Are you being overcharged for your pet medication?
Did you know that you may be paying more than you have to for your pet’s special diet foods, health supplements and medication? Take, for example, Mrs H, whose pet cat Kirby was prescribed a potassium supplement. The 4oz container from her vets cost £62.40. When the product had nearly been used up after a few months, there were problems getting it from her vet who had to ‘order it in’ as it was ‘special’. Desperate, Mrs H found the same product at the same weight for £29.99 online at one of the small number of pet prescription websites that have sprung up in recent years. Luckily for her, the product was a non-prescription item and she ordered it there and then.
You may also find that your usual preventative flea treatments work out cheaper if you look around online too. Companies who offer this sort of service include www.petdispensary.co.uk and www.petmeds.co.uk.
Similarly, when Mrs H asked her vet for some furball paste for Kirby, the cost was £18 for a 20g tube. Online a similar brand currently costs £7.50 for a 70g tube!
Prescription medications
However, even if your pet is on prescription drugs, you may still be able to make savings on the cost of your furry friend’s medications. All you need is a prescription from your vet – however, do bear in mind that he or she may not be happy about you buying the medications somewhere else, because they could well be losing out on making a profit on it.
Legally the vet can charge you to write a prescription and this may be anywhere from £5 up to £15. However, if you ask for a prescription for 6 months’ medications, you may still find it cheaper overall to buy the prescription from your vet and then get the medications online.
When ordering your pet’s medications online, you’ll be asked to supply a copy of the prescription before your order is despatched. It’s a simple process and one that can potentially save you a lot of money.
Special diet foods
It is also useful to note that even if your pet is insured, special diet food is often not covered under a pet insurance policy. Again, going online for special pet diet may work out cheaper than buying it from your vet.