caring for your house cat

If you're a pet owner, you love your dog or cat just like any other member of the family and you want them to stay healthy and happy. Pets require many different medications such as heart worm and flea prevention, and specialized medications when they are sick or aging. The cost of these medicines can be high, but there are some ways to save money when you go to fill your pet's next prescription.

Buy Medication Other Than At Your Vet's Office

It seems quite convenient to just pay for your pet's prescription while you're at the veterinary office. If your pet is ill, you want to be able to get their medication as soon as possible, so it's only natural to want to purchase it there. However, many larger retail chains offer the same medications at a fraction of the price. If you can wait a while, it should cost you less to buy their medication at one of these outlets. You will be surprised at the difference in cost. It's important to note, however, that not all pet-related medicine is available at all stores, so check around first.

Human Equivalents

Medicine specially designed for animals should be the only thing you give your pet; however, certain prescriptions have a "human equivalent." Medication like antibiotics should typically work the same for both humans and animals. Ask your veterinarian if there are similar medicines available to humans that your pet can take. If there are, you could see significant savings. Drug manufacturers for pets will often charge a much higher amount for the same pill that can have the same effect for humans. Just be sure this is pre-approved by your vet so you don't run any risks of the medication being dangerous or ineffective.

Take Advantage of Discounts

You might be able to save a lot of money on pet medications by enrolling in pet insurance. Some plans will include monthly refills of heart worm medication for free as part of the premium. They can also offer insurance-related discounts on other things like pain medication or joint-improving medicines. Another way to utilize discounts is to subscribe to an automated refill service. You can find these services online, and they usually charge you much less per refill if you agree to have them auto-filled and sent to your home every month. This can also save you time and money by no longer having to run to the vet or drug store to have a refill picked up. Contact a company like Foothills Animal Hospital for more information.