Pet Insurance

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Take Good Care of Your Pets with the Right Cover

The best pet insurance South Africa has available can be secured through these leading service providers, offering you vast benefits at extremely low premiums.

Get a quick pet insurance quote and preserve the life and well-being of your beloved pet!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pet insurance is the best? Does pet insurance cover straight away? What is accident-only pet insurance? Added benefits of pet insurance

Choose between a range of cover benefits

With over 20 million pet cats and dogs across the country, South Africa is among the top ten countries boasting the largest number of pets. Sadly, only a small portion of these have pet insurance which means that owners who cannot afford veterinary bills are often left to make very difficult decisions.

What is insurance for pets?

It covers the cost of treating your dog or cat after it has been injured as a result of an accident or has become ill.

The insurance is good for covering expensive accident and illness veterinary bills, ensuring your pet can access the best possible treatment as quickly as possible.

How does insurance work?

You pay a monthly or annual premium and are able to claim for any veterinary bills which include consultations, diagnosis, and treatment.

Every plan will have a different set of benefits, a set annual limit, and a specific excess arrangement.

Is insurance worth it?

It can help absorb the costs of expensive vet bills and ensure your pet is able to receive life-saving treatment when they’re involved in an accident or become ill.

If you don’t have savings set aside to pay for vet bills then insurance will certainly be worth it for you and for your pet. You can lean on your insurance policy to help you out when things go wrong.

Which Pet insurance is the best in South Africa?

Most plans available to the public have more or less the same benefits, cover limits, and competitive premiums so it’s more a case of choosing the level of cover that suits your pet’s needs and your budget.

Premiums from insurance companies range from as little as R80 to as much as R300 for dogs and cats per month. Cover for exotic animals and horses will be higher because treating these animals for (even minor injuries and illnesses) is extremely expensive.

What does it cover?

Depending on the plan that you get, your insurance may cover emergency medical treatments in and out-of-hospital, injury and illness consultations, diagnosis, treatment, and care, as well as routine care.

Routine care covers an annual check-up, vaccinations, deworming, spay and neutering, and even certain grooming procedures. Finally, it could also cover the cost of cremation in the event that your pet dies.

Insurance for pets does not generally cover routine health care such as sterilisation, de-worming, and vaccinations, and those plans that cover this will impose a maximum annual limit that is usually insufficient to cover all the routine care a cat or dog needs on an annual basis.

Hereditary conditions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, internal and external parasite treatments, pregnancy determination and care, grooming, and food are not covered.

Does insurance cover straight away?

It does not cover diseases and illnesses straight away and a 30 or 31-day waiting period will have to elapse before you can claim. Accidents and emergencies are covered straight away and require no waiting period.

What is a good annual limit for insurance for my pet?

Annual insurance limits generally range from R15,000 to R63,000 and the limit that you select will depend on your budget and needs.

The higher the annual limit the more your pet will be covered for illnesses, diseases, and injuries but, the higher your annual or monthly insurance premium will be.

Are pre-existing issues covered?

Pet insurance may cover pre-existing conditions (if specified) but you are obligated to disclose these when taking out an insurance policy.

Failing to disclose pre-existing conditions will result in your claim not being processed and your policy being cancelled.

Pre-existing conditions are simply any diagnosis or sign of an illness that your pet had before you took out the pet insurance and can be established based on existing medical records.

If your insurer does cover pre-existing conditions, it’s important to note the waiting period as this may be longer than the waiting period for regular illness (usually 12 months).

Do premiums increase with age?

Your insurance premiums should not increase as your pet ages but, generally, you can only cover a pet that is below 9 years of age. This means that if you want to cover an older pet you may have to opt for accident-only insurance.

Can I add Pet cover to my House insurance?

There are some South African insurers that will offer you the option to add insurance for pets to your house insurance plans at an added cost.

These plans are usually among the most affordable due to the cover being combined but there will also be an annual cover limit and a set excess amount.

What is accident-only insurance?

Accident-only insurance for pets will cover either in-hospital or out-of-hospital (or both) consultations, diagnosis, and treatment if the injury was a result of an accident.

This means that if your pet becomes sick from an illness your insurance will not cover any of your vet bills.

Can you have two of the same policies in South Africa?

There is no law that says you cannot have two insurance policies for the same pet or pets but, the insurer may include provisions that will limit or exclude payouts when there is another plan in place.

How many pets can I cover under the same plan?

You can have as many cats and dogs on the same insurance policy and you’ll even benefit from a reduced premium.

Can I choose my own vet?

You will generally be allowed to choose your own veterinary service provider without influence or pressure from your insurance provider.

This allows you to easily choose a provider that is located close to your home or one that you’ve been using for a while and already has your pet’s medical records.

Added benefits

In addition to covering routine care for your pets, some insurance for pets will also provide you with a socialisation or behaviour class benefit for your dog.

Some pet insurers will provide you with cashback rewards as well as a range of discounts and unique benefits.

List of companies offering Pet Insurance

Puma Insurance
- Pet cover up to R120 000
- Payout within 72 hours
- Best quality health care
Outsurance
- Simplified insurance
- Fixed excess fees
- No claim forms
DotSure
- Starting from R82
- Affordable premiums
- No waiting period
Hollard
- Pet insurance discounts
- Get an online quote
- Easy online calculator
Oneplan
- Starting from R70
- Discounted products
- Easy online application
MediPet
- Starting from R321
- Unlimited claims
- Pet cover up to R65 000
Paw Paw
- Best pet insurance
- Fast claims process
- Up to R20 000 pet cover
Rogz Pet Insura...
- Starting from R89
- Get an online quote
- Affordable premiums
Dog Sure
- Starting from R80
- Affordable premiums
- Get an online quote
Genric Insuranc...
- Annual Payment Discounts
- All breeds welcome
- Get up to R15 000 cover
iHound
- Best pet insurance
- Affordable premiums
- Apply online
Absolute Pets
- Starting from R89
- Pet insurance up to R69 500
- Get a discount for many pets
Pet Lovers
- Up to R45 000 pet insurance
- Affordable premiums
- Easy online application
JAYCARE
- Online pet insurance
- Affordable premiums
- Easy claims process
Pet99
- Apply for insurance online
- Fast claims process
- Affordable premiums