If you’re considering pet insurance, we want to help you make the best decision. Here are a few commonly misunderstood ideas about protecting your pet and your financial well-being against unforeseen and routine pet healthcare costs. Any squirrel can see these myths are nuts!
- “I don’t need cover - my pets are healthy, and we are careful”
Even if your dog is robust, and you take care everywhere you go with her, or your cat is mostly indoors and hardly ventures out by himself, accidents do happen. So does sudden illness, random attacks from other animals, car accidents, snake bites, and unintentional poisonings. What’s more, emergencies can quickly become very costly procedures, and having pet insurance to cover the veterinary costs could mean the difference between life and death of your pet. It’s a financial risk to NOT have pet insurance. Can you afford the high price of emergency medical care for your animals? We don’t want you to have to think about how much your pet’s life is worth to you, or how long it’s going to take you to find the cash for a complex operation. With pet insurance, that’s covered*.
dotsure.co.za bonus: Our pet cover can include wellness care to protect your pet in sickness AND in health.
- “I put aside a little each month - pet cover is unnecessary.”
You might be careful with money and trying to keep some of it aside for emergencies, but will it be enough if your prize parakeet eats an undigestible plastic “treat”? The day your cat wanders outside in a haze of flu and is hit by a car only to be taken to the vet for treatment that uncovers a completely unrelated disease that needs urgent treatment and separate surgery is a day we hope never happens to you. But things can go wrong, and they can do so one on top of the other. A modest amount of money set aside for care may not cover a compounded medical situation. Pet cover can*.
doture.co.za bonus: You can cover your pet for as little as R73/month.
- “I never claim; I should be getting returns“
Pet insurance, like any other type of insurance, is not an investment. It is a preventative measure to provide for unforeseen expenses. Like any other premium medical care, vet bills can be crippling, unless you’re prepared. “The reality is that many clients will be faced with conditions in their pets that will require expensive treatment that they won't be able to pay for out of pocket,” chief veterinary officer Dr Kerri Marshall tells Veterinary Practise News[1].” Even if you don’t claim for a period of time, you are assured of full cover as long as your monthly premiums are paid, and your claims are properly made.
dotsure.co.za bonus: We offer cover for every budget. Ask about our tailored accident, basic, standard, and superior cover for cats and dogs.
- “They don’t do cover for iguanas or other unusual pets”
We do, because we’re different. We’re the first pet insurer in South Africa to cover cats, dogs, and a range of exotic pets. The list is long, and in addition to beloved dogs and cats, includes birds, reptiles, turtles, tortoises, and other small mammals. Whether your best friend has webbed toes or hooks or paws, she’s part of the family and deserves the best care.
dotsure.co.za bonus: Got a lot of furry, feathery and scaled loved ones to protect? We offer a multiple pet discount – get 15% off per policy when you cover more than 1 pet with dotsure.co.za
- “Any brand of pet insurance will do”
We’re guessing you’re kinda specific about the vet(s) you take your pets to. They must be qualified, kind, caring, skilled, knowledgeable, and readily available to support your animals’ wellness and medical health, right? Same applies with picking a pet insurance company. You want a brand that puts you and your pets first with appropriate cover, simple claims processes and prompt pay-outs. dotsure.co.za is proud to have paid out more than 30 000 claims to date. We invite you to Name Your PriceTM, which means you pick a package and monthly premium that suits your budget and your pet’s needs. And we have an overwhelmingly positive rating on the country’s biggest consumer watchdog website, Hellopeter.com.
dotsure.co.za bonus: We structure our cover to give you flexibility. Ask us about how we calculate the different allowances for a range of treatments including hospitalisation, radiology, pathology and more. What’s more, you can change your policy premiums as your budget changes.
- “Just take the cheapest package – they’re all the same.”
Would you choose the cheapest dog food? Every pet is different and has unique needs. Pet cover is designed to alleviate the stress of chronic, emergency and once-off medical expenses for any budget, but your pet might have specific needs that require a special package. Talk to us about Fluff’s needs and we’ll design a package that’s perfect for him, you, and your budget.
dotsure.co.za bonus: While it’s impossible to put a price on peace of mind, we give you the option to Name Your Price™. Name Your Price TM lets YOU choose how much to pay each month.
- “My pet is old. They won’t cover her.”
Beep. WRONG. dotsure.co.za has a special pet cover package specially tailored for senior pets. We aim to make life better regardless of the life stage of your best non-human friends. Older pets may also need more medical care, which means it’s a sound financial decision for you to take.
dotsure.co.za bonus: we created dedicated cover for your senior pet to ensure optimal medical care as the body ages.
- “I can’t get cover for my pet because she has a pre-existing condition.”
This is a false association that stops many caring humans from ensuring their pets have cover for a range of health and wellness issues. While it’s possible – depending on the condition – that you won’t be able to get cover for the condition itself (and any health issues related to it), this doesn’t mean your pet can’t be insured for other eventualities, like accidents, or unrelated surgeries. Our pet cover packages can include wellness, illness, accident, and third-party liability cover. Talk to one of our friendly consultants today to find the perfect package for each of your pets as they are right now.
dotsure.co.za: We don’t require your pet(s) to take any tests to get immediate cover.
- It’s complicated and time-consuming to make a claim.
Done right, claims are a complete pleasure to process. At least, at dotsure.co.za they are. We like to give you more time with your furry friends and that’s why we settle most of our claims in under 48 hours (once we have your Claim Form and the vet’s invoice). First-time claim? Let us walk you through it, step-by-step. Complicated claim? Talk to us and we’ll explain it all - we’re available to give you telephonic and electronic support in the process. Make sure your vet knows you’re with dotsure.co.za and let the receptionist know that you’ll be claiming on the consultation before you go in. This way, once you pay, they’re more likely to have the paperwork for your claim ready for you ASAP, which means we can reimburse you sooner.
dotsure.co.za bonus: You can submit claims at any time of day by emailing the relevant paperwork to petclaims@dotsure.co.za or online at www.dotsure.co.za via your Manage Portal.
Now that you know better, you may be wondering what next? If you’re curious about bespoke pet cover for your entire pet family at a 15% discount, get a quote here, ask a question here, or get 24-7 chatbot support on our landing page (bottom right) and find out why we have fans, not policy holders.
NOTE: The most important caveat in pet care is “know thy policy”. It’s really important that you study your policy like a boffin and be familiar with all the terms and conditions so that you know how to use it optimally and aren’t ever taken by surprise. Have you understood every term? Are you aware that cover valid is per individual animal, not for all your animals? Do you know what your pet is and isn’t covered for? How much of your annual radiology allowance have you used for Spot so far this year? During your journey with dotsure.co.za, we will gladly and carefully explain any part of a policy you hold with us. If you’re always up to date with the health of your pet cover policy, you’ll be able to use it to your pet’s advantage at all times.
*Errors and omissions excepted. Terms and Conditions apply. Chat to a friendly consultant today to get all your pet cover questions answered.
[1] https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/pet-insurance-myths-dispelled/
