Petplan paid my vet direct when my puppy had an accident requiring xrays antibiotics and several overnight stays a matter of a day or so after taking out my policy.

I appreciate not everyone has had the same experience but I cant help thinking that many are as a result of people who took out insufficient insurance, had breaks in insurance or expect to pay very little for insurance that can end up paying out a lot on your behalf because most people don't realise ho vet bills can be surprisingly high to the layperson.

With the restrictions on pre existing conditions and limits on payouts for cheaper policies, I would now encourage anyone to get the very best cover they can afford as early in their dogs life as they can and chose the right insurer.

Saving £100-200 a year by buying a cheaper policy is not such a good deal if it leaves you worrying about paying for some of the more expensive conditions / injury's your pet can get.

Petplan seem to have a good reputation for not bumping up premiums as a matter of course and that's important too if you are potentially sticking with an insurer to get better benefits when it comes to avoiding exclusions for pre existing conditions etc.