Dr Samuel Opiyo, with rescued kittens at Pet Center veterinary clinic at
the Muthaiga Shopping Center August 13, 2018. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA |
NMG
As pet ownership grows, a few Kenyans opt to protect their furry friends without breaking the bank
On
an early Friday morning, Dr Samuel Opiyo is glued to the computer in
his office trying to fill in travel documents for a dog being taken to
Israel. The veterinarian at Pet Center clinic at Nairobi's Muthaiga
shopping centre explains that the owner paid Sh30,000 for rabies tests
to be taken to South Africa.
“Most European countries
do just accept a basic rabies clearance, we have to take the samples to
an ISO-certified lab for them to agree to let the animals travel to
their countries,” he says.
The clinic is not very busy
and when he takes a break from filling in the documents, he talks about
how expensive it is to keep a pet.
“There is a woman who has a chicken pet and she spent Sh20,000 to treat it,” the vet says.
In
his clinic, one flyer stands out. It is about pet insurance. As pet
ownership grows in Kenya, insurers have designed covers for dogs, cats,
pigeons, parrots, rabbits, guinea pigs among other animals. Just like
medical insurance, the pet cover saves an owner the trouble of paying
out-of-pocket for healthcare, especially if the animal develops
long-term conditions such as arthritis, persistent pain or diabetes.
While pet insurance uptake in Kenya is still minimal, Dr Opiyo says some of his customers have insured their animals.
“I
have about two clients who have insurance and they seem to prefer
paying for the services and claiming the money from the insurer,” he
says.
Dr Opiyo says more dog owners take up insurance than cat owners because of the value attached to dogs.
“Cats
are rescued most of the time while dogs are mostly bought. There are
some cats like the Sphynx breed which can cost up to Sh300,000 but not
many people look into the breed of cats like they do for dogs,” he says.
Sh250,000
But
would you insure your pet? Anyone who owns a pet knows the
unconditional love it offers that is almost equal to that of a blood
relative.
Joseph Muraya, a Nairobi resident who owns 14
Terriers and one German Shepherd pays Sh50,000 in premiums a year for
the dogs. He says that he took an insurance cover because it was a
requirement.
“Where I live, it is mandatory for all pet
owners to have insurance and ever since I got an insurer, my dogs have
been enjoying the benefits,” he says.
Mr Muraya adds
that while 15 can seem like a large number of dogs to contend with, he
would never think of selling them since they love him “very much.”
“They
are also not expensive to keep; I do not have to part with a lot for
their maintenance since it’s just buying their food, and assuming they
do not fall ill often, we are good to go,” he says.
Jackie
Tonui, the head of corporate communications at Apollo Group, says pet
insurance uptake is still low, but it is expected to increase in the
future as the pet economy grows.
The
maximum value of a pet which can be insured is Sh250,000 and there is
no minimum value. For premiums, the lowest that a pet owner can pay
annually is Sh3,000.
Pet insurance is provided to any
animal kept for the owners’ comfort, companionship and or sentimental
value. Various pet insurances will pay the owner of the animal in case
it dies. “We cover accidental death caused by lightning, internal and
external injuries, windstorm, snake bite, electrocution or flooding,
illness or disease, widespread outbreak of an infectious disease
affecting many animals at the same time in a region like epidemics,”
says Ms Tonui.
Unfortunately neutering or castration is
not covered by the insurers as it is considered a management practice
just like vaccination yet it can be a costly affair.
“Castration
of a male dog costs Sh10,000 while for a female dog, we remove the
ovaries and uterus for between Sh15,000 to Sh30,000 depending on the
size of the dog. The male cat costs Sh4,500 while a female one cost
Sh9,500,” says Dr Opiyo.
Pet owners could be slapped
with costs they are not prepared for and the right pet insurance can
offer financial assurance and access to the best possible care for their
pets. While many of the pet costs come down to food and basic care, an
emergency vet visit can cost thousands of shillings.
Ana
Mworia, who has 16 pets in her two homes in Mombasa, including 10 dogs,
two tortoises and geese, says she plans to insure the animals because
sometimes she spends Sh8,000 on one visit to a vet to treat a dog which
has recurrent tape worms or tick fever. Some pets may look cute but they
have health problems that can bite you in the wallet.
“Dogs
typically come in with tick fever which has to be confirmed with blood
tests and the total for treating that can be Sh4,000 or they can have
skin conditions, which are quite common,” says Dr Opiyo.
Cats typically live by the nine lives adage and do not get sick as often, he says.
Compensation for loss
Since
animals like dogs run the risk of straying, the insurance offers some
compensation when it cannot be traced and is presumed dead.
Barbara
Kiama who lost her dog 'Billy' for a brief period last year, however,
does not think any compensation would make a difference.
“Billy
has been with me for a while and he is now four years, the emotional
attachment I have makes me cringe at even the thought of losing him, let
alone think any type of compensation would suffice,” she says.
Ms Kiama who got her dog as a birthday present says that insurance is more of a “luxury thing.’’
“I
take him to the vet once or twice year when he gets ill and we spend on
average Sh4,000 per visit and that is much less than what I would pay
for an insurance cover,” she says.
Insurers also covers euthanasia which typically costs Sh4,000 to Sh7,000 depending on the size of the animal.
“When
an animal is in a great deal of pain and there is no chance of a
favourable outcome, the pet can be put to sleep on advice of a qualified
veterinary surgeon to prevent suffering,” Ms Tonui says.
knasibo@ke.nationmedia.com
No comments :
Post a Comment