Can I get a refill for my cat's prescription food without a vet exam?

Hello Kevin, My name is Dr. Shines and I understand your thought process. Going to the veterinarian can be stressful! Unfortunately online veterinarians are not legally allowed to provide any type of prescription. Any prescription, even prescription food, requires a legal client patient relationship. This can only be established by having a physical exam. This legal relationship will last for 12 months from the date of the exam. I recommend to call Kevin's veterinarian and ask if there is a reason they aren't approving the prescription. Maybe there's a specific reason? You might also look into a mobile veterinarian who can come to your home and save Kevin the stress of a trip. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.

Yes, legally the vet is allowed to do this. Prescription medications require an exam, even if the cat has been on the medication long term. Typically long term medications require a yearly exam, but a vet may request exams more often depending in the medication. You absolutely cannot get steroids anywhere but a vet, and if Roxy needs a refill, you need to find a way to afford the exam and the meds. There is no other option. I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends. Also check out the links below for help. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html?credit=web http://canada.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/pet-financing-options-1264/ http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So your Vet will prescribe the prescription food but not the treats? I would ask to speak to your Vet directly. Sadly anything that is prescription requires a valid Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR). A VCPR requires a yearly exam which is what the law/veterinary boards require from the Vet. Any refill on prescriptions need yearly exams. With that being said you may be able to find the treats online as it is hard to enforce prescription diets, let alone treats. For what it is worth it is in the best interest of Oscar to have yearly exams and be up to date on his vaccines. I wish you the best!

I am afraid we cannot give you a prescription over the internet as this is not legal without having established a client-patient-veterinarian relationship. So unfortunately, you will have to take bagpuss to the veterinarian 100km away for an exam and treatment. You could also try making a phone call to this vet telling him your situation and Bagpuss' problem. Maybe he can help you over the phone.

Your vet should be able to write you a prescription for 30 tablets with a certain amount of refills so you don't need a prescription every month. Usually the refills should be 6-12 months depending on when your vet wants to do a recheck and test some blood-work. I am not sure of the laws in the UK but in the US a vet has to provide a written prescription and a client can have it filled online or at a human pharmacy if the product is available. You could call some other vets in your area and ask about their policy and then change vets if it works out better.

If you live near a Petco that has a full service hospital then yes, you could talk to the vet about refilling your cat’s prescription. If your Petco has a Vetco vaccine clinic then the vet performs vaccines and routine preventative care only and would not be able to authorize refills. Based on the zip code you provided it doesn’t look like there is a full service hospital near you: https://stores.petco.com/vet-services?q=Rothschild,%20WI,%20USA

Hello and thank you for your question. I am so sorry to hear that you are having problems getting the care you need for Bianca. As I see it, you only have two options. First, as soon as you touch down in the states, I would make it a priority to schedule an appointment with a local veterinarian so that they can prescribe or sell you the food and medications you need. Second, you could also ask your previous doctor to contact The veterinary clinic you intend to use in the United States and have them fax the medical records. The new veterinarian in the United States will see the medical records and be able to continue The treatment and food that you had been giving. You could try this idea and it may work. But honestly, many veterinarians feel on comfortable prescribing anything without first doing a complete physical examination on your cat. I hope this helps and I thank you very much for being a wonderful animal advocate