Pet Insurance reviews

Another article regarding pet insurance which also has comments from Choice.

I just double checked our policy and there are no surprises.

It also does not have any fine print with the exclusions being displayed in large bold type.

1 Like

Some considerations for those looking into pet insurance. We’ve also recently updated our pet insurance review (member content).

2 Likes

An article regarding pet insurance with kudos to Choice.

2 Likes

HI

Can anyone suggest a good reliable dog insurance product - from a provider that wont suddenly hike up premiums as the dog ages without upfront declaring their scaled life price tiers? it seems very problematic.

3 Likes

Welcome to the Community @Glam

I have moved your post into this bro this one about Pet Insurance reviews. Hopefully you will some good advice. I also recommend that you use the search function on this site as there have been several topics and posts on pet insurance that may also provide you with guidance.

Choice gave/awarded the entire pet insurance industry a Shonky,

1 Like

Update: with a new puppy, I now have pet insurance with KNOSE. The BIG difference is the way they calculate the policy excess. It is now just a one off yearly excess, wheras most other companies charge it per condition/per year. It’s the “per condition” that will trip you up and cost you a fortune, unless you have zero excess.
Knose also have options of percentage refunded
70/80/90%, plus options for overall yearly limit, which is something like
$7500,$12500 and $25,000 (check on their website to make sure).
I’ve taken $12500 yearly limit, at 80% with a $200 excess
and I did a lengthy spreadsheet to work out my best options.
People often think that with a healthy young dog, they don’t need pet insurance. With a robust terrier, who loves getting into trouble, I made sure I have cover for in case he eats something he shouldn’t
eg cane toads, tv remotes, thongs


As a breeder I fear your perspective on dog genetics, breed type and breeders is a bit simplistic. First there is no such thing as a genetically perfect animal (including human) and while we know a lot more about genetics than we used to there are still enormous unknowns. Second in any breed there exists in each country (or state in some countries as used to be in Australia) a Breed Standard which attempts to describe the desirable characteristics, and to a lesser extent possible weaknesses, of that breed. This Standard is usually derived from the understanding of the breed’s nature in its country of origin. Standards are modified from time to time but usually are stable over fairly long periods. Breeders attempt to breed to the Standard and in Dog Shows the judge (trained and authorised by the state purebred dog umbrella organisation - Dogs Qld, Dogs NSW, Dogs Vic etc) - attempts to judge the dogs competing in his or her ring according to the Standard. The aim of the Standard is to provide breeders with a guide to characteristics desirable in their breed, and the Show aims at the evaluation of the breeders’ success or otherwise in producing good specimens of the breed. Third, human weakness and the complexities of genetics and gene interactions mean that the perfect is never achieved. And since there are more than about 140 distinct breeds of dogs, the whole field is complex and judges deserve credit for their dedication to improving the breeds they are trained to judge. Most breeders are dedicated to their breed/s and work hard to improve their dogs, and they all love their dogs. Like everything else, there is competition between breeders, and some are more skilled than others, as happens in every trade, profession and hobby. All the people involved in the purebred dog world do genuinely love dogs.

On one hand, my highlight,

Pure is one of those wonderfully vague terms often used in marketing that might not mean the same to all.

On the other hand the reality presented,

For those seeking pet insurance and wondering, are there breeds that are more reliable and less likely to carry health related risks? The ‘true to breed’ pets come at a cost that reflects the time and effort that has gone into providing them to their new owners.

P.S.
Whether a carefully bred and selected pet is any more rewarding than a mixed breed or rescue, there are likely varying preferences within the community.

1 Like

Sadly breeding show winners tends to take precedence over breeding out harmful traits. Some breed standards result in lines that have physical features that add to the difficulty doing basic things like breathing, in other cases they have required physical disfigurement such as tail docking or ear clipping.

Most of those 140 breeds only exist for the viewing pleasure of humans, mostly looks are everything, all else comes second. Today there are few lines that are maintained for their original role, such as herding, hunting or guarding. Breeding companion animals is fine but then it is taken to extremes where miniatures are bred for cuteness and dependency not the health of the dog.

Really? And even in the cases where they do genuinely love their dogs does the welfare of the animals always come before the ego boost and extra money from having a kennel of winners? Top breeding bitches put to winning sires never magically produce extraordinarily large litters of valuable pups more often than the also-rans in the same kennel whose pups would sell for much less.

I am not saying that all breeders are mercenary but to deny any are does not fit the facts.

2 Likes

These Breed Standards unfortunately tend to reinforce harmful attributes - such as I mentioned in relation to pugs and german shepherds. They focus more on visual appearance than on the animal’s long term health, and this has to be fixed for the sake of all animals that are bred ‘to show’.

A then and now view of some breeds

image

What was perfect then is different to what is considered perfect now.

A warning about one breed that may be banned in the UK, and is already banned in some countries due to it’s now problematic bred in characteristics

One that was re-bred back closer to it’s earlier appearance

One that still suffers from meddling from the original breed

So the while genetics may remain the same in the breeds, features have been altered to what is now seen as the perfect purebred.

2 Likes

Not exactly. The modern dogs of a given breed have a gene pool that is derived from the old breed but it is not the same, otherwise they would look the same. The features have changed because the modern gene pool has been altered from the ancestors of the same breed by selective breeding, which is how the breed was established in the first place. The driving force? Fashion.

1 Like

We had Woolworths pet insurance for many years. Can’t say we had any complaints but we never made any claims.

I’m looking to take out insurance for our new pup and read on Choice about the ASIC stop orders for Hollard which seems to be most insurers, and it’s hard to figure out which ones aren’t Hollard? There’s a recommendation for PetsOnMe on the Pet Food Reviews site here but how do I know if that’s not Hollard and a safe policy?

Welcome to the community @FPooch
Your post had been moved to an existing topic discussing Pet Insurance.

There are several topics which discuss pet insurance. Earlier posts reference the Choice pet insurance reviews and guidance. Links to the most recent.

The following topic may also be of interest.
‘Pet Insurance; are Companies are robbing us blind? - #42 by KennethESmith3107

In respect of the stop orders by the regulator -

The regulator said it was concerned that the insurers failed to use objective and tangible parameters in defining their target market. For example, it said the insurers had not given proper consideration to consumers’ ability to afford premiums and pay for treatments upfront, before being partially reimbursed by the insurer after a claim is approved.

What stop order? It lasted barely one day. The toothless watch-puppy that ASIC is decided to flex its punny muscles and folded almost immediately.