Petmeds Takes Care of Vet Bill Worries with Cheaper Medications

August 09, 2006 - Press Dispensary - As every pet owner knows, when Scamp has been rummaging in the dustbin and has an upset tum or Tiddles has got into a scrap and torn his ear, the most important thing is to make the pet better - however, even with an insurance policy in place, treatment can cost a small fortune. The launch of Petscriptions Ltd ( http://www.petmeds.co.uk ), a London-based online pet medication supplier, finally makes caring for pets more affordable, with treatments up to 60% cheaper than at the average vets' surgery.

Ricky Thomas, founder of Petscriptions Ltd, set up the company after facing huge veterinary costs for treating one of his dogs, despite having pet insurance. He explains: "Pet owners frequently feel under emotional ransom to their vet, forced to pay hiked up prices for basic worming and flea treatments and shelling out for costly consultations and expensive drugs when their pet is sick. One off treatments which cost just below the excess of an insurance policy or continuing treatments which go above the policy's ceiling limit can render most pet health policies useless and bleed even the most prudent pet owner dry."

He adds: “In the case of my dog, the cost of the drugs was greater than the consultancy as the vet was taking huge margins. We're trying to make people aware that they don't need to pay the extortionate prices charged by most vets. Our aim is to save our customers money and, ultimately, in saving their insurance companies money, we hope to lead the way to cheaper pet insurance.”

Petmeds’ products are for cats, dogs, rabbits and horses and include everything an owner is usually obliged to buy from a vet - but at such low prices some customers could save hundreds of pounds a year.

The website is easy to navigate so customers can quickly track down any product they need. As it is a business founded by pet owners for pet owners - with consultancy from practicing vets in London - customers can also be sure of a caring, supportive and professional service.

Orders can be made at http://www.petmeds.co.uk or by calling 0800 0430 848. Delivery is free for all goods apart from pet food. All prices include VAT.

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About Petscriptions Ltd
Petscriptions Ltd, trading as Petmeds.co.uk, is based in North London and sells pet medications online and by phone. It stocks thousands of products ranging from flea, worming and behavioural treatments to goods for more serious conditions such as arthritis, heart and epilepsy. The website went live in May 2006. The company was founded by Ricky Thomas who quit his job in IT to develop the idea of cheaper prescriptions for pet owners full time. It has six employees.

In May 2006, the turnover for Petscriptions was £2,500. In June 2006, it was £30,000. It is anticipated that turnover will reach £1 million within the next 12 months.


About the market sector
Up to October 31, 2005, manufacturers discriminated against independent companies that attempted to compete with the vets. The Competition Commission ruled that this was a monopoly and opened the gates for fairer pricing.


About Britain’s pet owners

According to the National Office of Animal Health, the UK animal medicine market was worth £389 million in 2001 (http://www.noah.co.uk/focus/industry2002.htm).
Direct Line Pet Insurance commissioned a survey in 2005 which indicated that 22% of the 5.4 million dog owners in the UK would consider putting their pet down if faced with treatment they couldn’t afford ( http://uk.directline.com/about_us/news_061005.htm).
2004 research by global market analyst Euromonitor revealed 18% of UK households own at least one cat (http://www.euromonitor.com/UK_cats_get_the_cream).

For further information, please contact:
Ricky Thomas, director, Petscriptions
Tel: 0800 043 0848 Email:
Site: http://www.petmeds.co.uk