Tip #3: Ask you veterinarian to price match products you find on the Internet.

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Tip #3: Ask you veterinarian to price match products you find on the Internet.

I don’t know of any veterinarian who wouldn’t do this for a loyal client. If they say no, they’re downright crazy in my opinion!

Don’t expect to just walk into a clinic you’ve never been to before and ask them to price match. You have to establish a relationship with them first (see Tip #10).

Go to the website where you found the product(s) you want to buy. Enter what you need in the shopping cart. Go far enough into the checkout process where you have a total listed (obviously you don’t want to actually purchase the product.) MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THE SHIPPING INFORMATION. You could also just print the information off the main product screen as long as the shipping information is included somewhere on the page.

Print this off and take it to your vet. Make sure that it is dated somehow as they probably won’t honor anything that wasn’t printed out during the last few days.

The truth is, online pharmacies could give a hairy melon about you and your pet! Trust me, I’ve been forced to speak to their customer service representatives on more than one occasion.

Veterinarians and their staff work hard to establish relationships with their clients. When you buy from them not only do you get the product (heartworm tablets, flea prevention, arthritis medication, whatever) but you also get the advice and knowledge that comes along with it. Sure, buying something for a cheaper price is a right you have as a consumer. But have you thought about WHY it’s cheaper?

First of all, many people don’t realize that veterinary products purchased from online retailers DO NOT COME WITH THE MANUFACTURER’S GUARANTEE. This is simply because the manufacturer did not approve for these products to be sold without the establishment of a client-doctor relationship. Someone out there with a veterinary license is making a pretty penny redistributing these items as bootlegged items.

So, let’s say you’ve been giving your dog his heartworm preventative faithfully each month as directed. Then he tests positive for heartworm. After all, no medication in animal or human medicine is 100% effective. (Can we say birth control pills?) It happens.

If it shows in your dog’s medical record that you have purchased heartworm medication from the clinic on a regular basis THE MANUFACTURER WILL PAY FOR 100% OF YOUR DOG’S HEARTWORM TREATMENT! If you’ve purchased heartworm medication from an online vendor it’s up to you to foot the bill.

Just last week our clinic treated a heartworm postive dog. Luckily his owner previously purchased a year supply of heartworm preventative from us (who knows if it was actually given to the dog). When he tested positive for heartworm guess who paid for the treatment? Yep—the manufacturer.

Imagine if manufacturers of birth control pills had to be held responsible for all those unexpected pregnancies! This demonstrates the value pet manufacturers place on the establishment of a vet-client relationship.

Now, I told you earlier that giving your dog heartworm preventative was a good investment right? Don’t expect the manufacturer to pay for treatment if you decide to buy just one or two pills. It has to show on your pet’s medical record that you’ve purchased the amount recommended by your veterinarian.

Keep in mind that if you ever say, “No thanks” to a refill on heartworm preventative, “client declines heartworm preventative” gets written in your pet’s record. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to haunt you later on!
If you think I’m just blowing a bunch of hot air into your face just to make sure you purchase your products from the vet take a look at what Novartis has to say about it.

Follow the link (http://www.interceptor.novartis.us/dog/en/about.shtml) and then scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says, “Novartis 100% Satisfaction Guarantee to Veterinarians.”

See? I’m not making this up!

The guarantee also applies to other products besides heartworm medication. If your dog has some kind of reaction or if for some reason you are unhappy with your purchase good luck getting any support or refund from the online vendor!

They also say these products are “exactly like what you get from your vet!” They’re not. Many clients receive products that have expired or in packages written in a different language.

We also don’t know how these products are being shipped or stored. Have they been baking in a non-air-conditioned warehouse somewhere? Freezing in the back of a delivery truck? Who knows?

Bottom-line—give your money to your veterinary hospital. They have your pet’s best interest at heart.

Tip #2: Follow your vet’s recommendations when it comes to preventative medicine

Follow your vet’s recommendations when it comes to preventative medicine (heartworm preventative, vaccinations, blood tests, etc.).

Do you think heartworm pills are expensive? Well, the cost of heartworm preventative is chump-change in comparison to what it costs to treat a heartworm positive dog.

Depending on the dog’s weight, a month of heartworm preventative can cost $3-8. If your dog tests positive expect to pay $500-$1000 (or more) to have him treated. Egads! That’s a mortgage payment for some folks.

And by the way, ALL DOGS are at risk for acquiring heartworm disease, even if living indoors. It only takes ONE bite from an infected mosquito. I’ve seen all kinds of dogs test positive for heartworm. The past few our clinic treated included a Chihuahua, a Bouvier, a Siberian Husky, and a Labrador retriever.

There has been a lot of discussion lately between the veterinary community and vaccine manufacturers. Thanks to scientific advances the immunity provided by many pet vaccines is lasting longer. Therefore, many veterinarians are recommending giving boosters on certain vaccines every three years instead of yearly. That will save you money!

Hopefully your veterinarian has jumped on this bandwagon. Vaccines are essential in protecting our pets against deadly viruses. But the less vaccines we have to give the better. It all depends on your pet’s age and lifestyle. Talk to your vet.

(At the end of this reports you’ll find a link to the latest canine vaccine guidelines published by the American Animal Hospital Association.)

Blood tests often reveal hidden health problems. If a disease is detected early, it will be both easier and cheaper to treat—for both you and your veterinarian. Treating diseases involving kidney failure and liver disease will cost you lots of money if your pet is in the later stages.

Even if your pet’s blood tests are normal you will have a baseline of his healthy values if there ever is a problem in the future. Not a bad investment.