Does your vet let you buy your pet meds online?

[René]

We really like our veterinary, but recently they have literally doubled their prices for Revolution or Advantage Multi for dogs. One of our 2 dogs is on multiple medications, the latest being the very pricey Previcox (the vet charged us $2 per half pill taken once daily). I talked with one of the nurses at the vet's office back when we had 3 dogs about getting their meds online and she said they didn't approve orders from other places but quietly told me to try anyway. I did but the vet's office didn’t approve it.

I know about pet insurance and all that, trust me Im going to be checking into that too. But right now I’m curious about approvals for purchasing meds cheaper elsewhere (specifically looking for a vet in the Dallas area if anyone knows of a nice/caring one).

[dsjsws]

Rene,

I had the same problem with my vet in Ft. Worth last week. My dog's meds on-line are $114. From the vet $279. The vet will not approve the on-line order. It looks to me like the vet has a monopoly. You can pay the vet's price, or find a new vet.
I am now in the process of looking for a new vet.

[CFord]

Call around. I know that we buy most of our stuff online and the vet will sign off on it but only if we are bringing the animals in for examination before hand or maintaining our schedule. We have horses and cattle as well as dogs and our vet is a large animal vet. That may be the difference as he is the one that tells us where we can find the best price on routine stuff and we just get emergency supplies from him.

[janetg]

our vet said those online medications were inferior products - and they would match the prices we found. so...for what that was worth.

[groovyone]

Ours pricematches the online price. They have been very cool about it.

[kenw]

Originally Posted by groovyone

Ours pricematches the online price. They have been very cool about it.

ditto on our vet. a sale is a sale and beats a non-sale everytime. and yes, they still make a profit.

[Howard Barlow]

If I was a regular client, and he/she would not write prescriptions to use elsewhere, I would be gone in a flash. If the doc told me online for the same item was second rate, I would drop him immediately. Trying to force me to buy from him, or lying about the competition, is unprofessional, and I would not reward it.

[dbphotos]

Yes, they do but they will also match the prices which make it just that much easier. They aren't inferior products they are exactly the same products.

[Jessica Merritt]

We get ours from Pet Shed or something like that. It doesn't need to be approved-I think it's from New Zealand.

BUT our vet doesn't "recognize" them. This was a problem because we forgot to order heartworm medicine once and needed to get it before we went on vacation, so we called the vet and they said because they couldn't verify that he'd been on heartworm consistently (and we didn't have time to go in for the test) that they couldn't give us any.

[ldelacruz]

I have never done this with a Vet but with my Eye Doctor. When I declined ordering my contacts through them she said she would match the online price.

Ask to match the price or at least come close and if not, find another Vet who will.

[toverman]

I've never had a problem getting approvals from my vet for heartworm or flea-preventatives from 1-800-PET MEDS. The savings are pretty good, we still give our vet plenty of business (vaccinations, checkups, boarding) and we're all happy. There are tons of vets out there, but it sounds like the problems your pets are having, you've got a history there that's not worth risking.

[mccls1030]

Vets are in business to make money and RX is one way. I agree vet's prices are way too high. Mine at least allows me to buy my dog's meds wherever I want since she doesn't stock it. At Kroger I paid $60+ and at Drs Foster and Smith $11 something. And that's for generic. Name brand was double at both places. I've checked my cat's meds and not much difference between vet and online. Never asked for the heartworm RX from her - don't know if she'd provide that or not. But I'm all for keeping the $$ in my pocket and not the vet's.

[suzyjazz]

I have never purchased my dog's heartworm preventive from the vet. They are absurdly expensive. Honestly I think they don't stock the way a regular pharmacy or large store would, so some of the price "inflation" is probably due to that.

I see entirelypets.com for heartworm preventive. My vet has never had a problem writing a precscription (which I scan and email in). Their price for Sentinel is $68 or so (50+ lb dog for 6 months supply).

When I needed other routine meds for my dog, I also had my vet write prescriptions. I used Wal-Mart $4 list and HEB's prescription club for $5 prescriptions.

When my dog was hospitalized a few weeks ago, they gave her a single pill of blood pressure medicine and charged $8 for it. I could have just brought them her pills and avoided that charge. An entire month's supply of that medicine is half what they charged me for a single pill.

[dbphotos]

My wife just priced 12 months HeartGard at $44.98 plus she has a 30% off code (VIP308) which took 30% off that price as well as free shipping from www.petcarerx.com. She printed that out and took it to the vet and they matched it.

[LoungeLizard]

Mine does not - but he'll match the on-line price.