Saving Money

Save Money On Pet Medication Using An Online Pharmacy

I have an elderly, special needs cat. I’ve come to that conclusion. I knew the cat was getting up there in years, but the special needs part has come to light recently. The cat has been to the vet several times over the last year with what turned out to be the downstream effects of arthritis in her rear end, near the base of her tail. We’ve tried some different suggestions from the vet, but the magic potion appears to be a drug called Gabapentin. I’ve purchased it directly from the vet at a cost of $23 for a week’s supply (14 doses) a few times when symptoms reoccurred, but the suggestion is to put her on the drug long term. $23 a week adds up quick, so we needed a less expensive way to address the problem.

Luckily for us, the vet suggested a solution to caring for the special needs of our aging cat, while not breaking our budget. They were willing to call the prescription in to an online pet pharmacy which would mail the drug directly to our home.

Here’s how it worked:

• The vet called the prescription in to the online pharmacy, Veterinary Pharmacies of America or VPA.
• VPA called me to gather payment and shipping information.
• A few days later, the medication arrived at my home

Purchasing the drug directly from the online pharmacy was astonishingly cheaper than buying from the vet. The $23 bottle from the vet was 5oz, or about a week’s supply. What we purchased from VPA was a 30oz bottle, or about a 6 week’s supply, for just over $30.

Some things to know about ordering pet medicine online:

• It takes a few days for the medication to arrive. To ensure you don’t run out, order at least a week ahead of time or you might have to pay extra for expedited shipping.
• Some medications can be ordered in several different forms such as liquid, treat, or caplets. If you want to change the form of medication, you might have to talk to your vet again.

People consider their pets members of their family. When they need medication and care we want to give it to them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look for ways to save money in doing so. Ordering my cat’s medication online allows me to give her the care she needs without breaking my bank account.

Brought to you courtesy of Brock

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Brock Kernin

Brock is a software engineer by day and personal finance blogger at night. He is a fitness junkie and enjoys grilling and smoking meat. Married with two children,  Brock strives to improve his skills as a husband and father, and is always on the lookout to stretch his family’s budget as far as he can.