Tracie Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 When I decided to get a rabbit, one of the things I budgeted for was pet insurance. However - my adopted bun had problems with both his incisors and his cheek teeth, the latter of which contributed towards a problem with his eye. He's since had his teeth trimmed and his poorly eye has cleared up, but it's very likely that even with a good diet his will need dental treatment again. Obviously, any insurance I take out now won't cover this treatment, since it relates to a pre-existing condition. In light of this, our rabbit savvy vet is of the opinion that it's probably not worth insuring Vincent as I'll only really be covering him for an accident or a condition not related to his teeth. I'm not convinced - my concern is that if Vincent were to develop another condition later in his life, it could get very expensive to get the treatment he needs and I won't have the insurance policy to help cover it. So - do I go ahead and insure my bun, or take the risk that I won't need it? I've been umm'ing and ahh'ing over this for a few weeks now! Any advice or opinions would be very gratefully received! Thanks in advance! PS. Our vet thinks that Vincent is about 18mths to 2yrs old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBunny Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I'g go ahead and get him insured anyway. A bunny's vets bills can go through the roof. Most bunnies will experience a broken leg sometime during their life, and that can cost in excess of £500.. I've yet to get Bobby insured, But I plan to. He's so inquisitive and nearly fell down the back of a set of drawers the other day. He'll jump on top of ANYTHING and will also chew almost anything. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeeeeeeeeek Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 I had a rabbit years ago and it was ace, used to hassle me until I rubbed it's nose! I still think unless the insurance is much cheaper than it is for cats then it's not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodyh86 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 i wouldnt bother getting him insured ive had several rabbits over the years and they seem to be pretty hardy lil animals that have very little health problems...and all mine lived to a good old age,so i would use the money and put it away for when he needs his teeth sortin again:thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I wish I'd insured my guinea pigs when I got them. I thought their vet's bills wouldn't be very high, but in the three weeks I've had them they've had an upper respiratory tract infection (£20) and mites (course of three injections, £150). Actually I think I was just totally ripped off by the vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracie Posted September 1, 2006 Author Share Posted September 1, 2006 I had a rabbit years ago and it was ace, used to hassle me until I rubbed it's nose! I still think unless the insurance is much cheaper than it is for cats then it's not worth it. If I sit with my laptop and looks as though I'm not paying enough attention to Vince, he'll come over and gently headbutt my hand. If I continue to ignore him, he climbs on top of my laptop and sticks his nose in my face until he gets his nose rub Petplan quoted me about £8.50 a month to cover Vince, I can't remember the exact amount. It was definitely about 30p per month more than the policy we hold for our cat. Rabbits count as 'exotic pets' as far as veterinary treatment goes and that pushes the cost of their treatment (and therefore insurance) right up If I were to put that money aside each month I'd have about £100 a year, which would only just cover the cost of his dental treatment (the vet felt that Vince's teeth might need trimming every 12-18mths). Any additional treatment I'd have to use other funds for. TBH, I think I'm still leaning towards the insurance route. I've seen Vince do some pretty spectacular mid flight binkys - it would only take him to land badly one day and, as BobbyBunny says, I could be looking at a bill for £500! Thanks to everyone for the replies and opinions - they've been very useful. I'll let you know what I decide to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strix Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 erm, I know we're all discussing costs here, but I 'd go back to your vet and have a more in depth chat about this Tracie With small furries such as bunnies, feasability is the first question to ask with complex medical problems, then cost. I'll explain.... if a bunny is unjured, they are less likely to survive an op for the same problem as a cat or dog, so the cost/insurance equation is slightly more complex, as the more expensive treatments are exactly the kind of thing they are less likely to survive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blip Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 As with all insurance, not taking pet insurance is a gamble. Personally I've always taken the gamble. In terms of cost, I suppose I lost on my old dog, spending around £3k on vet's bills over his ten year life, but I'm winning big style on my current dog. The worse thing about not having insurance is when the vet phones and tells you "we could try treatment X, it might extend his life for a few months, but it's rather expensive and not guaranteed to work" and you say "no, put him down" and rather than picking your dog up you walk out of the vet's with a lifeless body in a holdall. Guilt? God yes, I still feel it. Don't get me wrong, if there had been a cure, or at least a treatment that would have given him another year so, I'd have paid. I was just tired of paying £100's and living with a constantly poorly dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sooz22 Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 i dont have insurance for my rabbits as i have so many of them. This means it is cheaper for me to pay the vets costs for one if anything does happen, rather than pay out for all of them just incase. However when one of my rabbits broke her leg the initial consultation, anaesthetic and xray cost me £150, the operation to set the leg £150 and extra for painkillers and antibiotics. There for i would strongly suggest insuring your rabbit if you only have the one bacause this is alot of money to have to find in one go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buck Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 Some years ago wqe decided to buy our two sons a rabbit each. The young fellow that sold them to us said they were of the same sex (male) which obviously we wanted. My wife then went home to Ireland for six weeks with the boys, leaving the rabbits in the care of a cousin. I then got a call from the cousin to tell me we were now the proud owners of 8 rabbits. I then went to Ireland to pick up my wife, and not long after we picked up the hutch with 14 rabbits, most of which finally escaped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.