Online meds-- learned our lesson

17 years ago

I posted a few months ago about wanting to buy our heartworm and flea meds online, because they're so expensive at our vets... We decided to stick with the vet's Interceptor, but we went with Frontline Plus from petsuppliesnet.com. (A lot of people here seem to speak highly of petsuppliesnet.com, and since they have by FAR the best proces we found, they were our top pick.) I knew when I ordered that the product came from Australia, but it didn't appear to be anything other than legit, so I wasn't too concerned.

The Frontline Plus took about 2 weeks to arrive. The packaging APPEARED the same for the most part, but the weights, doses, etc., were listed in metric rather than American measurements. Nowhere on the packaging did it say anything about the active ingredients, and on the back, it had a list of ticks that it is effective against-- and deer ticks (the most prevalent ones around here, and the ones that carry Lyme disease) were NOT among those listed.

October 1st was our dog's first dose of mail-order Frontline Plus. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, dog's behavior was the same, etc... then two weeks ago, when giving her a bath, I noticed an engorged tick on her ear, about the size of a pencil eraser. (This was the first tick we have EVER found on her, and we've had her for almost 2 years.) I removed the tick using tweezers, but I couldn't tell if I got the head out or not, so the next morning, off to the vet we went... $182 later, our vet reported that I did indeed remove the tick, head and all, but he put her on 30 days of doxycycline just to be safe, in case of possible Lyme disease transmission. He also advised us to give another dose of Frontline, even though it hadn't been a full month from the last dose. (I didn't mention that it came from Australia.)

Well, guess what-- last night, I found ANOTHER tick. This one had latched on but wasn't as engorged yet-- maybe slightly larger than a grain of rice. But that's TWO ticks in as many weeks, and only since we've had her on the mail-ordered Frontline Plus-- we NEVER found a latched-on tick before this.

So, I removed the tick and went straight to the vet's office to pick up the expensive (American) Frontline... What I had saved in mail-ordering it, I more than overpaid with just one round of antibiotics, because the product doesn't do what it's supposed to do.

I haven't checked yet to see whether or not I can get my money back, but to anyone else considering buying their meds online, at least from this particular site, consider yourself warned-- it's not worth the savings if the product just doesn't work.

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Comments (26)

quirkyquercus
17 years ago
Good to know! I guess the vets that some people around here seem to thing are evil and greedy were not lying afterall. Thanks for posting!
labmomma
17 years ago
I am glad you posted. I always wondered if I it was worth ordering online.

I have 3 large dogs, 2 of which have had positive lyme titers and were treated successfully with docycycline. That said, I was using Frontline at the time of these positive lyme titers.

I was introduced to Advantix by my vet when the science came back on how effective it is. The youngest (3 yrs.) has never tested positive since Advantix is the only preventative I have ever used on him.

I would recommend Advantix over any other tick preventative. That said, I do get a tick now and then off of the dog, but they are not the engorged ticks. They latch on, but whatever is in the Advantix kills them. No one has come up positive in the 4 or so years we have been using the Advantix. I think it is just a better product.

We live in a very rural tick infested area. To the point where my husband has science type beakers around the house with an inch of alcohol in them where we put the ticks when we get them. It is totally gross the number of ticks collected and these aren't including the ones that get a little engorged.

Since switching to Advantix, nobody has been positive for lyme disease.

If you do use Advantix and have cats, you will need to separate the dogs from the cats for 24 hours as Advantix is toxic to cats. My first thought when the vet suggested the Advantix was no way I could keep my 3 cats separated from the 3 dogs. Well, I did and am able to easily keep them separated. I apply the Advantix on the first nice day of the month and apply the Advantix outside on each of the dogs. The dogs stay outside for the majority of the day. When they come into the house they are behind a baby gate in my office. That night no dogs get up onto the bed - only cats. The next day everyone is good to go.

Just a thought!
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pjb999
17 years ago
CNVH,

Indeed supplies you get from Australia will be in metric, because, like most of the world, Australia went metric some thirty years ago. You really ought to try it, it's far more logical :) - but conversion in weight is easy, just over two pounds to a kilogram. Weight and volume correspond, one cc =1ml= 1 gram of water.

As for active ingredients, I am surprised that the ingredients aren't listed because at least for human medicines, they have comprehensive labelling laws. I wouldn't have thought you could buy such stuff from Australia because most of those products are vet-only. Still, there may be a loophole that allows it.

The label didn't mention deer tick? Well, duh. Australia doesn't have the deer tick, for the simple reason they have no native deer. Ticks are indeed a problem there but I don't think Frontline there is considered an anti-tick medication. Has it occurred to you that it may be formulated differently as a consequence? Put in reverse, Australians have, for some time, been forced to put up with products designed for North America or the UK that totally did not suit the local conditions. That situation has changed for the better, fortunately.

In many other instances, there wouldn't be a problem buying products from overseas, Australian or otherwise, but parasites are usually endemic to particular areas so buying overseas treatments are probably unwise, as you found out.

HOWEVER, if you found a Canadian supplier online with good prices, you might well be ok provided you are in a similar climate, as here in Canada we have similar parasites (although things might well be different in say, the Yukon to Florida for example)

I don't know about Frontline in Canada and its efficacy against ticks, but I live in Kamloops BC which is semi-arid. Fleas aren't the issue here but ticks are bad. Revolution is the product recommended to me, and it's supposed to be quite effective against ticks. Now the colder weather's here, I'm figuring I can probably discontinue using it for a while, but I'll check with the vet.
mazer415
17 years ago
I order from PET MEDS, never been disappointed.
cnvh
Original Author
17 years ago
pjb, yes, I am aware that the conversions would be expected to be in metric; I am quite able to do the math myself if necessary. But when the products are advertised as being "the same products my vet sells," I should reasonably be able to expect that they will prevent against the same parasites. This, apparently, was not the case.

"Has it occurred to you that it may be formulated differently as a consequence?" Of course it has occurred to me, but since the active ingredients aren't listed on the box, I can't compare to see whether or not they are indeed "THE SAME" stuff as I can buy here.
airforceguy
17 years ago
Howdy. I'm not defending http://www.petsuppliesnet.com/shop.htm But I have used them for the past two months with no sign of ticks or fleas. My boxes do list the ingredients on the front cover, just under the big FRONTLINE. States 100g/L fibronil; 90g/L (S)-methoprene. I know some (not saying you) do not apply it correctly. One isnt to wash the pet with 48 hrs of applying it. Cheers
cjhwillis
17 years ago
But when the products are advertised as being "the same products my vet sells," I should reasonably be able to expect that they will prevent against the same parasites. This, apparently, was not the case.

Actually, under FAQ on the website "all our products are from the same MANUFACTURER that provides products to your local vet". Says nothing about the product being equivalent to what you buy here.

"Has it occurred to you that it may be formulated differently as a consequence?" Of course it has occurred to me, but since the active ingredients aren't listed on the box, I can't compare to see whether or not they are indeed "THE SAME" stuff as I can buy here.

This should have been researched BEFORE you bought the product. You could have emailed the business for the information and would have been able to compare as to equivalence here before you bought.

IÂve been burned as IÂm sure everyone else has here with web purchases. But you have to read between the lines, take nothing at first impression, and you got to ask questions especially when you are dealing with equivalency and it must be done before purchase.
measure_twice
17 years ago
Tikcs are hard to kill for any med. Frontline is not 100 percent effective against ticks, even if you get it straight from Merial. In addition, Merial says it takes up to 48 hours for Frontline to kill a tick, which is plenty of time for it to fill up. So you may have gotten a perfectly good product and it was coincidence that you found two ticks in two weeks. People so quickly hurtle to conclusions
cnvh
Original Author
17 years ago
Where my dog's health is concerned, if erring on the side of caution means to "quickly hurtle to conclusions," then consider me guilty as charged.
debbiep_gw
17 years ago
I've used them for at least six months and have had no problems but then ticks aren't really a issue here for my dogs.The ingredients are listed on both boxes on mine also.
wooderlander
17 years ago
You easily can compare the ingredients and dosage before ordering online, and not order if it's not what you want.

Here's our experience: Our dog got tapeworm and the vet was going to charge $30 for the two pills. After some internet research, we ordered the exact same medication from Australia, same dosage but a package of ten pills (same size), for $25 including shipping.

We spend plenty at the vet, but in this case we felt it wasn't necessary.
labmomma
17 years ago
wooderlander, how does it work - do you have to get a script from your vet, and if so, do you then fax to the on line company or do they want a paper prescription?? Never have done this and spend alot on meds. Like more info on how it works regarding ordering and what you have to provide in order to get the meds.

Also, you are mentioning Australia - do you know that ahead of time when you order from Pet Meds or do you directly order from a certain manufacturer?

Thanks for shedding some light!
wooderlander
17 years ago
We ordered from petshed.com, no prescription needed, but it looks like now you have to order a large quantity from them. Yes, we knew the company was in Australia before ordering, as it's an Australian website.

If you google the med you want, you'll probably come up with several websites, and just go for the most competitive. There's a Canadian company that appears to require a prescription for some meds but not others, I guess depending on the Canadian rules. Just do the comparative research on the websites, and you should be able to find what you want.
airforceguy
17 years ago
Labmomma. When ordering the heartworm or flea meds online, its just a simple purchase. You do not have to have a prescription. So its as if your purchasing a "regular" item. I belive in Australia and Canada, one doesnt require a prescription, thus no requirement to purchase them on the net, just a simple loop hole. I have purchased from http://www.petsuppliesnet.com/shop.htm with no problems, there are others as well but have never used them.
http://www.carealotpets.com/, https://www.vetshoponline.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/site.home,
http://www.entirelypets.com/fronplusford1.html, http://www.smartpakcanine.com/Default.aspx, Cheers
labmomma
17 years ago
airforceguy - are the same questions swirling around the pet meds as the online medications for humans; i.e., pirating and unsafe components? Seeing all the stuff on the news about especially kids ordering meds online. I am just wondering about the integrity/quality of the meds. I guess it would be interesting for someone with access to a lab to actually analyze what's coming out of these sites. I am just skeptical since alot of the meds you don't know whether or not they are working unless and until your pet comes down with a problem. One concern is the heartworm med which is very important. If you use 6 mos of something not up to par, how would you know it was ineffective until your dog comes up with heartworms.

I think I personally would want an online source that required a script from the vet??

Thanks for the info.
airforceguy
17 years ago
Just because an online place requires a vet prescription,wouldnt mean that its a legit drug, requiring a piece of paper means nothing. Australia (and I believe Canada as well???)don't require a vet to write a prescription for heart meds, that why you can order them without one. Are there online stores that sell, of course there are. I have used petsuplies .net with with great success and so have others, and of course some have not. I feel its an honest company, I could be wrong. Before I ordered from there I looked around the net and found many people that were happy with them. I plan to continue using them.
cjhwillis
17 years ago
How much are you all saving using the online sources versus your vet? Maybe I got a good vet, but I could only find a few dollars difference for my heartworm and flea/tick versus what my vet charges.
hebjunk_yahoo_com
16 years ago
BEWARE OF Petsuppliesnet.com, I purchased Advantage for my cats and at the low price I purchased several boxes seeing as I have three cats. The website appear legit as mentioned above and the picture was the same as the US version (along with weight specs), but upon receipt of the Advantage, the weight, active componenets, etc were all in metric. The product was in fact from Austria. I immediately contacted the vendor to get a return number, package the items back up and mailed them back. Now they claim they never received the return and I am having to battle it with my credit card. BEWARE OF THIS DIRTY COMPANY THAT LIES AND CHEATS!
calyblondie
16 years ago
Sorry I meant to type Australia...not Austria
joepyeweed
16 years ago
I have bought frontline online in the past. But I have heard to many people (including my best friend) have problems with its effectiveness. Her dog and several other people's dogs were still getting fleas, and they thought the fleas were developing resistance to the frontline. But they found an entire lot of diluted doses for sale online or at discount pet shops.

And when I checked the prices, the online medicine was not any cheaper than my vets medicine. If you add the price of shipping and handling, the online price was more than the price at my vets.
jmzms
16 years ago
I just have to say how grateful I am that my vet will price-match what I find online, as long as it doesn't go below her cost.
irishdancersgram
16 years ago
I also have ordered on line for Advantage for my cats and I honestly thought the vials were empty...When I would apply, there would be the "smell" but the area wouldn't have that wet look you normally get.....My cats are all inside furbabies and it's just a precaution so I don't know if it actually worked or not.....Boy, you just never know!
airforceguy
16 years ago
And guess what? Australia uses the METRIC system and frontline is made by Merial, which is a huge company with worldwide office and an Australian manufacturing plant! So it should be in metric, since your ordering it from an Australian supplier! I have (and many friends) ordered from them for the past 2 yrs with success,and will continue to do so!
sabulose
15 years ago
thx, very useful article

Here is a link that might be useful: Meds online
caflowerluver
15 years ago
What article? Link is for a website that sells pet products made in India. Or at least that is where that link took me.
Clare
airforceguy
15 years ago
Most likely just spam--that person just registered on the 21st!

Online meds-- learned our lesson

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