Vet Bills & Euthanasia

[chrisleitz]

My 3 are 14, 12 and 10 and all insured with Sainsbury's.  The insurance cost for all 3 is £28.50 per month. Sainsbury's do cover dentals, as I found out when I had a vet bill of £480 for Buddie just before Christmas.  I got back about £325 from the insurance and that was about 2-3 weeks after I submitted the claim.  So not too bad at all.

[Inky]

No I wouldn't!

That's really great, I am glad I'm benefiting from your extensive research! 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Dont worry, its just a number of us have spent the last two years switching insurances 

First stage is to get quotes, then if you like one and all the small print, then tell tescoes you want to cancel and make sure the new insurance srtas 14 days before the cancellation takes place because there is usually a two week run in period for all insurances and you wouldnt want to be left without cover 

[Inky]

Because I thought I was in it for 12 months... it's rather obvious I haven't investigated it very thoroughly yet isn't it 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Why do you think you are stuck with Tescoes?

If you pay them monthly you should be able to cancel at any time.

[Inky]

Thank you very much Susanne, great advice!

I think I'm stuck with Tescos for another 8 or 9 months anyway actually, so I'm praying that as they are young they won't run up any non-routine bills!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Inky - most of them offer to pay the vet direct, but it's totally up to the vet whether they will accept direct payments, and most don't.  So do check with your vet first whether they will do it that way, and dont' assume they will because the insurance company says so.

[Inky]

Yes absolutely they are insured, wouldn't consider not insuring them, ever.

I'm thinking of changing it though. They are with Tescos (Extra cover, £4000 per condition), but it's a pay first claim later kind of insurance, and it got me thinking. If one of them does run up £4000 in vets bills (heaven forbid!) I won't have the money in the first place and I wouldn't want to be reliant on a loan of some sort.

Petplan advertise that they will pay the vets direct, and our vet being a participating vet will not ask for anything but the excess off me but get it straight from the insurer. I don't know how many other insurers do this... but I would really rather pay extra per month to know that whatever happens the money is covered instantly, without any forms or bank loans.

[karenjet]

My cats are all insured cos I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to afford the treatment. The 3 babies were insured the very day they turned 8 weeks old, Tigger was insured 2 days after I got him. Although I am lucky that my vet bills seem to cost an awful lot less of what they would be if I lived across the water.

[fluffybunny]

My two cats are insured but my four bunnies aren't.  I think it's harder for bunny bills to run into the high hundreds or more (that's not to say it won't happen, just that the risk is lower, especially as there is less risk of accident because they are always in an enclosure) and there aren't many drugs licensed for use which means that off prescription alternatives can sometimes be used.  I'm also fortunate to have a good knowledge of bunny illnesses so my vet lets me treat a lot at home so that also makes it cheaper. 

There's no way I'd consider not having the cats insured though, it's peace of mind as much as anything that if there is a serious illness or accident I can just say 'do what you need to do' without worrying about how I'm going to pay. 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I agree that pet insurance is essential.  I was lucky enough to have the foresight to get Jaffa insured when he was a kitten (and when pet insurance was a lot less common than it is now - nearly 11 years ago) because I knew that I was on a limited income and that if he was sick I would struggle to pay vet bills.  Thankfully I didnt need to use it for him or his brother for 8 years, but when Magpie died thank god I had it as the vet bill was about £2000 (he was only there for about 5 hours).  And of course being young kittens, I was able to take it out for them both before they had any pre-exisiting conditions.

I can't judge the extent to which vet bills have risen as I've only really had ongoing stuff such as vaccinations and the odd course of antibiotics plus a couple of big things in recent years.  I've not noticed much increase in the cost of standards stuff such as a consultation, vaccinations, neutering etc.

I do think it's difficult for a lot of people, but half the battle is forward planning and thinking about what you would do such the worst happen.  When Mosi swallowed some string and needed an emergency operation, I was actually very skint and had to ask a friend if he would pay the bill (I paid a deposit of £100) and I would pay him back when the insurance came through.  I don't think I would have asked him if I didn't have insurance and knew I would be getting the money back.  Of course, insurance isn't always as straight forward if you adopt an older cat from a rescue.

I do wonder whether pet insurance shouldnt' be compulsory for some pets.  Maybe if everyone had to have it the policies could be a bit more standardised and vets would be more willing to deal direct with the insurance company for large amounts.  The main problem I can see with insurance being compulsory is that people with lots of pets are often better off putting something aside than taking out insurance for every single pet which would cost a fortune! 

I don't have a lot of sympathy for those that say they can't afford even basic vet care though.  That is part of owning a pet, and I know circumstances change but when it comes to something like neutering, surely that's something you know is going to be due very soon when you take on a kitten so it makes sense to make sure you've got the money put by before you get the kitten.   

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Insurance is essential from the first day you take on a cat, or as close to as possible.

I knew nothing about cats when Kocka walked into my life but read the cat magazines and they kept saying , insure, insure, insure so I did and about 6 months later she was ill and in and out of the vets for the rest of her life. There is no way I could have afforded the bills without insurance.

My four have beem insured since i got them and have changed from M&S to Axa, there are aged 6, 10 and 2x 14 who are both pedigrees and the monthly insurance bill is around £30.

[tpepaul]

I think one of the key points is that it's how you deal with the costs that matters. If the costs of drugs  are going up, there's not a lot a vet can do about it. And my own vet has always been brilliant.

But I've just spent £700 on getting one of my bunnies treated. Well, I WOULD have were i not insured. Vet treatment IS expensive, but surely it's about value? I know for a fact they work  hard and  long hours. And they just saved poor little Harry's life. Is that worth £700? Damn right it is!

What's interesting to me is the number of people who AREN'T insured. Like I said earlier, I've just started a poll at my blog http://thepetextraordinarium.blogspot.com/ and it's going to be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of weeks to the results, but from what i've read i'm expecting a big swing to the 'not insured' side, which is a real surprise to me!

[Desley (booktigger)]

Insurance is available in the US, but from posts on the US forum, it isn't nearly as good as over here, so isn't highly recommended.

[Canterbury_cats (Sharon)]

Both my siamese are insured. I havent had any problems with the insurance company Pinnacle.. The paid out over 3000 in bills for Bella who has a heart condition and is on meds now.. Leo had a horrendous injury to his leg a few years back, took 2 ops and a referral to get him back to himself.. They are both on 13 yrs old and i pay 12.00 per month for each of them.. I dont have any qualms on that at all. Bella wouldnt be with me  if not by the quick action of the emergency vet and specialist cardiac care..

I have kept all the bills, but never dare add it all up.. But even if i hadnt had insurance i would of found money somewhere.. Beg, borrowed etc.. Just to give them the best care around..

Any cat i rehome via CP i urge to get insured too many end up at vets due to non payment of bills and we have saved a few from being PTS due to taking them on.. Jesiri is a prime example of a cat that wouldnt be with us if we as a branch had not spent nearly 1000 on him to get him to where he is now..

One reason i am critical of people who dont see it when they take on the financial cost of a cat so dont do any of the general stuff. I get livid!! They may love them too bits but not when they are going to cost hundred of pounds to fix at the vets.. It happens often i am afraid.

[Dark Moon]

thanks

and sorry again..........

this thread just brought back so many lovely beings...  who should have had much better done by them

Casper and Belle and that gorgeous little dog... Then there was the little Pom.  Maybe 2 pounds of dog at best...... They all passed 25 years and some ago. It shouldn't still bother me, what? But it does. And they are still with me. And will always be.

Along with those who shared more of their lives with me.

But I guess maybe that goes to explain a bit of my attitude toward vets. I cherish them and do not know what I and mine would do without them. But I have also seen, on the other side, what happens. And the babies left in garbage bags on the steps to be picked up.

Not to mention my Pip, damn near killed by a vet who shot him full of insulin........

PLEASE know that this is not a rant against vets. There are good and, as with every profession, there are bad. And I would never, ever, be without mine. But I also know....

I am so sorry. But thank you for listening.

And for remembering

Casper

Belle

She who loved her man more than life itself

and sweet little Pom

[Sabrina (Auferstehen)]

Vet bills can be high, before last year I didn’t know you could insure pets (being from the US we either didn’t have it or I’m blind) so when my cat Little Girl fell ill the vet bills started coming in.

In a little over a month there was £1,500 plus to pay, thankfully my aunt loaned me money until paydays and then the Vets were kind enough to let me pay the final bill when I got paid again. Unfortunately Little Girl didn’t make it but we did everything we could. I ended up taking a loan out for most of the money which I’ll be paying for another year or two.

So my three cats are insured via M&S (which may change shortly) and I’ll never regret paying the money because you never know what could happen.

My current vets here in the UK also give leeway to paying bills as I forgot my wallet once.

[JackSpratt]

Agreed, Gail. I still remember with great fondness a cat that I named "Louie" when doing work placement at a local rescue. (I called him that due to the line "Louie, Louie, Louie. Always whining, Louie." from Interview with a Vampire.) He was a lovely black tom and the rescue decided he was semi feral and I was not to go in his pen without gauntlets. Needless to say, when I sat on the floor, the gauntlets came off. Transpires after I'd watched him a bit and noticed his water intake, that he was diabetic. When he started getting treatment, his demeanour changed entirely and he was put up for adoption. (Although not for long enough. ) I was so sad when I found out they'd "let him go."

Dark Moon, I agree with a lot of your opinions.

[Gail Bengal Slave]

Not that it should make any difference, but he was not 'mine'.

Just mine in my heart. As so many others.......

They don't have to be ours to make an impact on us  .

[Dark Moon]

Not that it should make any difference, but he was not 'mine'.

Just mine in my heart. As so many others.......

[Gail Bengal Slave]

All mine are insured

Thai since she was 7 weeks old and the lads 15 weeks.

you hope you nerver have to use it but it is there as a safety net just in case.

Zeb had a dental the other week @ £180 so it was covered, and not serious.

[Dark Moon]

Forgive me again.

Casper........

He was a beautiful white DSH. With an eye infection gone wrong. They decided to operate. It was the worst thing I have ever seen. The vets behaviour, not the eye. Ultimately took out the eye.

I fed him warmed baby food. Loved him. Talked to him. Cuddled him.  It was for nought. He did try, but......

I am truly sorry folks. I just have so many memories of them what suffered when they ought not to have.

Maybe, if we share the suffering, it'll get less and they can be at peace.

[Leanne]

We have our boys insured despite them only being wee we wouldn't take the risk,

I work for a large animal welfare charity and see part of my job is to sign off vets bills, some of them are very scary. Daily we get telephone calls asking us for financial help all because people haven't taken out insurance!

[Desley (booktigger)]

It is such a tricky situation, and in the UK, we are used to free medical care, yet there isn't an NHS for animals, so things do seem expensive - Molly went to the vets this morning due to being sick, she was seen and had 2 jabs, and came to £33. I am fortunate that I have a credit card that will pay until I can afford to pay it back, as I have seen peoples pets when they haven't had a back up and left them, and it isn't pleasant.

[Angiew]

The RSPCA insurance will cover oldies as well. If you go through http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/home/insurance/pet_insurance/ when you take it out you can also give your one-off donation to Coventry Cat Group.

[Dark Moon]

yes..

While well educated and, at times, with excellent jobs, I have been in and out of work all my life. Such money as I have had has gone to them. And I do not regret a cent of it.

I spent several years of my life (here and there) working with vets. Which is to say I asked if they would allow me... and they did. Been there through surgery (ah, my Dear Belle. Such a gorgeous little girl (a Golden Retriever. She died of blood loss during routine surgery....) and euthanasia (I will never, ever forget that dog. Never knew her name, Only knew the love - the infinite love - she had for her person... because I saw it in her dying eyes as he walked away. And I also saw it in his as he looked back....)

Such money as I have ever had has gone to my babies. Good food. Best of care. I have not always been able to, nor will be able to again. But it still hurts me and hurts me infinitely to know that such glorious beings are routinely put to death, and far, far worse, because someone didn't have the cash to pay them what asked for it.

I don't know the answer. There has to be some payment for services rendered and, for me, my vet is much more important and far more deserving of 'services rendered' than my doctor. But.... 

Surely there must be some way to allow minimal care. Most kitties need little more. And for them it would be a lifeline!

Sorry again......

[Desley (booktigger)]

Molly (15) costs me £11ish a month, and Zi will cost £14.98 a month - and if I get the date of her coming into care soon, I can get a £20 voucher too (although haven't figured out how to drive to my local Sainsbury's yet!!). They do a cheaper insurance that covers £2500, that is £11 a month for Zi. No, like all insurers, they dont' cover pre-existing condtions, and not sure on dentals, haven't had to claim for one yet.

[JackSpratt]

Sorry - you hit one of my  hot buttons.

Really, don't apologise. I completely agree with you. Three out of my four cats were given to me for reasons varying from: couldn't be bothered to litter train/last of the litter/owner just never came back! I'm on a low income but if I need to pay for something, I'll find a way. Even if it means going without myself.

I may not have a lot of money, but our cats are family and I love them an awful lot. What I can't give financially I hope I give emotionally.

Desley, are the Sainsburys rates quite reasonable for oldies? I'm assuming they won't help with costs if an animal already has a health issue?

[Desley (booktigger)]

Your welcome, it is something I like to make people aware of, as so many people think they can't insure them.

[Marla]

  Desley!

[Desley (booktigger)]

Hi Marla - I use Sainsburys, which are £6500 per condition, and there are people on here who have oldies insured with AXA (Sainsbury's underwriters) who are £7000 per year, which is slightly better than Sainsburys', but at the age of my cats, I am happy with the lower amount.

[Marla]

Desley,

Can I  ask what insurance you use for your oldies?

Many thanks,

Marla

[Dark Moon]

I have very strong feelings about this, and not just recent ones. The cost of spaying and neutering, for example - many people could not and can not afford to do it and that has only added to the problem of 'unwanted' pets and abuse. As for treatment - It is difficult even to give the necessary shots. I did 'shop around' a couple of years ago. My previous vets would charge close to $150. for 1 cat, 3 shots.  I found another vet who would do 3 cats, 3 shots each for just under $200. I went to that one. I now have a couple of vets. One for 'routine maintenance' (shots - cheaper) and another for more involved care.

But I have had several bills that almost broke me. Spencer cost $850 a couple of years ago - and they never found what was wrong (but he's fine now).  My Winston is now a 2K cat and counting.

I have looked into insurance but most here will not insure animals that are known to have problems. But what do you do.....  I am fortunate to at least (for now) be able to pay for Winston's care. But even now I can't afford to give all of them all the shots and such they should have. People will say that if you can't afford it, then you shouldn't have the animals. Maybe, but I believe everyone has the right to such companionship. Even adopting an animal from the humane society here is beyond the reach of many (costs $100 minimum).

It just seems to me that these costs encourage people NOT to care for their animals. Even though they might desperately want to. Vets DO have the right to earn a living and a good one. I don't know what I would have done without Sandra. But I also know that health care should be within the reach of all. If only the basics.

Sorry - you hit one of my  hot buttons.

[Desley (booktigger)]

I spent around £2k on vets bills before I realised I could insure my oldies, and always recommend it to people who adopt older cats from us, as most dont realise you can (my vets didn't either). You do still need a back up to pay before the insurance company repays you though, so I have a spare credit card for that. It is sad that people can't afford their vets bills, and the other problem with insurance is so many people get stung with companies who only offer 12 month policies.

[clarenmax]

I saw this as well, and the dog which had cost its owners the best part of £20k 

I have to say that I think insurance is invaluable, and I would never be without it now. 

My boy is FIV+ so most things aren't even covered by his policy, but I am happier in the knowledge that should he get an illness which is not attributable to the FIV, his vet bills will be covered.

[tpepaul]

The BBC ran a story on Saturday about the rising cost of vet bills and how this was leading to an increase in pets being referred to charities for help or, in worse cases, being euthanised. I have my cats and bunnies insured so I hope that I will never EVER have to face a decision about whether to put one of them down because i can't afford the costs of treatment, but I know a lot of people don't.

You can read the story here http://thepetextraordinarium.blogspot.com/ and please vote in the poll - it'd be good to report back to you with some findings in a couple of weeks.
 
What do you guys think about the costs of vets bills? And are your cats insured?