Online Or At The Vet, Where To Buy Flea Treatment And Pet Medicine

Up until a couple of decades ago, the only way to treat an ailing pet was to take it to the vet. It is possible to buy dog and cat medicine at a pet store but unless you are lucky enough to live near one, the cost of travelling there can easily be double or triple the cost of the flea treatment that you went there to buy in the first place. With the advent of the Internet and online shopping, getting hold of almost anything that you need without stepping foot outside of your home has now become possible. However the questions remains as to whether it is safe to buy medicine for your pets online or whether they would be better off being taken to the vet.

Cats and dogs are very independent creatures and in many ways they can fend for themselves. However, when it comes to looking after their health, you as the owner are responsible. It is up to you to ensure that you are feeding your pet a healthy and balanced diet, allowing it the exercise that it needs and, if it becomes ill, ensuring that you give it the right medicine to get better again. For anyone who is not an expert on animal health, this can seem a daunting task. This is why taking your dog or cat to the vet seems like the obvious solution because the vet can give you an expert diagnosis of exactly what the problem is and how to cure it with medication.

However, a trip to the vet can be very expensive, especially if you do not have pet insurance. Typically, a vet will advise on the correct medication for your pet and then the pet owner buys the medicine through the vet. However many pet owners are now realising that it is much cheaper to buy these same medicines online through various pet care websites that, thanks to their low overheads, can afford to sell cat and dog medication at reduced prices. You will still need to attain a prescription from your vet for certain products that are illegal to sell without one, and the vet is likely to charge a fee for writing this out for you, but the saving that you make from buying online is often more than enough to cover this prescription fee and still leave you with a good discount.

However just as people do not go to the doctor for a cold, for minor pet afflictions such as fleas and ticks it is often possible to treat your pet yourself, with no professional diagnosis needed. From anti flea house spray to insecticidal dog shampoo, many treatments can be bought online at a much lower price than you would pay your vet to order them in for you. There are even products available without a prescription for illnesses such as arthritis and diabetes.

Generally, you as the pet owner are perfectly capable of caring for the health of your pet without professional advice. It is common sense that cats, dogs and other pets need to eat a healthy and balanced diet with only occasional treats, just as they would in the wild, and pet supplements bought online will ensure that your beloved pet is receiving all the nutrients that he or she needs. However, if your pet is very ill, attempting to diagnose it yourself can be both impossible and a real risk to the health and even the life of your pet. You should always visit the vet for anything other than a minor problem as they will be able to advise you on what pet medicine to buy, after which you can get a prescription and buy it online to save money.

Always remember to ensure that you are buying from a reputable supplier. There are pet care websites that import low quality or ineffective dog and cat medicine from abroad, or sell out of date products. Check the About Us page and only buy dog medication and other pet medicines from a retailer who is approved by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate or VMD so that you know you are buying high quality and safe to use products, whether they are prescription medicines or a simple flea treatment. Buying medicine or supplements for your pet online is a very cost effective way of looking after the health of your pet, but do not forget the importance of a visit to the vet if you think that the problem might be serious.