How pet owners can save on medications

Anyone who has had a sick pet knows how expensive veterinary care can be. Thankfully, there are ways to save on those bills.

Regular vet check-ups will keep pets healthy, but sometimes they need added medical attention. Last year, Americans spent almost $30 billion on veterinary services like surgeries and medications.

According to Consumer Reports, over the course of an average pet's lifetime, pet owners spend anywhere from $9,000 to more than $13,000 for medical treatments. Costs go even higher if your pet needs a prescription.

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The best way to save is to shop around for the best price, even checking prices at regular human pharmacies like CVS or Walgreens.

Although there are some veterinary-specific drugs, a number of medicines prescribed to pets are the same medicines used for people -- and some pharmacies will give you the same discounts on drugs they offer human customers.

Online pharmacies are another way to save, but just like when buying your own medications online, it's important to make sure the site you buy from is safe.

"The safe-dot-pharmacy program screens online pharmacies for humans and for pets," said health editor Lauren Friedman.

"It makes sure that they're storing their medication correctly, dispensing it correctly and dispensing the right kind of medication."

Another way to save money is to spay or neuter your pet, which prevents health problems such as uterine infections, breast tumors and testicular cancer.