And I have used google...
In South Africa we have fully comprehensive pet medical aid (covers vet bills).
Does anyone here with dogs and cats have this for their animals, I see it can be done, I just wanted to see if anyone can recommend any one?
I have looked on this site...before anyone asks.
Have you looked for pet insurance? I think that's the closest. It's not as common here and there are limits based on pre existing conditions and age of pet.
What's more common here is for people to put aside emergency funds for pet care.
Nothing like the UK PDSA (People's Dispensary for Animals) - with vets and staff, often younger vets in training- helping with those on low income who have sick pets.
Perhaps if you could outline the problem we have, we could be more specific. Some shelters will help, in extreme circumstances. The attitude in Switzerland is, generally' that you should not have a pet unless you can afford to look after it properly, including vet car. Harsh, but the reality.
It has nothing to do with not being able to afford it.
In the UK and in SA, I have had pet medical aid (exactly like human medical aid), we used it once....when our doberman had osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and needed over R150 000 (south african) worth of care. Not only was it fantastic for us knowing that we could help her with EVERYTHING she needed, just like you would want to do should you have a human with the same condition.
As said pet insurance
https://en.comparis.ch/tierversicherung/default
though pre-existing conditions would probably be excluded. Not sure if any have age restrictions as well. Many used to (up to age 8), but I think most have now dropped that.
Or as said, simply put a set amount aside in a separate bank/post account to cover any medical emergencies.
As above what you are looking for is animal health insurance. This is a commercial insurance product. There are a couple threads discussing the various providers.
I do not carry animal health insurance, as most of my dogs were adopted when older or were ill at the time of adoption. (I sort of specialize in broken mutts.)
As you look into the options available, be very careful that you understand the qualification criteria - age, pre-existing conditions, conditions that are known to affect your breed(s) that have not yet surfaced in your dog, genetic factors. Additionally, make sure you understand the limits to coverage. For instance some plans stop paying when the dog reaches a certain age, some have a coverage limit per year, or lifetime limit per condition, or a total lifetime coverage limit - or at least that was the case when I last looked into this many years ago. Again, my research is not current.
I decided there were too many exclusions to be financially viable for my crew of 'medically interesting' mutts. I'm better off squirreling it away against a rainy day - YMMV.
The best thing to do is to ask your vet - or rather, the person at the practice who is responsible for billing - his or her opinion of the various plans. The practice will likely know which insurance companies are easy to deal with and which try to weasle out of paying, which give the owner and practice a hard time.
---
But whether or not one has insurance, one still needs a healthy sum put aside for an emergency. Many if not most vets will ask for payment at time of service while you claim back from the insurer.
---
To give you an idea of savings goals, most of mine have had at least one four figure illness, one hit five. (But as every dog owner knows, it's worth it, every Rappen.)
---
The good news is that routine care is still rather a good bargain here. It's the emergencies and serious illnesses requiring complex diagnostic testing where the costs start to rack up.
Surprisingly, Haifisch's oncology care - amputation, radiation, etc. - was one of my less expensive forays. To give you an idea of cost here, if I have looked up the correct currency conversion from Rand to CHF, Haifisch's osteosarcoma treatment was less than half what you paid in SA. Of course we might be comparing apples to oranges.
---
And an FYI, although we are talking about health insurance, do be aware that you need liability insurance. It's mandatory in about half the cantons - check yours, including minimum coverage requirements. Even if not mandated in your canton, a dog owner would be foolish not to have it, as in many situations dog ownership is considered a Kausalhaftung.
Dog liability coverage is usually included in your private liability insurance - but make sure your agent understands you are a dog owner, just in case.
---
Good luck!