According to figures provided by the American Pet Products Association, spending on pets and pet supplies rose from $17 billion in 1994 to $48.35 billion in 2010. The level is expected to rise to $50.84 billion in 2011 Of this $11.4 billion it is estimated that it will be spent on over-the-counter medications and supplies and another $14.11 billion is likely to be spent on veterinary care. Pets are very popular among Americans due to their friendly nature. A pet very quickly becomes part of your family and requires the same care and attention as any other member of the family. To keep your pet healthy and happy, you need to regularly spend on vet visits, food supplies, and medications. More and more Americans are choosing to buy pet medications online because of the convenience it offers. However, certain precautions should be taken when shopping online.

Pet Medications Online: Problems Involved
The advancement of technology and the growing popularity of the Internet has made life easier in many ways. Traditionally we used to personally visit a pharmacy to buy the necessary medicines. But the Internet has changed all that, and a number of online pharmacies have sprung up that offer to take your order by phone, fax or email and deliver medications and supplies right to your doorstep. Therefore, buying pet medications online saves the time and effort that would have been spent visiting a pharmacy in person. There are several other advantages to buying pet medications online:

• Online pet medications are generally cheaper than medications purchased from traditional pharmacies or veterinarians. This is largely due to the low overall costs of operating an online pharmacy.
• You can get brand name and generic drugs
• These online medical stores offer a wide range of pet supplies including food supplies, vitamins, medications, etc., allowing you to shop for all pet related products in one place.

One of the main concerns among shoppers when purchasing pet medications online is the quality of the products being sold. Rest assured that the drugs sold by online pharmacies are the same as those sold by physical stores. As mentioned above, it is the low cost of online operations that allows these pharmacies to offer customers significant discounts on online pet medications.

Precautions when buying pet medications online
The presence of a large number of online pharmacies also raises questions as to whether all of them are genuine and authorized to sell the various drugs. This can be avoided by approaching pharmacies that are licensed by regulatory authorities and prominently display their license or registration number on their websites. Pet owners should take certain precautions when shopping online.

• The first and foremost thing is to check the authenticity of an online pharmacy.
• You should also compare the prices of various pharmacies to make sure the claims they make are legitimate.
• One should always purchase prescription drugs only after showing a valid prescription. A pharmacy that is willing to sell such drugs without a prescription is likely to be fake or fraudulent.
• When buying pet medications online, one should look for the A pharmacy recommended by friends, relatives or veterinarians is always better than a new one.
• You should confirm with the pharmacy staff about the use and dosage of the online pet medications you purchase.