Losing a furry member of the family is never easy and having to deal with the costs of euthanasia and cremation or burial can make the process unbearable, here’s what to know about the costs and how pet insurance can help

Some say that losing a pet is as difficult as losing a family member. We spend so much time playing, bonding and laughing with them, that the moment they are taken from our lives, we are left with a gaping hole in our hearts, and often, our wallets too.

Dealing with the loss of a pet is hard enough as it is without the crippling costs of medical care and/or euthanasia. And let’s not forget the costs of cremation or burial.

No one can prepare you for the loss of a pet, but pet insurance can prepare you for the costs associated with this tragic event and help you to cover them.

What the death of a pet costs

Euthanasia

The cost of euthanasia which includes professional time and IV injection will cost about R500.

Burial and cremation costs

Burial and cremation are charged separately.

Cremation can cost anywhere between R1500 to R5000 depending on your vet and requirements (urn choice etc.).

What is cremation?

Many pet parents prefer to have their pets cremated after they are euthanised. When your pet is cremated, their body is turned to ashes and can be placed in a wooden box or urn of your choice for you to keep in a special place or you can choose to scatter the ashes over your pet’s favourite place.

Plants also grow very well with these ashes, so it can sometimes be a beautiful thing to find a special plant and place the ashes in the soil around it.

What does a burial entail?

Some towns have pet cemeteries where you can pay a fee to have your pet’s body professionally buried there.

Most people prefer to bury their pets in their garden and plant a flower or tree on top of their grave for sentimental value and to remind them of the life of their pet.

Additional costs

If it was your pet’s time to go due to old age, then this will result in less medical fees as your vet will be able to assess your pet’s medical health based on age.

If your pet has been involved in a severe medical emergency such as a car accident, then your vet is likely to first try and save his life before opting to put him down.

This can amount in tens of thousands of rands in medical bills.

What does pet insurance cover?

In researching this article, I looked into Oneplan Pet Insurance. The great thing about them is that they include a number of different pet care plans based on your budget and your pet’s medical needs.

They even pay you before you see the vet.

If your pet has to be put down, then Oneplan will cover up to R1500 for burial, cremation and euthanasia fees.

Each of their four pet plans includes this cover and the amount of coverage given is the same for any plan you choose.

Each plan also includes accident cover starting from R8000 a year to as much as R50 000.

Many people are left with no choice but to euthanise their beloved pets as they are unable to afford the cost of vet bills. Having pet insurance means you never have to choose between your pet’s life and your bank account. And of course, when the sad time comes to say goodbye, pet insurance will be there for you too.

I hope this information has been helpful. If you have ever dealt with the loss of a pet, then you will have an idea of the costs and emotional pain associated with such a thing, make sure you have pet insurance to help relieve some of this stress.

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team