How to Save Money on Heart and Flea Medications for Your Pet

We all love our furry companions; which is why it is easy to feel guilty when we go cheap on their necessities.

The pet industry has convinced us that the more we spend, the more we love; but let’s face it, we get more satisfaction from the affection we receive when we buy them an optional toy versus necessary flea and heart medicine. We’ll snatch up the $5 toy but hesitate on the $175 medications, which makes us feel like bad parents.

The fantastic news is, we can go cheap without feeling guilty and if you’re reading this, you’ve already taken the first step toward saving money on your pet’s medications, you’re online!

There are 3 basic rules to saving money on pet medications:

1. Never buy medications from your veterinarian, unless it is an emergency of course. The bottom line is, even veterinarians create steep mark-ups on their products.
2. Don’t be afraid of generics. Generics work just the same.
3. Pay attention to detail. You may find one website with lower prices, but upon check out you’re hit with higher shipping and handling fees.

There are well-known companies such as 1800 Pet Meds, Entirely Pets, and KV Supply.

You will sometimes be able to find lower prices at smaller companies, but I found that the larger companies offer more coupons and most price match on top of that. They’re able to offer lower prices than our veterinarians because they buy in bulk and pass the savings on to us.

There are a couple of web sites I suggest to use as reference sites:

• The first is Amazon; their search option will allow you to see the prices from various companies.
• The second is Retailmenot.com; this site is a coupon code sharing site.

The last time I ordered from 1800 Pet Meds, I used a coupon code from Retail Me Not and emailed 1800 Pet Meds a link to a lower price from a company I found on Amazon. They matched the price from Amazon and applied the coupon code as well. I saved 50% on that one transaction alone!

Some medications are prescription restricted, but the process is much easier than you might expect.

In my experience with 1800 Pet Meds, the prescription information was all part of the check-out process. I shopped as I normally would and inputted my payment information. A prompt came up and asked for my veterinarian’s phone number and they did the rest.

My order did not ship out until they received the prescription from my vet, but I didn’t have to do anything additional. I received an email the next day informing me that 1800 Pet Meds called my vet and that my order was shipped!

Further, my prescription through 1800 Pet Meds for that medication is good for two years and covers any brand, including the money saving generics.

Another important thing to remember is that Amazon prices tend to vary quite a bit. At any given time, Amazon may have a better price than 1800 Pet Meds or KV Pet Supply even with the additional coupon.

Finally, it may be worthwhile to purchase a larger supply. Most of the companies I have mentioned offer lower prices for the larger quantities.

I buy all my pet’s medications for the entire year. Keep in mind that this is a great option for full grown adult pets.

Most pet medications are based on weight, so if you have a puppy or kitten, you should use your judgment on medication weight limits. You wouldn’t want to purchase a year’s supply of flea medicine that your pet will “outgrow” in 6 months.

These steps are not as inconvenient as it may seem. My first order of heart and flea medication saved me $75 and took me 15 minutes. That’s at least 15 affection inducing toys!