Durban - Pet insurance is becoming increasingly popular.
One insurance company is reporting a significant number of new clients each month.
“More and more people are seeing the benefit of having pet insurance as pets are a part of the family and no one wants to be in a difficult situation where they can’t afford the veterinary bills. We sign up several hundred new clients every month,” said Louise Beevers, director of MediPet Dog and Cat Veterinary Insurance.
Noeleen and Donovan Ramsamy, from Chatsworth, are typical of those who have taken out insurance on their four dogs, who they view as part of the family.
Their “children”, as they fondly call them, live inside the house, have a special diet, their own doggy beds and own bedroom.
So it comes as no surprise that the couple shell out R600 a month on pet insurance to ensure their dogs will receive only the best veterinary medical care in the event of illness or an accident.
The Ramsamys’ brood includes Tessie Bear, 9, Storm and Candy, both 7, and Bella, 3. All except Candy are rescue dogs.
Noeleen said she has always loved dogs.
“I had only one dog when I married Donovan, but our family has grown and we now have four. They just bring such joy to your life. They are never ungrateful and always so happy. I would be very lonely without them.”
She said while they have pet insurance for all their dogs, they initially got insurance for Candy who got very sick when she was eight months old. “She was battling to get up and we took her to the vet who did an X-ray. She had also developed a cough by then. She was diagnosed with hip displasia although they couldn’t find the cause of her cough. The vets told us about pet medical insurance. So we put her on MediPet, paying a monthly instalment of R125,” she said.
“We then put Bella on and eventually all the dogs now have it although Storm makes use of it the most. Storm had an infection on her lung. She also had to go to physiotherapy once a week after her diagnosis and we had to buy a nebuliser as well as a pump for her. It’s ironic, Donovan paid the gardener R10 for her but she has cost us in excess of R30 000 for all her treatments.”
The dogs are also on a special diet for which they spend R1 800 every month.
Ramsamy said they pay R150 a dog for the pet medical insurance, although it doesn’t cover inoculation, sterilisation and vaccinations.
“Everything else including accidents and medication is covered. There is a limit per dog for expenses but whenever we have taken any of them to the vet, the insurance has paid on time although they have now introduced excess payments.”
She said their family and friends were at first very sceptical but warmed to the idea when they saw the benefits of having the pet insurance.
Louise Beevers, of MediPet, said they were a specialist broker operating since 2007.
“We market two comprehensive policies and one accident-only policy. Our comprehensive packages cover all accidents, illnesses and emergencies as well as behavioural therapy and complementary medicine. The maximum amount claimable on these policies is R25 000 per annum, as a rule, pre-existing conditions are not covered,” she said.
Although they have people enquiring about pet insurance for snakes, monkeys, lizards, livestock, buck, rabbits and pigs, they cover only dogs and cats.
Mike Campell, general manager of PetSure, the largest pet insurance broker in the country, said they have been in business since 1992 and are now focused on pet medical insurance administration which includes product design. They are a partner of Hollard which is the underwriter of various pet medical insurance products.
“We have seen exponential growth over the past two years, which is encouraging.”
He said they offered an array of products which varied from straight accident cover all the way to full comprehensive (accident and illness) with and without routine care.
“Costs vary depending on the type of product, the option selected and the benefits applied to that particular option. With all the products the client can use the vet of their choice anywhere in the country, the only restriction being the facility must be registered with South African Veterinarian Council. Cosmetic surgery and beauty parlours are not included.”
Their cover includes dogs, cats and horses only.
“Pet insurance, like any other insurance, forms an important financial safety net alleviating those unexpected costs incurred by one’s pets. It also provides peace of mind and ensures the best care for one’s extended family,” he said.
Sunday Tribune