How to Buy Pet Medication Online
Save Money and Time by Purchasing Cat and Dog Meds on the Web
Nov 27, 2008
Many pet owners have turned to the internet for their pet medications. Buying pet medications online is less expensive, convenient, and faster for many more uncommon medications that would otherwise have to be special ordered by the veterinarian's office.
What Can You Purchase Through an Online Pet Pharmacy?
Online pet meds websites allow pet owners to purchase virtually any prescription medication for cats, dogs and other pets. Often, these discount pet medication websites are able to sell pet prescriptions for a significantly lower price since the website is able to purchase the medications in bulk at a lower cost from the prescription drug manufacturer, whereas a veterinary clinic only purchases limited amounts of any particular pet medication.
Most internet-based pet pharmacies also sell heartworm medication like Heartguard®, along with flea and tick preventives like Advantage®, Frontline®, K9 Advantix® and Revolution®.
In many cases, the price for these pet flea and tick preventative medications (including shipping) is comparable to the price for these flea and tick medications when purchased from the veterinarian's office. So while the cost of the flea or tick medication and shipping is about the same as what a pet owner would pay at the vet's clinic, there's the convenience and time-saving factor since the flea and tick medication is shipped directly to the pet owner's doorstep. And when a pet owner can get pet flea and tick control medications online, they're less likely to miss a monthly dose since the medication is delivered directly to the pet' owner's home, eliminating a trip to the veterinary clinic.
A few online pet pharmacies even sell prescription medical supplies for pets like IV medications, injectable fluids like Ringer's Solution, IV lines and needles, syringes and other supplies that are required for the care of dogs and cats with chronic illnesses and special needs.
How Do You Purchase Prescription Pet Medications and Flea and Tick Control Products from a Website?
Ordering a pet's medication, medical supplies or flea and tick preventatives from an online pet meds website is a bit different from ordering from most other websites due to the fact that a prescription is required to make the purchase.
The following steps are generally required to buy a pet's prescription medications, prescription medical supplies and pet tick and flea preventative medication online:
- Get a written copy of the pet's medication from the veterinarian. This will be required to make an online purchase of pet medication, flea and tick control medication or other prescription-only items.
- Determine what it would cost to purchase the medication from the veterinarian's clinic. In a few cases, the best bargains on pet meds can be found at the vet's office, making online purchases less practical.
- Find a few different discount pet medication websites and compare pricing on the pet's prescriptions. Some popular online discount pet pharmacies include 1800PetMeds.com, PetCareRX.com, TotalPetSupply.com and EntirelyPets.com
- Prices can vary dramatically from website to website, so shop around for the best price on the pet's medication before selecting a website to use for the pet medication, supplies or flea and tick medication. Don't forget to factor in the price for shipping - one pet pharmacy website may have lower medication prices, but higher shipping costs, so take both figures into consideration when comparison shopping.
- Once an online pet pharmacy website has been selected, follow the website's directions for making a purchase. Each website works a bit differently. Some sites require pet owners to fax their prescription and set up a free account, so their pet prescriptions can be kept on file. Other sites allow pet owners to proceed through a normal check-out to pay for their purchase. Then, at the end of the transaction, the pet owner must fax over the dog or cat's prescription, and once the prescription is received and verified with the prescribing veterinarian, the pet medication purchase will be processed and the transaction completed.
- When the medication arrives, verify that the online pet medication website has shipped the proper medication by checking it against the original prescription. Also verify that the dosage information written on the medication bottle or paperwork is correct by comparing this information to the original prescription.
- If a pet owner is unsure if they have received the proper medication or if there is uncertainty about the dosage, contact the pet's veterinarian before giving the dog, cat or other pet any of the medication. Giving a pet the wrong medication or the incorrect dosage can be deadly, so all uncertainties should be addressed before medicating a pet.
- Before giving any medication to a pet, read the drug information insert that will be enclosed with the medication. If a pet owner purchases medications from the veterinarian, ask for this drug information insert, as it's not usually provided to pet owners. This drug information sheet will include information on how the drug works, potential side effects, dose calculation and other vital information that pet owners should have before giving a medication to a dog, cat or other animal.
Ordering pet medication, veterinary medical supplies or flea and tick preventative meds from an online pet pharmacy can be convenient and a money-saver when done properly.
Looking for tips on how to medicate a cat or dog? Check out How to Give Medicine to a Pet for advice and tips on giving pills and liquid medication to pets.
Pet owners may also enjoy reading How to Give Over-the-Counter Medication to a Dog for information on what OTC medications are safe for dogs, and for dosage information for dog-safe "human" medications like aspirin, Pepto Bismol®, and Benadryl®.
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