Yantan Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 I was planning on switching to Axa on January 1st but have been to the vets with Archie today and it turns out he has an allergy. His treatment was about £30 so I wouldn't be able to claim anyway and the vet is reasonably optimistic that once we return home his allergic reaction (to goodness knows what) could well settle down. But I am now in a quandary about changing as any further treatment won't be covered as this will count as a pre-existing condition. If it does become a persistent problem then potentially it could turn out to be expensive. Bugger What would you do Marion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 (edited) Hi Marion As you know, Timmy is allergic to loads of stuff and it has turned out to be a very expensive process (close to a grand probably) for all the tests, making up the vaccine (which made him worse), and other bits and bobs of treatment. He is actually using nothing now and is better than he has been for ages, though I expect in spring he will start to itch again. Even though I don't think there is anything they can do I have kept him with M&S because of his allergies, but I am going to see how he goes next year and if his allergies are manageable in spring/summer without going to the vet, then I will dump M&S and go with Axa. I guess what I am trying to say is, for Timmy's allergies, the vet treatment was useless (in fact it made him worse), so there are lots of natural remedies out there. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have bothered with the vet and would have gone the natural route. Incidentally by far the best thing for Timmy's allergies is salt water - when we went to Dumpledale last year his itchiness and red raw skin cleared up within the week and I am sure it is down to lots of swimming in the sea as there was nothing else I did which could have cleared it up (and he spent a lot more time close to things he was allergic to such as grass, clover, nettles, etc). Obviously it depends what your Archie is allergic to and if it clears up or not. Why don't you see what happens when he goes home and if it clears up, then change insurers? If you pay monthly with M&S then you can cancel it at any time just by stopping the direct debit. If you want to chat about other treatments, etc I have tried loads of fings, so please feel free to give me a call (don't PM cos I ain't got internet access at home and I am off until 27th after 2pm today) Edited December 21, 2007 by madmerle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 I have spoken to M&S today about a couple of things on their new policy. They are stating that they won't cover ABDs but have now confirmed that these are for new policies. The reason they won't cover them? "They are a breed that we don't have enough information about" and they "don't cover guard or security dogs" Anyway, whilst I was on the phone about that I asked them about this helpline fiasco. They have confirmed that if a vet agrees that it is/was an emergency situation then they WILL cover the out of hours fee. The helpline has been set up purely for people who are unsure as to whether their dog is sick enough to be seen immediately or whether it can wait. If it is confirmed that a dog has been treated when it could have waited until the following morning then they won't cover the out of hours fee but (I think!) will cover the cost of the treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 Anyway, whilst I was on the phone about that I asked them about this helpline fiasco. They have confirmed that if a vet agrees that it is/was an emergency situation then they WILL cover the out of hours fee. The helpline has been set up purely for people who are unsure as to whether their dog is sick enough to be seen immediately or whether it can wait. If it is confirmed that a dog has been treated when it could have waited until the following morning then they won't cover the out of hours fee but (I think!) will cover the cost of the treatment. I'm still baffled about this. I have called the emergency vet a couple of times because I wasn't sure whether the situation warranted an immediate vet visit or not - I would never think to phone and ask the insurance company in that situation! Why would you when you can speak to a vet at your local practice? So does this mean they will continue Flora's policy then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 They are continuing Flora's policy I don't really know what they're hoping to achieve with this helpline, Ange. I think they're just trying to catch those people who'd go to the emergency vets if their dog has a bit of a limp. Personally, I've only used the emergency vet because Flora had been having a massive fit and I think we'd have been covered for that under the new policy rules, but I had been speaking to the vet for 15 minutes on the phone to monitor her before they made the decision for her to be brought in. Should I have called the helpline rather than the vet? To be honest, at that point I think I'd have been ok to call the helpline. As long as they had agreed she needed the vet (who, of course, I would then have had to call ) at the same point as the vet did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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