Petsmart says I need a prescription to buy hypoallergenic cat treats

[Miramonti]

The prescription scam for non-medical food used to be a lot more successful when there weren't as many really good pet food alternatives. Now there are a ton of really good options, and there are less suckers willing to buy into the faux marketing.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

*shrug* We spent a couple thousand saving this guy.

The vet even was asking if we wanted to put him down and I supported the wife on it.

The vet still calls him "The Miracle Cat", even with his help the wife had to do a lot of work with him.

Hard to explain, she found him abandoned in an open field and shortly after bringing him home he developed some pretty major intestinal problems.

He's been great the last 8 years since though.

BIG :thumbsup:

 

[Newell Steamer]

If you really loved your cat, you would not have an issue with this.

 

[DrPizza]

Hey, tip for those with an extra freezer, and cats. When stores have those big sales on turkeys 2 or 3 times a year - the ones where you get a turkey for 20 cents per pound if you purchase $50 in groceries or more, get $50 in groceries, and then get a cheap 20 pound turkey for $4. Don't get $118 in groceries... make a second trip to the store (don't even leave the parking lot.) People think we spoil our outdoor cats with the treats they occasionally get - in reality, it's the cheapest way to feed them; cheaper than even crappy cat food.

 

[alkemyst]

The prescription scam for non-medical food used to be a lot more successful when there weren't as many really good pet food alternatives. Now there are a ton of really good options, and there are less suckers willing to buy into the faux marketing.

How is it a scam?

 

[alkemyst]

Hey, tip for those with an extra freezer, and cats. When stores have those big sales on turkeys 2 or 3 times a year - the ones where you get a turkey for 20 cents per pound if you purchase $50 in groceries or more, get $50 in groceries, and then get a cheap 20 pound turkey for $4. Don't get $118 in groceries... make a second trip to the store (don't even leave the parking lot.) People think we spoil our outdoor cats with the treats they occasionally get - in reality, it's the cheapest way to feed them; cheaper than even crappy cat food.

Turkey at .50-.99 a pound is a great treat for even people However; just turkey is not a satisfactory meal-replacement. It is indeed much cheaper and healthier than most any store/niche market bought treat though.

I wish I had room for a deep freezer in the main living area of my home.

 

[alkemyst]

We have been lazy as hell lately with our 2 dogs. Haven't kept them up-to-date with heartworm, flea's, etc... (You know, all 2000 pills you're supposed to give on a regular basis?) They don't seem to want to get sick. I wish they would get sick, I'm getting sick of 'em


<3

Honestly, Vet trips are insane. Check-up + Prescriptions is an easy $250

It's a set of drops to the back of the neck once per month. Covers fleas, worms including heartworm. Advantage Multi.

To save money you can order the giant dog size and redistribute it in syringes (one Giant dog one covers my 70lb, 20 and 10lb dogs). The sad thing is the price on this is about the same for even the tiny dog ones, it's definitely more economical to go with GIANT size and re-cut it. Saves me about $40-50 a month.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

It's a set of drops to the back of the neck once per month. Covers fleas, worms including heartworm. Advantage Multi.

To save money you can order the giant dog size and redistribute it in syringes (one Giant dog one covers my 70lb, 20 and 10lb dogs). The sad thing is the price on this is about the same for even the tiny dog ones, it's definitely more economical to go with GIANT size and re-cut it. Saves me about $40-50 a month.

I've done that too. Our large dog is ~45lb. We try to convince them to push the prescription up to the 50lb+ threshold and then we split the pills in half

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into Advantage Multi

 

[alkemyst]

I've done that too. Our large dog is ~45lb. We try to convince them to push the prescription up to the 50lb+ threshold and then we split the pills in half

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into Advantage Multi

There should be no reason you can't buy whatever 'pack'.

This is a great link (I know it's accurate for Advantage Multi, please verify with the label on your medications what the proper dosage is for your medication/pet weight):

http://www.starlightbostonterriers.com/fleamedchart.htm

Also if your pet is on the 'light' side of a range, you are technically giving them more medication than they really need. IMHO this is a bad thing.

My vet gives me a few syringes free with my purchase. If you need to buy them, they are very cheap though. You want the 1CC without needle and mL markings.

 

[Miramonti]

How is it a scam?

It's a marketing scam, based on perception that it's better because it requires a prescription, getting the user to identify it with 'medicine.' It tries to imply through this association that it is 'medicinal', when in fact the products are not any more medicinal than it's competitors who sell similar products without a prescription. Resellers get a lot of money to perpetuate the scam tho, so said scam is perpetuated.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great marketing ploy, but most people just aren't as naive about the scam as they used to be. It's good to see there are a lot more quality pet food options than there used to be as well.

 

[zanejohnson]

Wait, doesn't your pet health insurance cover it? What's that you say, you don't have insurance? Bad pet owner! Seriously, I'm beginning to think the whole medical system (animal and human) is just a big scam.

your just NOW starting to realize this???

have you never been outside of the USA?


in other countries, for basic meds, from antibiotics, to anxiety, to even pain meds (controlled substances here)..... you dont have to go the doctor to get a prescription, you go to the chemist, and he writes the prescription right there on the spot...


USA health system, is the biggest piece of shit, scamming, gouging, entity, that probably exists period.. besides maybe our justice system....................and they work together.



what makes intelligent peoples brains hurt so bad....is that, we could have fixed this, the ACA... could have done it.... but the propoganda machine of the right, somehow turned it into a commie nightmare to there viewing audience....



so...........for now, it looks like, things are gonna move very slowly, perhaps even backwards....


you got..

1.controlled substances.....americans are deprived of these meds, because they are controlled here....which directly, keeps the prisons full.

2.big pharma....who keeps these substances controlled, and expensive, and scarce (compared to other parts of the world, which creates huge demand)

3.the war on drugs.... which both big pharma, and the for profit prisons, are fighting tooth and nail to keep alive....... because....see bullet number 1. beginning to understand how bad we're being fucked?


rinse/repeat, and that's how we keep that nifty 23 percent incarceration rate (THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD MIND YOU), you keep doctors making 500k a year in small towns, and you keep these same "job creators" bitching about welfare, because they dont want to provide insurance for employees....

it's like the most inefficient, blundering, back stabbing, family ruining, economy killing system to ever have been implemented..... makes us the laughing stock of the world.. even the third world.

 

[alkemyst]

rinse/repeat, and that's how we keep that nifty 23 percent incarceration rate (THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD MIND YOU), you keep doctors making 500k a year in small towns, and you keep these same "job creators" bitching about welfare, because they dont want to provide insurance for employees....

it's like the most inefficient, blundering, back stabbing, family ruining, economy killing system to ever have been implemented..... makes us the laughing stock of the world.. even the third world.

You are attacking way too much in a simple post.

You apparently want socialism here and also fail to realize when the world's wealthy gets sick, they usually end up in the US for treatment.

 

[alkemyst]

It's a marketing scam, based on perception that it's better because it requires a prescription, getting the user to identify it with 'medicine.' It tries to imply through this association that it is 'medicinal', when in fact the products are not any more medicinal than it's competitors who sell similar products without a prescription. Resellers get a lot of money to perpetuate the scam tho, so said scam is perpetuated.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great marketing ploy, but most people just aren't as naive about the scam as they used to be. It's good to see there are a lot more quality pet food options than there used to be as well.

I think you are confused like many others by articles like this one: http://www.soggypaws.com/Documents/prescription_diet.pdf

Many of these diets have not counter-parts available in another food. Many of these diets can cause health issues in pets if left on them long term or used on totally healthy pets.

Weight-Reduction diets are the number one 'prescribed' and then 'anti-crystal' diets for male cats probably runs number 2. The anti-crystal diets (C/D and esp S/D from Hill's) are not really out there in a non-prescription diet.

Sure there is nothing legally requiring these foods to require a script, however; the manufacturer will only sell to vet's and those that will require a script to purchase.

If the pet-owner can put together there own diet to solve their pet's problems by all means they should. Pet nutrition is a relatively unknown subject. Many vets never receive any formal training on it unless they specialize. Many of those that are trained are trained by staff from Hills, Purina, etc and shown one brand of products.

It's a very complicated matter and most people can't even take care of themselves yet alone design a proper health regimine for their animals.

 

[DrPizza]

It's a set of drops to the back of the neck once per month. Covers fleas, worms including heartworm. Advantage Multi.

To save money you can order the giant dog size and redistribute it in syringes (one Giant dog one covers my 70lb, 20 and 10lb dogs). The sad thing is the price on this is about the same for even the tiny dog ones, it's definitely more economical to go with GIANT size and re-cut it. Saves me about $40-50 a month.

How many years until generics of those same medications come out? I know the price has a lot to do with a cornered market at the moment; but I'm amazed that I can provide the same type of treatment to 60 goats for the cost of 1 dog. In fact, we'll often treat our dogs with the same stuff - it does a good job for any worms, but isn't effective for fleas.

 

[alkemyst]

How many years until generics of those same medications come out? I know the price has a lot to do with a cornered market at the moment; but I'm amazed that I can provide the same type of treatment to 60 goats for the cost of 1 dog. In fact, we'll often treat our dogs with the same stuff - it does a good job for any worms, but isn't effective for fleas.

Ivermectin and the like aren't as broad spectrum as cat/dog meds that cover Heartworm and fleas.

Also it's mosquitoes that cause heartworm (in case others don't know that) so just treating for fleas is not a solution.

I do agree though that they are very expensive medications.