Order Pet Meds Online from Canada Safely & Save Money
pet medications
If you’re a pet owner, you know that taking care of your furry friends’ needs can be expensive. Between food, toys, beds, and even boarding—it all adds up fast, doesn’t it?
That’s to say nothing of pet meds and healthcare. If your four-legged best friend is dealing with a chronic condition or needs a specialized surgery, you’re likely dealing with staggeringly high costs. This is often the case even if a dog, cat, or other pet isn’t struggling with anything ‘serious’; even routine parasite prevention routines can be surprisingly costly.
Fortunately, if you’re interested in lower costs for expensive pet meds, there is a solution to consider: Ordering pet meds online from Canada.
With Canadian online pharmacies and international drugstores, pet owners can save money, access trusted medications, and enjoy the convenience of doorstep delivery—all without compromising on quality.
And, even better: It’s far easier than you think to get started. Let’s talk through your options for making sure that your pets get the care they deserve without breaking the bank.
Why Are Pet Owners Turning to Canadian Online Pharmacies?
If you’ve ever left the vet’s office clutching a prescription and cringing at the cost, you’re not alone. Pet medications in the U.S. can be prohibitively expensive. Especially for pet meds geared to treat chronic conditions, the sticker shock can be astounding.
This can leave pet owners in a situation where they feel they must choose between affordable care and affordability.
Today, pet owners are turning to Canadian online pharmacies for one simple reason: They can offer a cost-effective alternative—and a way out of that tough situation.
Canadian online pharmacies can come with several perks, only the first of which is lower costs.
For example, if you work with a high-quality international and online Canadian pharmacy website, you’re poised to benefit from:
- Affordable pricing, as international and online Canadian pharmacies have lower overhead and can source from more diverse markets;
- High standards, as Canadian pharmacies have to adhere to exceedingly rigorous regulations, and
- Convenient access, as you can order through an online Canadian drugstore from your computer or smartphone…and enjoy pet meds shipped directly to your front door.
How to Safely Order Pet Meds Online from Canada
That said: If you’re an internet-aware person living in the information age, you’re likely at least somewhat familiar with scammy websites and fraudulent online claims.
While lower costs and increased convenience sound great, these benefits cannot come at the cost of reduced safety for you and your pets.
Luckily, there are a few foolproof ways to find out whether an online Canada drugs source you’re considering is worth trusting.
Here’s what we’d recommend doing:
Start by Researching Reputable Online Pharmacies
Some pharmacies are reliable. Others aren’t.
There are a world of indicators you could look for to determine whether the one you’re looking at is trustworthy. (One is simple: Trust your gut. If the website looks like it was thrown together quickly or has weird wording, that’s worth remembering.)
If you don’t have time for a full vetting process or if you feel overwhelmed, though, know that you’re not the first person to ask this question.
There’s an entire reputable association that keeps tabs on the legitimacy of Canadian pharmacies and international drugstores to help you narrow down your options.
As you vet pharmacy websites, keep an eye out for CIPA certification. The Canadian International Pharmacy Association has very high standards for pharmacy authenticity and safety.
If you’re working with a CIPA-certified pharmacy, you’re in good hands.
Make Sure the Pharmacy Requires Prescriptions
Prescriptions are the script that a doctor writes you to tell the pharmacy what to give you as an effective treatment for your condition (or to help you achieve your health goals).
They are, in a word, important. Very important.
Even if you know exactly what type of medication that your dog or cat needs—like parasite prevention, or a chronic medication—having the written documentation of the specific product and dosage you require is an essential step of the pharmacy dispensing process.
Any pharmacy that waives this requirement, or especially, advertises the fact that it’s waiving this requirement, does not have your best interests in mind … and is likely not worth doing business with.
Read Customer Reviews
Perhaps the single best way to get an idea of a site’s legitimacy is to head to the comment section and figure out what a usual experience is with that brand.
Going to third-party sites like Trust Pilot and Shopper Approved to read customer reviews can give you a great sense for whether you can trust a pharmacy website and can expect to have a good experience.
Popular Pet Medications Available Online
Once you’ve found a reputable pharmacy website to work with, you unlock a whole new wide world of affordably priced, easy-to-find pet medications.
For example, just a smattering of the medications you may be able to order in just a few clicks include medications that are ready to help dogs and cats (and their owners) with…
Pain Relief
Examples of pet pain relief medications you may be able to order through an online and international Canadian pharmacy website include:
Parasite Prevention
Need to make sure your pet doesn’t suffer from worm or insect infections? You may consider purchasing:
- Revolution, a routine medication that protects against fleas, ticks, and heartworm.
- Heartgard, a trusted heartworm preventative product for dogs.
Infections
If your pet does sustain an infection, the following medications may be able to provide the healing you seek:
- Baytril (enrofloxacin), which is an antibiotic for bacterial infections.
- Amoxicillin, a frequently prescribed generic med for infections in both dogs and cats.
Ordering Prescription Pet Meds vs. Over-the-Counter Options
When you’re shopping online, you’ll see that there are two general categories of medications you can choose from: Prescription meds, which require your doctor’s approval, and OTC or over-the-counter medications, which don’t.
Very generally speaking, stronger medications for acute instances or more severe chronic conditions tend to be prescription-only. These can include antibiotics and pain medication drugs.
Generally, medications for more routine healthcare maintenance tend to be OTC. These may include supplements, flea treatments, and ear cleansers.
Both categories of medications are important. Figuring out which you need can be simple: Go talk to your doctor (or your pet’s veterinarian).
If you’re in a situation where you don’t believe a doctor’s visit is necessary, you may be able to consider an OTC treatment. If you do need a doctor visit, then that healthcare professional will be able to help you find the right medication for your pet’s situation.
How to Save Money When Ordering Pet Meds Online
Interested in saving money?
Of course you are (everyone is) but there are ways to do so that can help you maximize your savings without taking up too much time or jeopardizing your pet’s health.
Here’s what we would recommend:
Perform a Quick Price Comparison
It’s always a good idea to do a quick fact-check to make sure that a site promising low prices is, in fact, offering low prices.
While many international and online Canadian pharmacies do offer competitive pricing, since they can source from international markets while many American pharmacies cannot, it may be worth your while to click around and check medication prices at your pharmacy of choice as well as a few other contenders.
(Just make sure that other pharmacies you check at are also reputable, safe, and CIPA-certified—otherwise those too-good-to-be-true low prices may in fact be too good to be true.)
Keep an Eye Out for Coupons and Promotions
Sometimes, pet medication manufacturers will offer discounts for new customers, or general promotions on (say) seasonal products.
While these types of discounts may not be a good solution for keeping costs low on long-term expensive medications, they can help with one-off purchases.
Finding these promotions can be difficult. Talk to your veterinarian’s office to see if they have any information you can use, or even specific coupons you may be able to leverage.
Opt for Generic Medications
Generic medications are off-brand versions of popular medications that are biochemically equivalent.
They may include a different set of inactive or filler ingredients, but the active ingredient—or the portion of the medication responsible for actually doing the medication’s main “job”—is the same as the brand version.
Usually, generic medications are significantly cheaper than the branded variant. If your dog or cat tolerates the generic version of the drug, take advantage of that!
When You Can, Purchase In Bulk
For some chronic medications, like preventative meds that your pet may need to take on the first of each month indefinitely, you may be able to buy larger amounts at one time. This can take the cost per individual dose down considerably.
If you’re purchasing a prescription pet medication, just know that to buy a 90-day as opposed to a 30-day supply, you do need a specific prescription for that larger amount. Talk to your pet’s veterinarian to determine whether this is an option for you.
FAQs About Ordering Pet Meds Online
Have further questions about ordering pet meds online from Canada?
Here’s a quick rundown of the most commonly-asked questions we field.
(If you have any questions that are not addressed here, our friendly customer service team would be more than happy to provide direct answers — just reach out!)
1. Do I Need a Prescription to Order Pet Meds Online?
Yes, to order prescription medications like heartworm preventatives or antibiotics, you’ll need a valid vet prescription.
There are, of course, many OTC treatments, like ear cleansers and mild pain relief options, that do not require prescriptions.
2. Can I Trust the Medications from Canadian Pharmacies?
Yes, you can trust the medications from Canadian pharmacies. Canadian online and international pharmacies adhere to exceedingly strict regulatory standards to help customers feel confident that their drugs are authentic and safe, provided that they are accredited by CIPA.
Remember, if you’re working with a CIPA-certified pharmacy, you can enjoy total peace of mind.
3. How Long Does Shipping Take?
Shipping timelines can vary depending on the nature and time of your order.
If you have specific questions about shipping delays or the possibility of expedited shipping, talk to our customer service representatives at your leisure!
How to Safely Order Prescription and Non-Prescription Pet Meds Online
Here’s your go-to process for navigating online pet pharmacies safely and efficiently.
These simple steps should help you feel confident that you and your pet are getting the care and support you need.
Step 1: Confirm Your Pet’s Prescription Requirements First
To make everything after this initial step easier, start by reading your prescription immediately after you receive it.
(Preferably, do a quick scan while you’re still at the vet’s office to make sure there are no obvious errors you’ll need to correct.)
As long as you’re working with a reputable pharmacy, you’ll need a valid and current prescription for any prescription pet meds you need. Making sure that your prescription is 100% correct will help reduce the changes of frustrating, avoidable errors later down the road.
Step 2: Triple-Check the Product Details
After you’ve perused your online pharmacy’s virtual aisles and selected the medication your pet needs, check the product information against your prescription again.
Ensure the medication’s name, dosage, and instructions match your vet’s recommendation.
Once you’ve done this, you can select your relevant dosage from the drop-down menus and click “add to cart.” Follow the on-screen instructions to submit your payment information.
Then, once you’ve received confirmation of your order, make sure to keep an eye out for tracking information so you can stay informed about your delivery timeline.
Step 3: Monitor Your Pet’s Response
Once your pet meds arrive and your pet starts taking the medication, closely monitor them for any side effects or unusual reactions. If you notice anything odd, contact your veterinarian at once.
Save Money and Ensure Your Pet’s Health with Canadian Online Pharmacies
Ready to save on your pet’s medications?
There’s a wide range of products, both prescription and non-prescription, available through international and online Canadian pharmacies like NorthWestPharmacy.com. Take a quick look to see what we offer, and if you have any questions, talk to our team.
We look forward to supporting your pet’s wellness journey.
