When your schedule is extra-full and it feels like you spend the whole day running around, it can be hard to make time to pick up your pets’ prescriptions. Having your heartworm prevention and flea protection delivered to your sounds like a great idea! Just make sure you have all the important information before you order.
A lot of medications are based on your pet’s weight. If you don’t know exactly what your dog or cat weighs, don’t guess. You could order a dose that’s too low to be helpful or too high to be safe. If you can’t coax your dog or cat onto your scale at home, you do have a few options.
1. If they’re small enough to lift, step onto the scale holding your pet. Record the weight. Next get on the scale alone, and record that weight too. (You can always destroy the evidence later!) Subtract your weight alone from the combined weight, and you’ll be left with your pet’s weight.
2. Your groomer may have a pet scale that you could get your dog onto.
3. Your vet will have a scale, but if you’re going to be at the vet’s, why not get your prescriptions there anyway?
Be sure to check the prices! Search for the exact product your vet wants you to use. There are a lot of pet-medicine-by-mail companies out there; you’re bound to find some variations in price.
Pay attention to how much you’re ordering. Heartworm preventatives are usually sold as a six month supply. Flea and tick prevention may be sold in three month packs or six month packs. Don’t pat yourself on the back for finding the lowest price ever… only to discover you’re getting half of what you expected!
And when you’re trying to figure out how much time, effort, and cash you’ll save by ordering online, don’t forget to include that shipping and handling fee! You may end up paying more for the convenience of having your pets’ medications show up at your door.