We’ve just taken out Lifetime PetPlan cover for our 2 new kittens, partly due to the numbers of recommendations on here, so I’m hoping someone will have some experience to help me…

Our kittens both had bad tummies for the first 10 days we had them, which cleared up after some fiber sachets and antibiotics. They had samples checked under microscope at the vets, with nothing obvious visible, and decided against further tests as they responded to the treatment and were otherwise perfectly happy, active & eating/drinking healthily.

We disclosed this on the PetPlan application form, and have been told their policies will exclude any gastro-intestinal/digestive issues because of it, which is a very broad exclusion imo. This is partly down to not having a specific diagnosis (ah, hindsight!). I’ve been advised that if in 3 months they have had no further issues of this kind (including no special diets required & no digestive-related allergies), we can supply the underwriters with a copy of their medical history, and the exclusion can be reviewed and ‘probably’ lifted.

All completely understandable, but a tad concerning that they potentially won’t be covered for any gastro-intestinal issues for their entire lives, all because of some diarrhoea as kittens.

For those who use/have used PetPlan, have you had any exclusions like this and then any joy having them lifted after the defined period? I’m sure most, if not all, other insurers would put similar exclusions in, but it’s the chance of having it lifted that I’m mostly concerned about.

For what it’s worth, we are kicking ourselves for not sorting their insurance out the day we got them, before discovering their liquid poops!

I had an exclusion on my kitten, ’twas to do with her back legs, but got it lifted after 3 months after the vet supplied some documentation.

I guess hindsight is a beautiful thing but if I had a kitten or a puppy with what was just a dicky tummy and nothing actually ‘wrong’ I wouldn’t declare it to petplan because as you say it’s like yourself having a spot of the runs from a dodgy curry or because you’d just gone somewhere new and then telling your life insurance about it when really you just had a bug. As you say all pet insurance companies will be the same as its a HUGE pain with pet insurance, once you’ve claimed once you cannot move companies because no other insurance will cover you for that one condition. One leg break means no other legs will be covered ever again. Hence why I’m with petplan and paying £90 a month but my only choice is to not bother with insurance because she has skin allergies so it will occur again and shes 9 now. Having said that they are fabulous and being direct claim I just walk away from the vets and know that they will handle it all and cough up and have done when she had a serious stomach problem last year which almost maxed out the insurance for the year. I’ll be extremely surprised if something as trivial won’t be lifted after the defined period just because of how small a thing it was, however, I’ve no experience of them in this regard.

There were two exemptions on the policy when we got our cat from Battersea. The first (teeth) was lifted when the Battersea vet forwarded some details to the insurer. The second (front legs) was lifted after our vet contacted the insurer following a routine checkup.

In other words, vets seem happy to email the insurer with their opinion if they feel an exemption can be lifted; and insurers seem happy to comply.

This was for a lifetime policy so it was worth doing.

TurnerGuy – good to know, thanks!

We did consider not declaring it as it was likely just a change of environment/food/routine etc., but as it’s on both their vet records we didn’t want to risk it being used as a reason to invalidate the insurance entirely further down the line, should we need to make a claim. I’m sure not every insurance company is likely to do that, but it’s still something I’m conscious of. It’s good to hear another positive review of them in general, thanks 🙂

Snowy1 – was that with PetPlan, or a different insurer? Maybe this is just standard practice, and I have nothing to worry about (assuming my 2 have no more tummy troubles for the next 3 months, that is).

but if I had a kitten or a puppy with what was just a dicky tummy and nothing actually ‘wrong’ I wouldn’t declare it to petplan because as you say it’s like yourself having a spot of the runs from a dodgy curry or because you’d just gone somewhere new and then telling your life insurance about it

Not telling Petplan about treatment at the vets would result in any future related claims being rejected (as they would check the insured animals treatment history at the time of claim)

Not telling an insurer about a tummy bug on a life insurance application would have no effect at all. And actually no effect at all if you did tell them either.

So not really a good comparison to be honest.

It should get reversed – as OP says, it’s on the VET records, so will need declaring.

My sister fell lucky with this as the pup came with insurance – it was very poorly within the first week – and this carried on – some nasty crap from the breeder – fortunately pet plan covered it. Cost a few £k. The dog is now 1, but is on a special diet – that costs them, but he’s still prone to getting poorly, but pet plan cover it – very lucky with ‘timing’.

One of our cat’s isn’t insurable – rescue cat that wasn’t checked by the charity, and we found out he had cat flu, which ended up with all his teeth being removed – he was only one. Fortunately he’s been in tip top health since, and we’ve got 3 other cats, and another coming tomorrow. All are indoors, as 3 are pedigree, one old and blind, and the other with cat flu. We do have an outdoor run for them though.

Snowy1 – was that with PetPlan, or a different insurer?

Petplan. The underwriter is Allianz.