As any good pet parent knows, pet medical care is expensive. But just how much do pets cost us when it comes to their health? And how much can pet insurance really help in covering these costs? We breakdown the price of vet care and what you need to know about pet insurance cover.
Whilst we would love pet ownership to be more about walks in the park and good times with our furry loved ones, it can sometimes come with a hefty price tag in the case of veterinary care.
The thing is our pets need the same healthcare and attention that we do as humans. And, in the same way that we have forms of healthcare cover in place with health insurance or medical aid to help save us from both expected and unexpected costs of private healthcare, our pets need to have the same.
Pet insurance can save you a lot of money
This is how pet insurance comes into play. Picture pet insurance as a form of health insurance, but for cats and dogs. For a small monthly premium, your pet is covered for certain benefits and events. It’s well worth it. Trust us, we know.
In any case, we wanted to explore the real costs involved with pet healthcare a little further. And here’s what we found:
Medical costs pet parents can expect
Keep in mind that the below information is more of a guide and the costs of pet medical expenses will depend on your town and vet.
Annual check-ups
Healthy pets need at least one health check-up a year = R750
Vaccinations
Healthy, adult pets need to be vaccinated annually = R600
Deworming
R25 (four times a year) = R100
Tick and flea control
R130 and you need to control ticks and fleas every month if your pet goes out a lot (once a month every year).
Dental care
Such as cleaning, scaling and polishing (possible removal of rotten teeth) = R2200 once a year. This cost will also largely depend on the size, age, and breed of your pet.
Scans such as MRIs or CT scans
These are only needed in situations where your pet is in need of medical attention. The average cost of a scan isR7000.
Surgery costs
These costs will depend on the type of surgery required. For example, if your pet has swallowed something she shouldn’t have, the cost to remove this foreign body is roughly R5000.
Wound treatment
If your pet has been involved in an accident (e.g., a fight with another animal or hit by a car), the consultation fee will cost about R500. Then cruciate surgery (ruptured ligament) is about R3500, medications such as antibiotics are about R500, and injections are about R80 each.
The entire cost of this treatment would be about R4500.
How much does pet insurance cost?
When you start to think about the costs of responsible pet ownership, you get a good idea of just how much money is involved in pet medical care.
Let’s take a look at the cost of pet insurance compared to these above-mentioned figures.
With Oneplan Pet Insurance, our pet care plans range from accident-only cover to our more comprehensive plan, our Super Plan.
Accident-only cover
Our Accident plan (which has NO age limits for pets), only costs R80 a month per pet. This means that for an entire year, your pet insurance premiums amount to R960 and you get immediate access to Accident cover for that unexpected whoopsie.
Hospital Plan
The Hospital Plan from R190 a month amounts to R2280 for the year in premiums. Our Hospital Plan includes cover for unexpected accidents and illnesses up to R35 000 per event. PLUS, your event includes post operative care up to R2 000 so that your pet can get better quickly.
Classic Plan
The Classic Plan from R280 a month or R3360 for the year includes cover up to R6500 for vet visits and routine care as well as R40 000 hospital cover for those big, unexpected Accidents and Illnesses and also includes post operative care up to R2000.
Super Plan
Moving up to our Super Plan from R430 a month or R5160 for the year. The Super Plan has super big limits up to R55 000 in accident & illness cover (incl. up to R5000 for post operative care) and has amazing benefits for vet visits and routine care up to R8000 per year.
Kennel fees
With Oneplan, we also include cover for kennel fees (excluding the Accident Plan). This benefit can be used when something happens to you, and you are admitted to hospital and unable to look after your pet.
Excess buster – Yup you pay no excess
We also have this awesome little add-on products known as our Excess Buster. For an additional R30 (Hospital Plan), R35 (Classic Plan), or R40 (Super Plan) a month, we will ensure that all hospital excess amounts are waived. This means you DO NOT have to pay excess for in-hospital claims ever.
Oneplan Pet Parents get exclusive access and storewide discount to the Onepet Store. These are savings that you make to help your pet insurance with Oneplan be even MORE affordable. Meaning you could consider upgrading or making sure all your pets are covered.
You can read more about our pawesome Excess Buster here: Pet Insurance Excess Buster: Say Goodbye to Your Excess With Oneplan
Paid before you see the vet
With us, we front you with the cash you need before you see your vet, you do this by using the Oneplan App and Onecard. It will literally take you 1 minute to load the funds to your card so that you can swipe and pay straight after seeing your vet for a vet visit or routine care.
The final bark
When it comes down to it, pet insurance makes financial sense. It helps you save on both surprise costs, like the big accidents and illnesses, and the small costs which are important to do so that your pet stays healthy and happy.
If you are looking for pet insurance that’s so great you could cuddle it, then get a quick online quote today.
Your Pet Insurance Family,
Oneplan
