KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Being frugal is not always easy when some preventative pet medicines can cost pet owners hundreds of dollars each year.
We polled a random sampling of metro veterinary offices and pet stores to check prices for the most common preventative pet medicines.
We gathered prices for heartworm and flea prevention at more than a dozen different metro businesses and discovered prices can vary greatly.
We found a 6-month supply of
Heartgard Plus for a small dog can range from as low as $20 to as much as $35.25.
Interceptor is another common brand of heartworm prevention. Our sampling found prices ranging from $32 to almost $55.
Flea prevention for cats is a similar story.
Prices for a 6-month supply of
Advantage range from $67.80 to $92. That's a $24 difference!
Prices can even vary from business to business in the same neighborhood.
It can pay to shop around
For example, we found the heartworm prevention Interceptor sold for $39.39 at
Animal Medical Center in Waldo. Eight blocks away,
Aid Animal Hospital sold the same size for $51. That's $11.61 higher.
Heartgard Plus was priced $8 more at the
Fairway Animal Hospital compared to
Westwood Animal Hospital.
Dr. John Rowe, owner of Aid Animal Hospital, says he buys small quantities of pet medicines for customers to keep his inventory and overhead low. But buying fewer drugs from the distributor means paying a higher price. "We buy it at a higher price which means we end up selling it at a higher price," Rowe says.
Dr. Hires Gage of Fairway Animal Hospital says he always tries to keep his prices competitive for his customers. Gage says customers can often get deals such as rebates or discounts when buying from a veterinarian.
What about the online pet store,
1-800-PetMeds? They advertise name brands at cheap prices with delivery to your door.
We compared the prices for 6-month supply of Heartgard Plus for a small dog. The price from 1-800-PetMeds is advertised at $27. That’s one of the lowest prices in our sample, but it is not the lowest.
At the
Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, the same medicine costs $6 less.
We found it even cheaper at Westwood Animal Hospital. The price is just $20 there, the lowest in our random sample.
Are you at risk buying online?
Many veterinarians we spoke with say they keep their prices competitive with online stores.
Buying through a veterinarian can also give you peace of mind that comes with a product guarantee, often backed by a promise that the manufacturer will reimburse for any medical expenses.
The office manager with
Johnson County Animal Clinic says the manufacturer will cover treatment costs if a dog ever tests positive for heartworms while using their product.
The
Food and Drug Administration warns against buying discount drugs from Web sites which advertise discounted pet drugs without a prescription.
"The internet can get you medicine. The problem is, the internet can’t give you the yearly exam that every dog needs,” says Dr. Eric Wika, a staff veterinarian with the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.
Preventative medicines like heartworm medications require a veterinarian's prescription.
That means if you buy it from somewhere other than your vet’s office, you still need a prescription to obtain the medication.
Buying from the vet can save you money
The NBC Action News Investigators discovered a new trend catching on with a lot of metro vet clinics that will save pet owners some serious cas.
Many veterinarian's offices now sell products to their customers on their own web sites. Some even offer lower prices online than inside their offices.
The
Kansas City Veterinary Care Web site advertises a 6-pack of Heartgard Plus for a large dog at $39.99. The price of purchasing in their vetarinary office is $55.98. That's a $16 difference.
Since online sales are new to many veterinarians, customers should ask their vet if they have an online store.
Aid Animal Hospital will have an online store in a matter of months.
"We're excited about it," says Dr. Rowe.
He says having an online store will allow businesses like his to compete against the online giants like 1-800-PetMeds.com.
It may also pay to ask if there are any discounts or rebates available for buying larger quantities of preventative medicines.
For example, through February the manufacturer of Advantage flea prevention is offering a seventh month free with the purchase of a 6-month supply.
The following is a statment from one of the animal clinic in our survey. It stresses a point we heard repeatedly in our research about the importance of buying quality medicines from a reputable business.
"Dispensing of heartworm preventive medication is just that, dispensing of medication. It requires a valid doctor-patient relationship. The veterinarian must make sure that the medication is in the pet’s best interest, is used correctly, with a current heartworm test and at the proper dosage, and for the correct period of time.
We take every opportunity to provide the knowledge that pet owners need to give their pets the longest and best life possible. The heartworm preventive we dispense includes a manufacturer’s guarantees of efficacy. We are happy to mail heartworm preventive medications at no additional charge.
If one chooses to use internet pharmacies, make sure the Web site is a state-licensed pharmacy that is located in the United States. Find your state’s contact information from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) at www.nabp.info. Some sites display the Seal of the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (VIPPS®) Program. For a list of state-licensed pharmacies that carry the Seal, go to
www.vipps.info. Also, be aware that manufacturers’ guarantees may not cover online pharmacies."
-- Rockhill Pet Clinic
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