How to Save Money on Pet Meds

Buying Cat Meds online and other great ways for cat owners to save money

As many people know, Big Pharma controls the price of medication in the USA. The same medication can cost 4-10x the amount in the USA than it does in Canada, for example.  While the high costs are often balanced out by health insurance for us humans, it most certainly is not with medications for cats. This post is to help you reduce the overall medical costs of keeping your kitty. We’ve included a few suggestions from our readers, got a great big list of online vet pharmacies and cat medication providers, as well as some other great lifestyle tips to keep your cat healthy. It all started with this little post on our Facebook page:

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Taking your cat to the vet

Visits to the vet (whether for sickness, injury, or their annual vaccinations) is usually the most expensive part of owning your cat. The cost of prescription medications, supplements, and vaccines quickly add up. So when we put out the call for tips on reducing the costs of cat meds our readers were quick to respond … Lisa told us … “I was shocked at how inexpensively I was able to purchase meds when I cut out the middleman and when straight to the pharmacies. For example, a vial of Buprenorphine (a pain med) was $20 per 1ml vial at our local vet (and we were giving her two doses a day, so a vial lasted just three days). But I was eventually able to find it at Walgreens for only $7.20 per 1ml vial using a coupon service I found on https://www.goodrx.com.” Another reader Laurel also shared her experiences buying cat meds online. She reports “Our vet sold us 7 x (.15 ml) syringes of Buprenex (for pain) for $75. That lasted us just about 3 days. But I was able to purchase 10 ml of the same drug through http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com which would last us over 22 days for just $46. HUGE difference.” Where possible consider buying your cat meds online from the growing list of pet stores, veterinary pharmacies, and medication providers who sell direct to consumer.

Use them to buy …

• cat toothpaste
• prescription vaccines
• allergy and anti-itch medication
• ear and nose wipes
• heartwormer
• vitamins and supplements
• calming meds
• worming tablets
• flea and tick treatments
• dental care products
• hip, joint and arthritis medication

Getting prescription cat meds from the vet

As readers Lisa and Laurel share, be sure and ask your vet to write a prescription that will allow you to buy the medication elsewhere. And do be cautious of vets who insist on selling you their own house stocked medications without giving you the option of generic and cheaper brands. An exception to this (and there might be more), as I have found are the flea and tick meds – they need to be environmentally (hot/cold) controlled, which you can’t control when buying online.  So my vet, used to write prescriptions for those, but now they will not because of the dangers of them being too hot when they arrive at your house and therefore dangerous for your kitty.

Directory of online stores selling cat meds

To help you out we’ve compiled this list of online stores that sell cat medications. Remember this is general information only, so make sure you check (and compare) prices carefully before buying anything. The list is in alphabetical order. Note: stores with VIPPS accreditation means they’re a board certified pet pharmacy and comply with federal and state licensing requirements and quality assurance. 1-800-PetMeds http://www.1800petmeds.com/Cerenia-prod11268.html Allivet http://www.allivet.com/c-195-cat-prescriptions.aspx Amazon https://www.amazon.com/slp/cat-medicines/8m4cbeq4x7sn73v Big Mountain Drugs www.bigmountaindrugs.com Canada Meds USA http://canadianmedsusa.com Costco www.costco.com/pharmacy/pet-medications.html Chemist Warehouse (Australia) http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/57016/Famvir-250mg-Tablets-20- Diamond Back Drugs www.diamondbackdrugs.com Drs. Foster & Smith www.drsfostersmith.com/pet-meds/pr/c/9547 Health Warehouse https://www.healthwarehouse.com In House Pharmacy www.inhousepharmacy.vu PetCareRX https://www.petcarerx.com/pharmacy/cat Shop Med Vet http://www.shopmedvet.com Roadrunner Pharmacy www.roadrunnerpharmacy.com Thriving Pets http://www.thrivingpets.com Valley Vet www.valleyvet.com Universal Compounders http://www.universalcompounders.com Walmart www.walmart.com/cp/Pet-Medications/1095032 Wedgewood Pharmacy http://www.wedgewoodpetrx.com

Other ways to save money on Cat Medications

You can also save money on cat meds by implementing some simple lifestyle choices for your floppycat as well. Here’s a few suggestions …

Indoor Cats

Keeping your cat indoors can be a be a big money saver for cat owners. Indoor cats are less prone to disease, don’t get hit by passing cars, and are unlikely to be exposed to fleas and ticks.

Spaying and Neutering

Apart from eliminating the cost of kittens, spayed and neutered cats don’t get into as many fights, tend not to roam as much, have a much lower risk of disease.

Good Nutrition

Feed your cat quality food and reduce (or eliminate) pre-packaged ’treats’ and other processed kitty snack foods. Overweight cats generally have more medical problems, and processed cat treats tend to be expensive as well.

Hydration

Dehydration can cause serious bowel and kidney problems. Keep your cat healthy by making sure they always have access to fresh, clean water.

Do you have tips to share with fellow cat lovers on how to save on meds?