Does anyone buy their flea and worm treatments online?

[PuhPeng]

My dog walker gave me the tip that it was cheaper to buy Frontline and worm treatment (can't remember brand name) online than via the vet. Seems sensible to me.

I have found places selling it online but I need a prescription. Am confused.

They surely don't expect my vet to write me a prescription for something I don't intend to buy from him?

Anyone know how it works?

I never get a prescription. You really shouldn't need one. Some stuff you need a perscription for, I tried to get rat antibiotic and couldn't - but worming and flea stuff was fine.

Just looked on petmeds.co.uk and doesn't look like you need a prescription. Can't remember which site I used but I just googled and a few sites came up and I used the cheapest.

Thanks for the link Stripey. You seem to be right (though am not through checkout yet). How odd that some sites need a prescription and some don't.

Now I need to find out how much my dog weighs .

I usually buy from the vets but they are way more expensive than online. Just about to order some flea spray, as sil & bil just stayed for a few nights and have both acquired a flea bite.
My cat is not allowed in the bedrooms but think dd lets him in when she is home from uni. They stayed in her room

I always use Petmeds for Frontline - same stuff the vet sells, less than half the price, and no consultation fee.

Good service, very quick.

Sorry to be the pedant here, but the consultation fee is normally there for a reason! Assuming you're vet is a good 'un, the consultation could well pick up on illnesses/lumps & bumps you didn't even know your pet had, which could prevent future illnesses or operations. Is that peace of mind not worth the extra cost? Also it has been reported that the storage conditions of these internet flea treatments may not be what it should & could affect the efficacy.

Night night xxxx

Yes, the consultation fee is there for a reason and if I wanted a consultation I would quite happily book and pay for one. In this case I don't - I just want a basic treatment to keep my pooch flea and worm free. I know the brand name I want, I know it suits her and does the job. Can't see any logic in going out of my way to pay more than I need to for it.

I have complete peace of mind about the health of my gorgeous dog. I always pay for a full consultation so she has a thorough check up when she has her boosters. I take her to the vet if she's ill.

Hadn't heard that about the storage of the flea treatments. If I treat my dog and find she gets fleas anyway I guess I'll know then.

grrrrrrrrrr - have just spent £60 on stuff I could have got from pet meds for £25. WIll definately use in future

I didn't say that the consultation fee wasn't there for a reason. I fully appreciate that it's there for a reason.

But my cat is perfectly healthy, perfectly happy, and the only thing that makes her ill is ... going to the vets. If she has an annual checkup, the vet will only prescribe me three months worth of flea treatment, and still expect me to see him three more times during the year to prescribe more - and I would rather not put her through the stress and the subsequent illness that results from the stress.

I am quite happy with the quality of the Frontline I have received from Petmeds in the past - it has been just as effective as that which I have purchased from the vets. And half the price.

No - I just sit and scratch instead.

Couldn't resist!

petmeds need a prescription - grr fro frontline combo !

But when I get Frontline from the vets I don't take the cat. Cat only goes at booster time, I have to get Frontline/Drontol more often. SO I'm simply paying more for the same stuff.

WWB - just taken our cat for flea/worm checkup - we were told she only needs to be seen once a year for this, and although her stuff is on prescription, they will do a repeat prescription for us that I can just come in and pick up. Could you maybe ask your vet about that - seems a bit strange?!

Also try www.vetuk.co.uk - few pence cheaper tan Petmeds, I've always had very good service from them

Fair enough SKSS. In that case i agree, there is no point paying extra. All i'm saying, is that as much as everyone undoubtedly wants what's best for their beloved pets, there are quite a few illnesses/lumps & bumps etc that only a vet can pick up - your pet may well be asymptomatic. I've seen it happen quite a few times, and in quite a lot of cases, potentially nasty tumours have been discovered at a stage when something could be done about it, but if not found till a few months later, they could have been too far along.
I appreciate this isn't something that happens a lot, but opinions were asked for, and i gave you mine. It seems to me sometimes people think vets are only in the job for the money (which is not as great as general opinion thinks), rather than genuinely wanting to provide the best PREVENTATIVE care for our pets.
And yes, DH is a vet, so i realise i'm biased.

It was good advice Casper and I do appreciate it. I guess a lot of people don't realise how important a yearly health MOT for their pet is.

Thanks. Didn't want to piss anyone off

hi there, I agree, you don't take your cat to the vet for flea treatment. We get a postcard reminding us its due and when I phoned up the other day to check how much it'd be (I also heard about online ordering recently) it was THREE times as much as what it would cost online!!! and it would only last 8 weeks compared to 24. Took my dog recently to get her anal glands done (urgh) spent 15 mins talking about diet and was charged £26 !!!! vets are great when they are ill, but otherwise please shop elsewhere. I use www.bestpet.co.uk/

I am in a loyalty scheme at my vets which I pay for by monthly direct debit. For this I get per year:

12 spot on Advantage flea prevention
4 spot on Profender worm prevention
2 6 monthly vet check-ups
10% discount on Hills Science diets (which are same price as Pets at Home before discount)

The treatments and check-ups cost £8.67 a month. Does anyone think this is excessive? I like not having to pay a big bill every 6 months. This is for an adult cat, under the scheme, kittens under 1 year are seen every 3 months to check their development at no extra.