Customer Stories

Linda Pettit and husband Andrew live with three-year-old Buster in Bedfordshire. ‘He’s a lovely, gentle, affectionate boy,’ says Linda.

But in March 2007, Buster had a fit. ‘We were terrified, thinking he was having a heart attack,’ says Linda. After diagnosing epilepsy, the emergency vet prescribed expensive medication which Buster would need for the rest of his life.

Fortunately, the couple had extended Buster’s Petplan insurance past the free period of four weeks.

Then, just over two years later in late 2009, Buster’s legs started giving way occasionally, and he became worryingly lethargic. The vet advised Linda and Andrew to take Buster to Davies Veterinary Specialists in Hertfordshire, who kept him in for six days of tests.

‘I was in tears every day,’ says Linda. ‘We weren’t allowed to visit him but it was a comfort to speak to his dedicated nurse every day.’

Blood tests, a chest X-ray and an abdominal ultrasound showed very low blood sugar and aspiration pneumonia – inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling stomach contents. Once the vet had started treating Buster’s lung infection with antibiotics (which he needed for six weeks) his blood sugar level soon stabilised. He was also given a prescription for new, improved epilepsy medication.

‘When we visited at the start of November, Buster looked so well. He was bouncing about like a puppy!’ remembers Linda.

The next day, the Pettits collected Buster – and a bill for £2,700. Linda says ‘We’d been so traumatised, we hadn’t thought about the financial side of things. We paid by credit card and completed the insurance form at the same time.’

‘Shortly after, we got the credit card bill and a cheque for the full amount from Petplan in the same post! We were delighted, and Buster’s treatment was superb.’

‘Buster is now in fine form,’ says Linda. ‘He still has occasional fits, but it’s all over in one or two minutes and afterwards he acts like nothing has happened. His legs are fine now and he loves walking over the fields at the back of our house.’

Linda & Andrew Pettit, Bedfordshire (January, 2010) Close

Then in December 2008, a new vet told Beverley he thought Max had atopic dermatitis and that there was a new, expensive drug, Atopica, which might help him. ‘Atopica was about £200 a month and Max needed ongoing treatment. It was such a relief that Petplan would cover it. I signed the form at the vet’s and Petplan started paying them direct.’

Since then, Max’s skin condition has finally come under control. Beverley says, ‘Being with Petplan means I can afford to give Max the very best treatment. He wouldn’t be on this new drug without Petplan.’ Max was 11 in October, so he’s quietening down, but still loves his walks every day. Beverley adds, ‘We spend endless happy hours together in the woods opposite our house.’

Mrs Siddle, Hampshire (April 2010) Close

Just over two years ago when my partner and I moved in together we decided to add a kitten to our little family. Bernard had kept us entertained with his clumsy antics for nearly two years when we noticed that our normally clean cat was urinating in unusual places, such as the bath and the draining board. I thought it was a problem arising from his litter tray so I changed his litter and moved his tray. One day he squatted in front of me, when I tried to grab him he hissed. It was then that I realised that there was a problem.

We took him to the emergency vet and they told us that he had a blockage in his bladder. It was the beginning of an awful six weeks in which an incredibly talented vet battled to save our poor boy. Bernard underwent three major operations to unblock his bladder, remove his penis and twice to move his urethra. The vet gave us her mobile number and even opened the surgery for us one Sunday when he took a turn for the worse. She said she had never seen a case this bad before in a living animal, so we prepared ourselves for the worst.

Thankfully, due to her skill and hard work, Bernard pulled through and is now a healthy, happy moggy, despite our jokes that he is now a 'Bernardette'! His treatment cost in excess of £4,000. It was such a relief to us that Petplan processed the claim quickly. We are also very grateful to our vet who was amazing. She did everything she could to ensure Bernard continued his life within our family.

Miss O’Connor , Essex (June 2010) Close

‘’Whilst playing in the garden, Phoebe must have swerved like a footballer to do the damage she did to her leg.

Thanks to my vet who managed to repair the ligament extremely well, her leg is now rock solid again. Phoebe has made a brilliant recovery with 10 sessions of hydrotherapy - courtesy of Petplan. What was also great was how much Phoebe enjoyed the hydrotherapy which made the recovery process really pain free. Phoebe is now back to her normal, happy self.

Phoebe is also a 'Pets as Therapy' dog and is much appreciated especially by one man who is blind and loves having Phoebe sit on his lap. She visits a residential home and a home for people with learning difficulties every other week, and manages to put a smile on everyone's face. I am so glad I am with Petplan!’’

Mrs Stevenson, Gloucestershire (June, 2010) Close

As a puppy she spent most of her time exploring hedges and undergrowth (she’s a Spaniel after all!) however, after a few weeks we started to notice a worrying rash developing on her tummy and took her to the vets. The vet thoroughly investigated, which we knew was going to be costly, however the peace of mind that our Petplan policy provided was phenomenal. After many different tests, they discovered that Trixie suffered from a long list of allergies which includes beef, lamb, meadow grass and dandelion...

We now successfully manage these allergies with the help of medication, and things have since gotten better and better. We have even started to let Trixie enter a number of agility competitions, and she has to date won lots of rosettes and trophies!

Mr and Mrs Amor (January 2010) Close

Financially, the impact has been minimal thanks to our Petplan policy. Cuillin is covered for life and his epilepsy is not excluded after a year as can often be the case. Claim forms are straightforward to complete and our claims have always been paid, in full, in a matter of days.

Living with a chronically ill pet can be traumatic but at least we are assured that we can obtain the best treatment for him for as long as he requires it – you can’t put a price on such peace of mind. Cuillin’s epilepsy could not have been foreseen but thank goodness we had the foresight to take out comprehensive insurance for him.

Ms C Donaldson, Edinburgh (February 2009) Close

They thought he had been run over and rushed him to the local PDSA. After a worrying night for us, Mickey came round from his operation and seemed ok. The vets said that he had actually been impaled by a thin object and it had gone into the pelvic joint near the nerve endings. Mickey’s future wasn’t looking very bright, the vets told us that he may have lost the feeling in his leg, and only time would tell if it would come back.

A week later I took him to our ordinary vet for a check-up. They were pleased with his progress and since then Mickey has regained almost complete use of his leg. I am so glad I insured him and am hugely grateful to Petplan who paid the claim very promptly and gave us the peace of mind to make sure Mickey got the treatment he needed.

Mrs Daley, Nottinghamshire (January 2009) Close