French bulldog, need a Vet and Insurance, ADVICE NEEDED

crazyFeet

Hi, we got a Frenchie, and we need some advice on who to go to in Sligo Town, what pet insurance is best to go for?

I heard it is better getting insurance first before even consulting the Vet, in case some problems might be recorded, is that true? Should i try pull it off as the dog is not pure bread, we got no IKC reg, i was thinking sayn it is a French n Boston mix, it also could be true. Don't have any budget to fall back on, money is tight, but insurance is a must. Please respond.

ABajaninCork

It's not necessarily true that you need to get insurance before taking the dog to the vet.

We have a Shih Tzu (non IKC). Took him to the vet to get his shots finished off, checked over and chipped. Vet recommended we get insurance for the dog, which we were looking at anyway. He gave us a 'puppy pack' which included six weeks free cover with Allianz. We got another six weeks free from the same insurer when he was chipped.

In view of the breed you have, I'd suggest you get insurance which offers lifetime cover. By that, I mean get cover which will pay out for any ongoing illnesses and conditions which might arise during the dog's life. A lot of pet insurance will not offer this, so you need to research very carefully. The cheapest cover IS NOT always the best! I know Allianz is one such insurer who will offer that. I'm not sure about any others at the moment.

HTH and good luck!

EDIT: Oh and don't lie about the breed or the condition of the dog. Vet will suss it out anyway, and if you lie to the insurance, then the cover may be invalidated...

crazyFeet

We had discussions (French Charm thread), and I was told that the dog might be not pure bread due to its coat color pattern, personally I've seen FB's with same color, but I still have some doubts about purity after all the comments I received.

Yes, it seems that cheapest will not do the job, so I will restate the question and ask for The Option that would be best for our little Cooper.

ABajaninCork

I thought I had already answered your Q...Get insurance that offers lifetime cover . Assume the dog is pure bred, unless the vet tells you otherwise.

As an aside -Do you know what if any shots the breeder gave to Cooper before you took him?

You need to take him to the vet ASAP. If you're not sure, then the vet will assume no shots have been administered, and start over. They will also advise on the best cover to get. I would also check to see if the vet will accept direct payment from the insurer.

Cherry Blossom

I think the OP is asking if they should insure the dog as being a pedigree Frenchie or a non-pedigree dog. Personally I'd ask your vets opinion on this and stick with the same vet as if problems arise in future the insurance will pay out or not based on the information the vet gives them.

ABajaninCork

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I think the OP is asking if they should insure the dog as being a pedigree Frenchie or a non-pedigree dog. Personally I'd ask your vets opinion on this and stick with the same vet as if problems arise in future the insurance will pay out or not based on the information the vet gives them.

Yes, AJ I thought so too! That's why I thought taking the little guy to the vet might be the first stop. Then I guess, the OP can take it from there...

crazyFeet

He came with a passport (dog came from Lithuania), there are stamps for vaccines, worms and chip codes (feel the chip on the neck). Just worried as I want to know if he might have any allergies and how is his digestion so far, it takes him a few mins he is doing a cooper business. Lifetime cover means nothing to me, but I will research, all this insurance terminology and bonuses are just jungle to me. Sorry if I sound stupid :rolleyes:

meoklmrk91

When I was doing research on which company to go with I asked the vet nurse in my local practice which one was best as she deals with the claims.

She said they were all fine but Allianz was the easiest to deal with and the quickest to pay out. Allianz are the most expensive usually but they offer great cover from and after what the vet nurse said my mind was made up immediately.

Chances are the vet will give Cooper a clean bill of health as they will I ky be giving him a general examination and as a pup it's highly unlikely anything will show up. Ask then which company is best to deal with etc.

Wisco

If you're suspicious of future problems, get insured ASAP. Most companies have an exclusion period (14 days for Allianz I think) in which they won't cover problems after you buy the insurance. Also, if the dog is treated for a skin problem (for example) before you buy, you won't be covered for ANY future skin problems with that insurance as it would be a pre-existing condition.
And definitely get lifetime cover, an absolute must especially for a breed like yours which is likely to have potentially severe problems sometime in its life.
I personally think Allianz and PetInsure.ie are good. I use Allianz and although I've never had to claim (yet, fingers crossed!) I find them easy to deal with and good prices for my dog. They pay out pretty quickly too, and you can pre approve treatment (ie, orthopaedic surgery if needed).

Seb_bixby

I just recently got insurance with Alliance for my puupy. It was more expensive than the other ones I got quotes from but they seemed to offer a better cover. They will pay the vet directly which some other companies would not do, which is a biggie for me as I wouldn't have the money for a major procedure to hand. Also, they were recomended by my vet which to me was a big plus! They said that they were the ones that they had been dealing with the longest as they are the longest around Ireland and they were very easy to deal with.
Like others have said, when you get the pet insurance you are immediately covered for accident but your illness cover doesn't start for two weeks from start of policy.
I'm also in Sligo town, not sure if I can name my vet on here but will PM you with it.

Oh and Cooper is so cute!!!

tahina

crazyFeet wrote: »

Hi, we got a Frenchie, and we need some advice on who to go to in Sligo Town, what pet insurance is best to go for?

I heard it is better getting insurance first before even consulting the Vet, in case some problems might be recorded, is that true? Should i try pull it off as the dog is not pure bread, we got no IKC reg, i was thinking sayn it is a French n Boston mix, it also could be true. Don't have any budget to fall back on, money is tight, but insurance is a must. Please respond.

Aliance pet insurance for dogs will stop at the age of 7 i say put say 10euro aside each month for vet emergancies it will work out cheaper in the long run and you wont have to jump through hoops with insurance

ABajaninCork

tahina wrote: »

Aliance pet insurance for dogs will stop at the age of 7 i say put say 10euro aside each month for vet emergancies it will work out cheaper in the long run and you wont have to jump through hoops with insurance

That's not correct. In order to get insurance for an animal you have to insure them BEFORE the age of eight. If you carry on the insurance beyond that, and you need to claim, then the insurance will pay out.

However, I believe there might be certain age-related conditions for which the insurance won't pay for beyond a certain point. You need to check the T's & C's carefully.

tahina

That's not correct. In order to get insurance for an animal you have to insure them BEFORE the age of eight. If you carry on the insurance beyond that, and you need to claim, then the insurance will pay out.

However, I believe there might be certain age-related conditions for which the insurance won't pay for beyond a certain point. You need to check the T's & C's carefully.[/Quote]

Ohhhh the lady from the insurance company must be mistaken i wanted to insure my 32week old puppy after xmas and then
She said the cover stops at 7 =\ i better call again so
Thanks fpr the info =]

Cherry Blossom

tahina wrote: »

Ohhhh the lady from the insurance company must be mistaken i wanted to insure my 32week old puppy after xmas and then
She said the cover stops at 7 =\ i better call again so
Thanks fpr the info =]

You need to ask about the lifetime cover option, it does cost a few extra euro a month.

crazyFeet

well, we got insured 2 days ago with A
put down excess as 75 and it worked out 22.5e a month, which is ok (phone bill might have to go now)
here is some info on insurance policy that we got, i went threw it quickly, there is way too much info and it is tricky in places
http://www.allianz.ie/Blog/Pet-Health-Insurance.1184.shortcut.html
and here is what it covers
http://www.allianz.ie/Pet-Insurance/Cover_Info/

please let me know if we did well, as i am still not sure

Millem

crazyFeet wrote: »

well, we got insured 2 days ago with A
put down excess as 75 and it worked out 22.5e a month, which is ok (phone bill might have to go now)
here is some info on insurance policy that we got, i went threw it quickly, there is way too much info and it is tricky in places
http://www.allianz.ie/Blog/Pet-Health-Insurance.1184.shortcut.html
and here is what it covers
http://www.allianz.ie/Pet-Insurance/Cover_Info/

please let me know if we did well, as i am still not sure

Crazyfeet in the second Allianz link for cover info it states excess is €100 not €75! Do you have any link for €75 excess?

crazyFeet

its the only one i found, didn't notice that tho
ill have to ring them Tuesday and find out

p.s i heard then can change ur excess if ur dog gets too many problems, is that true?

DeeRottie

I adopted my Rottie and was told she was purebred - I had actually been looking for a cross, but fell in love with her! Anyway when I went to insure her, the company I have my other dogs with told me that if she was an American Rottie, they would not insure her and if she was German it would be €400 as she is a Restricted Breed!!!!! Now, there is no genetic difference between American and German, so I could say she was either, but €400 was still seriously expensive. So I got her DNA tested. Cost me €75 but turned out there was the tiniest bit of Standard Schnauzer in her! Because she is now classed as a crossbreed she costs next to nothing to insure So you would be much better off if your Frenchie actually was a mix!

PS I didn't go with Allianz myself, due to the cover stopping at 7. I'm with an online insurer and in fairness I have found them great - I just get the vets to fill in a form and everything is taken care of. PM if you want the name, I'm not sure what the story is with posting it lol.

crazyFeet

DNA sounds interestingly a good idea, as I keep getting curious myself.
Off topic, how do you mix a Schnauzer with a Rottie? :rolleyes::eek:
Does your company cover all the above things listed in the previous response? please pm me a link i would like to have a look

DeeRottie

Well we think she was actually brought over from Germany as a pup and then dumped when she didn't turn out to fit 'breed requirements' - although she looks exactly like a Rottie, she is only the size of a Labrador. Also it's Standard Schnauzer that's in her and they are middle sized dogs and very rare in Ireland. Although considering my other dogs are Mini Schnauzers I maintain that she chose us so she could be our Schnauzer in disguise

I'll PM you the name of the company, then you can go online and fill out the quick quote thing and it shows you exactly what's covered. One of my Schnauzers has lupus and I never had any problems with them when it came to getting the vet bills sorted.

nala2012

DeeRottie wrote: »

got her DNA tested. Cost me €75 but turned out there was the tiniest bit of Standard Schnauzer in her! Because she is now classed as a crossbreed she costs next to nothing to insure So you would be much better off if your Frenchie actually was a mix!.

Hi can you pm me where you got the DNA test done. I want to get my pup tested but been reading online that the DNA tests aren't very accurate!

crazyFeet

thinking of doing one myself, a lot of people on boards would like to know my pups story

Millem

DeeRottie wrote: »

I adopted my Rottie and was told she was purebred - I had actually been looking for a cross, but fell in love with her! Anyway when I went to insure her, the company I have my other dogs with told me that if she was an American Rottie, they would not insure her and if she was German it would be €400 as she is a Restricted Breed!!!!! Now, there is no genetic difference between American and German, so I could say she was either, but €400 was still seriously expensive. So I got her DNA tested. Cost me €75 but turned out there was the tiniest bit of Standard Schnauzer in her! Because she is now classed as a crossbreed she costs next to nothing to insure So you would be much better off if your Frenchie actually was a mix!

PS I didn't go with Allianz myself, due to the cover stopping at 7. I'm with an online insurer and in fairness I have found them great - I just get the vets to fill in a form and everything is taken care of. PM if you want the name, I'm not sure what the story is with posting it lol.

Allianz cover does not stop at 7 it is just reduced you must pay an excess 35% each claim per condition!

crazyFeet

i keep hearing about this 7 - 8 years insurance cover stop, really need to get this clear, i will ring tuesday and find out for sure myself

Millem

crazyFeet wrote: »

i keep hearing about this 7 - 8 years insurance cover stop, really need to get this clear, i will ring tuesday and find out for sure myself

My dog turns seven in July and policy is up for renewal in November all claims from her birthday I will have to pay 35%. I think the confusion is that you must have dog insured before they are 8 and. Some other breeds have a lower age or else they won't be covered. I am constantly claiming very large amounts from Allianz with two of my dogs (€7500 last year alone) and on all settlement letters now (no matter what age) it states;
Insured costs:
Less excess:
Less 35% (if applicable)*
Settlement cheque