High-quality food and the financial benefit of pet insurance will allow your pet to lead a healthy and long life, and here’s why.
The same way that humans thrive when sticking to a healthy eating plan and routine healthcare, so do our furry members of the family. But a healthy diet isn’t the only thing our pets need to lead long and healthy lives. Routine healthcare, regular vet visits and cover for vet bills will help ensure our pet’s health is in the best possible hands.
Why nutrition is important
A balanced diet is crucial for your pet’s cell maintenance, growth and overall health and wellbeing. According to the ASPCA, “Barring any special needs, illness-related deficiencies, or instructions from your vet, your pet should be able to get all the nutrients he or she needs from high-quality commercial pet foods, which are specially formulated with these standards in mind.”
The nutrients your pet obtains from food are used as a vital source of energy, forming part of their metabolic functioning which is necessary for their growth and overall health.
Related: 9 healthy human foods for dogs
Why is high-quality pet food important?
One definite way you, as a pet parent, can improve the quality and longevity of your pet’s life is to provide them with high-quality pet food. The quality of the food you feed your pet will have a direct impact on their health.
Think about it this way; if we, as humans, stick to a diet of take-out, fast foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats, we are likely to gain weight, lack energy, and increase our risk of illness. The moment we start to take care of our own nutrition through healthy eating (we’re talking about veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins), our bodies start to thrive and perform incredibly well as a result.
The same thinking of “you are what you eat” applies to our pets too. Quality foods lower your pet’s risk of bone disease. These foods will also result in less itching, shinier coats, better muscle tone, more energy and even better temperament.
Where to find quality pet food?
Although most pet stores in South Africa stock premium quality pet food brands like Montego, Hill’s, Royal Canin, etc., these brands generally charge a hefty price (which is fair, given the quality of ingredients) making it a costly exercise to purchase this food regularly.
For this reason, we wanted to bring your attention to the Onepet Online Store. This is a digital pet store that stocks premium pet products and is exclusive to the clients of Oneplan Pet Insurance. The reason this pet store is so special is because Oneplan Pet Parents get up to 25% discount on everything in the Onepet Store for the lifetime of their policy – making it a lot more affordable to provide your pet with quality nutrition.
The role that pet insurance has to play
Improving your pet’s nutrition doesn’t stop there, your pet’s healthcare has a huge role to play too. In addition to feeding and exercising your pet, there are also other aspects of health care that are needed throughout their life. These include routine healthcare (vaccinations, parasite control, sterilisation and dental care – to name a few).
And then there are the dreaded and unexpected costs of accidents and illnesses. Now, as any pet owner knows, the cost of veterinary care doesn’t come cheap. In fact, we have broken down a few of those costs right here.
Routine healthcare costs
Sterilisation and deworming can cost as much as R2 500. A round of vaccines for your pet can cost R500. A three-month course of tick and flea control costs about R500.
Unexpected healthcare costs
Then there are the unexpected vet bills of pet healthcare. Fixing a broken leg can cost R15 000 or more. Cataract surgery costs roughly R20 000. X-Rays can cost between R2 000 and R5 000. If specialised veterinary care is needed in an emergency situation or to treat a chronic illness, this can cost upwards of R40 000 to save your pet’s life.
Why pet insurance makes financial sense
It starts to become clear as to how having a form of financial cover in place like pet insurance will not only help in saving your pet’s life, but it will also give you the peace of mind you need when your pet’s health is on the line.
Did you know that pet insurance was created by a vet who could no longer bear witness to pet parents having to choose euthanasia as they couldn’t afford to pay the vet bills needed to save the life of their pet?
Pet insurance with routine healthcare benefits
Having a pet insurance plan that includes benefits for routine healthcare will promote regular vet visits which will enable your vet to detect and treat any underlying health concerns before they develop into something more serious and expensive to treat.
Accident and illness cover
The biggest costs of pet healthcare are those of accidents and illnesses. Which is why having pet insurance can help save you from these surprise costs and allow you to focus your love and attention on your pet without having to worry about the financial implications of the veterinary care needed to save your pet’s life.
We highly recommend taking a look at Oneplan Pet Insurance as they have a wide range of pet insurance plans with extensive routine and hospital cover so you can cover your fur baby for both the expected and unexpected. Not to mention, they pay you before you see your vet of choice!
The bottom line
As any responsible pet parent, you want to ensure your pet leads a long, healthy, and happy life. And the best way to do this is to make sure their diet is in check and that they regularly see their vet for check-ups. As well as this, it’s advised that you have a form of ‘budget-protection’ in place to help save your bank account from the surprise costs of accident and illness care for pets.
And that, our furry pet loving friends, is the magic formula to a happy and healthy pet.
