10/09/2026
****Sharing this post from last year by Dr.Binder Cynthia DVMI: She works with our hero, Dr. Novy of Valley Vet in Simi Valley. She also cares for our rescue dogs.
This is info most vets don’t want you to know..
It’s come to my attention that many do not know the following---so this is sort of a public service announcement from the veterinary side of things.
1. You have the right to ask for a written prescription for any of your dog's medications. You do NOT have to purchase them from your vet or your vet's online pharmacy. You can take that rx anywhere. You may have to pay for their time to write the rx, varies with DVM.
2. Many dog medications are also human medications which means they can be purchased thru human pharmacies such as CVS, Walmart, etc. Many of the pharmacies now ALSO carry dog only medications as they want their piece of the big vet pie.... Think COSTCO---which usually has the cheapest prices because they can buy in big bulk.
3. You do NOT need to be a member of Costco to use their pharmacy. They also have a special dog medicine 'club' to get special prices on dog meds. Not entirely sure how that works, but know it exists if you sign up for it.
4. Find the cheapest prices on the medication you want in your area through goodrx.com. Just go to goodrx.com, enter in your zip code and the medication name, strength and quantity and it'll tell you where to find it cheapest, usually with a 'coupon' that you can click on and print out right then. Goodrx is free to use, you do not need to be a member to use. Some places (Like Costco) do not participate in Goodrx so they won't be listed there, even if their price is cheaper. A very few of the places listed will NOT include purchasing meds for your dogs in their coupons. This will show up on the fine print on the coupon itself that you will see after you've clicked on it. If your medication has a generic name make sure you always enter the generic names and not the brand names. (although goodrx will usually give you both options and sometimes the brand is cheaper than the generic, depending on what promotions are going on at that time).
Does my vet office lose some prescriptions because I tell my clients all of the above? Perhaps, but then also perhaps my clients can AFFORD to medicate their animals and get them the meds they need. They also appreciate my advice so they keep coming back and spending money on office exams to stay on track with their pet's health.....knowing I'm NOT in it all just for the $$$ (which is what we vets often get accused of.....)
Cynthia Binder DVM
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