If you’re looking for affordable coverage for medical emergencies and accidents, Sonnet offers one simple plan that provides just that. With a $5,000 maximum coverage ($2,500 per accident and $2,500 per illness condition per year), Sonnet doesn’t offer any wellness options. However, this plan does include some dental illness coverage, which even includes cleanings.
Pros
- Choice of two deductibles.
- One simple plan.
- Dental coverage includes cleanings.
Cons
- Only coverage option is $5,000 maximum.
- Per incident and per illness caps might be limiting.
- Not available across Canada.
Table of Contents
- What Does Sonnet Cover?
- Sonnet Extra Coverage Options
- What Sonnet Doesn’t Cover
- Sonnet Pet Insurance Waiting Periods
- Compare Sonnet With Other Insurers
- Sonnet Pet Insurance Coverage Levels
- Sample Quote for Five-Year-Old Male Labrador Retriever Based in Toronto (as of January 2024)
- Sonnet Discounts
- About Sonnet
- Sonnet Partners
- Methodology
What Does Sonnet Cover?
Sonnet offers affordable and basic accident and illness coverage for veterinary services, including:
- Exam fees
- Surgery
- X-rays and diagnostics.
- Dental work due to illness or trauma, including cleanings ($300 per year).
- Alternative therapy ($350 per year), including homeopathy, stem cell therapy, laser therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, massage therapy and acupuncture.
- Behavioural therapy ($350 per year).
- Prescription medication
- Coverage while travelling in the U.S. and Canada.
- Medical devices ($350 per year).
- Boarding due to the owner’s medical emergency ($25 per day).
- Lost pet advertising.
- Cremation or burial expenses due to death from covered conditions.
- Holiday trip cancellation due to a pet’s medical emergency.
Sonnet is currently available in B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI.
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Fetch Pet Insurance
Competitively priced premiums
Covers up to 90% of vet bill
Vet exam fees
Included in every plan
Dental coverage
Every adult tooth and more
Sonnet Extra Coverage Options
Sonnet does not offer any additional coverage as riders or add-ons.
What Sonnet Doesn’t Cover
Like all pet insurance companies, Sonnet does not cover pre-existing conditions, also called foreseeable conditions, defined as “any condition that starts or shows symptoms, with or without a confirmed diagnosis” prior to enrollment or within any applicable waiting periods.
In addition, Sonnet does not cover:
- Flea control
- Food, including prescription or therapeutic diets.
- Spay or neuter surgery.
- Expenses due to pregnancy or any associated conditions.
- Wellness care, such as vaccinations, annual check-ups and heartworm preventative medication.
Sonnet Pet Insurance Waiting Periods
Pet insurance companies have what’s called a waiting period, which is the amount of time before your policy is effective and you can be reimbursed for claims.
With a Sonnet policy, there is a 48-hour waiting period for accidents and a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. There is also a 14-day waiting period for claims for behavioural therapies, a six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament injuries or intervertebral disc disease, and a six-month waiting period for dental coverage. However, treatment for deciduous teeth (baby teeth) may be subject to a shortened 14-day waiting period with prior approval.
Compare Sonnet With Other Insurers
Sonnet Pet Insurance Coverage Levels
Maximum annual limit options
$5,000 ($2,500 per incident, $2,500 per illness)
Deductible options
$100*
$300
Reimbursement options
80%
*Applies an age-based deductible as your pet gets older.
Here’s how the age-based deductible works:
Sample Quote for Five-Year-Old Male Labrador Retriever Based in Toronto (as of January 2024)
Sonnet Discounts
Sonnet offers a 5% discount for being an existing Sonnet home or auto insurance customer.
About Sonnet
Launched in 2016, Sonnet Insurance is Canada’s first fully online home and auto insurance. Sonnet Pet Insurance is underwritten by Petline Insurance Company, the first and only licensed company in Canada to focus solely on pet health insurance.
Sonnet Partners
Sonnet Pet Insurance does not have any external partnerships.
Methodology
To find the best pet insurance we reviewed each company’s policy wording and used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following:
Pet insurance rates: 40% of score. We calculated average rates for plans with $5,000 or unlimited coverage, a $100 deductible and an 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available.
Special waiting period: 10% of score. Many pet insurance companies have a special waiting period for problems such as cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia. Plans that had no waiting period, a waiting period of six months or less, or the ability to have the waiting period waived scored higher.
Direct payment to vet: 10% of score. Pet insurance companies that have the ability to pay a vet directly earned points.
24/7 vet health line: 10% of score. Insurers that provide access to a 24/7 vet health line scored in this category.
Routine wellness plans: 10% of score. Insurers that offer wellness plans, either included with a plan or as a rider, earned points.
Coverage for dental illness: 10% of score. While most insurers cover dental accidents, not all insurers cover dental illnesses, such as gum disease or cleanings. Plans with more extensive dental coverage scored higher.
Pet ownership assistance: 5% of score. Insurers that include coverage for pet owner expenses, such as advertising and reward for lost pets, boarding for medical emergencies, end of life expenses and/or vacation cancellation, scored in this category.
Any discount: 5% of score. Insurers that offer any kind of discount, including a multi-pet discount, healthy pet discount, loyalty discount, etc., earned points.
Featured Partner Offer
1
Fetch Pet Insurance
Competitively priced premiums
Covers up to 90% of vet bill
Vet exam fees
Included in every plan
Dental coverage
Every adult tooth and more
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the average cost of pet insurance in Canada?
For an adult dog, the cost of pet insurance ranges from $33 to $95 a month, according to a Forbes Advisor Canada analysis of monthly premiums supplied by Petinsurer.com. Overall, pet insurance costs an average of $76 per month for $5,000 in coverage for the year using a $100 deductible and 80% reimbursement. Several factors affect the cost of pet insurance, including your coverage type, maximum annual limit, deductible, reimbursement level, your pet’s breed and age and even your postal code as veterinary expenses are typically higher in urban centres.
How do pet insurance claims work?
With pet insurance, there are usually two ways to submit a claim: By requesting reimbursement or paying the vet directly.
With the reimbursement method, you will:
- Pay the veterinarian bill right after the visit.
- Complete a pet insurance claim form.
- Submit the claim and supporting documentation to the insurer via an app, online portal, email, fax or mail.
- Once approved, you’ll get reimbursement via direct deposit or cheque.
A few pet insurance companies (like PHI Direct and Trupanion) have the ability to pay the vet directly.
Will my premium increase after submitting a claim?
Your premium won’t increase after submitting a claim. However, some pet insurance companies, such as Sonnet, conduct policy reviews every six months to evaluate the number and cost of claims made over the previous 24 month period. This practice is called claims risk management. Based on the results, your reimbursement rate may change for future claims. For example, say your current rate is 80% but you filed several expensive claims in one policy year; Your reimbursement rate may drop to 70% for the following year, meaning you will be responsible for paying more. Usually this isn’t a permanent change and you could go back to qualifying for a lower level of co-insurance.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.