Veterinarians Warning: Online pet medications could be counterfeit
It's hard to pass up a good deal, but when it comes to ordering pet medication online you may want to think twice.
The people at Pet Vet are asking their patients to keep this question in mind.
"How harmful might it be to the animal if there is something else in there?" said Doctor Jackie Burks.
Burks says he’s seen an increase in counterfeit medications being sold by online companies.
“It’s a growing problem. It’s a big money problem to the tune of about one and a half to two billion dollars a year on these counterfeit goods," said Burks.
He says one of the reasons these counterfeit drugs slide through is some of the companies don’t have a distribution deal with the manufacturers. That means they're buying from other sources.
Burks says these medication can pose a risk in two ways. One being they just don’t work. Secondly, the chemicals can harm the animal, according to Burks.
It’s such a problem the FDA and EPA have put out warnings to consumers.
We met Marie McBurnett at a dog park. She says she orders from an online company out of convenience.
“It was definitely handy when I could just order online," said McBurnett.
She didn’t know about the potential danger.
“Ya, that's definitely concerning," said McBurnett.
This doesn’t mean every online product is going to be counterfeit. Just make sure you do your homework when it comes to treating your pet.
Dr. Burks says one way you can be sure is to call the company directly and ask them if the lot and serial number on the box match up to a product they’ve sold.
