direct Line, I then changed to PetPlan but he'd had some Piriton whilst with Direct Line. He had a 12 month exclusion for skin conditions and they removed that true to their word.

[/quote]

Wow! They removed an exclusion for skin problems on a Westie? Go PetPlan!!

Out of interest, did you ever have to claim for it again?

[/quote]

Thats very lucky, love westies!

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Claire Cameron — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:07:11 GMT

Nope no claims for him and he's 9....10 in April

[quote user="Phrin Vernon"]

[quote user="Claire 'Duke' York RVN MBVNA"]

[quote user="Phrin Vernon"]

I've known Pet Plan to do 12 months exemptions and then remove them true to the word - the most recent was sometime last year.

[/quote]

Wow! They removed an exclusion for skin problems on a Westie? Go PetPlan!!

Out of interest, did you ever have to claim for it again?

[/quote]

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:06:22 GMT

[quote user="Claire 'Duke' York RVN MBVNA"]

[quote user="Phrin Vernon"]

I've known Pet Plan to do 12 months exemptions and then remove them true to the word - the most recent was sometime last year.

[/quote]

Wow! They removed an exclusion for skin problems on a Westie? Go PetPlan!!

Out of interest, did you ever have to claim for it again?

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Claire Cameron — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:58:37 GMT

[quote user="Phrin Vernon"]

I've known Pet Plan to do 12 months exemptions and then remove them true to the word - the most recent was sometime last year.

[/quote]

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:55:55 GMT

I've known Pet Plan to do 12 months exemptions and then remove them true to the word - the most recent was sometime last year.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Steph Worsley — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:13:24 GMT

[quote user="Katie B"]

[quote user="Steph Worsley RVN MBVNA"]

[quote user="Katie B"]

Yeah will wait until we get the claim moeny through.

[/quote]

What Kim is trying to say is that in the future if he has problems with vomiting and/or foreign bodies then the new insurance company will have put an exclusion on the new policy so you would not be covered

[/quote]

Oh well if thats the case, I won't move to Petplan. He is a typical lab. Will just have to see if their is a problem with them paying out, shouldn't be though! Covered up to £5000.

[/quote]

give petplan a ring, it wont hurt, explain he's had a foreign body and ask if they will still cover (as it isnt an illness they may still do) all it will cost is a quick phone call. when I got one of my cats she had cat flu when I got her, I explained this to Petplan and they said, ok we'll put an exclusion on upper respiratory probs for 12 months if she doesnt have probs with it within that time then we'll take it off come renewal time, and true to their word they did (this was 6 years ago so their policy may have changed by now )

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Donna France — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:11:10 GMT

[quote user="Katie B"]Oh well if thats the case, I won't move to Petplan. He is a typical lab. Will just have to see if their is a problem with them paying out, shouldn't be though! Covered up to £5000.[/quote]

Im with Direct line (the reason being I just couldnt afford petplan prices) and so far I havnt had a problem with them, I have the 'premium' cover which is £6000 pound and life cover for conditions. they have paid out on two occasions with no complications...I hope I havent tempted fate now.......

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Katie B — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:03:47 GMT

[quote user="Steph Worsley RVN MBVNA"]

[quote user="Katie B"]

Yeah will wait until we get the claim moeny through.

[/quote]

Oh well if thats the case, I won't move to Petplan. He is a typical lab. Will just have to see if their is a problem with them paying out, shouldn't be though! Covered up to £5000.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Kim Buckley — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:23:14 GMT

Tell me about it Steph! Millie is only insured up to £4000 and working in referral has made me realise that that isn't a lot of money. She's too old to upgrade her cover now but my next dog will be gettin higher cover.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Steph Worsley — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:20:47 GMT

[quote user="FINNIGAN"]

have 2 labs both insured with tesco for £2000 FOR VET BILLS AND EXTRAS, THEY BOTH COST ME JUST £ 34 A MONTH FOR THE 2 OF THEM, HAVE BEEN WITH TESCO FOR 9 YEARS BOTH DOGS ARE 9YRS OLD, HAVE HAD 4 CLAIMS FOR ONE DOG, COULDNT FAULT THEM.

[/quote]

Personally I don't feel that £2000 is enough cover, I claimed well over that in a year for each of my cats 2 derm probs and a cardio prob. it's great that you think that is enough cover for you but working where I do our average estimate for an initial work up for a basic med problem will be £1000-£1500 (consult/bloods/imaging/ivft/hospitalisation) obviously more if ICU care is needed/surgery/endoscopy etc. I think working in referral has opened my eyes even more to the potential costs of animals!

I now pay approx £34 a month for my 4 cats which gives me £4000 cover a year, even that I am considering upgrading at some point to the higher level

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

FINNIGAN — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:38:48 GMT

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Ju_xx — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:29:11 GMT

I've been with Direct Line since my lab was a puppy (8yrs this year) and *touch wood* no problems with them yet and she has been referred to specialist aswell but i think i would go with petplan with any future animals.

Hope your puppy is ok now!

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Steph Worsley — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:06:11 GMT

[quote user="Katie B"]

Yeah will wait until we get the claim moeny through.

[/quote]

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Katie B — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 18:44:10 GMT

Yeah will wait until we get the claim moeny through.

Re: Do I need to take my dog to emergency vet?

Kim Buckley — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:49:00 GMT

Glad to hear he is back home

If you were to change insurance companys now, they would exclude anything to do with vomiting and if he were to eat something he shouldn't it wouldn't be covered.