Pet Medication

[tinkerbell615]

Has anyone here used 1800Petmeds.com? My dog has heart disease and has to take several medications every day. I am doing everything I can to take care of him. I realize that what he has is not cureable, but I want to keep him here as long as I can. Unfortunately, it is kind of expensive. I checked 1800petmeds.com and his medicine is quite a bit cheaper there. I was just wondering if it is actually the same medication.

I am thinking the vet will fight me on this because they want me to buy it from them. I hope they won't quit seeing him, but I have to try to find a way to make this less expensive. I love my dog with all of my heart. I have been giving him this medicine now for about a year.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Lisa_M]

Our vet told me that it's not the same when I asked about Advantage. She said they sell knockoffs made in places that don't have the same quality control as the real deal. I'm not certain how true all of this is, but it sort of makes sense.

There is someone on here whose DH is a vet. Maybe she can ask him for you...

 

[Tina]

Interesting. I just placed my first order with PetMeds.com on Saturday. I ordered Revolution for heartworm. My vet told me to find the best price online and did not say anything about knockoffs. Since I'm buying a brand name, I'd imagine they'd get in big trouble to put some cheap knock-off in the brand name box.

As for the other meds I need, my vet recommended Wedgewoodpharmacy.com. I need a compounding pharmacy, but they may do other stuff as well. Of course, you'll need a prescription.

 

[derocas]

I just wanted to add that my mom's vet will pricematch any online pharmacy. Find out if your vet will do this. As far as your vet not treating your pet, I wouldn't worry about that it seems that would be unethical and if your vet would do that then it's not a vet you want to have.

I just want to say kudos to you for doing the treatment. My dog had cancer and we went took her to an oncologist for treatment. I spent a fortune but it was worth it. She lived another 9 months and responded well to the treatment in terms of how she felt. It was difficult to believe that she even had cancer because she looked so good.
In the end it I have no regrets about spending the money, she deserved it. I would have tons of regret if we didn't invest in our pet who gave us nine years of unconditional love.

 

[zumbergc]

Depending on the medicine. Call around to all the local pharmacies and find out the price for the medication. Then you can have your vet call in a Rx for them. Just don't go with the one you normally go with, call them all. As some are better prices for certain medications.

I would definitely try a regular people pharm first.
You can also try
1-877-838-7979 Vet pharmacy of america. They do compounding, like if you have issues pilling, they put it in a pet friendly flavor, or chew tab, so i don't know if they would be cheaper.

Best of luck.

 

[Kims09]

Yes, we used 1800PetMeds last year to buy Heartguard for our little Angeldog. I actually found an internet pet med company ( I don't remember the name)that was quite a bit cheaper (they were actually having a sale on Heartguard at the time I was looking) than 1800PetMeds but was concerned because I had never heard of the company before. However, 1800Petmeds will price match. I think I had to email the information about the other website that had the cheaper price to 1800PetMeds so it was a little bit more work, but I did get was able to get the meds for about $28.00 with shipping. It was worth the extra effort.
I have been to two different vets in my dog's lifetime and have posed the question to both about purchasing meds online through 1800petmeds. Neither one had any quality issues.

Good luck with your pup!

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

I don't know if it helps, but we use www.vetshoponline.com for our Frontline Plus and HeartGuard. With 5 Chihuahuas, it's a big money saver for us. We have always gotten real product from them. Our vet is a great vet, but they are unwilling to make any deals when it comes to medications. They also don't like us using the online vendors, but it's an option that we plan on utilizing. Good luck!

 

[Mickeyorbust]

Have you tried the wal-mart or target $4 or $10 list? Found my dog's allergy med on their price list. The vet was charging me $48 for a 30 day supply. Now I pay $10 for a 90-day at WM. I had to keep pushing for the vet to give me a written prescription. She stalled for a couple months 'till I got irritated enough to explain to her that in the current economy the animal shelters are full because people can't afford to keep their pets. Shouldn't the vet, as an animal lover, do more to help the owners keep the costs down so they can keep their pets? She wrote the prescription. I know a little harsh, but I was really irritated with her. Anyway, sorry for my little side-track to rant.

 

[Kaler131]

Have you tried the wal-mart or target $4 or $10 list? Found my dog's allergy med on their price list. The vet was charging me $48 for a 30 day supply. Now I pay $10 for a 90-day at WM. I had to keep pushing for the vet to give me a written prescription. She stalled for a couple months 'till I got irritated enough to explain to her that in the current economy the animal shelters are full because people can't afford to keep their pets. Shouldn't the vet, as an animal lover, do more to help the owners keep the costs down so they can keep their pets? She wrote the prescription. I know a little harsh, but I was really irritated with her. Anyway, sorry for my little side-track to rant.

I don't think that was harsh...I think you are exactly right! The vets charge waaayyy too much for meds most of the time.

 

[tinkerbell615]

Have you tried the wal-mart or target $4 or $10 list? Found my dog's allergy med on their price list. The vet was charging me $48 for a 30 day supply. Now I pay $10 for a 90-day at WM. I had to keep pushing for the vet to give me a written prescription. She stalled for a couple months 'till I got irritated enough to explain to her that in the current economy the animal shelters are full because people can't afford to keep their pets. Shouldn't the vet, as an animal lover, do more to help the owners keep the costs down so they can keep their pets? She wrote the prescription. I know a little harsh, but I was really irritated with her. Anyway, sorry for my little side-track to rant.

Oh my goodness. I just checked the WalMart site and they do have two of the medications that he is taking on the $4.00 list. One of them is not the exact miligram though. I would bet they will really fight me to write a perscription though. I am paying WAY more than that for one month for the two medications. I think I will give them a call in a couple of weeks to see what they say.

How the heck do they charge that much? One of his perscriptions has to come from the pharmacy because the vet does carry it, but I would have never thought to check for the others.

 

[Order66]

Hello, I'm not a DVM, but I am a veterinary technician. Many of the common cardiac drugs prescribed to canines are human medications. Enalapril, Digoxin, Atenolol, Lasix, etc.... can be had at any local pharmacy and are on the generic list at many of them that have the $4-10 generic plans. Vetmedin is another popular drug we use and that one is dog/cat only. Ask for a prescription from your veterinarian. If you need to explain the cost factor. Our clinic is quite happy to script out drugs for client's pets. Honestly a clinic doesn't get much of it's income on the sale of medications.

Kmart has a pet prescription program that gives you 5-10% off your pet's medication. Sign up for the Petk program with them.

As to flea/heartworm medications they are not fake. However what they are is not guaranteed when purchased through a distributor. For example, Merial, the company that makes Heartgard, will guarantee that product when your DVM prescribes it to you. It is assumed you followed directions on the medication and if your dog tests heartworm postive while on their product, they will pay for the treatment. However, if you bought from an outside company like 1800PetMeds they do not know how the product was handled or directed to be used and you are on your own if it fails. Advantage and Frontline are non-prescription medications and are fine to buy wherever you can find the best price. Again, they only honor the guarantee when purchased from a veterinary clinic. Our docs enourage our clients to go ahead and price hunt and if they find better...good for them. Just PLEASE make sure they buy it somewhere if not from us. Heartworm is a nasty disease for a dog to have. And well, who wants fleas and ticks?

regards

 

[4boys531]

I have ordered both Frontline and Iverhart (generic Heartguard). They do pricematch and you get $7.00 back through Sunshine Rewards for an order $40 or above (plus free shipping)! They will even contact your vet for the prescription so you don't have to feel awkward asking!

 

[daisax]

CVS and Rite Aid give AAA discounts for canine medications, too!

http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=8&ArticleID=388

I've used it at CVS, so I know it worked there last year.

That said, I don't begrudge my vet a modest markup on things like Heartguard -- I promise not to nickle and dime him and he doesn't nickle and dime me. Vets have overhead, and as expensive as veterinary care is, it's still a bargain considering what a responsibility we place on them for our pets' wellbeing.

Of course if I were dealing with something chronic and the medication significantly cheaper at a human pharmacy, I'd discuss it and see if they could meet it or just write the scrip.

 

[1stvisit0909]

our vet matches prices too, because of the heartworm med guarantee. He'd rather us keep getting them from him so he can watch out for them. I LOVE our vet, but with 2 dogs and 2 cats it does get $$. He's great to help us out with cost and what not. Our cocker spainel, we got her for "free" from some neighbors who didn't want her anymore...and she tested positive for heartworms. I was so mad. How can you not give a dog heartworm meds??? Its only $100 a year. Seriously. And treatment is WAAAAAAAAAAY more than that, and VERY dangerous. She was already 5, and had a moderate load. Bless his sweet heart he really worked with us so we could afford to treat her..and she's happy healthy and full of spunk now.

Annual shots are killing me these days. $250-300 an animal, it really adds up!

the cocker needs to go in now, I just remembered. She needs her vax.

 

[ceecee]

Our vet told me that it's not the same when I asked about Advantage. She said they sell knockoffs made in places that don't have the same quality control as the real deal. I'm not certain how true all of this is, but it sort of makes sense.

There is someone on here whose DH is a vet. Maybe she can ask him for you...

I have had two vets tell me 1800petmed is fine and I order my K9 Advantage, Frontline and Heart worm meds from them and have for years. Your vet is probably making a lot of $ on the meds and wants you to get them there.

 

[tinkerbell615]

I did call the vet today and asked about them writing a perscription so that I could get the meds for $4 at Kroger. The receptionist said that most of their doctors will write them. She said they have several other people that do this. I honestly would not care if it were just a few $, but to be honest... I am paying around $90 a month for two meds and if I can get them for $8 for a month then I have to try!

The other medication is not available that way, so I will continue to get it the way I do now.

Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions. I really appreciate the help.

 

[springandmac]

I have 3 labradors and I use entirelypets.com they're prices are always lower than my vet and there frontline is the cheapest I've found online.

If you sign up for there newsletter they email you 5% discount codes every month.

 

[daisax]

Annual shots are killing me these days. $250-300 an animal, it really adds up!

Dogs should not be getting annual shots after their first adult boosters. If your vet still does this he/she is behind the times. I believe the current recommendations are every 3 years (except for rabies as required by law). Many people stop altogether after the first year booster and do titers to determine coverage. I took this route and last year my vet even told me not to do the TITERS every year. The science seems to support the idea that most of the core vaccines last at least 7 years and often longer. (We certainly don't vaccinate our kids for everything annually, do we!)

Obviously the pets should have annual exams and I know how quick that adds up, especially with occasional blood tests tacked on.

 

[SaveTheSeaTurtles]

As PP's have said, many vets will price-match. Ours does but only on certain meds like heartworm meds, etc. - but we usually get the meds from Petmeds. We have been customers of theirs for several years now. They will price match other prices & have never failed us with their great customer service. The meds are not knock-offs and I have had our 3 different vets (due to location moves, not problems with the vets themselves) agree with me on that.

With that said, getting $4 scripts from Walmart is also a great idea - if it is the same. IMO, if your vet won't write the script, it is time to get a new vet.

Another option for people - and this is for general information, because your original post did not ask about it - but vaccinations are often given by local shelters,etc. In our state, there are "travelling" vets who participate in the low-cost programs. Just be careful that what you are getting is what you really needed and these programs, at least here in FL, do not provide actual check-ups which are soooo important. There are also many tests that they do not do because they are not equipped for them. They fill a void though, for those who need low-cost vaccinations.

I am thrilled that you are taking such great care with your dog ---that is heartwarming.

 

[sydney dog]

If you have a large dog on Rimadyl, metacam, Deramaxx, or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory here is a great tip for you. My dog, 55lbs. was on Deramaxx and while I was working at a vet my vet turned me on to Meloxicam (generic). This med works just as well and puts less strain on the liver. I bought it through the vet at cost and paid $4.00 for 100 pills. My 55lb dog takes 1/4 pill a day. Most vets do not carry it but they can all order it. You may have to aggresively pursue it but don't let them tell you they can't get it. Anyone who has a dog on NSAID's knows how expensive it is. This is only good for large dogs since you can't break up the pill more than in quarters. I pay pennies a month, instead of nearly $50.00 a month. My dog is doing excellent after over 1 year.