Here is a warning for anyone for anyone who insures their dog (or any animal) with “ANIMAL FRIENDS” insurance.
Brady (our Irish Water Spaniel) recently suffered a trauma injury to the end of his tail, it became infected so we ended up with a reasonably high veterinary bill. So we claimed on our insurance. This morning we received a letter from them saying that as this was a pre-easting condition they were not going to pay the claim. I have just come off the phone with them where I asked them to explain how a trauma injury could be called as pre-exiting. Their perfectly pleasant representative told me that Brady had also injured his tail in 2014 so according to their policies this new injury is pre-existing. I asked her to tell me if “according to their policy” a dog was treated after a road traffic accident in 2014 and then had another accident with a different car in 2016 would they consider that a pre-existing condition? She refused to answer.
Be aware this insurance company are more than happy to take your premiums but will then try to find any excuse, regardless of how ridiculous or tenuous to avoid paying out. The only aspect of there company that I can score them 10 out of 10 for is the sublime oxymoron of their company name!
Irish Water Spaniel
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We are currently going through something similar. Our pup knocked his leg in January 2016 whilst running out the door (he was only 10 weeks old). I dashed to the vets as I panicked (we'd only lost our beautiful big boy the previous month so was a very ott owner!) The vet said he was fine, which he was. We didn't think anything else of the incident. In April 2016, he stumbled whilst playing with another dog. He instances started limping. We took him to the vets and he needed an X-ray, then scans (total lying over £2000) Our insurance is now refusing to pay as they say it was a pre-existing condition! Even though our vet wrote to Animal Friends (they have got a cheek calling themselves that!!) confirming our 7 month olds current condition could not be related to the first 3 months previously! We are just seeking professional advise from a solicitor because it makes my blood boil and makes us so upset that we are now not able to continue treatment for our boy because we can't afford to, when we thought we were doing the responsible thing having lifetime pet insurance. Grrrrr
The reviews have been extremely helpful I WONT be using this company.
We are going through this at the moment apparently diarrhoea 5 years ago is a pre existing condition! My understanding is that a pre existing condition requires a diagnosis, a condition requires ongoing medication....diarrhoea, as explained by the vet on initial consultation is a SYMPTOM of a number of possible issues (in this case it was gastroenteritis) which I've had myself before...not considered a condition!! In fact to have only had diarrhoea twice in 5 years is good going. What a disgrace!