VetRxDirect Awarded Google Trusted Store Badge

VetRxDirect Pet Pharmacy, which offers competitively priced prescription pet medications, vet labelled supplements and medical devices, was recently selected to join the Google Trusted Stores program. To help shoppers identify online merchants that offer a great shopping experience, the Google Trusted Store badge is awarded to e­commerce sites that demonstrate a track record of on­time shipping and excellent customer service.

When visiting the VetRxDirect website, shoppers can hover over the Google Trusted Store badge and see metrics on the store’s shipping and customer service performance. VetRxDirect has a 100% rating for excellent service and 92% rating for on­time shipping.

“Since 2007, our goal has been to provide pet parents with medications and supplements for dogs and cats at competitive prices with quick, excellent customer service,” said Wes Hepker, Director of VetRxDirect Pet Pharmacy. “Being awarded the Google Trusted Store badge demonstrates to the veterinary community as a whole that pet pharmacy can and is being done correctly and professionally at VetRxDirect.”

As an added benefit, when a shopper makes a purchase at a Google Trusted Store, they have the option to select free purchase protection from Google. Then in the unlikely event of an issue with their purchase, they can request Google’s help, and Google will work with VetRxDirect and the customer to address the issue. As part of this, Google offers up to $1,000 lifetime purchase protection for eligible purchases.

Google Trusted Stores is entirely free, both for shoppers and for online stores. The program helps online stores like VetRxDirect attract new customers, increase sales and differentiate themselves by showing off their excellent service via the badge on their websites.

Previous to the Google Trusted Store badge, VetRxDirect was the first pet pharmacy awarded the Vet-VIPPS accreditation and their compounding pet pharmacy is PCAB accredited. VetRxDirect Pet Pharmacy is properly licensed in all 50 states and D.C.

VetRxDirect Earns Google Trusted Store Status

VetRxDirect Pet Pharmacy

1150 5th St, Ste 146, Coralville, IA 52241

info@vetrxdirect.com – 866.761.6578

 

Flee Fleas! How to Get Rid of Fleas

Fleas. Just the word makes your skin crawl. And while I know it’s uncomfortable, it’s time to talk about fleas because the warm weather brings these nuisance bugs out in force. Read this quick Q&A for the topline on protecting your pet.

Q. Is there just one kind of flea?

A. No. There are more than 2000 types of fleas. The most common type of flea in North America is the “cat flea” – it loves dogs and cats. Fleas are hearty too, they can reproduce rapidly and some can live as long as 12 months.

Q. Are fleas dangerous?

A. Some pets just suffer itching and discomfort when they have fleas. Others are actually allergic to flea bites and can have a severe skin reaction called Flea Allergy Dermatitis. Fleas also can transmit tapeworm. Anemia is another issue for some pets with large infestations because one flea can consume up to 15 times its body weight in blood.

Q. When is flea season?

A. Fleas like warm, humid environments so spring and summer are prime flea season throughout much of the U.S. In the bottom tier of states, fleas are a year-round problem.

Q. How can you tell if your pet has fleas?

Dirt left by fleas as seen on a white dog

Courtesy of Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic / Flickr

A. If you see these signs, check your pet for fleas carefully.

  • Excessive itching, scratching and biting skin
  • Small, quickly moving brown bugs on the pet’s body
  • “Flea dirt” or flea droppings on the skin
  • Scabs and hot spots
  • Hair loss

Note: some pets can have fleas but not itch or scratch. If you see flea dirt or strange residue on your pet’s skin or coat, check for fleas.

Q. How can I protect my pet from fleas?

A. The market is full of effective flea preventatives. There are specific flea prevention and treatment products for dogs and for cats. You should not use canine flea control products on cats and vice versa. Some canine flea control products are lethal to cats.

Start by talking with your pet’s veterinarian who will recommend the best flea control program for your pet and your environment. Some preventatives are available over-the-counter, others require a prescription. There are oral, topical, and collar options  – many are applied to your pet just monthly. Once you have a plan, stick with it to give your pet the best protection.

Q. How do you get rid of fleas on your pet?

A. Shampoos, sprays, and dips are available to treat pets that already have fleas. Again, talk to your veterinarian who can suggest the best remedy based on the severity of the situation and your pet’s condition.

Q. What do you do if you have fleas in your house?

A. Unfortunately, if your pet has fleas, there’s a good chance your house does too. Fleas can easily jump from one host to another and their eggs drop off your pet’s body on to your carpeting, couch, and bedding. If you have fleas in your home, clean your home thoroughly including all bedding, rugs, carpets, and upholstery. If you have a severe infestation, talk to your local pest control professional about a fogger or spray.

What’s your flea prevention plan for your pet? Do you like a particular product? Share your views by leaving a reply below. Alternatively, please leave ratings and reviews on any flea products available at VetRxDirect. Thank you.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

Wes

It’s Tick Season. Are You Ready?

We’re about to enter high tick season which runs from April through November in most parts of the country. So it’s time to arm yourself with the facts to protect your pets from these parasites.

Deer Tick on my dog Flickr Picture Courtesy of B D

Courtesy of B D / Flickr

Why is tick prevention so important? Ticks carry a variety of diseases that are dangerous to pets — in particular to dogs — including Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and ehrlichiosis.

Know Your Enemy

Do ticks live in your area? If so, what kind? It helps to know what you’re up against. Check the tick maps provided by the CDC to learn what ticks live in your area and how to identify them.

Distribution of the Brown Dog Tick During Tick Season in the U.S.

Courtesy of the CDC

It’s a good idea to conduct regular tick checks of your pets, especially if your pet spends a lot of time outdoors. Every day, run your hands slowly over your pet’s body including her head, armpits, and inside her ears. Don’t forgot to check yourself too!

What to do if you find a tick on your dog or cat:

  • Use a pair of tweezers or the Tick Twister to grab the tick by head where the mouth enters your pet’s body, then pull backwards steadily until the tick is extracted from the body. Don’t grab the tick by the body, twist it, or pull too quickly. Disinfect the wound and apply an antibiotic cream approved by your veterinarian. Keep it clean and disinfected until it has healed.
  • If your pet has several ticks or is infested with them, you can try a medicated shampoo or dip to kill the ticks on contact.
  • Watch for signs of tick borne illnesses in your pet. Symptoms may not be evident for up to three weeks. If you think a tick has bitten your pet and she’s behaving differently – loss of appetite, lethargy – talk your veterinarian right away.

Don’t Wait Until Tick Season: Prevention is the Best Medicine

Your goal should be to prevent ticks from ever latching on to your dog or cat. Fortunately, there are lots of effective preventative medications on the market. Your best bet is to talk with your veterinarian about which one is right for your pet and your area of the country. Be sure that the medicine you use repels the types of ticks in your area.

Here’s a quick overview of your options to fight ticks:

Oral Tick Preventatives – The market is full of preventative oral medications you give to your pet monthly to kill adult ticks and prevent eggs from hatching.

Topical Tick Preventatives – If you’d rather not give your pet a pill each month, ask your veterinarian about topical tick treatments that you apply to the skin each month.

Environmental Products to Kill Ticks – Keeping your bushes, trees, and lawn trimmed reduces the area ticks have to breed and helps keep the tick population at bay. If you have a tick infestation in your yard, consider using environmental products or hiring an exterminator to address the problem. Be sure to read the directions and understand how the products affect pets and people before you use them.

Seresto – One of the newest ways to protect your pet from ticks is the Seresto collar. It has a unique combination of ingredients and an innovative delivery system that protects your pet from ticks for up to eight months. It’s available for cats, too.

We stock a full range of tick preventatives and treatments to keep your pet safe and healthy. Which tick products do you use? And how are they working? We welcome your feedback and so do our other pet parents. Share your experiences with ticks by leaving a reply below. Alternatively, please leave product reviews on any of the tick products available at VetRxDirect. Thank you.

Down with ticks!

Wes

Generic Carprofen for Arthritis in Dogs

Pet medications for pain relief in dogs have been prescribed by veterinarians for years. So long in fact, that today there are many prescription generic carprofen brands available for the relief of pain and inflammation in dogs, including arthritis and hip dysplasia.

What does ‘Generic Carprofen’ Mean?

Generic carprofen is proven to have the same desired effect and safety as the brand name. And, just like the brand, generics are FDA-approved for use in dogs, meet FDA requirements and are made in FDA-inspected facilities. The only difference is cost.

Less expensive, bio-equivalent drugs with the same active ingredient to Rimadyl® Caplets are available now. It should be noted that while these products have the same active drug as Rimadyl® chewable tablets, generic carprofen is not yet available in chewable form. Still, it may be worth the cost savings to discuss this option with your pet’s veterinarian if you believe your dog will take the caplet form.

Ask your pet’s veterinarian today if generic carprofen is the right pain management medicine for your dog. Then visit VetRxDirect Pet Pharmacy to find great prices on a wide selection of carprofen generics.

Generic Carprofen Available at VetRxDirect

Generic Carprofen equivalent to Rimadyl® caplets available at VetRxDirect:

Have you given your dog generic carprofen or any other generic drug? How did the generic pet meds work? Did your pet’s veterinarian let you know generics were available? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a reply below. If you prefer, we invite you to leave a product review on the product page of any of our generic drugs.

Here’s to more affordable options,

Wes

Rimadyl® is a registered trademark of Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health).

Your Trusted Source for the AeroKat

4.9 stars out of 5! That’s how pet parents rate the AeroKat in the product review section of our site.  We’re hearing terms like “highly recommended” and  “wonderful invention” about this veterinarian recommended therapeutic device that makes it easy to give inhaled medication to treat bronchitis and asthma in cats.

Can the AeroKat Help Cats with Asthma?

The following video shows footage of a cat having an asthma attack. The video is intended to help you identify some cat asthma symptoms. Any abnormal behavior should be discussed with your pet’s veterinarian.

If your pet is suffering from asthma or bronchitis, ask your veterinarian about the the symptoms right away. There are great products available to help. Haven’t heard about the AeroKat or its canine companion, the AeroDawg? Check them out: AeroKat or AeroDawg. Have you tried the AeroDawg or AeroKat? Share your story in our Reviews section on the product pages or by leaving a reply below. Other pet parents would love to hear from you.

We’re thrilled the AeroKat is so useful for these scary conditions. And we’re honored to be one of the few retailers approved by the manufacturer, Trudell Medical International, to sell these fantastic products.

Until very recently a major Internet retailer was selling the AeroKat even though it wasn’t credentialed to do so.  That’s a real “buyer beware” situation. When it comes to purchasing medication and medical supplies for your pet, there’s absolutely no substitute for quality and professionalism. You should always purchase these supplies directly from your pet’s veterinarian or from a licensed, reputable pharmacy that is approved to sell them.  Anything less and you could be putting your pet’s health in jeopardy.

Here at VetRxDirect we’ve earned the trust of veterinarians and manufacturers and work together to provide top quality pet medicines and devices from reputable distributors to our customers.

  • We were the first online veterinary pharmacy to earn the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (Vet-VIPPS) accreditation
  • We honor the veterinarian-client-patient relationship
  • We guarantee our products
  • Our compounding facility is PCAB accredited
  • We are a Google Trusted Store

Thanks for your trust and your business.

Wes

Three Cheers for Omega-3!

Do you take omega-3 supplements to improve your own health? If you’re like a lot of people, you’re adding omega-3 to your diet because of the great health benefits these “good fats” deliver. They may improve heart health, reduce inflammation throughout the body, reduce joint pain — even improve some skin conditions.

And, once again, what’s good for you is good for Fido and Fluffy. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are essential for healthy growth and development in dogs and cats.

What can omega-3 do for your pet’s health?

  • Promote heart health
  • Keep the coat and skin healthy and supple
  • May help reduce inflammation throughout body including the joints
  • Support the immune system
  • Promote healthy brain function

Since omega-3 essential fatty acids aren’t made in the body – neither our bodies nor our pet’s bodies make them – these important nutrients must come from our diets. Foods including cold water fish like salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, and soybeans are all rich in healthy omega-3.

But I’m guessing while some of you might eat salmon, tofu, and walnuts regularly to boost your omega-3 levels, you aren’t feeding those foods to your pet every day, right? Fortunately, there are many omega-3 nutritional supplements on the market formulated specifically for dogs and cats. And we’re seeing a definite uptick in orders for these important products.

But not all nutritional supplements are alike. When you’re buying nutritional supplements, for yourself or your pet, it’s important that you check the quality and purity to ensure you’re getting what you need – and what you pay for.

Ascenta Omega 3 for Pets with PureCheck

I’m really excited about one of our newest omega-3 supplements– Ascenta Omega3. This liquid nutritional supplement is available in canine and feline formulas that can be added directly to your pet’s food. But here’s what’s different about Ascenta Omega3: the quality and purity are guaranteed. Ascenta has an independent verification system that confirms the purity and exact make up of each batch of Ascenta Omega3 so you can check the levels of the supplement you order online to ensure its quality. That’s a valuable resource and good peace of mind.

Have you tried Ascenta Omega3 yet? If you’re one of those cutting-edge pet parents that’s already using Ascenta Omega3, weigh in and let us (and everyone else) know how it’s working for your pet. Please feel free to leave a product review on the Ascenta product page or leave a reply below.

Cheers!

Wes