Insurance vs savings

[Bunny Buddy]

So dentals and gastro-intestinal were excluded? why? in which case surely the biggest problems (molar spurs and hospitalisation for stasis) wouldnt be covered?

Unfortunately I only realised that you could get bunnies insured after joining RU a year ago, I also didn't look very hard for insurance because I didn't realise there were specialist bunny vets, now I've got a really good vet we are much more likely to go down the route of diagnosis and treatment.

Art had had stasis and Rudy had had one dental by then. Like you say dental and gastro are the two biggest areas and that's why I decided I'd be better to go without insurance. When I've gone a year I'm going to work out whether I would have been better with or without bearing in mind the excesses I would have paid anyway. If I did decide to insure Artie now though it would have to be in the next few months (before he's five) and he's also have another major exclusion so I just don't think it's worth it.

 

[VikkiVet]

As I see it there are now a lot more treatment options for Rabbits but these often involve a referal to a specialist.

For example I had a Rex with a Heart problem. My *then* Vet at first refused to even consider the diagnosis and so I requested a referal to Bristol. I was quoted £800 minimum and that was about 4 years ago. There was no way I could afford that and fortunately I then found the Vet I am with now. Although we could not do all the diagnostics (ECG, Heart U/S etc) my Vet would at least prescribe meds off licence to enable the Bun to have another year of good quality life.

It is a dreadful feeling to have a sick Rabbit, to know that there are specialists who *might* be able to help but you just dont have the money

As I said earlier, with just 2-3 Buns I would not hesitate in taking out insurance.

So specialist referrals are covered? (I have read the small print, just dont quite understand it all!)

i agree jane, the worst thing would be if treatment were possible but i didnt have the money. Having said that, if the rabbit had a good chance of recovery i would still pay it and find the money from somewhere, but definately would be easier and better peace of mind to insure them. I dont have to commute next year, and the cost of the insurance is almost exactly the same as what i pay now to commute, so insurance would not be an extra expense

Question - if you have repeat consultations etc for an on-going problem, can you accumulate those costs and then claim on insurance? i mean legally not dodgy/fraudulently! :lol:

 

[Snowberry]

So specialist referrals are covered? (I have read the small print, just dont quite understand it all!)

i agree jane, the worst thing would be if treatment were possible but i didnt have the money. Having said that, if the rabbit had a good chance of recovery i would still pay it and find the money from somewhere, but definately would be easier and better peace of mind to insure them. I dont have to commute next year, and the cost of the insurance is almost exactly the same as what i pay now to commute, so insurance would not be an extra expense

Question - if you have repeat consultations etc for an on-going problem, can you accumulate those costs and then claim on insurance? i mean legally not dodgy/fraudulently! :lol:

Yep- the excess of £50 applies to all the treatment needed for one particular illness, not each time you go. The vet will sort it all out for you so you dont have to try to work it all out yourself.

 

[chloejess]

I'm also a student but decided to insure my two buns with petplan just to be on the safe side - I doubt I could easily find the money if something major came up. I only have an exclusion for one of my buns because he had a bit of a runny nose and need abx before he was insured (had to have them less than a week after we got him, I wasn't impressed), but I decided it was best to have that back-up there just in case.

 

[Hugo's There]

We had insurance on our buns years ago, but once we got to 6 or 7 being insured it started costing far too mush. I was with petplan then as it was the only one that offered rabbit insurance at the time and things may have changed now, but they started not paying out for dental problems whereas they had before. It got to the point where they didn't seem to want to pay out for anything. :?

 

[youngbunny2]

:lol: we are quite lucky as our buns apart from 3 are the same colour sex and age so we insure 1 and take whoever needs treatment! shhhhh i didnt tell you that!!

 

[Jack's-Jane]

:lol: we are quite lucky as our buns apart from 3 are the same colour sex and age so we insure 1 and take whoever needs treatment! shhhhh i didnt tell you that!!

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmm thats Fraud :?

 

[Jazzy B Bunny]

I don't bother because it appears that the most common problems arnt covered! Eg jazz wouldn't be covered for sure, gizmo has a history of stasis and jack I've only had for a couple months so can't comment.

 

[Indiechic]

Pre-existing conditions aren't covered, however if you insure from the start and you vacc/check up the buns, its all covered.

I have all 5 covered, £45 a month, well spent I think, when lilly died (prior to insurance and only had 2 buns) it cost £100 before they did anything.

Yes there is an excess, but heaven forbid one gets ill and requires hospitalisation. I fail to see how saving the money would give me enough money, so id be paying on my credit card :?

its all a matter of opinion im sure, but id insure a dog/cat whatever, so i insure my grabbits.

 

[LionheadLuver]

:lol: we are quite lucky as our buns apart from 3 are the same colour sex and age so we insure 1 and take whoever needs treatment! shhhhh i didnt tell you that!!

this is why I don't like some people, why should you get away with this? :evil:

 

[youngbunny2]

oh come on! if you could do it you would.I cant afford to insure 10 buns.I have only ever claimed once.it is there in case of emergency.would you rather i put them into a rescue???

 

[LionheadLuver]

oh come on! if you could do it you would.I cant afford to insure 10 buns.I have only ever claimed once.it is there in case of emergency.

No, I wouldn't do it actually. If you can't afford to have savings or insure 10 buns, then you shouldn't have them at all. Only have the number of buns you can afford.

 

[LurcherGirl]

If I had just 2-3 Buns I would DEFINATELY take out insurance.

Same here!

But as I have 8, up to now, I just paid for it from my monthly budget. However, I have now started putting money aside every months to make life a bit easier for me in such emergency situations.

Vera

 

[youngbunny2]

No, I wouldn't do it actually. If you can't afford to have savings or insure 10 buns, then you shouldn't have them at all. Only have the number of buns you can afford.

WELL you find me a rescue who will take 10 french lops then please!!!! they were an accidental litter and unlike some people i didnt dump them on a rescue.who the are you to tell me i shouldnt have them.if you were honest and could do the same you would.PLUS if you actually read you would know that i havent had to do it YET but if it was a case of my bunny dying or me using the insurance then i would use it.

 

[LionheadLuver]

WELL you find me a rescue who will take 10 french lops then please!!!! they were an accidental litter and unlike some people i didnt dump them on a rescue.who the are you to tell me i shouldnt have them.if you were honest and could do the same you would.PLUS if you actually read you would know that i havent had to do it YET but if it was a case of my bunny dying or me using the insurance then i would use it.

I wouldn't do it, I'm not a bad person for committing fraud. It's your fault for having the accidental litter, and why not rehome some?

 

[youngbunny2]

ok! find me homes then.I spent months looking for homes and nobody wanted huge rabbits that wont fit in cheap hutches.you are so rude speaking to me like that when you know nothing about the situation.It was not my fault they arrived actually.it was the vets.My doe was made pregnant by a 9 week old buck.the vets have always said they are not fertile untill plums are visable or after 12 weeks.So you want to me to give 8 frenchies to a rescue that are busting at the seams with needy buns instead of keeping them here? well all 4 near me said no so give me your address and i'll drop them with you!

 

[Jack's-Jane]

oh come on! if you could do it you would.I cant afford to insure 10 buns.I have only ever claimed once.it is there in case of emergency.would you rather i put them into a rescue???

No, I would not do it because Fraud is a Criminal Offence and I cant be doing with more time in clink :wave:

 

[youngbunny2]

No, I would not do it because Fraud is a Criminal Offence and I cant be doing with more time in clink :wave:

LMAO!!! pot...kettle...black!!!!!! if you have been in jail you must have done wrong too!!! to pardon the pun.....it is an insurance policy INCASE i ever was stuck for money.

 

[Jazzy B Bunny]

Trifle?

 

[Snowberry]

:lol: we are quite lucky as our buns apart from 3 are the same colour sex and age so we insure 1 and take whoever needs treatment! shhhhh i didnt tell you that!!

I wouldnt do this either- as Jane said its a criminal offence.

I am also unsure as to how you would get away with it as surely all of your bunnies are registered individually at the vets?