for anyone who has their insurance through animal friends be aware I have just discovered if they arnt happy with your vets costs they will pay what they think is an average.
I have just had a comment on a claim which has been explained as the vet charges more than we think is average but this time we will pay.
I am asking for a breakdown to show my vet particularly as in 25+ years and with other companies I have never had a problem and they were also surprised.
It leaves me very worried as I am about to have to do two referrals ( two different dogs ) so am doing it with fingers crossed AF don't decide the charges after the event are too high.  You cant get an itemized breakdown in advance every time that's plain rididulous and of course I pay up front
Its a lifetime prestige policy covering £6000 per policy year per condition for life their most expensive cover too
the details are in the policy small print section 1.2.1 and even if I had read them in advance I would have no way of knowing before the vet treated

Not happy :(

Thanks for that information as mine are insured with them and thinking of have a quite expensive procedure done.

So am I and very necessary one peep. I am going to speak to them again but I think in the end I shall have to take the chance they cover me. Can't change insurers either until dogs are clear for two years according to pet plan. They would cover for other conditions just not our current problems

They also don't covering breeding bitches or stud dogs either, they cancelled my
Policy when they found out I hate mated my girl despite the fact that she hadn't taken.

I've had this once when I got metacam from a referral vet - IIRC the letter said they would pay it this time but not in future, because the markup was more than 100%.  Or something like that.  I've not had trouble with it otherwise, it's the pre-existing conditions that keep getting me (currently starting a new fight with them as they've said that Saffi's IMHA is pre-existing because she has had other conditions that could have been symptoms of it in the past!).

I know they use to say in there conditions that if they don't agree with the charges they may want you to get a second opyion with one of their vets, and if it's going to be over £1000 you need to ask permission first.

I've just swapped mine from them to more than due to AF not allowing breeding dogs as I'm hoping to have a litter. More than don't take dogs used for commercial breeding and as long as you don't breed more then 2 litters from a girl they don't class that as commercial breeding.

>More than don't take dogs used for commercial breeding and as long as you don't breed more then 2 litters from a girl they don't class that as commercial breeding.

That's ridiculous I'd not consider anyone taking the KC number of litters of 4 to be commercial.  It's not what one bitch produces but how many litters someone breeds that make a business.

Just as well I don't insure mien then as I generally have three litters over the space of 5 years (between age of 2 and 7).

Know this happens as my vet has been challenging this practice on a number of claims .. Don't think it is restricted to Animal Friends either. Don't insure any more it's becoming a racket where they take your cash and then try to find every loop hole not to pay out :(

Same here, I am now putting the premiums away in a doggy account. With 4 dogs and one over 8 the ever increasing cost of premiums was just too much.
I have in 10 months got enough in the account to cover most emergencies. Also most vets charge a two price fee structure, depending if you are making a claim or not.

Virgin didn't agree with the fee charged for overnight hospitalisation or Lab fees on one of my dogs.
AF rejected a claim because a dog had a similar op for removal of lump 8 years previously.
A lot of companies state that vaccinations must be up to date and in order to cover any dental work the dog must have its teeth looked at on a yearly checkup and it must be noted on the dogs records by the vet.
It is a minefield.

re vacs. Petplan will insure a dog that isn't vacs. but wont cover illnesses due to dog not being vac's. re teeth. most vets check on annual ckeckup so that should cover.

re vacs. Petplan will insure a dog that isn't vacs. but wont cover illnesses due to dog not being vac's. re teeth. most vets check on annual ckeckup so that should cover.