<p>One of our elderly cats is on a couple prescription medications, including Lactulose for constipation. Our vet sells us the medication. The Lactulose is $20 for a 2-ounce bottle.</p>
<p>I recently checked an online source (1-800-petmeds), and saw that they sell a 16-oz bottle of Lactulose for $18. Quite the price difference!</p>
<p>The online source does require a prescription, so I’ll have to ask the vet for that.</p>
<p>So fellow pet owners, do you buy your pet’s medication from the vet, or do you get a written prescription to buy it elsewhere? Is there any reason not to go with the latter option?</p>
<p>Some pharmacies have pet plans, like the human plans they offer for a yearly fee. I do not know which meds are covered, but I would assume it would be generics; again like the human plan. If it is a human med, I would call around and see what the charge is; Costco is always cheaper than CVS and Walgreen’s for most meds.</p>
<p>I’ve used 1-800-PETMEDS and have been happy. We have pharmacies offering some free “people” meds, and some of my dog’s antibiotics have fallen into that category. I wish I could find a place that offers deals on perscription pet food. Those bills are killing me.</p>
<p>“So fellow pet owners, do you buy your pet’s medication from the vet, or do you get a written prescription to buy it elsewhere? Is there any reason not to go with the latter option?”</p>
<p>Our pets’ vet does not sell prescription meds (only gives out samples and emergency quantities). If our cats get a prescription, I take it to a local compounding pharmacy. Chicken or tuna flavored antibiotics work better than pills for feline patients. I was buying DC’s (that’s Dear Cat) insulin and syringes at Costco for years (it is sold without prescriptions). I really wish Costco would start selling prescription pet diets…</p>
<p>FYI … at my pet shop I have a lot of people looking for prescription diets for their pets. We are unable to purchase these diets for resale. Many of them actually don’t meet the standards for “pet food” because they are too low, or too high in specific nutrients. </p>
<p>Having said that, if you are looking for limited ingredient diets, or low protein diets, go speak with a knowledgeable person at your local independent pet shop (i.e. something besides petcosmartlandia). There are commercial diets on the market that can meet those specs. I am happy to special order foods that I don’t stock – your local shop may as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for all this information – it’s very helpful!</p>
<p>I agree about the prescription cat food; it is so expensive, and so aggravating that it’s not available anywhere at a discount. I think it’s a racket, actually. I once had an email exchange with the manufacturer about why the food could only be bought from a vet, and their answer was very unsatisfactory. I have been tempted to just not get it, but then I would feel guilty that I was not taking good care of our cats. So I really appreciate your suggestion, cnp55, to check with a local independent pet shop for something comparable!</p>
I was buying DC’s (that’s Dear Cat) insulin and syringes at Costco for years (it is sold without prescriptions). I really wish Costco would start selling prescription pet diets…</p>