Help! Need Suggestions on Saving Money @ the Vet

[philekallista]

Originally Posted by TBEventer2002 Phile, that is not uncommon. :( I'm sorry your kitty is sick! Did you get pills or liquid? If you got pills, you should be able to return the remaining medication. We have several kitties who don't tolerate Clavamox well, so we have a variety of antibiotics (and even trying a different form might help!). You can always ask your vet for a written script and call around to local pharmacies. Some of our local ones can make or compound medications for our patients for a small price. :) Good luck, and I hope your kitty feels better soon!

Thanks for the tips...we got pills. You think they will let me return the unused pills, as in, get a refund? That would be awesome. And you mean that I can take a pet's Rx to a CVS and they'll fill it for her (and I can get a $10 gift card with the Kmart new-or-transferred Rx deal that's out)? I won't get my hopes up, but if that's what you're saying, I will go for it. Thanks very much.

[Rene S]

1. If you have multiple animals, ask if you can bring them in all at once and get a group discount. Our vet does this.

2. Many medications given to pets are actually for humans (not all though). Whenever possible, get a prescription and fill it yourself. Walmart and Target have the $4 generics too. When you fill the scrip, you'll just need to tell the pharmacy if your pet is feline or canine, as they note that on the bottle.

philekallista--Clavamox is known to put many cats off their food. It has to two of our cats and is now one of the drugs I will NOT give my cats. It's a pencillin-based drug, so there are plenty of other inexpensive options.

[philekallista]

So ... I don't know much about the generic antibiotics and how they work with insurance. I couldn't use my health insurance to pay for my cat's prescription, right, so is the $4 generic thing independent of whether or not you have insurance? I am still waiting for the vet to call me back about what we can substitute for the Clavamox. I really want my kitty to start feeling better sooner rather than later. :( She's not vomiting anymore but she still won't eat (thankfully has been drinking some water).

[TBEventer2002]

Phile, the $4 prescriptions are not through insurance. They literally only cost $4. lol. The issue would be if the size/strength that your pet needs is available. That's why you might need to call around to the local pharmacies to see if they even have what you need. :) Hope that helps!

[philekallista]

Originally Posted by TBEventer2002 Phile, the $4 prescriptions are not through insurance. They literally only cost $4. lol. The issue would be if the size/strength that your pet needs is available. That's why you might need to call around to the local pharmacies to see if they even have what you need. :) Hope that helps!

Thanks! I ended up only having to pay the difference between the first and second antibiotic! I can handle $11 as opposed to another $50. Now the challenge is getting the pill in her mouth. I totally lucked out with her yesterday; she was so distressed she started crying and I was able to toss the pill in her mouth mid-cry. But she's learned to cry with her teeth clenched now. :( I hope I don't have to go back a third time to get another medicine in liquid form...

[kval07]

Originally Posted by philekallista Thanks! I ended up only having to pay the difference between the first and second antibiotic! I can handle $11 as opposed to another $50. Now the challenge is getting the pill in her mouth. I totally lucked out with her yesterday; she was so distressed she started crying and I was able to toss the pill in her mouth mid-cry. But she's learned to cry with her teeth clenched now. :( I hope I don't have to go back a third time to get another medicine in liquid form...

Try Greenies Pill Pockets. I have issues with my dogs taking their heartworm pills. They love the pill pockets though, so they don't even know they are getting it. Sneaky sneaky! They are kind of expensive...I think I paid $6 for a bag. But they've lasted forever.

[mayanfire]

*L* when i used the greenies, they gave my dogs such bad gas...*L* it was horrible...

now i use the cans of little sausage things? i think armour makes them...they're really soft and mushy and my dogs LOVE them....i just tear them apart, stuff a pill into the middle, and they gobble it up....

[TBEventer2002]

If you need to pill a cat, you can try different methods.

- A pill gun. A plastic tube that you put the pill in, shove it in the mouth, and the pill is dispensed.

- Canned cat food. I meal-feed my cats, so they always finish their meals quickly. I can hide a small pill (or pieces of a large pill) in their canned cat food.

- Crushing & mixing with water in a syringe. This is only in desperation. Carefully crush the medication and mix with a few mL's of water (NO MILK!!!) in a syringe and it's just as good as getting a liquid form.

Hope that helps! :)

[Rene S]

You can also crush the pill and mix it with a small amount of chicken or turkey baby food. Many cats love meat baby food. Note: if you want to do this, please ask your vet if it's ok to crush the pill first. Some pills need to be taken whole.

[philekallista]

I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and pop the pill in her mouth as quickly as possible. I tried molding my own sneaky treat (a little mound of wet food with the pill inside) and the first time her tongue touched the pill, she glared at it and walked away!! It must taste really bad. Soaking in tuna juice didn't help either, and tuna is her favorite food. But I've had two successful runs now just opening her mouth and throwing it in after coating the pill in a little butter. And this medicine seems to have no side effects. It's so good to see her happy and playful again. :) Thanks all for the tips.