What You Can Expect After Your Pet is Vaccinated

Simply described, vaccinations for both humans and animals are an injection of a low dose of a particular virus (or viruses) for the purpose of inoculation. As a result, your pet may experience a range of common, non-life threatening side effects. The American Veterinary Medical Association  (AVMA) lists the following possible side effects after vaccination:

• Discomfort and local swelling at the vaccination site
• Mild fever
• Decreased appetite and activity
• Sneezing, mild coughing, “snotty nose” or other respiratory signs may occur 2-5 days after your pet receives an intranasal vaccine

As we’ve already mentioned, these side effects are common, but if they persist for more than a day or two, or if your pet is in a severe amount of discomfort, be sure to contact your local vet at Anasazi Animal Clinic.

Severe Allergic Reaction

There is a small chance your pet may have a severe reaction to being vaccinated. This reaction may occur within a few hours, or within a few days. Immediately take your pet to the vet if they show any of these signs:

• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Itchy skin that may seem bumpy (“hives”)
• Swelling of the muzzle and around the face, neck, or eyes
• Severe coughing or difficulty breathing
• Collapse

In the unlikely event that your pet has an adverse reaction to their vaccinations, Anasazi Animal Clinic is here to offer our expert medical advice and care. Call us right away. And if you don’t already have a local vet you love, come in and see us! We’d be honored to care for your pets and give them the quality treatment and preventative care they deserve.

Photo by Matthew Henry from  Burst (4/21/2018)

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Benefits of an Online Pet Pharmacy

But after your four-legged friends see us, you may have questions about purchasing any necessary meds and carrying out any at-home care and treatments for them. We know you lead a busy life, so we want make it as convenient as possible to fill your pet’s prescriptions. That’s why we’ve set up an online pharmacy through our sister clinic, East Valley Animal Hospital.

Here are a few benefits of using an online pharmacy:

• It’s convenient: Our online pharmacy provides home delivery right to your doorstep, so your pet can get their meds and treatments as soon possible. It can avoid that extra trip to the vet, or to another pet pharmacy, in the middle of rush hour!
• It’s cost efficient: First, you can’t put a price tag on the time and energy you’ll save by ordering online at home. And, second, we offer FREE shipping on any order over $49! Finally, by going to our online pharmacy, you can take advantage of our many online sales.
• It’s stress-free: Instead of waiting around at the veterinary office or going through another pharmacy, you can order with one click. In addition, our site offers reminders, and an auto-ship option, so you don’t have to worry about missing a refill or an order for Fido or Fluffy.

At Anasazi Animal Clinic, we’ve made it our mission to offer the highest quality pet health care in our office and to make your at-home care as easy and successful as possible. Contact us today to learn more about our services, and check out our online pharmacy. We’re here to help make life easier for you and your beloved pet!

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Chocolate’s Toxic Properties

How can it be that chocolate is such a delight for us, but so dangerous for our pets? Not only can it cause illness for your pup, it can lead to death. It is that dangerous! Chocolate itself contains caffeine and a chemical called theobromine. These two chemicals separately are not good for dogs and other pets, but when put together, they are a very dangerous combination. Humans are able to digest and quickly process these two chemicals when eaten, but your pet’s system is unable to quickly process them. With the slow processing of their system, the chemicals become toxic in your pet’s body. The darker the chocolate, the higher the amount of toxins it contains and thus the more dangerous it is for animals.

Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning

Humans have symptoms following eating chocolate and they usually include bouts of happiness. Animals, however, have very unpleasant symptoms such as:

• Cardiac Arrest
• Diarhea
• Increased Heart Rate
• Respiratory Failure
• Tremors
• Vomiting

While the amount of chocolate ingested affects the symptoms, it can take hours for the symptoms to show. By the time symptoms show, the ingredients could reach highly toxic levels in your dog’s body. It is imperative to get your pet to the clinic as soon as you realize they are being affected by these toxins.

Treatment

The sooner you realize that your pet has consumed chocolate, the more effective treatment can be. When you arrive at the clinic, vomiting will be induced right away to expel the chocolate from the body and prevent as much as we can from entering the animal’s system. Depending on circumstances of amount and time since ingestion, activated charcoal may be needed to soak up the toxins.

Providing knowledgeable emergency care to your pet after chocolate ingestion is very important. Anasazi Animal Clinic understands the frustrations and fears that occur when your beloved pet is unwell, but we are here to provide the best pet care possible. Contact us today for a specified emergency plan for your pet.

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Cats can get a variety of intestinal parasites, including some that are commonly referred to as “worms.” Infestations of intestinal worms can cause a variety of symptoms. Sometimes cats demonstrate few to no outward signs of infection, and the infestation can go undetected despite being a potentially serious health problem. Some feline parasitic worms are hazards for humane health as well.

What Are the Most Common Types of Worms in Cats?

• Roundworms are the most common internal parasites in cats. Resembling spaghetti, adult worms are three to four inches long. There are several ways cats can become infected. Nursing kittens can get roundworms from an infected mother’s milk, while adult cats can acquire them by ingesting an infected rodent or the feces of an infected cat.
• Hookworms are much smaller than roundworms—less than an inch long—and reside primarily in the small intestine. Because they feed on an animal’s blood, hookworms can cause life-threatening anemia, especially in kittens. Hookworm eggs are passed in the stool and hatch into larvae, and a cat can become infected either through ingestion or skin contact. Please note, hookworms are more common in dogs than in cats.
• Long and flat, tapeworms are segmented parasites and range from 4 to 28 inches in length. An infestation can cause vomiting or weight loss. Cats acquire tapeworms by ingesting an intermediate host, like an infected flea or rodent. When cats are infected, tapeworm segments—actual pieces of the worm that resemble grains of rice—can often be seen on the fur around a cat’s hind end.
• Unlike intestinal parasites, lungworms reside in the lungs of a cat. Most cats will not show any signs of having lungworms, but some can develop a cough. Snails and slugs are popular intermediate hosts of this type of parasite, but cats are usually infected after eating a bird or rodent who has ingested an intermediate host.

How Do Cats Get Worms?

Though means of transmission can vary, one of the main ways that cats get worms is through the ingestion of the feces of infected felines. Mother cats can also pass on worms to their kittens.

What Are the General Symptoms of Worms?

Symptoms differ depending on the type of parasite and the location of infection, but some common clinical signs include:

• Diarrhea
• Worms visible in stool or segments of worm seen near anus
• Bloody stool
• Bloating or round, potbellied appearance to abdomen
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Coughing
• Trouble breathing

Are Certain Cats Prone to Worms?

Outdoor cats and those who are routinely exposed to soil where other animals defecate are prone to worms. Kittens and cats who do not receive regular preventative health care are most at risk for developing complications associated with internal parasites.

What Should I Do If I Think My Cat Has Worms?

It’s important to bring your cat to a veterinarian, who can confirm the presence of worms. Avoid self-diagnosis, since worms are not always visible or identifiable.

How Are Worms Treated?

Please don’t attempt to treat your pet yourself—your cat should be treated for the specific type of worms he has. A dewormer that eradicates tapeworms, for example, will not kill roundworms. And some over-the-counter deworming medications can be harmful. After your vet has accurately diagnosed the type of parasite your pet has, he or she will then prescribe the best course of treatment, which may include an oral deworming agent.

Can I Catch Worms from My Cat?

Yes! A large number of roundworm eggs can accumulate where cats defecate. People, especially children, who ingest such eggs can develop serious health problems, such as blindness. In fact, roughly 10,000 children are infected with roundworms each year.

Hookworm larvae can penetrate human skin and cause lesions. And people can acquire tapeworms through the ingestion of an infected flea.

How Can I Prevent My Cat from Getting Worms?

• Keep your cat indoors to avoid exposure to infected cats, rodents, fleas and feces.
• Make sure your home, yard and pets are flea-free.
• Practice good hygiene and wear gloves when changing cat litter or handling feces. It’s also important to frequently dispose of stool.
• Ask your veterinarian to recommend an appropriate internal parasite treatment or prevention program for your cat.

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A heartworm is a parasitic worm (Dirofilaria immitis) that lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected animal. The worms travel through the bloodstream—harming arteries and vital organs as they go—ultimately completing their journey to the vessels of the lung and the heart chamber about six months after the initial infection. Several hundred worms can live in one dog for five to seven years. Heartworm disease is serious, and can be fatal.

What Causes Heartworm?

Heartworms are transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes. The lifecycle of the heartworm is complex. An animal must carry at least two heartworms (a male and a female) in order for female heartworms to reproduce. Females produce babies, called “microfilariae,” which are shed into an animal’s bloodstream but are not capable of directly causing heartworm without first passing through a mosquito. The microfilariae must be taken up by biting mosquitoes, and transform into infective larvae over a two-week period inside the insect. When the mosquito next bites a susceptible animal, the infective larvae enter the tissues and begin a migration into the blood vessels.

Heartworms enter an animal’s bloodstream as tiny, invisible larvae, but can reach lengths of more than twelve inches at maturity.

What Are the General Symptoms of Heartworm?

Symptoms of heartworm infestation can include labored breathing, coughing, vomiting, weight loss and listlessness, and fatigue after only moderate exercise. However, some dogs exhibit no symptoms at all until late stages of infection.

How Is Heartworm Diagnosed?

Heartworm disease is diagnosed by examination, radiographs or ultrasound, and a veterinarian-administered blood test. All dogs should be routinely screened with a blood test for heartworm either annually in spring, at the start of mosquito season, or before being placed on a new prescription for a heartworm preventive.

Which Dogs Are Prone to Heartworm?

Heartworm infestation can happen to any dog (as well as cats and some wild animals), but since mosquitoes are their carriers, dogs who live in hot, humid regions—conditions in which mosquitoes thrive—are at the greatest risk. The disease has been seen in every state except Alaska, but is most common in or on the East Coast, southern United States and Mississippi River Valley.

How Can Heartworm Be Prevented?

The good news is that heartworm is easy preventable with an inexpensive, chewable pill available with a vet’s prescription. The pills—highly palatable to most dogs—are usually administered monthly and manufactured by several companies. The pills can be given to dogs under 6 months of age without a blood test, but older animals must be screened for the disease prior to starting medication. You can opt to give your dog a pill only during mosquito season (spring through first frost), but the most recent recommendation from the American Heartworm Society is to keep giving them all year—not only does this avoid errors, but many of the products also prevent other intestinal parasites. There are also topical products available that you can apply to the skin.

How Is Heartworm Treated?

After diagnosis, a thorough examination of the infected dog should be conducted to evaluate the best course of treatment and the potential risks involved. The most common course of treatment is a series of injections of drugs called adulticides into the dogs’ muscle. This cure has a high success rate and usually requires hospitalization; in certain circumstances, however, it may be performed on an outpatient basis. However, all treatment protocols require several weeks of exercise restriction after treatment and are not without risk. Disease prevention is a much better and safer option. After treatment, your dog should be placed on a preventative medication to reduce the risk of infection.

When Is It Time to See the Vet?

If you notice that your dog’s energy has decreased, she seems ill, or she’s exhibiting any of the general symptoms described above, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

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So how can you protect yourself? FDA says that consumers should know how to recognize a legal Internet pharmacy and how to buy medicines online safely.

Don’t Be Deceived

Buying prescription and over-the-counter drugs on the Internet from a company you don’t know means you may not know exactly what you’re getting.

There are many websites that operate legally and offer convenience, privacy, and safeguards for purchasing medicines. But there are also many “rogue websites” that offer to sell potentially dangerous drugs that have not been checked for safety or effectiveness. Though a rogue site may look professional and legitimate, it could actually be an illegal operation.

These rogue sites often sell unapproved drugs, drugs that contain the wrong active ingredient, drugs that may contain too much or too little of the active ingredient, or drugs that contain dangerous ingredients.

For example, FDA purchased and analyzed several products that were represented online as Tamiflu (oseltamivir). One of the orders, which arrived in an unmarked envelope with a postmark from India, consisted of unlabeled, white tablets. When analyzed by FDA, the tablets were found to contain talc and acetaminophen, but none of the active ingredient oseltamivir.

FDA also became aware of a number of people who placed orders over the Internet for one of the following products:

• Ambien (zolpidem tartrate)
• Xanax (alprazolam)
• Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate)
• Ativan (lorazepam)

Instead of receiving the drug they ordered, several customers received products containing what was identified as foreign versions of Haldol (haloperidol), a powerful anti-psychotic drug. As a result, these customers needed emergency medical treatment for symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, muscle spasms, and muscle stiffness—all problems that can occur with haloperidol.

Other websites sell counterfeit drugs that may look exactly like real FDA-approved medicines, but their quality and safety are unknown.

Signs of a trustworthy website

• It’s located in the United States.
• It’s licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the website is operating. A list of these boards is available at the website of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
• It has a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions.
• It requires a prescription for prescription medicines from your doctor or another health care professional who is licensed to prescribe medicines.
• It provides contact information and allows you to talk to a person if you have problems or questions.

Another way to check on a website is to look for the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s (NABP) Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ Seal, also known as the VIPPS® Seal.

This seal means that the Internet pharmacy is safe to use because it has met state licensure requirements, as well as other NABP criteria. Visit the VIPPS website to find legitimate pharmacies that carry the VIPPS® seal.

Signs of an unsafe website

• It sends you drugs with unknown quality or origin.
• It gives you the wrong drug or another dangerous product for your illness.
• It doesn’t provide a way to contact the website by phone.
• It offers prices that are dramatically lower than the competition.
• It may offer to sell prescription drugs without a prescription—this is against the law!
• It may not protect your personal information.

Know Your Medicines

Before you get any new medicine for the first time, talk to a health care professional such as your doctor or pharmacist about any special steps you need to take to fill your prescription.

Any time you get a prescription refilled

• check the physical appearance of the medicine (color, texture, shape, and packaging)
• check to see if it smells and tastes the same when you use it
• alert your pharmacist or whoever is providing treatment to anything that is different

Be aware that some drugs sold online

• are too old, too strong, or too weak
• aren’t FDA-approved
• aren’t made using safe standards
• aren’t safe to use with other medicines or products
• aren’t labeled, stored, or shipped correctly
• may be counterfeit

Counterfeit Drugs

Counterfeit drugs are fake or copycat products that can be difficult to identify.

The deliberate and fraudulent practice of counterfeiting can apply to both brand name and generic products, where the identity of the source is often mislabeled in a way that suggests it is the authentic approved product.

Counterfeit drugs may

• be contaminated
• not help the condition or disease the medicine is intended to treat
• lead to dangerous side effects
• contain the wrong active ingredient
• be made with the wrong amounts of ingredients
• contain no active ingredients at all or contain too much of an active ingredient
• be packaged in phony packaging that looks legitimate

For example, counterfeit versions of the FDA-approved weight loss drug Xenical, which contains the active ingredient orlistat, recently were obtained by three consumers from two different websites.

Laboratory analysis showed that the capsules that the consumers received contained the wrong active ingredient, sibutramine.

Sibutramine is the active ingredient of a different medicine called Meridia, a prescription drug also approved by FDA to help obese people lose weight and maintain weight loss. In addition, sibutramine is classified as a controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration because of its potential for abuse and misuse.

Using medicine that contains an active ingredient that wasn’t prescribed by your licensed health care provider may be harmful.

FDA continues to proactively protect consumers from counterfeit drugs. The agency is working with drug manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to identify and prevent counterfeit drugs. FDA also is exploring the use of modern technologies and other measures that will make it more difficult for counterfeit drugs to get mixed up with, or deliberately substituted for, safe and effective medicines.

For more information on this topic, visit FDA’s Web page on Counterfeit Medicine.

How to Protect Yourself

• Only buy from state-licensed pharmacy websites located in the U.S.
• Don’t buy from websites that sell prescription drugs without a prescription.
• Don’t buy from websites that offer to prescribe a drug for the first time without a physical exam by your doctor or by answering an online questionnaire.
• Check with your state board of pharmacy or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to see if an online pharmacy has a valid pharmacy license and meets state quality standards.
• Look for privacy and security policies that are easy to find and easy to understand.
• Don’t give any personal information—such as a social security number, credit card information, or medical or health history—unless you are sure the website will keep your information safe and private.
• Use legitimate websites that have a licensed pharmacist to answer your question.
• Make sure that the website will not sell your personal information, unless you agree.

For information on protecting yourself against a whole range of bogus health products that includes counterfeit drugs, see FDA’s Consumer Update, “FDA 101: Health Fraud Awareness.”

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

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Protect Yourself and Your Pet: Be Online Pet Pharmacy A.W.A.R.E.

“Affordable pet prescriptions!”
“Pet meds at discount prices!”
“No prescription required!”
“Your best source for pet meds!”

If you’ve ever searched online for prescription pet medicines, you’ve no doubt seen eye-catching, attention-grabbing claims. They sound convincing in their promises of convenience and lower prices. But are these claims always true?

Internet sites that sell pet drugs can be reputable pharmacies. However, others are fronts for businesses breaking Federal, State, and sometimes, International laws. Illegal online pharmacies may sell medicines that are counterfeit, outdated, mislabeled, incorrectly formulated, or improperly made or stored. These medicines may not contain the actual drug, may contain contaminants, or the incorrect amount of drug, may not work as well due to age or being stored in conditions that were too hot, cold, or humid, and may not have the proper directions for use. If you are unhappy with ordered products, illegal online pharmacies may fraudulently leave you with no way to get your money back.

If you still want to purchase your pet’s prescription medicines online, remember you can protect yourself by doing your homework and being online pharmacy A.W.A.R.E.

A— Ask Your Veterinarian

Before you purchase online, talk with your veterinarian! Your veterinarian wants what’s best for you and your pet. Ask your veterinarian questions like, “Do you trust the internet pharmacy site?”, “Have you ever worked with the pharmacy?” “Have other clients used that site? If so, what were their experiences?”

W—Watch for Red Flags

When buying from online pharmacies, keep an eye out for red flags. Be careful if the…

• site does not require veterinary prescriptions for prescription medicines.

Websites that sell prescription veterinary medicines without valid veterinary prescriptions are breaking the law. Under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, a pharmacy can’t sell you a veterinary prescription medicine without a valid prescription or other type of order from a licensed veterinarian. Online questionnaires or consults don’t take the place of valid veterinary prescriptions. Sites that sell drugs without requiring valid veterinary prescriptions rob both you and your pet of the protection provided by a veterinary physical exam.

• site has no licensed pharmacist available to answer questions.

Can someone answer your questions about your pet’s medicines?

• site does not list physical business address, phone number, or other contact information.

If something goes wrong with your order, can you get in contact with them?

• site is not based in the United States.

If an out-of-country site fraudulently takes your money, there’s not much the US government can do to help you get your money back.

• site is not licensed by the State Board of Pharmacy where the business is based.

If the business is based in the United States, check to see if it is properly licensed in the State where it is based by contacting that State’s Board of Pharmacy. Contact information for each State Board of Pharmacy is available on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) website.

• site does not protect your personal information.

Keep yourself safe from identity theft!  Make sure the site you use is secure.

• site’s prices are dramatically lower than your veterinarian’s or other websites’ prices. 

If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

• site ships you medicines that you didn’t order or that look very different from what your pet normally takes.

Don’t give these medicines to your pet!  Contact the site immediately!

A—Always Check for Site Accreditation

In addition to following Federal and State licensing and inspection requirements, in 2009, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) created a voluntary accreditation program called Vet-VIPPS (Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites).  Vet-VIPPS accredited online pharmacies:

• are appropriately licensed in the states from which they ship drugs
• have successfully completed a 19-point review and online survey
• undergo yearly VIPPS review and re-accreditation
• undergo NABP on-site surveys every three years

Vet-VIPPS accredited pharmacies must also meet other strict criteria, including protecting client confidentiality, strict quality assurance, and making sure prescription orders are valid.

R—Report Problems and Suspicious Online Pet Pharmacies

If your pet has a problem with a medicine purchased online (for example, a reaction to the medicine or the medicine not working), first contact the medicine’s maker.  To report problems directly to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) call 1-888-FDA-VETS.  For a copy of the reporting form (FDA Form 1932a) and for more information on how to report problems, visit the following website:

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm055305.htm.

Protect yourself, your pets, and others! Don’t fall victim to illegal online pet pharmacies.  Report suspicious online pet pharmacy sites to the FDA and the NABP at:

FDA: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ucm059315.htm

NABP: http://www.nabp.net/

E—Educate Yourself about Online Pet Pharmacies

The best defense you have against illegal online pet pharmacies is education. Do your homework and be online pet pharmacy A.W.A.R.E. before you purchase your pet’s medicines online.  An informed consumer is an empowered consumer.

For more information about purchasing pet medicines from online pharmacies, visit CVM’s website at:

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary, or call CVM at 1-240-276-9300.

Be Online Pet Pharmacy AWARE:

A-Ask your veterinarian

W-Watch for red flags

A-Always check for site accreditation

R-Report problems and suspicious online pet pharmacies

E-Educate yourself about online pet pharmacies

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Some of the Internet sites that sell pet drugs represent legitimate, reputable pharmacies, says Martine Hartogensis, D.V.M., deputy director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). But others are fronts for unscrupulous businesses operating against the law.

FDA has found companies that sell unapproved pet drugs and counterfeit pet products, make fraudulent claims, dispense prescription drugs without requiring a prescription, and sell expired drugs.

Pet owners who purchase drugs from these companies may think they are saving money, says Hartogensis, but in reality, they may be short-changing their pet’s health and putting its life at risk.

CVM regulates the manufacture and distribution of animal drugs, while individual state pharmacy boards regulate the dispensing of prescription veterinary products.

Red Flags

Some foreign Internet pharmacies advertise that veterinary prescription drugs are available to U.S. citizens without a prescription. But, says Hartogensis, “There is a risk of the drugs not being FDA-approved.”

A foreign or domestic pharmacy may claim that one of its veterinarians on staff will “evaluate” the pet after looking over a form filled out by the pet owner, and then prescribe the drug. “A veterinarian should physically examine an animal prior to making a diagnosis to determine the appropriate therapy,” says Hartogensis.

CVM is especially concerned that pet owners are going online to buy two types of commonly used prescription veterinary drugs—nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and heartworm preventives.

“Both drugs can be dangerous if there is no professional involvement,” says Hartogensis. “It’s not generally a concern if the owner uses a legitimate online pharmacy and mails in a prescription from their veterinarian, who is monitoring the animal. But if there is no veterinarian–client–patient relationship, it’s a dangerous practice.”

NSAIDS and Heartworm Preventives

Veterinarians often prescribe NSAIDs to relieve pain in dogs. NSAIDs should not be purchased on the Internet without a veterinarian’s involvement because

• dogs should undergo blood testing and a thorough physical examination before starting NSAIDs
• dogs should be monitored by a veterinarian while they are taking NSAIDs
• veterinarians should discuss possible side effects of NSAIDs with the owner
• the prescription should be accompanied by a Client Information Sheet that explains important safety information to the owner

Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition transmitted by the bite of a mosquito that is carrying infected larvae of the heartworm parasite. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can get heartworm. Heartworm preventives, given daily, monthly, or semiannually, depending on the product, kill the larvae before they become adult worms.

The American Heartworm Society recommends

• using heartworm medication for dogs year-round, no matter where you live in the United States
• getting dogs tested yearly to make sure they’re not infected with heartworm

“Testing is important even in dogs regularly treated with heartworm preventive products due to the occasional reports of product ineffectiveness,” says Hartogensis. An Internet pharmacy veterinarian cannot draw blood from the animal to perform the test. If the test isn’t done, a pet owner could be giving heartworm preventives to a dog that has heartworms, potentially leading to severe reactions.

Tips for Buying Pet Drugs Online

• Order from a Web site that belongs to a Vet-VIPPS accredited pharmacy. Vet-VIPPS—the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites—is a voluntary accreditation program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). NABP gives the Vet-VIPPS seal to online pharmacies that dispense prescription animal drugs and comply with NABP’s strict criteria, including federal and state licensing and inspection requirements, protecting patient confidentiality, quality assurance, and validity of prescription orders. Look for the Vet-VIPPS seal displayed on a pharmacy’s Web site or check with NABP (click on “Accreditation Programs”) to find out if a pharmacy is Vet-VIPPS accredited. Because this is a new program, begun in 2009, a small number of pharmacies are currently Vet-VIPPS accredited.
• Order from an outsourced prescription management service that your veterinarian uses. These state-licensed Internet pharmacy services work directly with the veterinarian, require that a prescription be written by the veterinarian, and support the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Ask your veterinary hospital if it uses an Internet pharmacy service.

This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Health Information Web page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.

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What does this mean to an Anasazi client?

• Your pet must have initially been seen for a condition by one of our veterinarians who prescribed the medication.
• For prescription refills (with the exception of flea treatments) your pet must have been seen by a veterinarian within the last 12 months. With some medical conditions it may be even sooner.
• Drugs cannot be supplied for friends of clients.
• Drugs cannot be dispensed to anyone under the age of 18 years.
• Drugs cannot be supplied on behalf of another veterinarian without the pet being seen.
• Federal and state laws and good medical practice prohibit us from dispensing or refilling medications that were originally ordered by another veterinarian. We will be happy to dispense any needed medications after examining your animal.

It’s the law but we want to help!

Our goal at Anasazi Animal Clinic is to provide your pet with the very best veterinary care. Therefore, the frequency of check-ups depends on the nature of your pet’s condition and the drugs being provided. If we ask you to bring your pet back to see the veterinarian before issuing a repeat prescription, you can rest assured that it is only in the best interests of you pet’s health.

• Our practice staff is not allowed to dispense any medicines without the specific consent of a veterinarian who must decide whether or not an examination is required.
• Please allow 24 hours for prescription refills to ensure that your wait time is minimized upon arrival to pick up the medication.
• Please ask for advice – we strive to provide efficient and friendly service within the bounds of the law.

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