I was with M&S put the renewal was an extra £12 a month just for buster and i needed to add bella to so changed to tesco. i am also lucky in that i have only had to claim once for buster.

i will probably go back to M&S when tesco is finished because for first timers and onlin u get a v good discount but the renewals hike up and the good adavntage of M&S i obviosuly the no excess!

i do feel for those owners whose dogs hav onoing problems, touch wood we wont have that. sorry for you that have. xxx

Im just really pleased I went to M and S before my dog was found to have an allergy. Ive claimed nearly £700 so far this year (£300 just for blood tests). My renewal is £190 per year with no excess.

The thing with these cheaper policies - I had Sainsburys at first - was that it says its for life but in fact when I questioned them there is a limit of payout on a condition. If my dog had got this allergy then there is only so much a year they will pay towards it.

I know one company which stopped paying completely for one condition after two years - leaving the owner to pay £84 a month out for prescriptions.

Do be careful - the ones that look bargains may turn out not to be when you really need them. I never dreamt my dog would have this problem and Would I have paid out £300 for blood tests - which have in fact seemed to have found what is causing the allergy and hopefully now we can deal with it.