do all insurance companies for dogs just insure the dog up until the age of 7 years?
July 17, 2010 - 4:42 pm
a while back my mam was telling me that pet insurance companies for dogs only insure the dog up to the age of 7. why is that. i mean loads of dogs live longer than 7 years
all of my dogs are insured with ‘pet plan’ my oldest dog is 5 years old
It depends on the insurance provider & the plan you opt for.
My Dobermanns are insured with Pet Plan on their cover for life policy. This means that as long as I pay the premiums, my dog will be insured until the day it dies.
When the dog becomes a senior, usually 7 years old, but can be 5 depending on the breed, the excess [amount you pay for each illness] does increase & you pay a % of the claim amount.
I would always choose to insure my dogs.
July 17th, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Insurance companies are only interested in making a profit.
As the dog gets older,, the vet bills skyrocket and they would have to charge exorbitant premiums, which no-one would be able to afford.
So yes, they only insure animals which are likely to be healthy anyway.
But then, the likes of BUPA, etc, only insure HUMANS who are likely to be healthy. Once they get over 60, the premiums go screaming up until no-one can afford them.
What we have always done with family pets, is have your OWN little insurance scheme. Put away say, 12 pounds a month for a dog, 8 pounds for a cat. Then you have a "nest egg" you can use, to pay for vet’s bills. And you don’t have to worry about the insurance company niggling over claims.
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July 17th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
The one I used to have insured up to age nine. I ditched it after a year. I found that what they pay for, and the ‘allowable’ amount they pay, wasn’t enough to make the insurance worth it. And because the coverage ends when your dog is older and in need of more care, it just makes more sense to bank that $30-$40 a month into an account to be used when your dog needs it, and to have a credit card reserved for that purpose as well.
If you’re truly considering pet insurance, ask for a list of all covered treatments and the amount they pay. THEN if you find a vet to agree to the insurance company’s allowable amounts for their services, it might be worth it. I found in most cases that the allowable fees were well below what most vets charge, and then when you figure in that the company only pays a certain percentage of that allowable amount, it’s just not worth it.
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July 17th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
There are a few who will quote for older dogs – I got one for my then 10 year old Basset ……. it was more like I planned to buy the company however. I can’t remember which one it was however. Keep searching but expect the premiums to be out of sight!
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July 17th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
My dog is aged ten and I am insured with Pet Plan. I have two other friends whose dogs lived until they were aged fourteen and they were also insured with Pet Plan.
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Dorothy S
July 17th, 2010 at 11:22 pm
I think you may have to shop around abit i called up Tesco the other day to see how much it would cost for my 16 year old dalmatian and was quoted £912.00 a year breaking it down to £76 per month : 0 so i woould say not to go to them!!!
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July 17th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
It depends on the insurance provider & the plan you opt for.
My Dobermanns are insured with Pet Plan on their cover for life policy. This means that as long as I pay the premiums, my dog will be insured until the day it dies.
When the dog becomes a senior, usually 7 years old, but can be 5 depending on the breed, the excess [amount you pay for each illness] does increase & you pay a % of the claim amount.
I would always choose to insure my dogs.
References :
July 18th, 2010 at 12:43 am
The exclusion you may be thinking of is the enrollment age. Some companies only allow you to enroll your pet up to a certain age, and after that age they will not allow you to start a new policy.
I know with Trupanion pet insurance, you can enroll up to age 14 and no matter how old your pet is when you enroll, your pet is covered for life.
If a company is going to cut you off at age 7 then the plan isn’t worth it. When considering pet insurance, you should find one that covers your pet’s entire life.
References :
http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com