Ordering Flea Prevention Online

Do any of you order flea prevention online? If so, what is the best site to use? My two cats are on Revolution and I can find it much cheaper online but I want to make sure I can trust the site I order from.

Any suggestions?

Click here and here for info about identifying counterfeit flea & tick products.

I order my cat & dog flea control (OTC) and dog heartworm prevention (with a prescription from my dog's vet - he faxes it to them), as well as Feliway & other misc. supplies from this site, and have never had any problems with them, and the product I've received has always checked out as being genuine according to the guidelines above.

Of course, if you have any doubts it's always better to check with your vet first.

Often the ones you buy online are a weaker version of the ones you get from the vet and may not be very effective. If you have a way to check out if they are the same formula and know the right dosage for the weight of your animals (your vet would know that info), then I can't see there is a problem. Personally I wouldn't order online but each person has their own way of doing things.

Ive ordered revolution online twice before cant remember the website tho. Last year I bought frontline from my vet and didnt think it worked as good as the revolution.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Often the ones you buy online are a weaker version of the ones you get from the vet and may not be very effective.

Click to expand...

So you're saying Revolution purchased online isn't the same ingredients / dosage as Revolution purchased from my vet?

I'd rather buy directly from my vet also but he jacks up the cost a ton and if I can get the same thing cheaper I'm going to.

Originally Posted by MrsMeowgi

So you're saying Revolution purchased online isn't the same ingredients / dosage as Revolution purchased from my vet?

Click to expand...

From what I understand from smarter folks than me is that you may be getting a "knock-off" and indeed you will not be getting the REAL stuff.

Often over-the-counter and on-line formulas are different strengths due to whatever powers dictate the difference between prescription strength and OTC strength.

I also believe Revolution is used for more than just fleas whereas Advantage pretty much just treats flea issues.

My motto is - when in doubt go to the vet. I wouldn't buy OTC medication for a child unless directed to do so by a licensed doctor, so it only makes sense to me that I wouldn't do it for my pet either. I am not qualified to diagnose and prescribe what my animal needs so I leave that to the experts.

There are people here who have multiple pets/do rescue, etc. that buy flea medications, etc. in bulk but they know what they are doing and ordering and have been doing it for years, and usually with the advice of their vet.

Hmmm...guess the post muncher thought my post was too long (who me? write long posts?) It kept taking the middle paragraphs out so it didn't make any sense. I'll try breaking it up into multiple posts & see what happens.

Revolution is different from Advantage and Frontline in that it is a prescription-only product, so any legitimate online retailer would require a prescription from your vet if you wish to purchase Revolution online (just like buying human drugs from a legitimate online human pharmacy). Any online retailer who offers to sell you Revolution without a prescription is breaking the law, and is more than likely selling counterfeit product.

As Yosemite pointed out, Revolution is different in that it is not only used to treat fleas, it is also used for prevention of heartworms and other parasites.

If you're considering buying Revolution online, the fact that you'd need to talk to your vet's office to get a prescription first would provide the opportunity to ask if he thinks purchasing Revolution online would be safe. If he approves of the idea, you could ask if he could steer you toward a site he considers reputable.

My vet's clinic staff didn't have any problem with sending our dog's heartworm prescription (Interceptor) out to the retailer I chose (they have a list of online retailers that the vet won't write prescriptions to because of quality or legal concerns).

They told me that they understand the need to watch expenses when you have multiple pets, and that the reputable online retailers order medicines from the manufacturer in such volume that their prices for the same medications are much lower than a single vet clinic can match.

I've never used Revolution on my pets, so I can't give any personal feedback about purchasing it online, but I'm sure your vet will be able to offer guidance if you check with him.

The older flea control products Advantage and Frontline moved from prescription to Over-the-Counter several years ago, so to the best of my knowledge there are not separate prescription and OTC strengths of Advantage or Frontline - just the same formerly prescription product that has been changed to OTC status.

However, some online retailers and brick & mortar pet supply stores have sold counterfeit product and/or product intended for sale in countries other than the US, which of course you would want to avoid using on your pets (click here for info on identifying those products).

I've been buying Advantage online for years from a retailer I consider reputable (the same one I get my vet prescription products from), but even so I inspect the packaging carefully. If I were to switch to Revolution, I'd certainly check with my vet before ordering it online.