Cancer is something many pet parents have to face and the costs of vet care are incredibly overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know about pet insurance for dogs with cancer...

Did you know that cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs? In fact, studies suggest that 1 in 3 dogs will develop cancer at some point in their lives and some breeds are more susceptible to it than others.

But what if you are a pet owner and you have just found out your dog has cancer? After the emotional stress over the health of your dog, you might start to worry and panic about the costs fo vet care and what you can do to afford the best possible care for your pet in need.

So many pet parents are left having to opt for euthanasia in situations such as these due to the costs of vet care being out of their budget.

Vet bills can put you in debt if you are not careful, and treatment for a serious condition such as cancer can cost you tens of thousands in surgery.

Can I get pet insurance for my dog with cancer?

The answer to this is yes, you can insure a dog with cancer.

Every pet insurance company will have different terms and conditions regarding this. To properly write this article and answer the relevant questions, I reached out to the guys at Oneplan Pet Insurance, and here’s how their pet insurance works…

Oneplan Pet Insurance

If you take out a pet insurance policy with Oneplan, then there will be a 12 month waiting period from the inception date of your policy.

This means that after 12 months starting from the date your policy began, your pet’s cancer treatment will be covered.

Cancer is considered to be a pre-existing condition.

A pre-existing condition means a medical condition that shows clinical signs before your policy began.

So in short, cancer will be covered after one year of paying premiums. Which can be a great help as cancer treatment often involves ongoing medical care, so although you have to pay for the expenses for 12 months, after this waiting period you will be covered.

But, by having pet insurance, your dog will still be covered for vet costs that are unrelated to cancer. These include accident cover, illness cover and routine care.

How does pet insurance work?

Just like health insurance or medical aid for humans, pet insurance works in the same way.

You choose a pet plan which will state how much cover you have for certain events and you will then pay a monthly premium for this cover.

Oneplan Pet Insurance has a great differentiator as they are able to pay you before you see the vet.

How this works is that you login to their Oneplan App, load your claim and the funds will be preloaded onto your Onecard (which is like a debit card that you get the moment you sign your policy contract), and you can then use this card to swipe at your vet’s office.

What plan is best for my dog with cancer?

Each pet insurer will have a number of different plans for you to choose from.

Remember that cheaper is NOT always better. Ensure you read your policy wording document and know EXACTLY what you are and what you are not covered for.

My suggestion would be to choose a plan that includes a decent amount of cover.

Take Oneplan’s Pet Super Plan for example - on this plan (which only costs R390 a month), you are covered for R1400 per vet visit (limited to 4 visits a year), R820 for routine care, up to R50 000 for accident cover and R47 000 for illness cover.

Should I wait or get pet insurance now?

The younger you enrol your dog, the better. If your dog is older and has a serious condition like cancer, then I would look into getting pet insurance as soon as possible.

The sooner you insure the health of your dog, the better this will work out for your dog’s health and your bank account - trust me on this one.

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team