Pet insurance on the rise as animals swallow up unusual objects

Friday, 22 June 2018

Zoe Luck has a chocolate labrador who ate a needle and thread and required surgery and has eaten much more since.

A Hamilton dog didn't stop at eating two socks.

It continued to swallow a variety of unfriendly dog items over the next nine months.

During 2017, the dog decided that it would also eat a cat toy with a bell, Vicks vapor drops - packet included - a cork and part of a plastic ruler.

Lucky the dog swallowed a needle and thread. Fortunately, his owner Zoe Luck was fortunate enough to have pet insurance.

This is one of the reasons more owners are taking out pet insurance, especially when the price of saving your beloved pooch or moggy could cost $26,000.

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In Waikato, pet owners put in 2222 claims to Southern Cross that added up to $570,796.

'Southern Cross Pet Insurance covers 2,308 pets in the Waikato region. This includes 624 cats and 1,684 dogs,' Southern Cross pet insurance general manager, Anthony McPhail said.

Rototuna resident Zoe Luck wouldn't be without pet insurance after her chocolate labrador Lucky, took to eating various hazardous objects.

The worst being a needle and thread that Lucky snapped up when it was accidentally dropped on the floor in 2010.

'There were screams and shouts when we realised where it had gone. It was then finding a vet to help us over Queens Birthday weekend,' Luck said.

Newstead vets managed to get medical attention for Lucky - where x-rays confirmed that a needle and thread was sitting in his stomach.

'If it had just been the needle they would have left it to work its way out.

'But because the thread was on there they were worried about intestinal entanglement which could cause an obstruction, which would be even worse than just having the surgery.'

The surgery cost $1380 but with Luck's insurance she had 80 per cent of that reimbursed.

'Having pet insurance has been a huge saving. Initially, after the first couple of socks, we thought we might need this and we have.'

At nine years old, Lucky has stopped eating hazards - but he does require constant medical care due to irritable bowel.

Luck is able to claim her dog's medicines on their insurance policy.

Insurance company Pet-n-Sur has been through a growth spurt over the last six years, general manager Gus Prinsloo said.

This might be due to rising vet costs as animal treatments become more advanced, Prinsloo said.

But it's also because it's a newer insurance that people are just learning about.

'From a business perspective it's an untouched market,' Prinsloo said. 'I sign off on about 1500 claims a month, so I see an increase in vet bills.

'I also can see the type of money people are willing to lay out for their pet. Recently I had a claim of $26,000.'

Every month a few vet bills upward of $10,000 cross his desk.

Most claims are for dogs, but there's been an influx of cats claims over the last year.

The company also sees a few for horses and rabbits.

Unlike humans, there's no public service for pets, Prinsloo said, and the cheaper option isn't always the best option.

Dr Thomas Wanden, a Hamilton vet working at CareVets, said he knows vets that have extracted underwear and condoms from dogs' intestines.

Dogs will eat pretty much anything, Wanden said.

But chocolate is the most common problem when it comes to dogs eating stuff they shouldn't - especially around Christmas and Easter.

'We are seeing more sign-ups for insurance.

'People are just starting to recognise [the] importance.'

There are some pitfalls that people need to be aware of when considering pet insurance.

It is often difficult to try and insure a pet if it has a pre-existing condition, consumer website MoneyHub researcher Chris Walsh said.

'It is actually quite cheap if you have a healthy cat or dog that is quite young. But once the pet does get old, it does spike up in price. It is like health or life insurance for people,' Walsh said.

He encourages people that are looking to buy insurance to do their homework and see which policy fits with their budget and requirements. Also to look to see how claims are paid and if there is feedback of any problems getting claims back.

'I think insurance is also good for vets as they know that their work will also be covered. Pets are a luxury item and if you can get pet insurance and you've got a fixed amount there,' Walsh said.