CRF Supplies

Scooter's Mail Order Supplies for Chronic Renal Failure (CRF)

Introduction: When we first began to infuse "Scooter" we quickly realized that the cost of prescription medications and other supplies to treat Scooter's CRF would be major. But then we found our first mail order vendor and realized "intelligent shopping" could control costs. This site provides detailed information on the current "low-cost" mail order / Internet vendors selling fluids, IV admin sets, disposable needles and other supplies and prescription drugs useful in treating pets with CRF. Many local pharmacies now sell fluids so do check the Local Fluids page also! Please remember that treatment of CRF requires close supervision by a knowledgeable veterinarian including regular visits and appropriate blood, urine and other tests, and that IV fluids require a prescription anywhere in the U.S. - David Jacobson

In Memoriam. "Scooter Cat" died in early September 2003 at 18 and 1/2. Infusing and medicating Scooter for CRF gained us 4 additional years with our pal and we treasured every moment. Scooter made me promise to maintain this site after his death to help folks finance their treatment of CRF and other chronic diseases through intelligent shopping. This site is dedicated to Scooter's memory. Here's a video of the Scootster.

Price Comparisons
Table 1. LRS, 12 IV sets, needles
Table 2. LRS, 2 IV sets, needles
Table 3. LRS
Table 4. 12 IV sets, box needles
Table 5. Normosol-R
Table 6. DEHP-Free LRS
Table 7. DEHP-Free LRS / IV Sets
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Vet Refuses Prescription! Legal Survey
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Pet Medication Card: This "print it yourself" discount card actually works. It's an offshoot of YourRxCard for prescription discounts. When I presented it recently when picking up a pet prescription at my local GiantFood pharmacy, the price of a bottle of liquid prednisolone dropped from $26 to $16! I've had reports of folks receiving a 50% discount on a case of lactated ringers solution (LRS) at their local pharmacies. Click here and give it a try. You can look for local pharmacies that accept the Pet Medication Card here.



"Scooter" Vansag . . . 1985 - 2003
"Scooter" Vansag . . . 1985 - 2003

Mail Order Price Comparisons

Overview. The tables below compare common CRF supplies orders. Please note that only vendors that sell all the products shown in each table are listed.

Table 1. Mail Order Price Comparison One Case LRS, 12 IV Admin Sets, 1 Box of Needles
Vendors ...............................................	1 Case LRS	12 IV Admin Sets	1 Box Needles	Shipping & Handling	TOTAL	Brands
ThrivingPets.com (1)	$47.52	$21.60	$5.81	Free	$74.93	HS,BB,TR
BRICO-Eastern US Delivery (2)	$29.00	$27.00	$6.90	$17.69	$80.59	HS,BB,TR
Direct Medical-East/Central US (3) Price Match Only	$29.00	$21.60	$5.81	$25.45	$81.86	HS,HS,TR
BRICO-Central US Delivery (2)	$29.00	$27.00	$6.90	$22.18	$85.08	HS,BB,TR
KVSupply (4)	$47.88	$34.20	$10.00	Free	$92.08	BX,BX,MJ
UPCO (5)	$55.30	$28.20	$10.95	$0.00	$94.45	BX,BX,MJ
Direct Medical-Western US (3) Price Match Only	$29.00	$21.60	$5.81	$40.68	$97.09	HS,HS,TR
BRICO-Western US Delivery (2)	$29.00	$27.00	$6.90	$36.57	$99.47	HS,HS,TR

Fluids and IV Admin Brands: HS = Hospira BB = B.Braun/McGaw BX = Baxter's EX = Exel Needle Brands: TR = Terumo MJ = Monoject
All cases of LRS include 12 liters except for UPCO which includes 14 liters!

Thriving Pets. Orders over $55 receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. Orders over $55 also qualify for a 10% discount extended to users of this site - enter the promo code scooter (small letters, no quotes). Be careful - if the order total after the discount is applied is less than $55, you'll lose your free shipping. (My back of the envelope calculation suggests that you can safely use the 10% discount for orders that total $61.12 or more.)
BRICO's shipping costs are calculated with each order. Sample costs shown are for Washington, DC (Eastern), Chicago (Central) and Los Angeles (Western).
Direct Medical's shipping costs are estimates plus a $6.99 handling charge. Direct Medical's web site order application shows the actual shipping costs for each order. Direct Medical claims that they will match competitor's prices for LRS, Normosol-R, IV Admin Sets and Terumo Needles. Pricing is based on Direct Medical's announced willingness to match the prices of its competitors.
KVSupply offers free shipping to the lower 48 on 80% of its products. A $5 service charge is assessed for orders under $50.00
UPCO shipping is included but UPCO assesses a (minimal) handling charge based on the order total ($) - $00.00 to $19.99 = $6.50, $20.00 to $49.99 = $5.50, $50.00 to $84.99 = $4.00, $85.00 and OVER = NONE. Note that UPCO ships Baxter fluids with 14 liters per case rather than 12.

Table 2. Mail Order Price Comparison One Case LRS, 2 IV Admin Sets, 1 Box of Needles
Vendors	1 Case LRS	2 IV Admin Sets	1 Box Needles	Shipping & Handling	TOTAL	Brands
ThrivingPets.com (1)	$47.52	$3.78	$5.81	Free	$57.11	HS,BB,TR
BRICO-Eastern US Delivery (2)	$29.00	$4.50	$6.90	$17.69	$58.09	HS,BB,TR
BRICO-Central US Delivery (2)	$29.00	$4.50	$6.90	$22.00	$62.40	HS,BB,TR
Direct Medical-East/Central US (3) Price Match Only	$29.00	$4.50	$5.81	$23.98	$63.20	HS,HS,TR
KVSupply (4)	$47.88	$5.70	$10.00	Free	$63.58	BX,BX,MJ
Valleyvet.com (5)	$51.48	$7.98	$11.95	Free	$71.41	HS,HS,MJ
BRICO-West US Delivery (2)	$29.00	$4.50	$6.90	$32.00	$72.40	HS,BB,TR
UPCO (6)	$55.30	$5.50	$10.95	$4.00	$75.75	BX,BX,MJ
Direct Medical-West US (3) Price Match	$29.00	$4.50	$5.81	$37.43	$75.88	HS,HS,TR

Thriving Pets. Orders over $55 receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. Orders over $55 also qualify for a 10% discount extended to users of this site - enter the promo code scooter (small letters, no quotes). Be careful - if the order total after the discount is applied is less than $55, you'll lose your free shipping. (My back of the envelope calculation suggests that you can safely use the 10% discount for orders that total $61.12 or more.)
BRICO's shipping costs are calculated with each order. Sample costs shown are for Washington, DC (Eastern), Chicago (Central) and Los Angeles (Western).
Direct Medical's shipping costs are estimates plus a $6.99 handling charge. Direct Medical's web site order application shows the actual shipping costs for each order. Direct Medical claims that they will match competitor's prices for LRS, Normosol-R, IV Admin Sets and Terumo Needles. Pricing is based on Direct Medical's announced willingness to match the prices of its competitors.
KVSupply offers free shipping to the lower 48 on 80% of its products. A $5 service charge is assessed for orders under $50.00
Valley Vet prices include shipping. Orders of $60 or less pay an additional $5 handling fee. Valley Vet sells both Hospira and B.Braun fluids. Hospira is cheaper and shown in the table above.
UPCO shipping is included but UPCO assesses a (minimal) handling charge based on the order total ($) - $00.00 to $19.99 = $6.50, $20.00 to $49.99 = $5.50, $50.00 to $84.99 = $4.00, $85.00 and OVER = NONE. Note that UPCO ships Baxter fluids with 14 liters per case rather than 12.).

Table 3. Mail Order Price Comparison One Case LRS
Vendors	1 Case LRS*	Shipping & Handling	TOTAL	$/Liter	Brand
BRICO-East US Delivery (1)	$29.00	$17.16	$46.16	$3.85	HS
KVSupply (2)	$51.87	Free	$51.87	$3.99	HS (13 liters)
UPCO (3)	$55.30	$4.00	$59.30	$4.24	BX (14 liters)
Direct Medical-East & Central US (4) Price Match	$29.00	$22.23	$51.23	$4.27	HS
Valleyvet.com (5)	$51.48	$7.00	$58.48	$4.87	HS
Doctors Foster & Smith (6)	$59.88	Free	$59.88	$4.99	HS
BRICO-Western US Delivery (1)	$29.00	$34.71	$63.71	$5.31	HS
Direct Medical-West US Delivery (4) Price Match	$29.00	$35.73	$64.73	$5.39	HS
ThrivingPets.com - Central/Western (7)	$52.80	$22.64	$75.44	$6.29	HS
ThrivingPets.com - Eastern (7)	$52.80	$30.97	$83.87	$6.98	HS

Fluids Brands: HS = Hospira BB = B.Braun/McGaw BX = Baxters
*All cases of LRS include 12 liters except for KVSupply (13) and UPCO (14).

BRICO's shipping costs are calculated with each order. Sample costs shown are for Washington, DC (Eastern), Chicago (Central) and Los Angeles (Western).
KVSupply prices include shipping. The firm also charges an additional $5 fee for orders under $50 but by buying 13 liters rather than 12 you avoid the $5 fee and gain an extra liter for $3.99.
UPCO shipping is included but UPCO assesses a (minimal) handling charge based on the order total ($) - $00.00 to $19.99 = $6.50, $20.00 to $49.99 = $5.50, $50.00 to $84.99 = $4.00, $85.00 and OVER = NONE. Note that UPCO ships Baxter fluids with 14 liters per case rather than 12.
Direct Medical's shipping costs are estimates plus a $6.99 handling charge. Direct Medical's web site order application shows the actual shipping costs for each order. Direct Medical claims that they will match competitor's prices for LRS, Normosol-R, IV Admin Sets and Terumo Needles. Pricing is based on Direct Medical's announced willingness to match the prices of its competitors.
Valley Vet prices include shipping. Orders of $60 or less pay an additional $7 handling fee. Valley Vet sells both Hospira and B.Braun fluids. Hospira is cheaper and shown in the table above.
Doctors Foster & Smith has free shipping for most orders over $49.
Thriving Pets. Orders over $55 receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. Orders over $55 also qualify for a 10% discount extended to users of this site - enter the promo code scooter (small letters, no quotes). Be careful - if the order total after the discount is applied is less than $55, you'll lose your free shipping. (My back of the envelope calculation suggests that you can safely use the 10% discount for orders that total $61.12 or more.)

Table 4. Mail Order Price Comparison 12 IV Admin Sets and 1 Box of Needles
Vendors	12 IV Admin Sets	1 Box Needles	Shipping & Handling	TOTAL	Brands
MVI Shopmedvet.com (1)	$12.00	$5.95	$10.00	$27.95	??,TR
Dealmed.com (2)	$12.36	$5.81	$9.99	$28.16	EX,TR
ThrivingPets.com - Western / Central US Delivery (3)	$24.00	$6.45	$11.70	$42.15	BB,TR
ThrivingPets.com - Eastern US Delivery (3)	$24.00	$6.45	$12.23	$42.68	BB,TR
BRICO Medical Supplies (4)	$27.00	$6.90	$10.00	$43.90	BB,TR
Direct Medical - East & Central US (5) Price Match Only	$24.00	$6.45	$17.96	$48.41	HR,TR
Direct Medical - Western US (5) Price Match Only	$24.00	$6.45	$22.55	$53.00	HR,TR

TR=Terumo Needles BB=B.Braun/McGaw IV sets HS=Hospira Venosets BX=Baxter Healthcare CO=Codan
EX= Exel IV Sets MJ = Monoject AM=Amsino IV Sets

MVI offers several IV admin sets including a 100" long/10 dpmL (drops per milliliter), a second 72" long/20 dpmL, etc. Shipping and handling is $10 for all orders under $100.
Dealmed.com sells an Excel IV set, 78" long, 15 dpm, one injection site, DEHP-free for $1.03. They do sell Terumo needles. Shipping is a flat $9.99 for USPS, $11.99 for UPS Ground.
ThrivingPets' website calculates shipping cost. Examples include delivery to the West Coast (LA), the Midwest (Chicago) and the East (Washington, DC).
BRICO shipping & handling costs are approximate. BRICO's web site will calculate exact shipping costs for each order.
Direct Medical's shipping costs are estimates plus a $6.99 handling charge. Direct Medical's web site order application shows the actual shipping costs for each order. Pricing above is based on Direct Medical claim that they will match competitor's prices for LRS, Normosol-R, IV Admin Sets and Terumo Needles.

Table 5. Mail Order Price Comparison One Case of Normosol-R or Isolyte-S
Vendor	Base Cost	Delivered to Eastern US	Delivered to Central US	Delivered to Western US
ThrivingPets.com (1)	$59.35	$59.35	$59.35	$59.35
KVSuppy (2)	$59.88	$59.88	$59.88	$59.88
BRICO Medical (3)	$40.00	$57.16	$61.26	$74.71
VetAmerica (4)	$33.99	$62.99	$62.99	$62.99
Direct Medical (5) Price Match Only	$40.00	$67.25	$67.25	$75.73
Doctors Foster & Smith (6)	$71.88	$71.88	$71.88	$71.88
Valleyvet.com (7)	$78.60	$78.60	$78.60	$78.60

Thriving Pets. Orders over $55 receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. Orders over $55 also qualify for a 10% discount extended to users of this site - enter the promo code scooter (small letters, no quotes). Be careful - if the order total after the discount is applied is less than $55, you'll lose your free shipping. (My back of the envelope calculation suggests that you can safely use the 10% discount for orders that total $61.12 or more.) Thriving Pets also carries pH 7.4 for $79.95.
KVSupply prices include shipping. The firm also charges an additional $5 fee for orders under $50.
BRICO's shipping costs are calculated with each order. Costs shown are for Washington, DC (Eastern), Chicago (Central) and Los Angeles (Western).
VetAmerica charges a flat $29 to ship a case of fluids anywhere in the lower 48. VetAmerica also sells the hard to find 7.4 pH Normosol-R..
Direct Medical ships from Alabama and levies a $6.99 handling charge on all orders plus UPS shipping costs. Pricing is based on Direct Medical's announced willingness to match the prices of its competitors.
Doctors Foster and Smith include shipping for most orders over $49.
Valleyvet.com includes shipping in its base cost for fluids and most items; however, a $6 handling charge is applied to orders that total less than $60.

Table 6. Mail Order Price Comparison One Case of DEHP-Free Lactated Ringers (LRS)
Vendor	Base Cost	Delivered to Eastern US	Delivered to Central US	Delivered to Western US	Brand
BRICO Medical (1)	$32.00	$49.16	$53.26	$66.71	HS
ThrivingPets.com (2)	$64.26	$64.26	$64.26	$64.26	HS
Valleyvet.com (3)	$65.40	$65.40	$65.40	$65.40	BX

Fluids Brands: HS = Hospira BB = B.Braun/McGaw BX = Baxters

BRICO's shipping costs are calculated with each order. Costs shown are for Washington, DC (Eastern), Chicago (Central) and Los Angeles (Western).
Thriving Pets. Orders over $55 receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. Orders over $55 also qualify for a 10% discount extended to users of this site - enter the promo code scooter (small letters, no quotes). Be careful - if the order total after the discount is applied is less than $55, you'll lose your free shipping. (My back of the envelope calculation suggests that you can safely use the 10% discount for orders that total $61.12 or more.)
Valleyvet.com includes shipping in its base cost for fluids and most items; however, a $6 handling charge is applied to orders that total less than $60.

Table 7. Mail Order Price Comparison One Case of DEHP-Free Lactated Ringers (LRS) and Two DEHP-Free IV Admin Sets
Vendor	LRS	Two DEHP-Free IV Admin Sets	TOTAL	Delivered to Eastern US	Delivered to Central US	Delivered to Western US	Brand
BRICO Medical (1)	$32.00	$5.00	$37.00	$54.16	$58.26	$71.71	HS,HS
ThrivingPets.com (2)	$64.26	$4.50	$68.76	$68.76	$68.76	$68.76	HS,HS

Fluids and IV Set Brands: HS = Hospira BB = B.Braun/McGaw BX = Baxters

BRICO's shipping costs are calculated with each order. Costs shown are for Washington, DC (Eastern), Chicago (Central) and Los Angeles (Western).
Thriving Pets. Orders over $55 receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48. Orders over $55 also qualify for a 10% discount extended to users of this site - enter the promo code scooter (small letters, no quotes). Be careful - if the order total after the discount is applied is less than $55, you'll lose your free shipping. (My back of the envelope calculation suggests that you can safely use the 10% discount for orders that total $61.12 or more.)

Vet refuses to write a prescription?

27 of the 50 states require vets (by law or regulation) to write prescriptions when a patient/client relationship exists and the drug is medically appropriate. Since the 27 that do require vets to prescribe include some of the most populous states (e.g., California, New York, etc.), the majority of vets in this country are required to prescribe rather than dispense. Click here for detailed information on the law and regulations in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

States take different approaches to regulating veterinary prescriptions. Louisiana, Idaho and Wyoming include the ethical standards of the American Veterinary Medical Association (the vets' answer to the AMA) in their veterinary regulation statute. That includes the ethical standard that "Veterinarians should honor a client's request for a prescription in lieu of dispensing [sell from vet's own stock]." In Virginia, a vet's refusal to prescribe would be deemed "unprofessional conduct." In Vermont, it would be considered "profiteering." Even in states where veterinary statutes and regulation do not require vets to prescribe, pharmacy laws may.

If a vet does refuse a prescription, check with the appropriate state veterinary and pharmacy boards and the state veterinary association. Even if the state doesn't specifically require the vets to provide prescriptions, state veterinary and pharmacy boards and even veterinary associations may be sympathetic and may lobby the vet on your behalf.

Talk to your vet about the refusal - a friendly chat will often work. If your vet still refuses, please write me with the details. Remember that most vets are glad to write prescriptions and that needles and syringes can be obtained without a prescription in most states.

This web site is a product of me, David Jacobson. The information presented here is not guaranteed. Contact the vendors listed directly for their current prices and policies. Feel free to link this page to other pages and web sites dealing with the medical treatment of cats and dogs. And please contact me with any updated information or additional vendors, or your comments, criticisms and suggestions. I appreciate your help.

This web site first went online in April 2000. It was dedicated to Scooter in September 2003.

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