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Whether heartworm prevention or eye drops, you no longer need to pick up your pet’s medicine at your veterinarian’s office, thanks to a wide range of easy online solutions—even for prescription medications.
For many sites, you just upload a photo of your pet’s prescription from your vet. Other places might call your veterinarian after you’ve placed your order. Online pharmacy prices are typically competitive, and most often delivery is fast.
Our favorite place to buy pet medication online is Chewy. The company is known for a massive selection of all sorts of pet products, as well as spectacular customer service. Here’s a look at some of our favorite ways to buy medication online, including full-service retailers with supplements and everything else your pet needs to stay healthy.
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Chewy is known for having a huge selection of products for all kinds of pets. The company’s pharmacy is equally all-encompassing. You can find medication, prescription diets, and healthy products for dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles, and other animals. Chewy also has a compounding pharmacy, which is when medications are tailor-made to the specific needs of a patient. That could mean adding a beefy flavor your dog would like to a liquid medicine or combining several medications into a salve.
You can search by category—like allergies or antibiotics—or by condition, like asthma or anxiety. There are lots of name brands and many generic options. You provide your vet’s name and contact information when you check out, and Chewy will contact them to confirm your prescription, or you can mail in your prescription.
Chewy offers free shipping for orders over $49 and 50 percent off your first autoship order. Medications that need to be refrigerated ship in insulated coolers that will keep them cool for as long as 72 hours. Chewy also has a fantastic reputation for customer service. Its team is quick to answer questions, replace incorrect or damaged items, and offer support.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $49
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You can shop by pet, brand, or condition at Walmart PetRx, which promises more than 3,000 products in stock. There are medications and related products for dogs, cats, fish, birds, horses, and other farm animals. There are the usual antibiotics, pain relievers, and allergy medicines, but also many specific drugs, such as probiotics for cows and aspirin for sore muscles in horses.
Each product has very detailed information explaining what it is, why and how it’s used, active ingredients, potential side effects, and how it works. For prescription products, you add your vet’s name during checkout, and Walmart will call to confirm. There’s free two-day shipping on orders over $35 and a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. There are even more savings if you sign up for autoship, and refills are easy with just one click. Prices are very competitive, and the selection is huge.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $35
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What We Don’t Like
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Items only for dogs, cats, and horses
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Need to spend over $49 for free shipping
PetMeds is a well-known online pet pharmacy. It offers medication and health supplies for dogs, cats, and horses. If you’re not sure exactly what you’re looking for, you can narrow your search by looking at category, health condition, life stage, brand, flavor, or price. The site will also offer generic options when available for a cost-saving pick. When you place an order, you give your vet’s contact information, and PetMeds calls to confirm the prescription. Like other sites, you can also mail in your pet’s prescription.
The company offers free shipping on orders over $49 and a price match service. There’s a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee promise so you can get your money back or a merchandise credit. The rewards program offers 2 percent back on all purchases, which builds toward credit in your account.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $49
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What We Like
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Prescription products for dogs, cats, and horses
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Price-match guarantee
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Earn points for every purchase
A well-known physical store and online presence for pets, Petco also has a bustling online pharmacy. Currently, you can buy medications, prescription food, and health-related products for dogs, cats, and horses. Petco collects prescription information at checkout and will call your vet to confirm.
You can search by type of medication or by brand, as well as by price, size, and customer ratings. Petco has a price-match guarantee, so you know you can always find the lowest price there. You can earn points for every purchase, which accumulate towards savings, and there’s a one-click system for refills. There’s free shipping on orders over $35 and savings when you sign up for repeat delivery.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $35
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You can buy huge jars of peanut butter and massive packs of dog toys at Costco, but your warehouse club membership also helps you save on pet prescription medications. Use the search function to check for your pet’s medication, and the site will give you availability and pricing for Costco in-store, Costco prescription home delivery, and then a smattering of other network pharmacies like Walgreens.
It’s typically cheapest to bring your pet’s prescription into a Costco store, but sometimes, for only a little bit more, you can have it delivered to your home. You’ll need to have your vet call or fax your pet’s prescription, or you can mail it in if you’re not in a hurry. Costco offers free standard shipping and discounts of as much as 40 percent versus traditional pharmacies.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free standard shipping
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Amazon doesn’t offer prescription medications for pets—yet—but it has loads of other health-related pet products. There’s a huge selection of vitamins and supplements, dewormers and over-the-counter flea and tick medications, and items such as recovery cones (for dogs, cats, and even birds), as well as ear cleansers and wipes, thermometers, and first aid supplies.
There are the most products for dogs and cats, but there are also items for horses, reptiles, birds, fish, and other small animals. You can find wound ointment, mite spray, and deodorizing wipes. There are drops to ease digestive upset in birds, eye drops for turtles, and medication to treat aquarium water for parasites. Most everything ships relatively quickly, and it’s free if you spend $35 or are a Prime member.
Prescription Medications: No | Delivery: Free over $35 or with Prime membership
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This online pet pharmacy has prescription medications and health and wellness products for dogs and cats. Use the “pet meds” dropdown at the top to find prescription medications, then sort by pet or condition. Each medication has lots of helpful information, including FAQs and info on dosage and possible side effects. There’s a robust wellness library where you can learn more about various conditions and treatments.
You can find name brands, but also plenty of generic, less expensive medications. There are daily deals and coupons on a rotating selection of products. Shipping is free on orders over $48. Like other sites, they’ll contact your vet to confirm your prescription, or you can mail in a hard copy. A PetPlus membership costs $140 a year and includes additional savings, free shipping, pickup at local pharmacies, and access to a virtual veterinarian.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $48 or with membership
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Maybe you’ve used GoodRx when shopping around for your own medications. The site tracks prescription drug prices, showing the cost at nearby pharmacies and online so you can choose the least expensive option. There are often also coupons for discounts. GoodRx for Pets does the same thing for pet meds. Pop in the name, quantity, dosage, and form (pills, capsules, liquid), and the site will compare prices. You can search by drug name or by condition.
There’s also a premium membership program where you can save and buy directly from the company. GoodRx Gold costs $10 per month for one person or $20 per month for a family, including pets. The paid plan offers even more of a bargain, with up to 90 percent savings and free home delivery for all your medications.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free with paid plan or on shipments over $49
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What We Like
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Helpful Q&As
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Good selection
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Many generic options
Another pet-specific online pharmacy, VetRxDirect, offers a strong selection of prescription medications and wellness items for dogs and cats. Searching isn’t quite as easy as some other sites. The main page has a list of popular pet categories, but you can also navigate to the dropdown menu to sort by pet or specific condition. There are lots of generic options, and prices are competitive.
There are loads of customer reviews and helpful Q&As for many medications. For example, you may be able to find out if certain tablets are chewable or scored in half for easy dosing. After you order, VetRxDirect will fax your veterinarian for approval, or you can mail a copy of your prescription. Shipping is free for orders over $65.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $65
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What We Like
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Timely order fulfilment
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Reputable, quality products
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Top-notch customer service
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For dogs, cats, horses, and cattle
Heartland Vet Supply and Pharmacy began back in 1981 as a veterinary clinic, diagnosing and treating health problems in dogs, cats, and horses. The clinic later closed in an acquisition, but the brand retains the expertise of a licensed veterinarian and pharmacist on staff to oversee your pet’s prescriptions. Heartland also has a compounding department; not every online pet pharmacy has a compounding option.
The prices are low, but there are no memberships for additional discounts. You’ll have to spend more to get free delivery; it’s higher than others on our list, and items that ship in a cooler are excluded.
The brand has a complete line of care products for horses, mules, and donkeys, and branched out into cattle health to help farmers and ranchers with lower-cost meds.
Prescription Medications: Yes | Delivery: Free over $75, exclusions apply
Final Verdict
Our favorite place to buy pet medication online is Chewy. The company is known for a massive selection of all sorts of pet products, as well as spectacular customer service. Another great option is Walmart PetRx, which promises more than 3,000 items in stock for dogs, cats, fish, birds, horses, and other farm animals.
What to Look for When Buying Pet Medication Online
Veterinary Verification
To order medications for your pet online, your vet will need to verify the prescription. One of the easiest ways this is done starts at checkout. You’ll supply your vet’s name and contact information, and many sites will reach out to verify before they ship. You can also mail (not email) a hard copy of your prescription, which isn’t always convenient if you need the meds quickly. Some sites will also fax your vet and ask them to fax in a prescription.
Pharmacy Verification
There are loads of places online, in and out of the country, that sell prescription medications. But if the business isn’t legitimate, you could receive counterfeit or incorrect drugs for your pet. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has a site that allows you to check if a pharmacy website is verified (the page also includes a link to download the full spreadsheet of verified pharmacies). To be part of the program, pharmacies must be regulated—both where they’re located and where the patient is located; accept only valid prescriptions; and comply with drug and privacy laws.
Delivery
All sites offer free delivery in certain situations. Most offer free shipping once you’ve spent a certain amount, which ranges from $35 to $75. Costco offers free delivery on all orders, as does Amazon if you’re a Prime member. The same is true for some of the other online pharmacies if you join their paid membership program.
Keep in mind that before prescriptions can be shipped, your vet has to respond to verify them. That can add a few additional days to the process, depending on how quickly they answer. Most sites will make several attempts to contact your vet and then will let you know if they couldn’t be reached.
Packaging
If your pet’s medication needs to be refrigerated, it will be shipped in an insulated cooler to keep it safe, or it will be shipped overnight. Prescriptions are often shipped in boxes to avoid crushing the contents. Examine your medication once it arrives to make sure pills aren’t crushed or liquid spilled. Be sure to check the expiration date.
Veterinary Insurance
Most pet insurance plans cover at least some medication. Comprehensive coverage may pay all or part of medications, while accident-only coverage may only cover medication linked with a covered illness or accident. You can also buy a rider to your policy that includes medication such as monthly heartworm preventatives.
FAQ
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Can you buy pet medication with a health savings account (HSA)?
In general, you cannot use your health savings account (HSA) funds to purchase medication for your pet. If you, however, have a medically necessary service animal, you may be able to use HSA funds to pay for the costs associated with the health of that service animal.
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Where can I buy pet medication without a prescription?
Some pet medications require a prescription, and others can be purchased over the counter (OTC). OTC pet medications can be purchased through online pet pharmacies, pet-supply stores, and big-box retail stores. It is not safe to attempt to purchase prescription pet medications without a valid prescription from a veterinarian who has seen your pet. Companies that offer prescription medications without a prescription are breaking the law. Often, products sold this way are counterfeit or expired. Additionally, it is not safe to give your pet medications that were not prescribed by your veterinarian.
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Is it cheaper to buy pet prescriptions online?
It depends on the prescription you are filling, but generally, online pet pharmacies pass on savings to consumers and offer competitive pricing.
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Are prescription flea and tick preventatives better for pets?
In general, prescription flea and tick preventatives are more potent and reliable. Your budget and your vet’s recommendation for your pet should determine which preventative (non-prescription or prescription) you give to your pet to keep them healthy.
Pill-Hiding Treats
Greenies Pill Pockets come in multiple flavors that your cat will love, including catnip, salmon, chicken, tuna, and cheese.
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This pack contains an assortment of soft, low-calorie treats with a creamy filling that makes it easy to push a pill inside.
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Wrap the meds with this bacon-flavored paste, and it masks their flavor and scent. It works great for odd-shaped pills.
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Why Trust The Spruce Pets
To find the best places to buy pet medications online, we researched numerous sites, looking for everything from selection and shipping price to customer reviews and how the prescription process works. We considered recommendations from pet owners and relied on our own experiences as well.
This article was researched and written by Mary Jo DiLonardo, who has covered animals and pets for several decades. Mary Jo has fostered more than 60 dogs and puppies. She has shopped online for products for her own rescue dog and her foster puppies. She is always searching for the healthiest and most effective products to use with them, such as the best dog toys and the best dog treats.
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