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Pet Meds Without Vet Prescriptions: Your Complete Guide

pet medications

March 7, 2023
Vet Prescriptions

If you’re a pet owner and you need to buy heartworm medication or a cat inhaler, you’ve probably asked yourself the following question at least once:

Can you buy pet meds without a vet prescription?

Or, even better: Can you get discount vet meds without a vet prescription?

Pet owners who routinely pay costly pet bills: We see you, and we understand your concerns!

And, even better – we can help you find what you need (for less).

Canada’s finest online pet pharmacies can help you buy reliably low-cost pet meds, whether you’re looking for pet meds without a vet prescription or a simple way to buy prescription-only treatments for the animals in your care.

Getting Pet Meds Without a Vet Prescription

There are some types of pet meds that you can usually buy without a vet prescription. These pet meds include:

Flea and Tick Prevention Products. While heartworm and heavy-duty parasite medications are usually prescription-only, some insecticides and milder parasite products are available over the counter. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy Strongid Paste for Horses, Advantix Spot-On Solution for Dogs, and Drontal Puppy Suspension without getting a vet prescription.

Joint Health Supplements. As pets – and their joints – age, they may need a little boost to help them enjoy optimal mobility. Supplements containing ingredients like chondroitin and glucosamine can help. Cosequine, a product that can help support joint health for cats and dogs, is one example. You can even get a Cosequine Equine Joint Supplement to help aging or active horses thrive.

Probiotics. Like humans, dogs and cats do their best when their guts are as healthy as possible. Many online pet pharmacies offer high-quality probiotic supplements that you can access without a prescription.

Dental care products. Does your dog brush their teeth? Likely not. Products like dental sprays, chews, and water additives can help reduce plaque buildup, tooth decay, and bad breath for dogs and cats alike.

Ear cleaners. Many pets are prone to painful ear infections and the buildup of wax and debris. A little prevention goes a long way; products like Epi-Otic and Zymox, handy pet ear cleaners, can help.

Soothing products for muscle soreness. Whether your pet is a performance animal or a professional couch potato, they will likely have sore muscles occasionally. If that happens, you might consider picking up a product like Absorbine Veterinary Liniment, a non-prescription equine topical treatment available through NorthWestPharmacy.com.

Pet health accessories. Not all products available through online pharmacy websites are necessarily medications. Many offer must-have health products to make caring for pets easier. For example, many pets use Flovent inhalers to treat respiratory symptoms, but regular HFA inhalers are for human use. Picking up an Aerodawg Canine Aerosol Chamber or an Aerokat Feline Aerosol Chamber for your dog or cat to use will make the entire inhaler treatment process much, much more manageable.

Vet Prescriptions

How Can I Get Pet Meds Without a Vet Prescription

If you’re interested in purchasing pet meds or health products that belong to the above or similar categories, you’re in luck. You don’t need a vet prescription to buy any of those pet meds.

Figuring out which pet meds require a prescription vs. those that don’t should be easy. Reputable online pet pharmacies will make the requirement for a prescription very clear on individual product pages.

For example, if you go to the Vetmedin product page on NorthWestPharmacy.com, you’ll see a gray box at the top notifying you that a prescription is required to purchase that product. The Aerodawg page notes that a prescription is not required.

Is getting other, more potent, effective pet medications possible without a vet prescription?

Here’s the thing: If a pharmacy website tells you you can buy Flovent or Apoquel without a prescription, don’t use that website.

It’s not legal to obtain prescription-only pet medications without a prescription. This is meant to help ensure your pet’s safety, and high-quality online pharmacies won’t skip this step (or make it seem like you could).

Fortunately, great online pet pharmacies make purchasing pet meds with a valid vet prescription very easy.

Aside from requiring prescriptions for medications, a simple way to tell which online pharmacies are trustworthy is to look for seals of approval from reputable pharmacy associations. We always recommend working with pharmacies certified by CIPA (or the Canadian International Pharmacy Association).

Let’s talk about which prescription-only pet medications you might need – and how simple and low-cost buying them through NorthWestPharmacy.com is!

Buying Pet Meds That Require Vet Prescriptions

First things first: Why do some medications require vet prescriptions?

Heartworm prevention, for example, might seem like a no-brainer. The same goes for other types of chronic or common-sense pet medications. Is a prescription really necessary?

Why Do I Need a Pet Meds Prescription from My Vet?

There are three reasons you need a pet med prescription from your vet to purchase some pet medications. They are:

  1. Legal requirements. It’s against the law to dispense some medications – for example, very strong or potentially -- addictive meds -- without current, valid pet prescriptions. Having the prescription will help you get the medication and avoid penalties or other consequences.
  2. Safety. A valid prescription lets your pet’s vet communicate the exact dose and product your pet needs to your pharmacist. Without a prescription, you or your pharmacist could accidentally get your pet’s dosage wrong, which could be dangerous for your furry best friend.
  3. Quality control. Having a prescription means that you can buy your pet medications from licensed pharmacies and suppliers, which means that you can be sure you’re getting a safe, thoroughly-vetted (if you will) product.

Which Pet Medications Require Prescriptions? How Do I Buy Those?

Pet medications that usually require prescriptions include the following:

  • Antidepressants
  • Antiseizure medications
  • Antibiotics
  • Analgesics
  • Blood pressure medications
  • Blood thinning medications
  • Blood clotting medications

The specific common pet medications below also require prescriptions. However, buying them doesn’t have to be complicated.

Have your veterinarian send your prescription straight to the online pet pharmacy of your choice. Then, if you’re working with NorthWestPharmacy.com, you’ll need to find the prescription medication product page, select the dose you need, and click “add to cart.”

It’s simpler than you think – and we’ve made the entire process even easier by providing quick links and prices to 12 of our top-selling prescription pet medications below!

Vet Prescriptions

Vetmedin

Vetmedin (pimobendan) is often prescribed to treat congestive heart failure, or other concerning heart conditions, in dogs. The medication reduces how hard the heart needs to work to do its job. This can make your dog’s life a lot easier. It can also increase their life expectancy.

Usually, dogs will take Vetmedin twice per day. You can buy 100 capsules of brand-name Vetmedin through NorthWestPharmacy.com for around $90.00.

Apoquel

Apoquel (oclacitinib) helps manage allergic skin conditions, including flea allergy dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. If your pet struggles with inflamed, itchy skin, Apoquel can help. It works by blocking enzymes that lead to that frustrating, itchy feeling – resulting in reliable relief.

A typical treatment plan with Apoquel involves pets taking oral medication twice per day for around two weeks to treat a flare-up or once per day as a maintenance medication. You can buy 20 tablets of Apoquel through NorthWestPharmacy.com for approximately $38.00.

Optimmune Ointment

Optimmune Ointment (cyclosporine) treats dry eyes in dogs. This is more than just about canine comfort. Having dry eyes, or keratoconjunctivitis sicca, long-term can impede your dog’s eye health and lead to painful complications.

Cyclosporine, the active ingredient in Optimmune Ointment, suppresses the inflammatory response and helps increase tear production.

Usually, dog owners dab Optimmune Ointment on their dog’s affected eyes twice daily. You can buy generic cyclosporine cream, which is as effective as Optimmune Ointment but far more affordable, through NorthWestPharmacy.com for around $26.00 for a 3.5 gram tube.

Palladia

Palladia (toceranib phosphate) helps inhibit the growth and division of cancer cells. If your dog has cancer or mast cell tumors, Palladia can help slow how quickly the disease progresses. This can improve and possibly even extend your dog’s life.

Dogs with a prescription for Palladia will take the oral medication three times weekly. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy 30 tablets of brand-name Palladia for around $230.00.

Previcox

Previcox (firocoxib) helps pets manage the inflammation and pain often associated with osteoarthritis. If your pet has chronic pain and mobility issues, Previcox may be able to help.

Usually, feline and canine patients take one dose of Previcox daily. You can buy a two-month supply of Previcox through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $88.00.

Simparica Trio

Simparica Trio (sarolaner/moxidectin/pyrantel) is a combination medicine that can treat and prevent tick and flea infestations, intestinal worms, and intestinal worms heartworm infections, in dogs.

To get the full protection of Simparica Trio, dogs will take the medication once per month.

You can buy three tablets, or three months’ worth, of Simparica Trio starting at about $64.00. (The more your dog weighs, the more the medication will cost.)

Revolution

Revolution (selamectin) can help dogs avoid flea infestations, parasitic infections, and heartworm disease. However, Revolution is also a good product for your feline friends. Whether you have a dog or a cat that requires protection against a broad spectrum of infections, they can achieve protection by taking Revolution once per month.

You can buy three doses of Revolution starting at around $53.00. Like Simparica Trio, the more your cat or dog weighs, the more the medication will cost.

Galliprant

Galliprant (grapiprant) can help dogs diagnosed with osteoarthritis manage their inflammation and pain. If your canine friend has mobility issues or chronic joint pain, Galliprant can help improve their quality of life.

You can buy seven pills of brand-name Galliprant, or about a week’s supply, through NorthWestPharmacy.com for around $22.00.

Heartgard Plus

Heartgard Plus (ivermectin and pyrantel) is an effective heartworm disease prevention prescription medication for dogs. It can also control infections and diseases related to intestinal parasites.

Typically, dogs take Heartgard Plus once per month. You can buy six chew tabs – or a six month supply – of Heartgard Plus starting at about $53.00.

Vet Prescriptions

Prascend For Horses

Prascend For Horses (pergolide mesylate) can help equine patients manage symptoms associated with pituitary dysfunction or Cushing’s disease. By taking Prascend, horses can better regulate their hormone levels and reduce associated symptoms, such as abnormal weight loss and hair growth.

You can buy brand-name Prascend for Horses in a 60-tab supply for around $135.00. This amount should last for two months of daily doses.

Rimadyl

Rimadyl (carprofen) can help dogs manage pain after dental or surgical procedures. It can also help reduce inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis (or similar conditions).

The typical dosing schedule for Rimadyl for dogs is once per day.

Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy brand Rimadyl for just over $1.00 per pill, or around $63.00 for a pack of 60 pills – or a two-month supply.

Atopica for Cats Oral Solution

Atopica for Cats Oral Solution (cyclosporine) contains the same active ingredient as Optimmune Ointment, a topical treatment that treats dry eyes in dogs. For cats, Atopica Oral Solution can help reduce the itchiness and pain associated with allergic skin conditions.

Fortunately, it’s taken orally, so neither you nor your cat needs to experience multiple attempts to apply an on-skin ointment.

You can buy Atopica for Cats Oral Solution through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $60.00 per 5mL tube.

Flovent

Flovent HFA Inhaler (fluticasone) helps reduce airway inflammation. Canine or feline Inflammation in the respiratory system can happen for several reasons, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. This inhaler can provide relief for both dogs and cats..

You can buy one brand-name Flovent HFA Inhaler through NorthWestPharmacy.com for around $42.00.

Vet Prescriptions

Save on Select Pet Meds With and Without Prescriptions Through NorthWestPharmacy.com

If you’re trying to find the products and prescriptions you need to provide excellent care for your pets, you don’t need obstacles standing in your way.

That’s why we make buying pet meds through NorthWestPharmacy.com as streamlined and straightforward as possible.

Require a prescription-only pet med? Have your vet send the prescription here, and we’ll handle the rest.

Looking for a non-prescription product? Even simpler – just click “add to cart” and check out through our safe online payment portal.

Want to speak with a knowledgeable, friendly customer service rep (or one of our on-staff pharmacists)? You can do so by calling 1-866-539-5330. You can even place your order online. At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we look forward to supporting you and your pets throughout your healthcare journey. Check out our online pharmacy’s customer reviews, call our team, or browse through our library of pet medications to get started!

The information provided on the NorthWestPharmacy.com website is intended to facilitate awareness about healthcare products and medical conditions generally but it is not a substitute for professional medical attention or advice. You should always speak with a qualified healthcare practitioner before taking any prescription or non-prescription drug.
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