Pet Meds...BAHHHHH!

[fairlight]

Sometimes I think the vets have us by the you know what. When Oso had an acute ear infection last year the vet had exhausted all but one type of medication. Ear drops and oral meds would have cost us WITH the insurance discount close to 300.00. I found a site on line that for the exact same meds PLUS shipping I could get them for a total of 87.00.

Today when Uma went in for what we know found out is a UTI the vet charged 23.21 WITH insurance for an ampicillin injection and then charged 56.61 for 20 tablets of clavamox. I just checked pet meds.com online and I could have gotten the same meds (clavamox) for 16.00 CHEAPER .....AND no shipping and handling charge.

I am so grateful that it is only a UTI...but I think I speak for all of us. We love our dogs......don't rip us off when it comes to meds.

I would like to know if there are any other pet med dicount sites that anyone else uses in here. I'm not cheap, but please give us a break!

[borzoimom]

I have Thomas vet meds catalog. and I have this and when the vet perscribes I get enough for 3 days and then buy it off line.. Its www.thomasvetdrug.com They will send you a free catalogue.

[fairlight]

Thanks BM

[fairlight]

Whoops....just checked the site you gave me they do not carry clavamox......unless I looked in the wrong place (which with me anything is possible!)

[borzoimom]

I know they have it. I got a prescription for it before they filled.. I was mad when Femka was on rimadrly and I paid 58 dollars for 30 when I could have gotton 60 for 48 from them. ( at the time it looked like Femka would be on this for life..)

[weezyNollie]

Just to let you know, a lot of veterinarians don't endorse online pet prescription medication vendors. They will not make it public knowledge where they get the medications from, how they are stored, etc. It's a bit of a bargain to know what you are getting vs spending a touch more and getting it from a trusted veterinary hospital. I have actually even heard pharm sales reps say they don't support PetMeds! And if they don't support them or know much about them, then it really is a question where do they get their supplies?!

It's a bit of a scare. So be careful.

If you want to save money, always ask for a generic if there is one available. If there is, but they don't carry it. Ask for a prescription and go to Walgreens or Target or something. Or, if they have it available, get it there! They would probably like your business even for just a generic than to lose it to these companies that nobody likes.

Unfortunately, Clavamox is one that does not come generic and you can't get it at Walgreens for cheaper either because it is veterinary specific. But others you would be surprised.

[borzoimom]

My vet accept Thomas. And will call in to a pharmacy...

[weezyNollie]

Originally Posted by borzoimom

My vet accept Thomas. And will call in to a pharmacy...

Yes, we okay requests from some of the vendors too. But that doesn't mean the hopsital/veterinarians like these companies or support them. Unfortunately, in our field, it's difficult to get compliant owners so we bend as much as we can to get the job done. Some vets won't even okay them. Some of them see it as hospital income taken out of their mouth.

It's to each their own. We always tell clients what we think about the companies and then say it's at their OWN discretion and they have to take responsibility for the company. We are not liable in any way.

[fairlight]

Weezy...in my first post about Oso and how his meds were going to be close to 300.00 Banfield is supposed to match that price. They said they couldn't......maybe they just wouldn't. I even brought in the site from the internet AND the date on it with the prices on it for them to see. They faxed the script to pet meds. It took five days but you have to admit there is a big difference between 300.00 and 80 some odd dollars. So my question is to you, if it's a human script such as amoxicillon is put in mine or my husbands name that Walgreens would have to give us the meds even though it's from a DVM? For example...there was a time we had to get amoxicillin for Vanilla...20 pills 500 mgs cost us 30 some odd dollars at the vet, but with our insurance we can get the same thing for 1.79.

[weezyNollie]

Legally the DVM should not write the prescription for the owner/human. It should be written for the pet, in which case you wouldn't or shouldn't get an insurance benefit.

But, the out right cost at Walgreens can sometimes be cheaper than at the vet hosp. IE -- Metronidazole, Clindamycin, Prednisone, Furosemide, etc.