Pet insurance
Comments(20)
Photo: Inca last Autumn
No time for tunnelling today as Inca is ill. She wasn’t well yesterday and a lengthy trip to the vet threw up few clues. She was vomiting all night – white bedclothes are great for working out how much this has happened.
So it was back to the vet today. Inca is insured but we have to pay the vet’s bills and then claim the money back from the insurance company, which can take months. The balance on my account was sparse so I plucked up the courage to say that I couldn’t actually pay any more bills – yesterday’s was over 60 pounds. Today’s blood tests were 86 pounds and they wanted to do x-rays and possibly an MRI scan as well. The latter can cost thousands.
I cringingly explained my circumstances. The vet instantly said,
“In certain circumstances we will deal directly with the insurance company. You need to bring back your insurance documents and we’ll see what we can sort out.”
There’s the rub. Everything is in a mess at the cottage at the mo. I knew that an insurance reminder had arrived sometime in the past two months. So as Inca was sedated and x-rayed I sifted through carrier bags looking for the up to date policy.
Initially I couldn’t find the relevant documents. I studied a bank statement and couldn’t spot a direct debit to More>Than. Panic.
In our out of date policies and instructions drawer I found the 2008 policy. Not wanting to appear a fool I rang the company and gave my policy number.
“Ah yes. The Lady Midnight Amber (her kennel name). What can we do for you?”
The relief was enormous
Yes. They can deal with vets direct. I pay the excess of 70 pounds and 10% of the vet’s bills. Thank you Swayne and Partners of Newmarket. You made my day and hopefully very soon we can find out what’s wrong with Inca.
Harvesting bags
R.I.P. Alfonso and Massimo. Could you eat your own chickens?
Belly of Pork with Morello cherries recipe
Dead fish stink
Biodynamic gardening update: July 2010
A grand day out
Pamela on 
dantom on 
Shereen on 
Claire on 
Lara on 
Brian Wood on 
Catrin on 
Amanda on 
Carol on 
Bib on 
fn on 
If it’s any consolation, one of our dogs did this last week and had to be rushed to the vet for X-rays, too. She had vomited all night and during the day, so they thought it might be a blockage. Thank goodness, it wasn’t and after a course of Synulox (?) she’s made a perfect recovery. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you!
ps She was also given an anti-emetic, which was a relief for her.
Oh goodness me, I was holding my breath there ! Thank goodness you had remembered to renew.
My brother’s house burned down last year – he was pretty glad he was insured too.. these policies are there for good reason.
I really hope you manage to get a diagnosis soon, and treatment underway so your little Inca is back on her feet soon.
Get well soon Inca!!
Oh i know exactly how you feel. It is never nice when a pet is ill and I did thank God when a lump my Midge had a few years ago turned out to be benign. Pet insurance, especially when you have more than one animal makes good sense. I hope Inca is well soon. My heart goes out to you and Danny and the other Min Pins. We love our dogs so much.
I hae had More Than for all my cats & the vets have lways dealt with them direct?I pay the excess to the vet,fill in the form there & they do the rest.I rate More Than with a big thumbs up so far lol!
Hope little min The Lady gets better soon. I have a deep longing for a white quite cover but Malory my short hair cat is making me shake my head,on my patterned ones he sleeps everywhere but the bit at the end I lay there for him lol!
GTM x x x
Thank goodness it hadn’t lapsed! I hope you can find out what’s wrong and that they can make her better soon. I lost my old girl on Tuesday, only 4 months after losing Harry, and it’s awful.
Oh well done your vets – it makes such a difference when they are so nice and supportive. All my positive thoughts going to Inca getting better now – hugs all round.
What a horrible thing to happen, I hope Inca is in tip-top form very soon.
Best wishes to Inca and for you and the rest of the gant too. It’s so horrible when pets are poorly and they can’t tell us what’s wrong. Ollie (a.k.a. “Sicknote”) has been through the mill a few times now; dogs are tough, and they know when they are loved, and it seems to make a big difference to them. Positive thoughts are winging their way to you from us over here x
Poor dear Inca, I hope your darling is better soon. Zebbycat get to have his teeth cleaned under a general anaesthetic on Tuesday. While under the vet will also remove a small cyst in his skin in the lad’s lower back. Confess the worst of it wiil be carrying my 7 kilo darling up my 54 steps – infuriatingly he doesn’t keep still.
Sending huggles, purrs and care from us, Michelle and Zebby
Sending lots of love and wishes that they find out what is wrong with Inca soon.
Its so scary when a pet is ill and you cant do anything to help. Have been through a scary couple of weeks after some very stupid people who have a public footpath running through their land put rat poison down all over it (as they have chickens). It wasnt in traps, and my very naughty Jack Russell, Cooper, wolfs anything down that he thinks he shouldnt have. After getting rushed to the vets, he has had 2 weeks of blood tests and vitamin K injections, and food supplements to make sure that the blood thinning poison didnt kill him. Its just been awful. As has the reaction of the people whose land it was – they dont seem to care
Thank god for insurance, as the bill has already topped £500!
I hope that Inca has a speedy recovery once diagnosed, and that you and Danny are ok too x
Many years ago our elderly cats decided their favourite place to deal with hairballs was the settee, with its lovely pale creamy “country diary” pattern. The solution? A fabric shower curtain, in the right pattern, tucked over the settee, good wipe down surface and not too crinkly when sat on….
Shame about the bed clothes, but at least white can be bleached….
Good luck with the diagnosis! I think everyone who loves their animals feels for you all just now.
That’s very funny, Liz- my brother had a cat who did the same thing with his white sofa, only she’d do it after a dose of Petromalt, so it looked like a long, nasty tobacco stain running down the outside of the sofa. The shower curtain was a good idea.
Fiona- my heart goes out to you and Danny and Inca, and her pack mates, who are no doubt tuned in to her distress. I hope that they quickly figure out what’s wrong and have a good treatment for it and that’s she’s well soon. Good luck!
I swear I breathed a sigh of relief when you got to the bit about the policy number. Hope Inca makes a speedy recovery.
Vanessa – the landowners might not care at the moment, but I bet the local Health & Safety or Public Health Officer could make them care. What a dog can eat, so can a child. Pleased to hear your boy made a good recovery.
Crikey what a scare. I could feel your panic as you looked for the insurance documents I have been there myself.
Vet bills leave me in a cold sweat as we are not insured. After reading your experience I am thinking perhaps I should look around and see who is worth going with.
The fact your vets are dealing with the insurance company direct is fantastic.
Hope all turns out well- never good having a pet ill.Hug to all.
Min Pins Berry & Basil wish Inca a speedy recovery, they know all about tummy troubles!
So glad you have the insurance! We have insurance on Basil and it has really helped.
Take care,
Sarah
Just catching up after a few days outside the blog-zone. Phew! I’m so relieved you’ve got insurance for the vet bills. I’m crossing my fingers the treatment will be successful for Inca.
We use the same vet (different surgery) they are lovely people, always very kind and helpful. You’re also lucky to live near Newmarket and Cambridge, lots of very skillful vets.
Celia
x
Bib – We have already started the ball in motion with this. They have a duty of care on those footpaths, and its digusting that they are so blase about it.
Randomly, the woman at the council seemed more bothered about Badgers then children, but if it gets the message through to someone, I dont mind!
Still thinking about Inca, sending love xx