Your cat is like a member of the family, so when they get sick you’ll do anything to help them feel better. The problem is that pet medicine can get quite expensive.
29% of Australian households currently face this dilemma or could in the future. Discount pet medication can provide relief for families.
How do you go about finding affordable medicine though? We’ve got four tips to help you.
1. Don’t Buy at the Vet
Whatever you do, don’t buy your medication at the vet’s office. You will pay a premium.
The reason for the high cost is that drug manufacturers distribute medicines through the veterinary offices. Many even make it so the only place you can buy their particular version of the drug is the vet office.
2. Buy the Human Version
Often times the medication that your vet wants you to get for your pet is the same as human medicine. The difference is the name and the dosage amount.
Your vet can write the prescription for the human equivalent. Then you can go shop for the medicine elsewhere.
We must stress, do not go this route on your own. You should always consult with your vet before you decide to give your pet any medication.
You should also consult your vet if you plan to give your pet alternative medicine. CBD oil is all the rage right now, and while it can be beneficial to pets, you shouldn’t administer it without your vet’s approval first.
3. Buy Online
Like human medicines, you can shop for medical pet supplies online. For some products, you don’t need a prescription to buy it.
This applies to products like flea and heartworm protection. You could also look for these products in bulk quantities to get a volume discount.
4. Check the Local Farm Store
Sometimes your local farm store will sell common medications. Just get your prescription from your vet and take it to the farm store.
The medications are going to be under lock and key. You will also need to sign an agreement stating that the medication is for an animal and not you.
You can also buy certain things without a prescription. This would include things like vaccines or antibiotics.
Discount Pet Medication
When looking for discount pet medication, you need to get creative about how you buy the medicine. Think about buying the active ingredients, and not a particular brand name.
This is because the same medicine will get packaged in multiple ways. Think of this like brand name vs generic medicine for humans. Sometimes that very same medicine will also get branded for animal use.
Look for alternative sources for your medicine outside of the vet’s office. This could include online or your local farm store.
Now that you know how to get the medication, check out our post on how to effectively give it to your cat.