Q: Is it mandatory to buy pet insurance for my dog? 

A: It isn’t mandatory to buy pet insurance for your dog but it is highly recommended. Unfortunately, many pet owners may not realise just how much veterinary care can cost.  

Vet care has advanced substantially over the last few years and now pets can benefit from advanced surgeries and testing, such as MRI scans, bone plating and blood testing that we are traditionally used to seeing in human hospitals. However, as there is no NHS for pets all these treatments and tests need to be paid for.  

 
Many people massively underestimate the cost of medical procedures and so it can be a major shock when their pet becomes unwell. For example, a ruptured cruciate ligament in the knee could cost £3,000 to £5,000 to repair and surgery to remove a corn cob stuck in the intestine can be £2,000 to £4,000, or more if there are complications. 

 
Many owners would, understandably, not be able to find several thousands of pounds should their pet become unwell but this can be the reality if you don’t have insurance. Pet insurance therefore gives peace of mind and means that owners don’t have to compromise on vital vet treatment for their pet.  
 

However, if you feel that pet insurance isn’t right for you, or may struggle to make monthly payments, it may be helpful to make enquiries with your registered vet as some veterinary practices will offer payment plans so that you can pay the vet bills in instalments rather than one lump sum.  

Like all payment services this is subject to strict financial services, so not all practices will be able to offer this service and it will only be suitable in some situations.  

Many charities such as the PDSA and Blue Cross also offer financial assistance for veterinary care for those who are eligible (based on postcode and benefit/income criteria), but these services are in very high demand and have to maintain strict rules about who can access them.  
 

We would always urge anyone considering getting a pet to thoroughly do their research to make sure they can give them the time, money and care they need for the rest of their lives – and we’d like to see pet insurance considered as an integral part of pet ownership. 
 

When buying pet insurance it is important to understand exactly what will be covered as there are many different policies with different levels and lengths of cover. As a general rule, pricier packages often include more cover, but there can be considerable variations between companies.  

The key thing to look at is whether the policy is “lifetime” or yearly. If you get a yearly policy then any conditions, even lifelong issues such as diabetes or arthritis will not be covered when you go into the next policy year. With lifetime cover those conditions will continue to be covered up to the amount allowed per year. Clearly lifetime cover is much better for ongoing conditions, but understandably will cost more. 
 

The other thing to watch out for is the overall level of cover and if that is broken down per condition – £1,000 might sound like a lot but with modern tests and medications that amount could easily be spent investigating a condition, leaving you paying for the actual treatment. Always get the highest level of cover you can afford.  
 

Another aspect to watch out for is if the insurance covers pre-existing conditions if starting with a new insurance provider, or changing your policy, as problems may not be covered if this is the case. Always be honest about your pet’s previous health issues and make sure you understand the exclusions on your pet’s policy before committing.  

Caroline Allen is the Chief Veterinary Officer at the RSPCA where she has worked for over eight years. Caroline spent nearly twenty years as a GP vet in London before she joined the RSPCA. She is a trustee of the BVA- Animal Welfare Foundation. She studied veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge and has a one-year-old rescue dog, a lurcher called Jess.  

The post Do I need pet insurance for my dog?  appeared first on Mouthy Money.

I’ve always wanted a “proper” pet (not another fish!) for years but have been putting it off for various reasons: “I don’t have time to look after it”, “what about when I go on holiday”, etc.

So after years of umming and ahh-ing, I finally took the plunge and adopted a cat from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. But something I didn’t give as much thought to as I should have was the cost.

I’ve heard stories about ridiculous vet bills, but, around 60% of adults own a pet. So, in the back of mind, I always thought it surely couldn’t be THAT expensive… could it?

In the past, maybe not. But the cost of vet services has risen so much recently that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a review into the sector.

Rising prices are also pushing up insurance premiums, meaning many owners can’t get affordable cover.

There are several reasons vet fees are surging, including the wider cost-of living-crisis and a lack of qualified vets.

But, as usual, greedy private equity consolidators also appear to be playing a major part.

In 2013, 89% of all vet practices were independent. By 2021, this had fallen to just 45% according to the CMA.

This is creating regional monopolies, leaving desperate owners with no choice but to pay higher prices.

Consolidators are also taking over specialist clinics, encouraging referrals within the group over independent recommendations.

In this race for profit, vets have eroded what once separated them from most other professions – trust. You can no longer tell whether you’re getting the best advice for your animal, or whether they’re just trying to squeeze as much money out of devoted owners as possible along the way.

I got my first taste of this when I tried to book in my cat’s second vaccination.

Battersea had already given the first dose and said I just needed to get the final one as soon as possible, as if that would be so simple.

I rang at least six local vet practices, but, lo and behold, not one of them had the same type of vaccine as the shelter in stock. I would have to start an entirely new course from scratch, they said – with the full price tag to match.

I have pet insurance, but vaccinations aren’t usually covered.

When I went back and asked the shelter where I might find a second vaccine, a volunteer confessed supply is generally short and most vets stock different treatments to them, so I probably would have to start a new course. Funny that.

I then asked the charity, followed by two veterinary practices whether you can “over-vaccinate” a cat. The shelter said yes; both vets said no.

The variation in prices from practice to practice was also astonishing. One vet quoted me £120 for two doses, while the one I went with 15 minutes away cost £75 for the same jabs.

Litany of stories

The Money Mole heard the story of one reader’s 14-year-old golden retriever. Her vet recently recommended a series of invasive – and very expensive – operations she could have to ease the arthritis in her legs.

The reader said no, and the vet didn’t push it – but that’s not the point. Is it really right to suggest putting a 14-year-old dog through that much stress and painful recovery to potentially extend her life by months, at most?

Would vets have recommended that in the past?

The anecdotal rip offs don’t end there. Mouthy Money editor Edmund Greaves recounted his experiences when his Labrador developed itchy ears.

One vet appointment and £120 later he was given ear wash and drops for the dog. But a cursory google found the same medications online for less than £30. With the cost of the appointment running at £60 the vet was marking up the price by DOUBLE compared to online.

The cost of something like this comes under the excess of an insurance policy, making claiming a futile exercise. Instead vets, pushed by profit-driven backers, are taking advantage of our love for our four-legged friends to earn cold hard cash.

I’ve already started researching exactly what my cat needs, as I can’t be certain my vet won’t suggest some pricey, unnecessary treatment. What a shame we need to be so cynical.

Hopefully the CMA cracks down on this profiteering and we can once again put faith in the profession to really care for our pets rather than viewing them as a cash grab.

Money Mole very much looks forward to the findings of the CMA review, and that fairness is restored to the pet health market soon.

Have you been affected by absurd vet prices? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

The post Private equity investors are the reason your vet bills are so high appeared first on Mouthy Money.

Mouthy Money co-editor Paul Thomas reveals the true cost of owning a dog.

A few Sundays ago, my partner and I were strolling through our local park in South London.

The route we take is usually reasonably quiet, but the beating sun and gentle breeze that day had attracted joggers and cyclists in their droves, meaning our peaceful walk turned into a game of ‘dodge the mouth breather’.

We manged to make it through unscathed until about two-thirds of the way through, when my girlfriend let out a noise that I can only describe as part gasp, part shriek, part groan.

What happened?  Had a cyclist hit her on their way past? Did a parent run over her foot with a pram? Had she fallen down a human-sized sink hole?

No – she had locked eyes with a Golden Retriever puppy, a little blob of fur with a glistening black nose, waggy tail and big brown saucer eyes.

In that split second, a decision was made, one in which I had seemingly little input. We were getting a puppy. And all I could think about was how much it was going to cost.

‘Buying a puppy fires up the part of the brain that takes over after six pints’

For the record, I don’t hate puppies – far from it. In fact, the idea of having a little Golden Retriever puppy makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside.

But I also like to avoid things that act as a drain on any cash I have left at the end of the month. So, with that, I looked into how much it truly cost to welcome a little puppy into your home.

Like buying a brand-new hatchback… that chews your shoes

Buying a puppy does something strange to you. It unplugs the part of your brain that makes sensible financial decisions and instead fires up the areas that take over once you’ve had about six or seven pints.

That’s why 98% of dog owners underestimate the cost of keeping their furry little friends alive, according to research from the charity The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

That can be anything from £4,500 to £13,000 over the life of the dog, depending on whether you get one that fits in your handbag or one that can eat you under the table. And that’s even before accounting for vet bills.

To put that into perspective, you can pick up a brand-new Fiat 500 for under £12,000 – and it won’t destroy all of your shoes.

Startup funds

Before you even take little Rover home with you, you need to make sure you have all of the kit to be a responsible and caring dog owner.

Things like a bed, collar, food, lead, microchipping, toys, vaccinations and water bowls are non-negotiable and need to be purchased up-front.

Like everything when it comes to pets, the cost of these items vary, but as a ‘ruff guide’ (get it?) you can expect to pay between £200 and £500.

‘Vets have a licence to print money, as my father will tell you’

Ongoing costs

Buying the basics is normally the biggest outlay, apart from buying the dog itself. But the costs don’t end there.

Depending on the size of your furry little friend, expect to shell out between £40 and £80 a month (or more depending on how thrifty you are). Here is a top-level breakdown of the biggest ongoing costs a dog owner faces:

Insurance: This is a big one. Insurer Bought By Many estimates the average dog insurance premium to be roughly £36 a month – or £436 a year. But the exact cost depends on the type of policy you go for, the age of your dog and its breed. Don’t just plump for the cheapest policy or you might regret it.

Lifetime policies offer the most comprehensive cover but are also the most expensive, whereas one-year policies are the cheapest – at the outset, anyway. If you choose a one-year policy, you may find the premium rises significantly as your dog ages – and you may find you’re unable to get cover at all once it reaches a certain age.

Food: An obvious one here but dogs love to eat – a lot. The Money Advice Service estimates that it costs anything up to £400 a year, or roughly £35 a month, to feed a dog.

Vaccinations and worm medicine: Vets have a licence to print money, as my father will tell you. It’ll cost you around £100 upfront for all of the vaccinations and then roughly £50 a year after that, according to insurer More Th>n.

Dog walker: Many owners will be able to save money by walking the dog themselves but those with hectic lifestyles will need someone to do that for them as dogs need plenty of exercise. Again, the prices here vary, but a quick scan of dog walking network Rover.com suggests the cost to be around £10-15 per walk.

The other stuff

It doesn’t end there. You also have to take into account kennel fees for when you go on holiday, the cost of ensuring your home is safe to house a dog, as well as a multitude of other outgoings, which I now have to look forward to.

But, as my girlfriend so gracefully put it: “Think of them not as expenses, but as an investment in a quiet life.”

Indeed.

Photo by Chevanon Photography

The post How a single glance from a golden retriever puppy cost me £13,000 appeared first on Mouthy Money.

April 2017, me and my partner took the plunge to extend our family (in the four legged, furry way!).

After months of market research and scrolling through various pet websites, looking at breeds, traits, and health factors, maintenance, financial obligations, food, insurance – the list could go on – we mutually agreed on a short haired Standard Dachshund (or rather I wanted a Dachshund and my partner got to pick the colour!).

Keith the Dachshund has been with us for nearly eight months’ now – and we wouldn’t change him for the world!

But what happens when something goes wrong?

Following eight x-rays and a vet bill accumulating over £500, he came home.

July this year, we went away for a long weekend and left Keith with a dog sitter. When we returned, and picked him up he was badly clicking at his hips – concerned, we immediately rang the vets, who bumped him up the list due to his breed as Dachshunds can suffer from Intervertebral Disk Disease, which affects the disks in their backs, due to the fact that when they grow, they grow very long!

We took him to the vet’s, who did a general check-up, admitted there was ‘something not quite right’ and concluded Keith’s ball and joint weren’t quite in the right place.

Following eight x-rays and a vet bill accumulating over £500, he came home, groggy from the anaesthetic. But home, nonetheless.

This invalidated our insurance and led to us being asked to pay the whole bill.

But then came the issue of payment. Luckily, we were insured with a Premium Gold insurance package from one of the leading pet insurance companies.

In the cross fire of Keith going to the vets, going under anaesthetic, having X-rays and the uncertainty in-between, the vet had taken down some incorrect information and relayed this to the insurance company. This invalidated our insurance and led this ‘premium brand’ of pet insurance to ask us to pay the whole bill following Keith’s visit – which was near impossible!

So, we contested it and the fault lay at the feet of the vets, mislaying the information to the scribe following Keith’s visit. But, the hassle hasn’t stopped there. The vet has now had to contest the decision of the insurance company – all while the interest on the bill is slowly creeping up, due to late payment.

Moral of the story: research. Research the veterinary clinics you would like your beloved family member to attend, just like a primary school – do not go for the local, most convenient one. Take into consideration reputation, online reviews, local recommendations and everything in between!

We will be changing the insurer of our beloved four-legged-furry friend.

Following our unfortunate times with said clinic, we spoke to several other local people, who have all experienced issues with the same clinic. So undoubtedly, we will be relocating the needs of Keith to a different veterinary clinic.

Insurance? Although a reputable premium brand of insurance – do your research, and do it again! The good reviews do get bumped to the top, as they want your money! They want you to hold a policy with them as you’re paying them ‘just in case’ something was to happen, which they use to pump into branding and advertisement to coax in other wittingly naïve pet-parents.

Again, we will be changing the insurer of our beloved four-legged-furry friend – once the whole issue is resolved.

Photo by Álvaro Niño on Unsplash

The post Is getting a dog worth the financial commitment? appeared first on Mouthy Money.

Vaccinations

Each destination country has its own requirements. You can check country-specific regulations here. Most countries, at the very least, require an up-to-date rabies vaccination record, microchip and, a few days before travel, a health certificate. If in doubt, your vet will be able to advise you. In some cases, your pet will need a blood test to prove the rabies anti body is present in sufficient quantity. This can take several weeks, so make an early start with a visit to the vet.

Travel crate

Equip yourself with a suitable crate or carrier for your pet. Most airlines will insist on the crate being  IATA-approved. These are made of sturdy material with the correct ventilation. Size does matter! Each airline specifies its own guidelines for measuring your pet and its container, but you can find a general one here. Having the correct size crate keeps your pet comfortable during transit. Ideally, the crate wont to be too big, either, as you don’t want to pay for unnecessary weight.

Cargo v ‘excess baggage’

Your pet will travel, in their crate, inside a pressurised cabin below the passenger deck. There are two ways of arranging this, and ‘excess baggage’ (or ‘oversized baggage’) is significantly cheaper than ‘manifest cargo’. The ‘excess baggage’ route involves the pet (in its crate) being checked in at the same counter as you and your suitcases, before your flight. Pre-approval (and often pre-payment) is necessary, so contact your airline a week or two before your travel date. Staff can check that the aircraft is suitable for live cargo. The pet must be travelling on the same flight as you, and you collect them from the baggage reclaim area of the airport on arrival. You’ll pay the airline a fee, based on size/weight, usually not much more than buying extra baggage allowance. Some countries don’t allow pets to arrive in this way, and insist on cargo. This, sadly, is more expensive but the advantage is that your pet does not need to be on the same flight as you.

Hiring some help

You may choose to enlist the help of a pet relocation agent. While very useful for handling paperwork, their costs add up. Contacting the airline, preparing health records and certificates yourself will save you money. One agent I used, before an international trip, tried to convince me that I needed an import certificate costing £150. After my own research, I discovered this wasn’t necessary. It pays to check yourself, even if you have outsourced some help.

Quarantine

Some countries hold animals for a period of time on arrival as a matter of course, but others reserve it for unexpected cases where the paperwork isn’t complete, or the animal is unwell on arrival. This is a costly exercise, not to mention deeply upsetting, so check and double check the requirements before you book that flight.

Useful links:

International Air Transport Association

International Pet and Animal Transportation Association

Photo by Alex Blăjan on Unsplash

The post Travelling with your pet? Here’s how to save a fortune appeared first on Mouthy Money.

What you may not be aware of is that, in trying to help your pet, you may actually be putting their life in danger, and causing some hefty vet bills, too. That old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ definitely rings true in the case of popular high street flea and worming treatment brand, Bob Martin which has been reported to cause multiple dangerous symptoms, ranging from hair loss, to cats frothing at the mouth.

But why do shops stock it, and people buy it, if it’s so bad?

The short answer, as with a lot of things in life, is money. Bob Martin is an unlicensed pet medicine which makes it dirt cheap in comparison to other brands. More people buy it because it’s cheap, which means more profit for those stocking the product. But cheaper is not always better. When I spoke to the vet about Bob Martin, I was advised that a pet suffering the poisoning resulting from this flea treatment could rack up hundreds of pounds in vet bills – if the pet survives in the first place.

What can I use instead?

Next time you pack up your pet and make a trip to the vet for their annual check-up, ask about flea treatments. If you’re already paying for the visit then any advice that you get off them is generally free – so go on, pick their brains! I’ve heard of a good brand called Advocate, but the vet will only prescribe it to you if they have seen your cat or dog in the last 12 months – which is fine because you should be taking him/her for an annual check-up anyway.

Disclaimer: I am just an animal lover, not a vet. However, any and all advice that I am giving on the matter has come from veterinary professionals.

The post Pet flea treatments: the hidden cost of cheap products appeared first on Mouthy Money.

I found out about the ragdoll: a laid back ‘floppy cat’ that was not suited to the outdoors, and generally preferred the sofa over wild pursuits.

In terms of purchases that I had to make, the fact that our new bundle of fluff would be an indoor cat meant we had to buy a couple more things. The first on our list was a cat tree – indoor cats still need to climb and scratch just like outdoor cats do. The cat tree that we bought is here on Amazon, and at the time of authoring this blog post, was priced at £47.60 (although the price does fluctuate a little – it was £39.90 when we purchased it). The next buy was a litter tray, we bought a hooded one to ensure that our cat didn’t kick his litter out of his box, and it costs £13.01 – a bit more expensive than buying an un-hooded one, but in my opinion it’s worth it for the discreetness alone; we place our litter box next to the bin, and hardly anyone notices it’s even there!

To fill the litter tray up, I use wood pellet litter. Unless you’re the kind of person who buys Tesco value, litter wood pellets are generally a bit cheaper than the conventional clumping litter, doesn’t get caught in your cat’s paws (which can be a choking hazard), and are better for the environment too as they are biodegradable. The price is £10.44 for 30 litres, which should last your cat close to 3 months.

Join Pets at Home’s VIP club – it will give you a 10% discount from your first order, free samples, and, if you’re lucky, you can book your cat in for a vet check up for £10.

I wanted an attractive carrier case for taking our kitty to the vet in, so I bought this classic looking wicker basket for him for only £23.51, and he sleeps in it too. I also purchased this bowl for £3.75, and a water bowl from TKMaxx. Obtaining a mat to go under your cat’s food and water dishes is also beneficial as they can be messy eaters! Upon the breeder’s recommendation, we fed our kitten Royal Canin Kitten Food for the first 8 months that we had him, before moving him onto adult food. The breeder recommended always getting the 10kg bags, as you save money in bulk; to stop the food going off once you’ve opened the wrapping, suggested using freezer bags to separate the food- it says on the bag that 10kg will last an adult cat 192 days, which is about 25p a day.

Here are a few of the toys that we bought our cat, Moomin: Cat wand (£2.99), cat laser (£4.99), and a bag of balls from poundland (£1).

Another useful tip is to join Pets at Home’s VIP club, it will give you a 10% discount from your first order, free samples, and, if you’re fortunate enough to live near a Vets4Pets clinic, you can book your cat in for a check up for £10.

The post Tips and helpful tidbits for getting a new cat! appeared first on Mouthy Money.