A spoon full of "free" helps the medicine go down!

Back in September we ran a Birthday Survey. One question in this survey was something that we'd long wanted to know for certain - how much are people actually paying for their prescriptions.


The price of a veterinary prescription is important, because it is another cost barrier in the way of your cat or dog getting the medicines they need to keep they healthy or make them better. At Pet Drugs Online we've always taken care of the other end of the equation by keeping our prices as low as possible.


For a long time our customer call team had used the figure "between £5 -£10" when asked the average price of a prescription; but we knew this figure was increasingly anecdotal and decidedly less factual. Hence the question in the survey, and we were a little surprised at the results.



While 23% of customers paid £9 - £12 for a prescription (which seems reasonable) 12% paid £13 - £15, 11% paid £16 - £20 and 13% paid a whopping £26 or more! That is a lot. You need a prescription to purchase one our best selling drugs, a tube of eye ointment and a £26 prescription fee would double the effective price!


So we had a think, and a chat and come up with a cunning plan. It is not perfect and it can't help everybody, but it is a first step in the direction of cheaper prescriptions. Our plan is this: if you pay for a consultation with one our 200+ partner vets, then they will write a prescription for free. That's precisely £0! Of course you may not want to change vets, and while UK-wide, the network of partner vets is not yet comprehensive (eg there is little coverage on M4 corridor, but loads in Southampton).

The full details of the service can be found on our site and there's a funky little "enter your postcode to find the nearest partner vet" tool too. Have a go on it, you never know what may be around the corner - just across the road from the post office.


We'll look to do more, but it is a start...
Cheers,
The Pet Drugs Online Team

We’re on the move!

Now if you try to call us this Saturday morning (16th Jan 2016) you’ll find we’re not in. That is because we’re moving to bigger premises this weekend and all the phones will be in the back of a van! So our apologies about that. We’ll be back up and running for Monday (18th Jan 2016)– and our course you can drop us an email in the meantime.

We’re moving now for the 5th time in 11 years, each one motivated by a desire to improve and introduce new systems, aimed at making sure you get your order faster and with less hassle. I could witter on about automated stock picking and the like - but what this really means is that orders will move from website to warehouse to envelope to your door more efficiently than ever.
Now that’s all very corporate and the sort of thing you are supposed to say when moving; but it is also rather exciting and highlights how quickly we all become set in our ways. So here’s the deal. We’ll all try to remember to drive to a different location on Monday morning, while you just need to send all postal communications for Pet Drugs Online to:


      Pet Drugs Online
      Unit 7b, Burnett Business Park,
      Gypsy Lane, Keynsham
      Bristol
      BS31 2ED


Now it is odds on at least one member of staff will forget and get out of their car on the 18th with that “where is everybody” feeling. So we will of course have a mail re-direct in place to scoop any postal waifs and strays, as we all adjust to the new address.

The Pet Drugs Online 'journey'

Luckily we’re not moving far and above is a map showing each of our short hops around the historic county of B&NES. We reckon our entire journey is only 24.8 miles, an average of 6.2 miles each time! So no too far if we do get lost on the commute next week!
Cheers,
The Pet Drugs Online Team

Bit of house keeping and a bit of fun

For online companies like Pet Drugs Online, Christmas comes oddly early. Once the last posting dates have passed we're in in the hands of the Royal Mail and couriers to get everyones' parcels out to them before everything shuts down.

We will of course still be able to take your order online at any time, and we will be packing orders ready for dispatch - so that as soon as the postal system starts up again. Our customer support team though will be taking a break and so will only be able to help with queries or take orders over the phone on the following days:

• 24th December (Christmas Eve) – 8.30am to 12pm.
• 25th to 28th December - CLOSED.
• 29th to 30th December - OPEN - 8.30am to 5.30pm.                         
• 31st December (New Year's Eve) – 8.30am to 12pm.
• 1st January (New Year's Day) - CLOSED.
• 2nd January - OPEN - 9:00am to 2:00pm.

On a lighter note we’ve made a little video that we hope will raise a smile. It’s just a bit of fun and joins the Pets of Pet Drugs Online’s Christmas party just as the karaoke starts!

Merry Christmas and happy new year
From all the Pet Drugs Online Team

We Wish You A Catty Christmas...

Santa has his elves and we have cats. Trouble is that elves are good at Christmas, some cats can be quite naught while for others Christmas is just plain bad for them!

Christmas trees and decorations
Some cats (Douglas, we're thinking of you here) view Christmas trees as a mix between gymnast's parallel bars and a parkour practice range! So think carefully about where you position your tree and what you put on it.

If possible select somewhere where you can secure the tree (such as against a wall or low ceiling) to help prevent it tipping over if/when the cat's climbing leads to it over-balancing. One way of doing this is to use thread or transparent fishing line which is has the benefit of being both strong and (mostly) invisible. You can secure this discretely to a ring hook or cup hook on the wall or ceiling.

It’s also important to ensure that the base of the Christmas tree is as secure as possible and stable - maybe bolstering that little plastic three-legged stand. As an extra precaution you can add some soft padding around the tree to cushion any landing if your cat should climb and fall.

Here's a picture one of customers shared on Facebook. If you look closely, you can just see Betsy as she hunts a bauble!

Also watch out for things that your cat could swallow. Cat’s love playing with tinsel but if chewed it could get swallowed and cause all manner of gastric problems. Similarly pine needles, ribbons or hooks from ornaments could also get lodged if swallowed, so always make sure these are swept or vacuumed up. This may feel like a chore, but it is better than a trip to the vets on Christmas day.

Visitors and visiting
Christmas can be a stressful time for cats! Lots of extra noise and people can make cats anxious. Unlike dogs, most cats don’t like new visitors. I know ours detest the disruption to their routines. And the fact guests use their chairs (which of course they see as beds)! If you are having visitors it may be worth thinking about some calming treatments like Zylkene or Feliway, for use before during and importantly after the event.


Best Festive Wishes
Pet Drugs Online

Neigh Problem!

We all know Worms are harmful to the health of a horse but with so many different worming products on sale, most with name beginning with "Equ" and stories of resistance to certain treatments it can be confusing.

So here's a quick summary of the types of wormers we stock, grouped by their main active ingredients used to target particular parasites.

Types of Horse Wormers

Invermectin:

• Kills large redworms, small redworms, pinworms, large roundworms, lungworms,intestinal and neck threadworms and stomach worms.
• Dosing interval 8-10 weeks.
• Single dose in May, July and December.
• Also highly effectively against bots.

Praziquantel:

• Kills tapeworms
• No known resistance in the UK.
• Products include: Equitape (single dose, praziquantel), Equest Pramox, Eqvalan Duo , Equimax (single dose, combination wormers containing praziquantel).

Ivermectin & Praziquantel:

• All the benefits of ivermectin activity with the added benefit of tapeworm control.
• Single dose in Spring and Autumn (March/April and September/October) for roundworms and tapeworms.
• Products include: Equimax Horse Wormer.

Moxidectin

• Kills small redworm including encysted stages, large redworm, pinworms, large roundworms, intestinal threadworms, stomach worms and bots.
• Dosing interval for small redworm - 13 weeks.
• Single dose during winter to treat encysted small redworms.
• Products include: Equest.

Pyrantel

• Kills large redworms, small redworms, large roundworm and pinworms. Tapeworms at elevated dose rate
• Dosing interval for strongyles every 4-6 weeks during summer and autumn at pasture, every 4 weeks for foals from 1 to 8 months old.
• Products include: Strongid P (elevated dose, pyrantel)

Fenbendazole

• Kills large redworms, small redworms, including encysted stages at elevated dose rates, pinworms, large roundworm, intestinal threadworms at elevated doses.
• A five-day course can be used against inhibited mucosal stages of small redworms.
• Dosing interval for strongyles 6-8 weeks (if no benzimidazole resistance).
• There is widespread worm resistance to this wormer group against small redworms.
• Products include: Panacur Equine (fenbendazole).

As always, if you are in slightest doubt CALL YOUR VET. Your horse's health is not worth gambling with!


Pet Drugs Online

It is nearly bonfire night

And then there's Halloween with streams of children knocking on your door, people who let rockets off until mid-November. It is time to plan ahead... Zylkene from Pet Drugs Online

10th Birthday Infographic

Just wanted to share a pictorial version of the blog post a couple of weeks back, all about how Pet Drugs Online has (or is it have, I never can remember the companies singular rule) reached its 10th birthday.


So we drew a picture. With some words. And hitched a lift on the infographic bandwagon!