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Risks of Purchasing Pet Medications Online
Most people receive several pieces of junk mail in their email box everyday trying to sell discount pharmaceuticals from other countries for human health problems. These bits of spam go unopened and get deleted, as we all do not want to gamble with our own health. Yet some of these same individuals will turn around and order pet medications from a website they just assume is being monitored by someone in charge.
In actuality the Food and Drug Administration regulate drugs for animals in a special division, the Center for Veterinary Medicine. The FDA CVM regulates the manufacture and distribution of these medications, while it is up to each state to regulate the dispensing of the actual product by the veterinarians in the state. This system works well within each state, as an ethical vet will not prescribe a medication to an animal that they have not established a client patient relationship with. The problem now is that anyone can set up a website, and there are plenty of unethical people willing to make mock products to supply them.
These unscrupulous websites have been found selling counterfeit drugs, will sell regulated meds without a prescription, and even sell expired products. Many of these sites will lead you to believe that if you do not have a prescription a veterinarian on staff will evaluate your pet based on a form you fill out. There is no way an accurate diagnosis can be made on a pet by just answering a few simple questions on a sheet of paper. Also as a consumer you should be wary of a “licensed professional” willing to make such a decision without an actual examination.
One of the biggest pet meds sold on the internet are heartworm pills. It is good news that so many people realize the importance of treating their pet for heartworms, but some people do not know this is prescription, most probably due to the fact it looks like a treat. It is necessary to do a blood test on a dog to ensure that the larvae which causes heartworm is not already present before the pill should be taken. Once a dog is known to be larvae free a prescription can be written for the preventative. If a dog owner gives the pill to their pet when the larvae is present, a severe potentially fatal reaction can occur when the babies of the larvae are actually killed in the bloodstream. Online pet pharmacies cannot do this test! Beware of any site which will sell you this drug without a valid prescription from a veterinarian.
