5 ways for dog owners to save money while being pet-health friendly
PART 1 OF 5: Investigate topical flea and tick ointment versus prescription oral dog meds
Owning a pet is expensive. This isn’t breaking news to anyone, but it can be a great big alarm bell when dog owners get calendar alerts or email reminders about upcoming vaccinations and wellness exams. When I first adopted my dog (Junee) in 2021, a wellness exam with my current veterinarian was $65. Three years later, that same exam is $85. A heartworm lab test in 2022 was $86.85. Two years later, that test is $93.03. A fecal test last year was $48.78. This year, my vet charges $57.43.
The Federal Reserve may claim that interest rates are “steadily easing” at their two-decade high of 5.3% interest rate, but pet owners like me are feeling like everything is getting more expensive. While pet owners definitely don’t want to put their dogs’ health at risk, keeping a ledger of what has been spent can help assess (and reassess) how to save money where you can.
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First reassessment: Topical flea, tick and chewing lice treatment versus prescription oral medication
Over the past year, I’ve spent $340.08 on Simparica Trio. I don’t knock the prescribed medication. It’s admirable that it protects against fleas, ticks, roundworms and hookworms, in addition to protection against heartworm disease. My frustration is with all the circles that pet owners must go through to have it delivered if they don’t want to go back and forth to a veterinarian, especially if the third-party seller will only take an original prescription and/or the vet will not email them directly to release a prescription. Then, there are the billing, shipping and reward issues with companies such as Allivet (formerly used by Walmart PetRx) and Petco.
RECOMMENDED READ: “5 ways for dog owners to save money while being pet-health friendly ~ PART 2 OF 5: Take advantage of donated pet supplies, giveaway bins, discount deals”
Some veterinarians (read: mine) won’t sell you a prescription unless they personally completed the wellness exam, even if you have proof that the dog has all necessary vaccinations and has a negative heartworm test. When a neighborhood veterinarian’s team* offered to sell me a box of oral heartworm medication and a topical ointment for flea, tick and lice prevention at one-third of the rate that I would pay for Simparica Trio, I immediately wondered why that wasn’t offered to me before.
Recommended Read: “Are third-party pet subscription companies worth it? ~ From Petco to Allivet and onward: Should dog prescriptions be vet-only purchases?”
Why was I going through all of this for a prescription medication for my Hound mix when my Lab mix for 13 years never had fleas or ticks even though he spent way more time in a backyard? And why were oral prescription dog meds being pushed more than topical flea and tick ointments anyway?
I looked up a few non-subscription, non-prescription topical flea and tick medications for dogs to see who the naysayers and cheerleaders were. These 10 had impressive overall ratings at four stars or higher.
EIGHT FOUR-STAR TICK AND FLEA MEDICATION FOR DOGS
As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a percentage for each purchase with my referral links.
PetArmor Plus Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs
(Score: 4.2 out of 5 ~ 51,394 Amazon users)
FRONTLINE Shield Flea & Tick Treatment
(Score 4.3 out of 5 ~ 424 Amazon users)
K9 Advantix II Flea, Tick & Mosquito Treatment & Prevention
(Score 4.4 out of 5 ~ 40,309 Amazon users)
TevraPet Activate II Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs
(Score 4.2 out of 5 ~ 23,786 Amazon users)
Amazon Basics Flea and Tick Topical Treatment
(Score 4.1 out of 5 ~ 1,888 Amazon users)
Advecta Ultra Flea And Tick Prevention For Dogs
(Score 4.2 out of 5 ~ 7,384 Amazon users)
(Score 4.6 out of 5 ~ 730 Amazon users)
Jmxu Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs
(Score 4.1 out of 5 ~ 333 Amazon users)
ADDITIONAL FOUR-STAR FLEA AND TICK TREATMENTS (CHEWABLES, NON-PRESCRIPTION ORAL)
Capstar (nitenpyram) Oral Flea Treatment for Dogs
(Score 4.1 out of 5 ~ 45,335 Amazon users)
Grateful Pawz Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs Chewables
(Score 4 out of 5 ~ 2,601 Amazon users)
Recommended Read: 5 ways for dog owners to save money while being pet-health friendly ~ PART 3 OF 5: Don't become an anti-vaxxer because you think you can't afford dog vaccines
After looking over the side effects of oral flea medication and topical flea medication, I decided to try a topical ointment. If my Lab mix was fine without prescription meds, and did just fine with regular baths and getting brushed, I knew firsthand that this is not unheard of. However, veterinary science has clearly improved since the ‘90s, and I wasn’t going to just settle for anything. Here’s my choice.