THIS VETCO IS A MONEY-HUNGRY JOKE OF A VET.
Please consider using another vet for prescriptions. I took my dog in March of this year for her annual shots and prescription updates under the impression that this visit would keep her prescription valid for the year, just as I’ve been able to do in the past with other providers. At no point during that visit was I told that I would later need to provide ongoing monthly proof of prevention in order to keep her prescription active, nor was I told that having a relief veterinarian perform the exam could affect whether that exam would later be honored for prescription approval.
Because none of that was disclosed to me at the time of service, I spent hundreds of dollars on an exam believing Minnie would be covered for her prescription needs moving forward. Months later, when I attempted to get her medication approved, I was then told that the exam was essentially not sufficient and that I now needed to provide proof of prevention for specific months in order to move forward. Had this been clearly explained from the beginning, I would have made sure to keep every single invoice, wrapper, and purchase record, or I would have simply gone elsewhere for care.
What makes this especially frustrating is that I already had Simparica on hand for my dog, so I declined medication at the time of the appointment because I had no reason to think doing so would create a problem later. Instead, I’m now being treated as though I failed to meet requirements that were never clearly communicated to me in the first place. If a relief veterinarian’s exam cannot support prescription approval, or if monthly proof of prevention is required to keep a prescription valid, that needs to be plainly disclosed before a client pays for an exam — not months later when they are trying to refill a medication.
This experience felt misleading, disorganized, and unnecessarily expensive. I did not leave that appointment understanding that I would still be jumping through hoops months later just to obtain medication my dog has already been taking. A veterinary office should be transparent about prescription policies, exam limitations, and documentation requirements upfront so pet owners can make informed decisions about where to spend their money and how to maintain their pet’s care.