The cost of pet ownership doesn’t come cheap, and when it comes to spay and neuter costs, the question of pet insurance coverage comes up.
Whether you have recently adopted a new furry member of your family or you are in the process of considering it (it is a big decision to make after all), deciding to sterilise your pet is quite possibly the most important decision you can make for your pet’s health.
In this blog, we dig into the costs of sterilising pets, the benefits of pet insurance and the importance of choosing to spay or neuter your pet.
Discover: 3 Reasons Why Pet Insurance is Important from the Get-Go
What is spaying/neutering?
Spaying is a procedure that involves the removal of your female pet’s ovaries and uterus. Neutering involves removing your male pet’s testicles. Both of these procedures are pretty standard and require minimal hospitalisation.
What kind of spay and neuter costs can I expect?
Cats
The cost to sterilise a female cat is roughly R1 100 to R1 500. This cost will vary depending on her weight. The cost to sterilise a male cat is roughly R700 to R1 000. This cost is typically a set price and will not vary based on the weight of your male cat.
Dogs
The cost to sterilise a female dog is roughly R1 800 to R2 100. This will vary depending on weight. The cost to sterilise a male dog is typically R1 300 to R1 500. If there are any complications or additional medication required, these costs will increase. For example, if your female pet is on heat, additional procedures and costs will incur.
When should pets be sterilised?
Most vets recommend that you sterilise your pets at six months old, this is before females come on heat.
What are the consequences and costs of not sterilising your pet?
The consequences of not sterilising your pet are far more than unwanted puppies and kittens that you will have to feed, care for and find homes for. Unsterilised male pets are more likely to roam about and land themselves into trouble, from getting hit by a car or getting into fights with other pets and in worst-case scenarios, never finding their way back home.
Related: How to Find a Missing Dog or Cat: 6 Simple Steps
Your female pet will lead a longer and healthier life as spaying helps prevent uterine infections and even breast cancer which is fatal in as many as 50% of dogs and 90% of cats. Spaying your female pet before she comes on heat is an effective way to protect her from diseases such as these.
Did you know that the cost to treat cancer which requires surgery and chemotherapy is estimated between R2 000 to R6 000? And uterine infections which require emergency surgery in life-threatening conditions can cost as much as R8 000?
Adding to this, sterilised pets are better behaved, plus sterilising your pet helps prevent pet overpopulation. There are already far too many pets in need of homes due to unplanned litters that could have been prevented by sterilising pets.
Does pet insurance cover spay and neuter costs?
It all depends on the pet insurance plan you choose. If you go with a tried and trusted insurer like Oneplan Pet Insurance, they’ve got a benefit called Pet Med Savings on their Classic and Super Plans. This benefit covers your pet for routine care procedures, including spaying and neutering (as well as many other procedures like dental cleaning, deworming, tick & flea).
On the Classic Plan, you’ll get R800 per year for routine care, and on the Super Plan, you’ll get R900 per year for routine care.
Boost up your routine care benefits
Oneplan also has a super pawsome add on called the Pet Med Booster where you can add cover for routine care to your plan! On their Primary and Hospital Plans, you’ll add R350 per year for only R35pm.
On the Classic and Super Plans, you’ll double your Pet Med Savings benefit for only R80pm and R90pm respectively (this means you’ll now get R1 600 per year on the Classic Plan and R1 800 per year on the Super Plan).
Read this: Routine Vet Care for Dogs: 11 Regular Checks Your Pup Needs
If that’s not enough, the Pet Med Booster add on also waives ALL excesses on in-hospital claims so you’ll never have to worry about expensive emergency vet bills again!
The final woof
Spaying and neutering your pets really is doing a service to them by ensuring, not only that they will not be adding to the population of unwanted kittens and puppies, but also that your pet’s health is protected for many years to come.
With pet insurers like Oneplan that cover spay and neuter costs, it really just makes sense to take that precautionary step for your pets – without the strain on your wallet!
