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Guinea pig Pet insurance?

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Mr Audrey & Mr Marilyn

Mr Audrey & Mr Marilyn

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Hi everyone,

I was just after some advice about pet insurance for guinea pigs- if others have it, if it's available etc. After a quick search the only one I can seem to find is 'Exotic direct', does anyone use these? We've got two guineas, and we live in England.

We are just trying to be responsible, so if it's not possible/advisable to get insurance for them, can anyone give us some rough ideas of what might be common ailments and what sort of cost these might incurr? Might make a piggie 'just in case' fund!

Thanks all :-)
 
I have a 'just in case' fund. If I recall correctly, guinea pig insurance is very expensive (about as much as my car insurance!). Last time I took two of mine to the vets it cost £55 - two examinations and two courses of metacam. I guess if you're expecting to have to go to the vets very often (if you have a dental pig, say) then it might be worth getting the insurance.
 
You have to be careful of the insurance because of the excess on it that you have to pay anyway. I remember reading somewhere that a general vets appointment would only get £10 paid by the insurance so I thought it wasn't worth it and much better putting some money aside just in case.
 
I believe they have a £50 excess, and doesn't cover dental. I think a Vet fund is much better as generally pigs don't have ongoing conditions.
 
You really need to becareful with all pet insurance but i should imagine with guinea pigs and small animals on what it actually covers as it might be just aswell to put some money aside in a bank account than take up insurance.
 
Hi all, thanks for your replies, I think I'll take your advice and set a side some
money for the little ones, hopefully they'll stay happy and healthy and I'll never have to use it (and can spend it on toys and treats for them instead!). I'm in London and don't have a car, so the cct wouldn't work for me I'm afraid, but it looks like a great thing for those that are near. Thanks :-)*
 
Yeah I think pet insurance is only really worth it if something terrible happens, like if an animal needed a huge operation that was really expensive, which doesn't generally happen in guinea pigs, but more in dogs etc. Or if an animal had an ongoing condition that was very expensive, but again, less likely to happen in guinea pigs I think.

I think a piggy vet fund is better, cos most trips to the vet wouldn't even be covered by insurance.

I think insurance is good in case something really bad happens, but I wouldn't get it, none of my animals has ever been that sick that I had to spend more than €90 on them.

Let's hope your guinea pigs have healthy lives anyway :) I think they're generally quite healthy animals!
 
If you're anywhere near East Finchley in London, there is the RSPCA vet on a Wednesday evening which is either very cheap or free for check ups!
 
Well that answers my question on pet insurance! I know from my horse insurance how many exclusions they place on animals and ailments. My old mare Melody was diagnosed with Bone Spavin (osteocalcification of the hock joint) in her right hock, her left hock then went too - its a bilateral problem - and after a 12 month claim period (her treatment cost 2500/3000) both her back legs were excluded from the policy....for all problems/injuries to those legs.

Sorry - rambling! What I mean to say is, I think it is better to have a fund rather than try to insure against illnesses.
Most insurers only let you claim for an ailment once, and then exclude that from the policy, they also dont let you claim for routine visits and treatments like worming/inoculations/spot-on etc...
 
I have an arrangement with my vets,i just credit my account so i always have a £50 float for an unexpected visit,which most are unless its post neutering check ups.
We do the same for the rescue.
Helen x
 
My vets will allow you to pay money on your account so you have a safety net, you can take it back at any time but it's definately worth having the consultation fee for each animal in there. My rabbit is insured with petplan for life so he will always be covered (except dental i think) there aren't really any good plans for guinea pigs and i have 8 so it would cost me around £80 a month even a fraction of that in the vets every month would be plenty i am aiming for £300 float in there
 
Rosehip said:
Well that answers my question on pet insurance! I know from my horse insurance how many exclusions they place on animals and ailments. My old mare Melody was diagnosed with Bone Spavin (osteocalcification of the hock joint) in her right hock, her left hock then went too - its a bilateral problem - and after a 12 month claim period (her treatment cost 2500/3000) both her back legs were excluded from the policy....for all problems/injuries to those legs.

Sorry - rambling! What I mean to say is, I think it is better to have a fund rather than try to insure against illnesses.
Most insurers only let you claim for an ailment once, and then exclude that from the policy, they also dont let you claim for routine visits and treatments like worming/inoculations/spot-on etc...
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My pig cost me £2000 in 3 weeks, she is insured but I took out the policy 9 days before she was ill, and there's a 14 day exclusion mallethead I'm still paying it off!
 
Oh I am going to be completely different here now!

I use Exotic Direct and now have three insured with them (the fourth is too and old and has far too much wrong with her to be considered by an insurance company!). Over the last 2 years my vet fees have been well in excess of £2000. Over the 7 years I have had guineas the insurance has more than paid for itself. I had one which had dental treatment and they paid for half of the op to remove a tooth which had caused a serious infection. I had another recently that required 2 weeks in hospital as well as treatment and they paid this without flinching, £1600.... Another has had lumps removed (she has loads) at a cost of about £200-£300 a time and each time we get them analysed.

From my perspective I could not have any animal now without insurance. It means I can say to the vet 'do what you need to do'. We can do as much exploratory work as need be and explore everything we need to without worrying about costs.

Unfortunately guineas may be small but they are equally comparable to every other animal in that they can become ill very quickly and the treatment costs are no less because they are guineas pigs. Sorry but i would not go without, ever.

Costs me I think about £20 a month for my three....something like that.

I'm not an insurance sales person....just feel much, much more comfortable having insurance based on my experiences :(|)
 
Guinea Slave said:
Oh I am going to be completely different here now!

I use Exotic Direct and now have three insured with them (the fourth is too and old and has far too much wrong with her to be considered by an insurance company!). Over the last 2 years my vet fees have been well in excess of £2000. Over the 7 years I have had guineas the insurance has more than paid for itself. I had one which had dental treatment and they paid for half of the op to remove a tooth which had caused a serious infection. I had another recently that required 2 weeks in hospital as well as treatment and they paid this without flinching, £1600.... Another has had lumps removed (she has loads) at a cost of about £200-£300 a time and each time we get them analysed.

From my perspective I could not have any animal now without insurance. It means I can say to the vet 'do what you need to do'. We can do as much exploratory work as need be and explore everything we need to without worrying about costs.

Unfortunately guineas may be small but they are equally comparable to every other animal in that they can become ill very quickly and the treatment costs are no less because they are guineas pigs. Sorry but i would not go without, ever.

Costs me I think about £20 a month for my three....something like that.

I'm not an insurance sales person....just feel much, much more comfortable having insurance based on my experiences :(|)
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I agree with this. I was too late to insure my 3 guinea pigs of which it would have only cost me about £20 a month (I got a quote) and Ive spent well over £1000 on them in the year and a half Ive had them...all my other pets are insured and I wouldnt be without it. As its £100 for an out of hours fee, so for when the cat has a fight on a sunday (I think he must know its out of hours!), and I think when jasmine had an abscess removed it would have been good to have it tested but with a £280 bill that week (2 ops on 2 piggies in 1 week) I couldnt afford it - I'm still paying it all off too...I save £50 a month but one trip and a conscious xray last week cost £90 so that 2 months savings gone already and they are almost always at the vets for something! x
 
If you go for the vet fund option then you need to be putting at least £50 a month away, we put £50 away for the car and £50 for the vets, we've only been doing it for a few months and all I can say is fingers crossed I don't need any new tyres because the vet's bills have gobbled up the lot! I've been thinking about insurance but am worried about all of the exclusions and excesses so providing you can get your fund up and running for a few months before any procedures are needed ( which is what's happened to us unfortunately but hey ho, there you go ) you should be okay. :)
 
There are'nt that many exclusions really and so far (fingers firmly crossed) I have not had issues with exclusions. Best thing is to read the policy thoroughly first before going ahead. My girl with multiple lumps has had three removed in three subsequent years and they have not excluded her and any subsequent removals.
 
I worked it out to cover my guinea pigs I need to pay at least £100/4based on my current bills with the vet :(.

I am considering insuring Esme.x
 
I tried and got rejected! (exotic direct) It wasnt even offered that I could pay a premium. They said theyd need to be ailment free for 3 months first...I cant see how that will ever happen! mallethead If I got any more I would insure them immediately! :) ps my non exotic vets (where the cats go) are also really nice and put through all sorts of descriptions as they are aware if I kept claiming for cat fight injories theyd stop covering me! so Ive had 'abscess' put down for a bite...so not sure what Id do if he got an abscess! :{ but I guess not all vets would do this..
 
flintstones said:
I worked it out to cover my guinea pigs I need to pay at least £100/4based on my current bills with the vet :(.

I am considering insuring Esme.x
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I originally insured Cameo because of the potential for ovarian issues and such, I generally wouldn't be able to afford a regular pay out for hormone injections for example, plus the fact shes pretty young. Then I felt guilty and added Jeff to the policy :))

The two boys aren't insured, as they've been seen a few times for various things, and they're starting to get a bit old to be considered!
 
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