I had an unusual call at the cats-only boarding facility this morning: a client from the vet side, looking for prescription cat food.
More specifically, she didn’t want to have to drive a half hour to the office to pick up a prescription diet, and wanted to know where else she might be able to get it. She’d tried calling veterinarians that were closer to where she lived, without much luck.
If your pets are on a prescription diet, your emergency shopping options may be limited. Here are a few ideas:
- When your veterinarian prescribes a special diet, be sure to ask where else you can buy it — your vet might know what other vets in the area carry the same food in case you run out or can’t make the trip.
- Look into food delivery services. Many online sites allow you to set up an ongoing delivery schedule so you never run out… just be aware that you may be paying more for shipping the food! Also, with some food delivery services, you need your vet to provide a copy of the prescription before they’ll bring special food.
- Try the big pet stores — especially the ones with veterinarian offices. My nearest PetSmart has a Banfield Veterinary Clinic, and they carry a lot of different special diets.
- Ask your vet about alternatives that don’t require a prescription — for times when you might run out of special food. Some pets will be okay eating “normal” food for a day or two, but others won’t.
My dogs aren’t on a special diet, but I do have a trick that keeps me from running out unexpectedly and having to rush out to the store: when I open a new bag of food, I immediately fill four gallon-sized freezer bags with dog food and set them aside. When I reach the end of the large dog food bag, I know I have at least four more days worth of food set aside — but it’s time to hit the store.