longtomsilver Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I'm getting a GSP puppy (available to me from the 18th July) and can't decide whether or not I take out insurance or just put £83.33 a month aside in a dedicated vet expenses account for the foreseeable. Pet insurance is notorious for exclusions and premium hikes wherever a claim is put in. My thinking is there'll be ~5 years before things start to go wrong. Arthritis is common in this breed and I'll have a £5k fund if required which is the maximum some of the insurance policy's pay out on. What are everyone's thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knock out johnny Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Get a mongrel - usually tough as old boots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 Get a mongrel - usually tough as old boots I've bought him. I love the breed - keep me company and guard dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigantic Purple Slug Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Schoolboy error. The Htq puppy with upgraded legs would have been much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knock out johnny Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 i've pm'ed you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Unless I have to have it by law (car insurance) or it's very cheap compared to the potential loss (home insurance) I would always not go with the insurance as long as I can comfortably absorb the loss. The hassle of claiming, the exclusions. Can't be doing with it I'd rather just pay. Works financially too if the numbers are big enough, one major insurer ?QBE gave all it's staff health cover but rather than outsource this to BUPA or whatever they just paid any costs of treatment. Saved an absolute fortune. I thought GSP was a typo in the title but obvously not, what's that then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossybabe Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 GSP? do you mean GSD? With the exception of greyhounds, which have been intensively individually selectively bred for millennia, I would agree with knock out johnny that a mongrels are usually healthier and don't suffer the congenital problems of most pedigree breeds. No idea about insurance, except that with my retired racing greyhounds, the four year old costs only £33 a month to insure - Petplan - you can't really do without the public liability this covers, and to do without that is probably not wise. Less costly insurances didn't have comprehensive cover. Just imagine being sued! My dogs are never out in public off the lead or without muzzles, as they can't be trusted not to chase small furry creatures and my neighbours don't want their cats savaged! This is something that makes people think greyhounds are dangerous. Not so. They simply can't be trusted not to follow their bred-in instinct to chase even when you've detrained them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 Unless I have to have it by law (car insurance) or it's very cheap compared to the potential loss (home insurance) I would always not go with the insurance as long as I can comfortably absorb the loss. The hassle of claiming, the exclusions. Can't be doing with it I'd rather just pay. Works financially too if the numbers are big enough, one major insurer ?QBE gave all it's staff health cover but rather than outsource this to BUPA or whatever they just paid any costs of treatment. Saved an absolute fortune. I thought GSP was a typo in the title but obvously not, what's that then? German Short haired pointer. Thanks Bossybabe - I hadn't thought about third party cover. My neighbour keeps his Labrador on a lead for that reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_renting Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Unless I have to have it by law (car insurance) or it's very cheap compared to the potential loss (home insurance) I would always not go with the insurance as long as I can comfortably absorb the loss. The hassle of claiming, the exclusions. Can't be doing with it I'd rather just pay. Works financially too if the numbers are big enough, one major insurer ?QBE gave all it's staff health cover but rather than outsource this to BUPA or whatever they just paid any costs of treatment. Saved an absolute fortune. I thought GSP was a typo in the title but obvously not, what's that then? Poodles: I recommend Third Party, Fire and Theft. And keep them away from naked flames. They tend to go 'wooooof!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battenberg Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I don't insure my pets but I was at ringcraft classes with someone (the owner of that cute corgi puppy with the droopy ear in the Mcvities advert) and she said she insures for the first year because this is when they're most likely yo get up to mischief. That makes sense to me so if I had another pup I'd probably cover for about 12 months and then stop. Once you take pup for vaccinations you usually get a couple of weeks cover and you also get KC cover for KC registered dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battenberg Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 GSP? do you mean GSD? With the exception of greyhounds, which have been intensively individually selectively bred for millennia, I would agree with knock out johnny that a mongrels are usually healthier and don't suffer the congenital problems of most pedigree breeds. No idea about insurance, except that with my retired racing greyhounds, the four year old costs only £33 a month to insure - Petplan - you can't really do without the public liability this covers, and to do without that is probably not wise. Less costly insurances didn't have comprehensive cover. Just imagine being sued! My dogs are never out in public off the lead or without muzzles, as they can't be trusted not to chase small furry creatures and my neighbours don't want their cats savaged! This is something that makes people think greyhounds are dangerous. Not so. They simply can't be trusted not to follow their bred-in instinct to chase even when you've detrained them. There was someone in our vets last week with a lurcher and she was letting it sniff at the cat baskets. She announced that the dog had never seen a cat but it was a lovely dog so she was sure it would be fine with cats. I don't think she realised what type of dog she had, lmao. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Can't offer you a yes or no. But bear in mind, while an older dog may suffer medical issues, a youngster may be at risk of being injured in an accident. Or of causing damage to a third-party: maybe check whether your household insurance covers that kind of liability? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitevanman Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 My lurcher once tried to eat the neighbour's cat. She got it by the neck and was just about to do the 'shake of death' when I got to her, picked her up and pulled the cat out of her mouth. She's a totally single minded hunter and will not return until she wants to. She's caught plenty of rabbits but I now muzzle her as she brought down an deer and I can't be doing with the gore! As for insurance, never bothered. If it's a condition that will cost thousands then the kindest thing to do is put the animal down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-percent Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 We have a lab from working stock. Cast iron constitution but have paid for insurance. Total waste of money but now she is 12, don't want to cancel it. Did have an episode 18 months ago where the vet says she had pancreatitis. I think she ate some poison. Whatever, three days in doggy hospital, cost a fortune but because of age, only got 60 percent back. Would not do it again after the KC insurance,nwhich I think is 6 months free, runs out. By then you know whether you need it. Otoh, a friend had a red setter. Ill from day one and constant vet fees for all sorts including operations. All covered by insurance. Guess you pays your money and takes your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I've never had insurance for my three pedigree cats. Both the blues cost me 7-800 quid in vets fees at the end of their lives and still died anyway, but I reckon I came out ahead overall. House cats though so public liability not an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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