I have had 7 dogs and all have been insured. I would never not have any insurance. it is piece of mind should anything go wrong. it is vital when you have a young puppy. As they get older they do get conditions such as arthritis which will probably need medication, but worse still is if they develop cancer. Your insurance policy then is invaluable.

A lot of research is required when choosing a policy and a cover for life is essential. I have been with a variety of dfferent insurers over the years but once they get a condition unfortunatley it is nigh on impossible to change as no one will insure pre-existing conditions.

I have just had a renewal for my 2 remaining dogs 13 + and 7 and as they both have ongoing problems I am unable to change insurers. Their premium has gone up from 29.44 to 56.99!! and £18 to £27. I know they go up with age but I thought that was a bit steep at £26. But they have got you. once you are claiming. My policies are with Marks and Spencer. I guess I will have to grin and bear it. A few years ago I had all 7 of them insured for under £150! what has happened. I still would not dream of cancelling it.

Regarding the prescription charge, No vet should charge you for one. They must offer you one at all times should you wish to get medication elsewhere. Make sure they do not add a hidden extra charge on the bill. You can claim for perscriptions bought elsewhere providing you keep copies of the original.

Hi. Some years ago probably 8 now we took out pet insurance for our lab. We were given the option of a 1 off yearly payment or by monthly instalments. We chose the latter. 1 month later, our pet although her medication was up to date cought kennel cough, which turned into pneumonia then pleuricy. After treatment with three different types of antibiotics the vet said there was nothing else he could do so our poor friend was put to sleep. We contacted the insurance people about it and they said because we had not paid the years premium we were not entitled to the full benefit. They said the dog had 4 illnesses and we had to pay part of each illness. With medication and all, we ended up paying almost £1.000. So as far as we are concerned that pet insurance wasnt worth the paper it was written on. Byer beware I say. Check up on everything before you sign on the dotted line as it were.

Hi, I have a border collie aged l3 years, we rescued her at l2 1/2. Try Animal Friends Insurance, Minton House, London Road, Amesbury, Wilts. SP4 7RT. 0844 55 70 300. info AT animalfriends.co.uk or www.animalfriends.co.uk. We have gold cover hich is £24.50 per month. Pobably going to change my 6 year old collie over soon as well. They are very helpful as I hope this is for you and your dog.

Just bear in mind if you do purchase the drugs required over the internet you will still probably for most drugs need a prescription writing from your vet. A vet will happily write this for you but like a doctors prescription you will have to pay. Therefore find out how much it will cost and add that into your costings. Also check to see if any of this is covered with your insurance company. I don't think there are many who will pay for prescriptions or for drugs off the ionternet - but please check first.

My advice to anybody out there looking for pet insurance is to choose a cover for life policy and not a 12 month cover. These may appear cheaper each month but will cost you more in the long term. Remeber if you have already made a claim on an insurance pkan than this will not be covered on many other insurances if you reinsure. However some cover for life will cover that illness if it has not been claiomed for in the last 12 months!!

I know it is all very confusing and I would compare different companies carefully - however remember if it doesnt cost you very much then it may not always be the best policy for your pet.

As regarding your lab I would think hard about cancelling the insurance - I know it feels expensive but if she develops more problems that are treatable at least you have the peace of mind that you will have the fees covered. Of course the other option is to put the money away each month and save it that way!!!

Thanks very much for replies to my post. My insurance is with direct line. I have tried to look around for cheaper insurance but I am at a disadvantage because of her age. I will have a look for meds on the net but I think on balance I will cancel her insurance. As long as I can keep her pain free for as long as possible I will, but I will not put her through unnecessary pain or lengthy ops. We had her hips scored when she was a puppy and it was very low so we decided against breeding from her. She has been an excellent gun dog and now is a good companion ( if a little grumpy ).

I agree with the points made above and would definitely recommend looking online to see if you can source the medication at a cheaper rate. You still need the vet’s advice but why pay the middle man if you can save a bit by going directly to the supplier, especially if it's a long term condition.

I do my pet insurance through Tesco, two golden retrievers, and find them very reasonable. However as with almost all pet insurance the small print does mention a 12 month limit on any one illness.

As with every insurance there are restrictions and conditions that are not always made completely clear at the start. I always look at it as protection against any large one off vet bills but unfortunately have to accept that a long term illness will not be cover after a year. I guess it's kind of like car insurance were you can claim for an accident but not general maintenance work, not the best example but all I could think of.

I would consider looking online for the medication at a cheaper rate.

Which company is it? I'm having a battle with Direct Line about the policy I have with them and I doubt I shall renew.

Two things to watch out for with stopping paying the premiums is that you may find that you are actually paying an annual premium in monthly instalments. That means the insurance company are entitled to insist on you paying all 12 instalments and if you stop paying your £24, they'll stop paying the £40.

Also without insurance you then have the risk of large bills for some other condition that might need expensive treatment, but with an eleven year old dog would you put it through a major operation if it developed something else?

Have you looked up your dog's medication on the internet? There are sites selling veterinary products cheaper than many vets but I haven't used any of them and don't know how good bad or indifferent they are.

Good luck. My labs are black and yellow

I have has my choc lab insured since she was a puppy 11 years ago and have only had to claim for vet bills in the last year or so. I am hopping mad to discover that the cover only provides one year of treatment for each ailment.. So as an old girl who has problems with her hips and ears ( the dog not me ) after a year I have to foot the bill. I know I should have read the small print but I am left with a problem, should I carry on paying £24 per month or stop and save the money to pay towards her medication that costs £40 per month