Insurance options?

[Walcop]

Hi all,

My better half is in charge of our finances, however I very recently seen our kennel club insurance document and noticed approx £150.00 per month that we are paying for Walter(8yr old bearded collie with Adissons). This made me look at the cost of having Walter per annum which works out at approx £4k...this includes food/dog walker/minder at times we go away.

This is obviously a lot of money to most people, so I am wondering if anyone has any advice regarding insurance options, whilst keeping in mind we order Florinef on. Regular basis (12 x .01mg tabs per day) and prednisolone orderedinfrequently and given only at times of stress. Walter also has approx 2 to 3 blood tests a year costing approx £90.00 a time. Our excess is approx £70.00.

An advice is much appreciated

Regards

Steve

[polly]

For pet owners living in Australia  one option is  the insurance scheme run by the Greencross network of vet clinics.

Jasper was uninsured  when he became seriously ill however  my local vet clinic had recently  become part of the Greencross network.

After I had paid approx A$1500  (about 700 pounds sterling) for initital tests etc I assumed that as he now had a  pre-existing chronic illness (IMHA) Jasper  would be ineligible to join the Greencross insurance scheme but this was not the case.

I now pay A$440 per year - about  200  pounds - for insurance. All consultations are completely free and tests, medication, diet food,  etc  are  discounted if I attend a Greencross  clinic. 

I  now pay $18 (about 8 pounds) every 6 weeks for a full vet examination  and testing of  his red cell levels, get one free full blood test annually, pay nothing for an annual teeth clean under anaesthetic.   Vaccinations are also free.

My local clinic does not provide 24  hour emergency treatment  but if needed this is available free of charge at a specialist  vet hospital  about 40 minutes drive from my home.

This info is of no use to Steve (unless he emigrates )but  it is worth checking out if a similar scheme exists  in UK.

[Jo CIMDA]

Hi Steve

You could see if a new, cheaper insurance company  will take on Walter excluding his Addison's disease.  I have heard that John Lewis is very good cover. 

Florinef and prednisolone can be bought  from a chemist or on-line, by getting a prescription from your vet (for a small charge).  This way will usually cost so much less than your vet will charge to dispense the drugs.  Two blood tests a year are usually adequate so this may bring your personal cost down.  As long as Walter is covered for everything else then the insurance company might be cheaper than the one you are with now.   Don't skimp on the level cover though.

You could take the chance and put away £150 a month in a 'Walter fund' and hope for the best. 

Jo

[Walcop]

Thanks for your replies Polly & Jo,

I doubt there is anything as good as the Greencross network over here in the UK Polly. It sounds so unbelievably good that I'm certain people would be shouting it from the rooftops if anything close to that existed here.

Ta for the advice Jo, I will look into getting a prescription from our vet for the Florinef and order off the Internet at .08p a tablet instead of the vets .16p a tablet saving £350+ a year.

We are also chatting about getting a new insurance policy minus Addisons cover, and putting savings into a "just in case" account. The pro's are if there are no major issues with Walter's Adissons before he goes to rainbow bridge then the savings will be in our account and not the insurance company's......decisions decisions