Flea Control - Do You Really Know What Your Getting From Online Veterinary Pharmacies?

On a recent trip to the pet store, I heard the woman in front of me say, “Oh, I need to grab (insert generic flea control product here). Something’s better than nothing, right?”

WRONG! When it comes to flea control, you need to know a lot about the product you will be applying to your pet’s skin BEFORE you apply it. Not knowing could end up costing you a lot of money. So here’s a list of things to consider before you purchase:

•How did the seller obtain the product? 
The ads you see on TV for online pet pharmacies and big chain pet stores sound enticing, but do you know where they get their products from? The companies that produce Frontline, Revolution, Vectra, and most of the big brand flea control products ONLY sell their products to licensed veterinarians. “FDA has found companies that sell unapproved pet drugs and counterfeit pet products, make fraudulent claims, dispense prescription drugs without requiring a prescription, and sell expired drugs,” reports the FDA Website about online pharmacies. The product you put on your pet may be expired if you’re purchasing them from online companies, or even worse – regular cooking oil in counterfeit packing!

•Is the product backed by the manufacturer?
Did you know that when you purchase your flea/tick products from your veterinarian they are backed 100% by the manufacturer? What does that mean to you? Well, if your pet were to be allergic to the product, become ill from the product, or the product doesn’t work - the manufacturer will pay 100% of the subsequent veterinary bills due to the problem their product caused your pet. Guess what happens if you purchase your product from an online pharmacy or local pet store? Nothing. You are responsible for the veterinary bills because the manufacturers won’t honor their guarantee because their products were not purchased through a viable source, aka your veterinarian.

•Are you using the correct dosage on the correct animal? 
Throughout the years in the veterinary industry, we have seen it time and time again when pet parents buy the over the counter flea products for their pets, tragedy can strike. Thinking they will save some money, they buy the large dog size tubes and put it on all the animals in their house – even the small dogs and cats! Each tube has the correct medication for that specific species and size. Putting that product on a cat will cause seizures and sometimes death because the ingredients in the dog formula are NOT intended to be used on cats. If you guess how much product should go on a small dog, chances are you won’t guess correctly and the small dog can end up being overdosed or not have enough product on to receive protection. Always make sure you purchase the correct product for the size and species of pets you have at home.

•Your local Vet WANTS you to have the BEST products!
And they understand that money is a concern. That’s why many local vets have developed programs to help you purchase flea/tick (and heartworm) products from them at for the prices you would pay online. Toms River Animal Hospital and Bayview Animal Hospitals will price match their flea/tick products with those offered on the leading pet pharmacy websites. Ocean County Veterinary Hospital and Fischer Veterinary Hospital offer flea/tick products for prices 5% to 10% LOWER than the leading online pet pharmacies. Now you can feel confident your pet is receiving the best care AND your wallet is, too!

This information has been provided by Tori Lattig of Endless Pawsibilities, LLC Professional Pet Services & Dog Training.  For more information, call 1.888.320.PAWS or visit http://www.EndlessPaws.com