r/UK_Pets

Hi,

My partner and I have been trying to adopt a dog since the start of the year and have had no luck. We've put in several applications and most of them just get no response :( I thought it would take a while for us to find a dog that matched our lifestyle, but there have been several now that we were excited about only for the shelters to not respond. We have tried both big shelters and small local ones.

We're not super fussy on breed but we're looking at small or medium dogs as our home is on the smaller side so feel like we couldn't accommodate a bigger dog (a 3-bed but all the rooms are small). Ideally they'd be friendly but we're aware that a dog from a rescue will probably come with some baggage and we're happy to put the work in to help socialise/train etc.

We both work from home as freelancers with flexible hours, have a decent-sized garden with a 6ft fence all around, own our home, no kids and no plans for kids, no other pets, live close to lots of parks and woods. I don't know if we're not being 'passionate' enough in our application and we need to dazzle them more, or if it's because we'd be first-time dog owners, or if we've just been unlucky!

We love dogs and have grown up with them and would really love to adopt one rather than buy. If anyone has any success stories and could share how long it took, or any tips for us, that'd be amazing!

I have been watching the years scandal unfold and I'm very grateful right now that years was out of my price range as I couldn't to be honest afford the vet bills people have had to deal with even with insurance. I'm quite honestly horrified at the whole thing.

I currently feed my greyhound kibble from kibbleUK as I bulk buy from them and after having tried every food under the sun (butternut box, years, pure, tails, raw, freeze dried, home cooked) I have settled on kibble uk and home cooked mix.

However looking into them they also have not done any feeding trials and this is making me wonder tbh if we need to be demanding that pet foods are required to undertake feeding trials long term to ensure these diets are not harming our pets long term. Particularly when in the case of years they were probably the most expensive food on the market and people have been paying through the nose to poison their dogs.

I understand that there are regulations dog food producers have to meet, however, it's clearly not enough. Something has gone seriously seriously wrong for this many dogs to be affected. It must easily be over 1000.

I can't help but feel we need to demand better especially as there's now so many brands on the market and how many of them are really safe for dogs long term?

It would be good for feeding trials to be the standard as well as detailed ingredient lists. It does show that allaboutdogfood has definitely got it wrong as years was promoted to the top of their list.

But where is the information about food preparation standards and feeding trials? There is none.

I think it's a fantastic tool to use but there's no point everyone using it or bragging about their rating if the best brand of food on their site has been poisoning dogs. Your dog may as well have had a McDonald's every day since January as it would have been better for them than years at this point.

I think we are just seeing the tip of this iceberg. What should we be demanding?

I have emailed the suppliers of my dog's food asking if they are intending to do feeding trials or anything further because I think it's important to put pressure on them and get talking about it.

No wonder vets recommend royal canin because it's at least backed by science and feeding trials. They seem to have much stringent policy on their own suppliers as well. I also think it's easier to see if something is off with kibble too.

I work in the pet food industry and have been reading about the Years recall today and I really feel for you all. So, I thought I’d help out and give a few alternatives for anyone who doesn’t really know where to turn. I’ve listed 4 here but honestly any high quality wet would do for the time being <3

Shelf Stable:

MARLEYBONES
•Cardboard cartons
•Grain free
•Nice variety of veg
•Contains Hemp Seed powder and Yucca

SYMPLY
•Pets Corner own brand
•Wet food trays
•Potato/Butternut squash base
•Prebiotics

Frozen:

BUTTERNUT BOX
•Human grade meat
•Specifies cut of meat
•Variety of veg (tends to have lots of legumes though)

DIFFERENT DOG
•More variety than Butternut Box
•High quality salmon oil

I am sharing my experience with ManyPets because I am extremely concerned about how my cat’s current claim is being handled, and I would be interested to hear from other ManyPets customers who have experienced something similar.

There are two separate issues with ManyPets’ current position, as well as concerns about how the basis for rejecting the claim has developed.

My cat previously had a short-lived episode of bloody diarrhoea shortly after moving into my home. My vet considered this likely to have been related to the stress of moving. It was self-limiting, resolved without ongoing treatment, and his blood tests at the time were normal.

He has now developed a very different illness involving diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation as well as some anomalies on his blood work (mildly raised white blood count, and very mildly raised T4 (thyroid) levels).

How the claim rejection developed

ManyPets initially rejected the claim because my cat had experienced bloody diarrhoea previously, and therefore considered his current illness to be pre-existing.

I challenged this and provided a letter from my vet specifically confirming that they did not believe that the previous episode of diarrhoea and his current illness are related.

Despite receiving that veterinary evidence, ManyPets came back with the same response, maintaining that the current illness was pre-existing because of the previous episode of diarrhoea.

It was only after this response that I raised a formal grievance.

In their response to my formal grievance, ManyPets introduced another basis for their position: his thyroid history.

1. They are classifying his thyroid issue as pre-existing

His T4 had previously been towards the higher end of the normal range on his initial blood work, and had been identified for monitoring.

Importantly, the previous result was within the normal reference range. He did not have a diagnosis of thyroid disease at that time (in fact he still doesn’t); it was simply something that was being monitored.

ManyPets are nevertheless saying that the thyroid issue is pre-existing because it had previously been identified for monitoring.

2. They are also attributing his current illness to his thyroid

This is a separate issue.

ManyPets are not simply saying that the thyroid issue is pre-existing. They are also treating his current illness as being related to that thyroid issue.

However, my vet does not believe that his current illness is related to his thyroid levels.

His current illness is also clinically different from the previous episode, involving diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation (albeit the vet didn’t directly use the word ‘constipation’ in the letter they sent to ManyPets.  But the clinical notes state 72 hours without passing a stool which I highlighted to them in my formal grievance). His current blood tests have shown different findings, including mildly raised white blood cell markers and a mildly elevated T4.

Most importantly, the cause of his current illness has not actually been established.

My vets want to carry out further investigations and testing to establish what is causing his symptoms. Unfortunately, because ManyPets have rejected the claim, I cannot currently afford to fund those investigations myself.

This leaves me in the extremely difficult position of having an insurer say that they know what is causing my cat’s illness, while the vets treating him are saying that they do not believe it is related to his thyroid and want to carry out further testing to establish the actual cause.

The questions this raises

Firstly, can a thyroid condition reasonably be considered pre-existing simply because a blood result that was within the normal range had previously been identified for monitoring, when there was no diagnosis at the time?

Secondly, what evidence is ManyPets using to establish that it is the thyroid that actually is  the cause of his current illness when the treating vet does not believe there is a connection?

And thirdly, how can the cause of the current illness be confidently attributed to the thyroid when my vets are still trying to establish what is actually causing his symptoms and want further investigations to do so?

I completely understand that pet insurers need to apply their policy terms and that genuinely pre-existing conditions may be excluded.

What concerns me is both the basis on which the claim is being rejected and the way that basis has developed.

The claim was initially rejected because of previous diarrhoea. I provided specific veterinary evidence confirming that the previous episode and the current illness were unrelated. ManyPets maintained the same decision despite that evidence.

I then raised a formal grievance, and it was in their response to that grievance that they relied on the previously monitored T4 and attributed the current illness to his thyroid.

Meanwhile, the vets treating my cat want to investigate further to establish the actual cause of his illness — investigations I cannot currently afford without the insurance cover I believed I had.

I would genuinely like to hear from other ManyPets customers, particularly cat owners, who have experienced something similar.

Have you had a claim where an insurer maintained an initial pre-existing-condition decision despite veterinary evidence, and then relied on another historical issue when you formally challenged it?

Have you had a previously monitored but normal test result subsequently treated as evidence of a pre-existing condition? Or had a current illness attributed to a historical finding despite your vet disagreeing that there is a connection?

I am sharing this because I think prospective pet insurance customers should understand not just what their policy says is covered, but how decisions about “pre-existing conditions” are actually applied when a claim is made.

After the scary recall news I like many others I’m sure are desperately trying to find the best alternative. Previously been on Butternut but it never quite sat right, thought we’d found a winner in Years but obviously now want to make a move and fast. What are you guys thinking of going to now?

Has anyone else noticed their dog having symptoms after using other products by Years?

My 5 month old puppy has never had the food but he does have the “cheese and broccoli fussy food topper” and has been having eye issues since June. After reading about the recall I’ve realised that his eye issues started around the time/after I began adding the topper to his different brand of kibble.

I have contacted Years to suggest they expand their investigation and I am going to contact the vets again tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone has experienced the same?

Not sure if it's just me but as a relatively new cat owner, I've found pet shops tend to have many aisles full of dog stuff, with the cat stuff shoved in a corner.

Is this because dogs are more popular? Am I just going to the wrong pet shops? Do I just need to make do with cardboard boxes?

I got a kitten 3 months ago and I want to move out of my flat because it's too small. I am completing a tenancy application and I'm worried if I say I have a cat (vaccinated, insured, etc.) that the landlord will just go with someone else who doesn't have a pet.

While the new Renters Rights mean that the landlord couldn't unreasonably say no to a pet if we make the request during the tenancy, there is nothing stopping a landlord from declining an application if you already have a pet.

I'm not sure if I should be honest and risk not getting the flat, or if I should wait until the tenancy starts and request my cat on the first day.

I could potentially not move her in until they approve so that it's technically not a breach of contract. They don't have fair grounds for refusal, I even looked the building up on the gov website and it says the headlease has no restrictive covenants. But I'm afraid that this will immediately harm my relationship with the landlord.

Help, please!!

Hi everyone,

I am adopting a Russian Blue kitten, she is about 4 months old and I just had some questions. When I visited her in person she was definetly more reserved than the other kitten there. The breeder said that she has never been on her lap really and she is a lot more shy. She said when she is alone it's a little different but otherwise she doesn't seem to go on the lap. However, she seems to tolerate being picked up. I was wondering, would she "become a lapcat" the more time she spends with me alone and forgo that reserved kind of nature, or is it more likely that she will never be a lap cat considering she has never been on the breeders lap whilst being with her.

Hi,

I am looking for car crate recommendations. I am luckily enough to be able to get a larger SUV and my GSD is sliding around in the back now. I have heard TransK9 is good but it’s £550 for one.
I do have a large dog (GSD/30kgs).

What recommendation do you have which don’t cost a bomb?

Thanks
Sarah

We decided this approach in an IKEA bag is the best way to get a large dog down from a first floor window...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcEVxp\_IMk9/?igsh=eDVmZ3M3YXplZDZr

Has anyone got better ideas? (Other than a proper dog rescue sling)?

Hi guys,

I'm 24F, living with my partner, 29M. I previously lived a joyful, self serving, fulfilling life, but then I decided to get an English Cocker Spaniel. He's 11 weeks old, and as much as he's adorable, I'm finding it incredibly difficult.
When he barks/cries in the middle of the night, I feel nothing but grief and dread.

I feed him, socialise him, train him and show him love, as he's just a baby. But I'm really struggling with the transition. My partner works fully in the office and I WFH, so I deal with most of the biting, pooing, etc. Don't get me wrong, he is incredibly sweet and has so much personality, but I'm finding this transition incredibly hard.
I used to live a life where I could sleep in on weekends, go shopping, eat out and have full on wellness days at home.
Look, I knew what I was signing up for, but I didn't fully grasp how difficult it would be.

My partner is fine with everything and doesn't fully understand the extent of my puppy blues. Due to the lack of sleep, as soon as my partner gets back from work, I go to my bedroom and sleep because I desperately need a break - we take turns taking our Puppy out to the toilet at night but the cries wake both of us up.

My puppy is intelligent for his age due to his breeding and sometimes likes his crate, but he knows that crying/ barking can get him taken out.

I'm looking for genuine advice on looking after a puppy and how to deal with puppy blues. I'm open to feedback and advice, as this transition has been much tougher than I expected.

Thanks guys 🥰

End of April my dog started struggling and squinting. Vet diagnosed dry eye. It got worse rapidly despite treatment, we tried Optimune, then moved to Tacrolimus, but he went on to develop ulcers in both eyes. One perforated last week and he needed emergency eye surgery. He’s now on 6 different eye drops and 3 types of pain relief.

Our ophthalmologist told us to stop feeding Years, saying they’ve seen several cases of sudden-onset dry eye recently, all in dogs fed Years. I’ve since found a number of dog owner groups where others describe the same pattern, rapid onset dry eye, similar time period, poor response to treatment, and improvement after switching food. (We are currently moving food to see if that helps)

If your dog has been on Years and has had unexplained dry eye, I’d really like to hear about it, what happened, how your vet responded, and whether you’ve taken any action with the company. Trying to work out how widespread this is.

Hi,

Posting mostly to warn anyone thinking of "upgrading" their Petplan policy.

We insured our cat on Petplan Essential from 3 months old. Never made a single claim in 2 years. Not one. Recently we decided to upgrade to Covered For Life, since that's what we actually wanted long term and figured a clean 2-year record would count for something.

It doesn't. They pulled her full vet history and excluded two conditions: eye discharge and coughing. She was never diagnosed with anything. These were routine check-ups where the vet made a passing note. No treatment plan, no follow-up, no ongoing problem. Just words in a file.

Turns out the upgrade isn't an upgrade at all — it's underwritten as a completely new policy, so everything in her history becomes "pre-existing." And their definition covers "signs of" an illness, not just actual diagnosed illnesses. So a vet writing "slight discharge, no concerns" is enough to lock a body part out of cover for life.

The part that stings: if we'd never taken out Essential in the first place, we'd be in exactly the same position. Two years of premiums bought us nothing but a paper trail used against us.

Also feels like a perverse incentive — the message is basically "don't take your cat to the vet unless something is properly wrong," which is the opposite of what any of us should be doing.

Anyone managed to get exclusions like this removed? I've read they'll review them if you can show the pet's been symptom-free for a while, so I'm going to ask our vet for a letter and push back. Curious if that actually works or if it's just something they say.

Hi all! I’d really appreciate some opinions / advice on I should do as I don’t really have anyone to ask for advice.

I have a 4-year-old indoor Maine Coon. He isn’t registered/pedigree certified, but I’ve always insured him as a Maine Coon because that’s what I was told he is. Would you continue selecting Maine Coon when getting insurance without pedigree paperwork?

He’s currently insured with Co-op at around** **£28/month, with:
£10,000 lifetime cover
£250 minimum excess
20% co-pay from age 6

I’m considering moving to Petplan, which would be around** **£51/month, but the policy would have:
£80 minimum excess
20% co-pay from age 10
Petplan pays the vet directly

However, in April, he was diagnosed with gingivitis and had 5 teeth removed. This is probably my biggest concern because dental problems can become very expensive. Then this August, he developed conjunctivitis and was prescribed antibiotics.

I spoke to Petplan and that said they would** **exclude both the gingivitis and conjunctivitis initially, and would only consider covering them after he has been symptom/treatment-free for 12 months. They’ve said he would need a vet appointment at the 12-month point to confirm that the conditions have cleared.

On the one hand, I want to go with Petplan because of the lower excess, the later age for the 20% co-pay, and the fact they pay the vet directly since paying out of pocket could be tough for me.

On the other hand, I’m worried that if I switch now and his gingivitis flares up again,** **Petplan wouldn’t cover the dental treatment because of the exclusion, whereas if I stay with Co-op, it should potentially remain covered under his existing policy.

Should I:

A) Stay with Co-op until at least April 2027 (12 months after the dental treatment) in case the gingivitis flares up again, then look at switching?

B) Move to Petplan now, accept that the gingivitis/conjunctivitis won’t be covered initially, and benefit from the better terms for everything else?

C) Do something different?

Has anybody had experiences with switching insurers after any diagnoses, and whether people have regretted switching because a previously covered condition became a pre-existing condition/exclusion.

Thanks!