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We all know how expensive vet visits can be and medications for pets can be just as abhorrent. But there are a few ways to cut down on pet med costs.
There’s always pet insurance, but studies show only about 2-3 percent of insurable pets actually are insured. This may be because the monthly cost of the insurance outweighs the total benefits you receive. Or, in these times of budgeting every penny, a monthly fee may just be too much.
Luckily, there are other alternatives for meds. If you belong to a medication savings club at a local pharmacy, you can find out if the medication prescribed for your pet has a human equivalent. This should be covered under your plan. If you have a Walgreens near you, you’re really in luck. They cover many human-equivalent pet medications and you can even put your pet on your account. Another option is using a discount pet med online service such as www.1800petmeds.com or www.petcarerx.com. You’ll often get free shipping and up to a 50% discount. These options will almost certainly cost you less than filling a prescription at the vet. Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
October 21st, 2009
My Mimi’s SS check is not big enough to cover the cost of insurance for the 4 of us at $30-37 per month per each pet. I am a diabetic and have bilateral hip dysplasia. My Novolin-N insulin is not that expensive at $21 a bottle from WalMart that last 3 months. Mimi’s caught a lot of flack about this, but she’s an RN and doesn’t believe in testing my glucose level unless I’m symptomatic, I have been stable on 7 Units BID for 4 years now. She gets $10 and $5 rebate coupons for my Rimadyl from the Pfizer people.She uses veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt, canned pumpkin, boiled chicken livers, anything that’s lo fat, lo carb and hi protein to supplement our kibble. Keeps our weight down and our teeth brushed. She reads labels. She gets high dollars off flea & tick, dog/cat food, and personal care coupons when perusing the net. She knows how to handle medical emergencies and when we need antibiotics, which is rare. Our vet will walk her through on the phone if something comes up.
She knows any situation might come up where she won’t have the money. She’s had 50 years of pets and that many years wheeling and dealing for what she calls “creative financing.” for serious medical problems. Just make sure you pay your bills even if it’s only $5-10
You always want to be a trusted customer at your vet’s.
Another good way to save on pet meds is to call local pharmacies and see what they charge. My vets office was charging me 23.00 every time I needed to pick up my dog’s Phenobarb. Our local pharmacy only charges 7.50 for the same amount. Your vets office can easily phone in a prescription to a local pharmacy for you.
I’ve found a company out of Australia that ships me a twelve month supply of advantage (Bayer product) for about $89.00 US. Shipping is less than $7.00 US. They are called Vidals Pets. The link is: http://www.vidalspets.com
The product arrives in excellent condition, and in just about one week.
Thanks so much for the info everyone!