# French bulldog insurance



## Fayeyasmin (Dec 10, 2016)

hi all

So we have been planning a french bill dog for some time now. And this morning I decided to look at insurance. 
I have been told to get one which covers the lifetime of a condition rather than just up to a certain amount (does that sound right). 

I was expecting to pay more than most but was expecting about £150 a month for life time cover on pet plan.

Can any where suggest anywhere else to look

I knew the monthly outgoings would be a lot with a frenchie and more than other breeds but this is really disappointing 

Help please xx


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Quite honestly, I'd settle for nothing but Petplan with a Frenchie.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

SixStar said:


> Quite honestly, I'd settle for nothing but Petplan with a Frenchie.


Yes, that.^^
With a breed with such intrinsic health problems, you need an insurer that doesn't baulk at paying out, can (usually) pay the vet directly so you don't have to fork out then claim back, and who won't do massive price hikes at each renewal.
Either that or be loaded (or get a healthier breed).


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Sadly when dogs become 'fashionable' or 'the' breed that everyone suddenly wants, it often leads to poor breeding & dogs that should never be used to breed from, are bred 

This leads to huge health problems & the insurance premium you've been quoted is a direct result, as so many need lots of treatment

Why a Frenchie?

Why not a much healthier breed?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Fayeyasmin said:


> hi all
> 
> So we have been planning a french bill dog for some time now. And this morning I decided to look at insurance.
> I have been told to get one which covers the lifetime of a condition rather than just up to a certain amount (does that sound right).
> ...


I would definitely go with pet plan even if it seems a bit more expensive then some others, I have had experience with several insurers including per plan, and in my experience not only do they pay out, they don't make extortionate increases in premiums each year either unlike others who will double, treble and even quadruple the monthly premiums in one go once you have had a claim or two.

Definitely also go with a life time/covered for life policy. Petplan do both these and a limited policy like many other companies. With the limited policy you are only covered for 12 months from date of diagnosis or illness, meaning that should your dog get a similar illness, a re-occurance of the same illness, later complications from an injury or accident, or develops an ongoing condition that will need constant regular tests or meds, then after the 12 months you will not be able to claim again for that. Insurers do group illness types too, example a bad stomach bug that needed a vet visit will thereafter probably become disorders of the digestive tract full stop, so anything digestive/stomach/related that's it as far as claims go. With a life time/life long policy as long as you renew and stay with them, then you can go on claiming, right up to the amount each year insured for, and when you renew the whole yearly amount is re-instated in full for the next year and you will be constantly covered for everything unlike the limited policy.

Are you still in the planning stages of looking for a breeder and a puppy too? If you are you need to do your research thoroughly and find a reputable good breeder, who does all the health tests on the parents prior to considering breeding from them. Not just a normal vet health checks specific tests for known hereditary, genetic and common known health conditions in the breed. French bulldogs are popular and with popularity comes breeding for pure profit not health and temperament. Beware of ads saying rare colours too, a lot of these so called rare colours are only bred by bad breeders who breed them for monetary gain, there is a reason why good breeders don't breed certain colours because it comes with health implications.

You can read about the relevant health tests here
http://www.dogbreedhealth.com/french-bulldog/

There is really good specific breed advice including health, health testing and how to source a good breeder and puppy on the French Bulldog breed club website, that is wortjh a through read through to help with information and research.

http://www.frenchbulldogclubofengland.org.uk/

Dogs trust have good info on buying a puppy and what should alert you to things that are not right
https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/advice-for-owners/buying-a-dog/buying-a-dog


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## Doggiedelight (Jan 27, 2015)

£150 a month? I would have thought pet plan £7,000 lifetime cover was around the £35 mark.


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Doggiedelight said:


> £150 a month? I would have thought pet plan £7,000 lifetime cover was around the £35 mark.


Nope.

I just got a quote; its 125 a month. The top cover is 209!

My pound sign isnt working


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Doggiedelight said:


> £150 a month? I would have thought pet plan £7,000 lifetime cover was around the £35 mark.


Are you with Pet Plan?

They quoted me £80 / month for their £4k cover!

Frenchie's are known to have multiple health issues so can quite easily seeing it being that much sadly


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Lilylass said:


> Are you with Pet Plan?
> 
> They quoted me £80 / month for their £4k cover!
> 
> Frenchie's are known to have multiple health issues so can quite easily seeing it being that much sadly


Its weird how it goes.

I pay 35 a month for the 7k for Ned.

Probably cos he's a cross.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Nonnie said:


> Its weird how it goes.
> 
> I pay 35 a month for the 7k for Ned.
> 
> Probably cos he's a cross.


Yup I don't understand the quotes (and probably never will)

I think a lot also depends where you are - even though I'm rural Scotland, when people have been talking about the price of stuff (vaccinations, boosters, neutering, simple procedures etc), it can be way more expensive here than even in London!

I guess lack of competition / not many places for people to move to if they're unhappy, keep the costs up!


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Lilylass said:


> Yup I don't understand the quotes (and probably never will)
> 
> I think a lot also depends where you are - even though I'm rural Scotland, when people have been talking about the price of stuff (vaccinations, boosters, neutering, simple procedures etc), it can be way more expensive here than even in London!
> 
> I guess lack of competition / not many places for people to move to if they're unhappy, keep the costs up!


Im in Surrey, and not that far from Fitzpatrick referrals, which i know has hiked up premium prices


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

Nonnie said:


> Im in Surrey, and not that far from Fitzpatrick referrals, which i know has hiked up premium prices


 not good


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Lilylass said:


> not good


Such is life.

Tbh, i think 35 a month is pretty reasonable as long as they dont do huge yearly increases.

Time will tell.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

150 a month. I would not even pay that for a year. I would not own a dog that was expected to have so many problems that that was the insurance premium. I cancelled mine when it went up to 20 a month. It is up to you whether you throw your money into an insurance company or save it so you have it if needed. If you can afford that sort of amount a month then you can probably afford vets bills.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

I pay about £35 each for the dogs and cat, Reena is on lifetime up to £7,000 per condition, per year , Tango is Annual with a hefty excess and exclusions for mammary tumours and vomiting. Reena's hardly went up even after her spinal surgery last year.
That's with PetPlan , I have found them twice to be slow to pay out and had to chase them


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## Doggiedelight (Jan 27, 2015)

Lilylass said:


> Are you with Pet Plan?
> 
> They quoted me £80 / month for their £4k cover!
> 
> Frenchie's are known to have multiple health issues so can quite easily seeing it being that much sadly


I'm with pet plan and pay £34 for a pugshire


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Doggiedelight said:


> I'm with pet plan and pay £34 for a pugshire


And is she listed with them as a ''Pugshire''?

Or a Yorkie X?

Or a Crossbreed?


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## Doggiedelight (Jan 27, 2015)

SixStar said:


> And is she listed with them as a ''Pugshire''?
> 
> Or a Yorkie X?
> 
> Or a Crossbreed?


Pugshire. If insured was that much they might be better putting £50 in a jar a month!


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

Doggiedelight said:


> Pugshire. If insured was that much they might be better putting £50 in a jar a month!


They really have "pugshire" as a 'breed' option? Wow.

Putting £50/mth away is well & good. Unless of course your dog breaks it's leg on month three with just £150 in the kitty!


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

SixStar said:


> They really have "pugshire" as a 'breed' option? Wow.
> 
> Putting £50/mth away is well & good. Unless of course your dog breaks it's leg on month three with just £150 in the kitty!


I looked out of curiosity and cannot believe some of the ridiculous named crosses they have on there.

The best ones were: Alusky, Bugg, Bullweiner, Cockerainian, Floodle, Foxy Russell, Golden Mountain Dog, Jackasoo, Jack-A-Rainian, Labradesian, Papastzu, a Wottie and a Weerainian.

What the actual fudge.

All listed under 'pedigree' section of the PetPlan get a quote thing.


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## Doggiedelight (Jan 27, 2015)

SixStar said:


> They really have "pugshire" as a 'breed' option? Wow.
> 
> Putting £50/mth away is well & good. Unless of course your dog breaks it's leg on month three with just £150 in the kitty!


Well it's either that or they pay a high insurance. Choice is theirs.


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## picaresque (Jun 25, 2009)

You know when someone comes here saying they're after a cockerpoo and they're asked why not get a purebred cocker or poodle instead? Well OP have you considered not getting a French Bulldog and choosing another, healthier breed? How about a staffie?
If a Frenchie costs so much to insure from the outset (it's not going to get cheaper as he/she ages... ) it's for a reason. Brachycephalic breeds suffer badly because of their breeding and that's not helped by their current fad status. It's not just about money.


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

labradrk said:


> I looked out of curiosity and cannot believe some of the ridiculous named crosses they have on there.
> 
> The best ones were: Alusky, Bugg, Bullweiner, Cockerainian, Floodle, Foxy Russell, Golden Mountain Dog, Jackasoo, Jack-A-Rainian, Labradesian, Papastzu, a Wottie and a Weerainian.
> 
> ...


Good grief. I can't even figure half of those out.


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

SixStar said:


> Good grief. I can't even figure half of those out.


I didn't know whether to laugh or be shocked really!!

Bullweiner :Hilarious Weerainian :Hilarious


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

labradrk said:


> I didn't know whether to laugh or be shocked really!!
> 
> Bullweiner :Hilarious Weerainian :Hilarious


I'm totally stumped on Floodle and Bugg?!


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## picaresque (Jun 25, 2009)

labradrk said:


> I didn't know whether to laugh or be shocked really!!
> 
> *Bullweiner* :Hilarious Weerainian :Hilarious


Is that a dachshund crossed with a bull breed?!


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## Sarahlou444 (Jun 26, 2015)

£150 a month seems an awful lot. I have a pug insured with pet plan and pay £30.44 per month and that is the 7k cover. £150 seems awfully high given that pugs can also have more than their fair share of health problems.


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## Doggiedelight (Jan 27, 2015)

Sarahlou444 said:


> £150 a month seems an awful lot. I have a pug insured with pet plan and pay £30.44 per month and that is the 7k cover. £150 seems awfully high given that pugs can also have more than their fair share of health problems.


That's what I don't get. Pugs are the same health wise as frenchiee. I'm wondering if in a bit it will go back down and it's just while they are in 'fashion'.


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## Nettles (Mar 24, 2011)

So what happens if I insure my Floodle or Jackasoo as a cross breed at £35 per month and don't select it's ridiculous "pedigree" name at £90 a month? Will the sh1t hit the fan if I try to make a claim?

OP as others have said, petplan doesn't hike up premiums as much as other companies once you've made a claim.. so while you may find an insurer cheaper now, this time next year you could actually end up paying much more than you've been quoted from petplan. Changing to petplan (or any other insurer) at that stage would mean exclusions being added for every ailment or illness your dog has been to the vets for over those 12 months.


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## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

Lilylass said:


> Yup I don't understand the quotes (and probably never will)
> 
> I think a lot also depends where you are - even though I'm rural Scotland, when people have been talking about the price of stuff (vaccinations, boosters, neutering, simple procedures etc), it can be way more expensive here than even in London!
> 
> I guess lack of competition / not many places for people to move to if they're unhappy, keep the costs up!


They're worked out in the fairest way possible...

Say for example (in very, very simple terms!)...

If all the Labrador owners claimed £10m last year, and all the frenchie owners claimed £40m, the French is premiums will be 4x that of the Labrador premiums.

So across the board, the more a breed claims as a whole, the more the insurance will cost.

This is the same reason for the various crossbreed options too


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## kare (Sep 8, 2014)

This poster doesnt seem to return to threads they start. I wonder if they do not wish to be faced with the truth of the breed they wish to buy.

I pointed to areas to read about vets recommending not to continue buying flat faced breeds and other discussions of their suffering for what humans want them to look like, when the poster first asked about getting a Frenchie but like this thread they did not respond to anything on the thread, possibly did not even read it


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Sarahlou444 said:


> £150 a month seems an awful lot. I have a pug insured with pet plan and pay £30.44 per month and that is the 7k cover. £150 seems awfully high given that pugs can also have more than their fair share of health problems.


Is that with PetPlan? That's really good for a pug!


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

labradrk said:


> All listed under 'pedigree' section of the PetPlan get a quote thing.


They can charge more then than if it's listed as a crossbreed.


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## Sarahlou444 (Jun 26, 2015)

Argent said:


> Is that with PetPlan? That's really good for a pug!


Yes that's with Petplan


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

SixStar said:


> They really have "pugshire" as a 'breed' option? Wow.
> 
> Putting £50/mth away is well & good. Unless of course your dog breaks it's leg on month three with just £150 in the kitty!


Accident and injury policy would easily cover a broken leg & most other 'everyday' accidents so it can be a viable option alongside putting money away (esp in older animals once you've gone past the point where you would do 'difficult' or very expensive treatments) & usually only a few £s/month

Wouldn't recommend it for a Frenchie though!


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

Nettles said:


> So what happens if I insure my Floodle or Jackasoo as a cross breed at £35 per month and don't select it's ridiculous "pedigree" name at £90 a month? Will the sh1t hit the fan if I try to make a claim?


Mine are insured as cross breeds as I didn't realise they had their mixed names on there list when I insured Hector until I went to insure Hilde and saw it on the drop down bar but I registered her a crossbreed as that's what she is


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Nonnie said:


> My pound sign isnt working


Mine does that quite often; it decides to use a US keyboard...when I check and turn it back to a UK keyboard it's fine. I'm on a Dell.


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## AlexPed2393 (Oct 5, 2016)

I am getting charged around £35 for both my lab cross and my cat, both are on the £7k cover


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## fernlady (Feb 27, 2013)

My sister has the top policy with petplan for her Frenchie. She pays 86.00 per month & she has had her fair share of claims (not the usual associated problems with a brachy breed). Interestingly, Mylo's renewal policy has come through this morning (I've got the 7k one) & my monthly payment has gone up from 20.00 to 29.00 & I haven't even made a claim!


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## applecrumlin (Mar 8, 2015)

Fayeyasmin said:


> hi all
> 
> So we have been planning a french *bill *dog for some time now.


Freudian slip?

"zat will be ten sousand francs, madame"


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## Little P (Jun 10, 2014)

fernlady said:


> My sister has the top policy with petplan for her Frenchie. She pays 86.00 per month & she has had her fair share of claims (not the usual associated problems with a brachy breed). Interestingly, Mylo's renewal policy has come through this morning (I've got the 7k one) & my monthly payment has gone up from 20.00 to 29.00 & I haven't even made a claim!


Insurance premium tax went up in 2016 so this will be reflected in your renewal too


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## Picklelily (Jan 2, 2013)

Not sure about pet plan not going up mines increased by £10 a month in 4 years and we have never made a claim. 

I shocked my Schnauzer cross is now costing £34 a month for 7k of cover. She is 5 in February and we have never made a claim.


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## Muttly (Oct 1, 2014)

I got a quote as I do want to move to one of these policies. £31pm for the 7k life policy for Muttly. £52 pm for the Ultimate.

They had an option for 'JackChi Cross' so I chose that although the wording doesn't make sense. A JackChi is a cross, if he was a Jackchi crossed with a 3rd breed, he would just be a mutt or 'small mixed breed' 

So that's not bad @Picklelily - As Muttly is only 3.


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## AlexPed2393 (Oct 5, 2016)

If you have a cross breed and are not 100% sure what cross they really are just say mixed breed. As Bonnie isn't a straight lab to poodle cross we could say 'Medium Mixed Breed' as she weighs around 12kg

edited to say 100% instead of 10%


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## 3dogs2cats (Aug 15, 2012)

The important thing with regards insurance is to make sure whatever you have insured your dog as is the same as how the vet describes them. I have had mine in the past insured as Lurchers because that is what they were but the vet had them down as Greyhounds because that is what they looked like . No big deal the insurance still paid, but obviously does cause delay.


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## MaggiesMom (Oct 13, 2016)

hmmm this thread has me thinking. I insured Maggie as a small mixed breed with Marks&Spencers, 4k of cover (£1k per illness/problem) and it's £6.30 per month. After reading I do want to increase this to their premium cover but it's still gonna be waaaay less than petplan, should I be dubious? I found them originally on something like compare the market hence my choice.
Petplan basic cover is similar to m&s, about £15 ish but then for them to match the premium it jumps to £22 a month, then for £12k cover it's £37?


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